I consider a Secret Garden to be a safe place where you can find peace and relaxation. For many this might not be a garden at all. For me, it is definitely my garden. 

It was a long journey to construct this quilt from a photo taken from my garden to finished art quilt. I certainly could not have successfully achieved it without Jane Sassaman and her Abstracting from Nature classes. 

Here is the original photo: 

The finished art quilt 28.5" x 41.5": 

Through this process do I not only feel like I know more about the scarlet runner bean than most, I learned how to spin a tale through my quilt. The beetles and the snails have a special meeting place in the corner of the garden where they can escape the summer heat, munch and possibly a place to call home for future generations. 

From concept, to design, to construction this quilt challenged me on all levels. I do not possess solid drawing skills and always considered drawing as something I simply did not do.  Through the concept and design phase I learned to sketch plants in every possible way you could look at them. For example the tomatoes required top view, side view, bottom view and the stem. This provides the detail you need to make the patterns for the appliqué pieces. Then layer upon layer each piece is lovingly stitched onto the background fabric until all is secured. Every piece is raw edge appliqué, then outlined with 12WT thread, then decorative stitching and finally the quilting. This 11 week journey has been one of the most satisfying pieces I have made to date. 

Here is a closer look at the stitching: