I LOVE this panel! Normally, I’m not fussed by fabric panels. Either I don’t like the colours or the theme, but this one was different and not like any panel I’ve ever seen before. I love the colours and I especially like the birds — macaws are some of my favourite birds, and I love the over-the-top design of the toucans.
I was originally going to do a lot of thread painting on this quilt in matching colours, but realised fairly quickly that all that would do would be to tighten up the quilt and make it quite stiff. I suspect this quilt will go to a small child, and it needs to be comforting. So after doing a little thread painting in black, I switched to an invisible thread in smoke and mostly just outlined the main features, adding a bit of texture to the waterfall, the tree trunks, the edges and veins of the leaves, etc.
(Click on a photo to view it larger. The colours look a little washed out as this photo was taken in the heat of a very hot summer’s day. Sorry about that!)
Threads used:
- Top: YLI Wonder Invisible Thread ‘Smoke’ (nylon)
- Bobbin: Wonderfil Deco-Bob (80 wt, colour DB 245)
Rhonda Bracey: At Random 
How gorgeous 🙂
The texture is amazing! Such a wonderful decision to keep the softness with the outlining!!
I thought your stitching made the birds stand out from the quilt. great job.