The Inspiration Behind Viking View
My trip down the Rhine River from Amsterdam to Basel was filled with endless inspiration. However, my absolute favorite part of the journey was traveling through the Upper Middle Rhine Valley.
The Upper Middle Rhine Valley, stretching between Koblenz and Rüdesheim, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Over 40 castles were built in this region, making it the heart of the medieval Holy Roman Empire. This romantic landscape, with its towering rock walls, has inspired countless poems, fairy tales, paintings, and songs.
Viking View was particularly inspired by a photo I took of Stolzenfels Castle rising above the colorful riverfront houses along the Rhine. The original castle was built in the 1300s by Archbishop Arnold von Isenburg. Over the centuries, it endured occupations by French and Swedish troops during the Thirty Years' War before being destroyed by the French in the Nine Years' War. In the 1800s, Frederick William IV of Prussia rebuilt it in the Gothic Revival style. Today, Stolzenfels Castle is open to the public and stands as a prime example of Rhine Romanticism, now part of the UNESCO World Heritage designation.
To truly capture the essence of the castle and the surrounding houses, I used this image as the foundation for my collage quilt design. I started with the castle itself, carefully layering fabrics to bring its grandeur to life.
Next, I worked on the houses, ad then arranged both sections on Pattern Ease. I love working with large collage patterns on my design wall—it allows me to step back and see the composition from different perspectives.
Then came the background elements. I wanted to add a sense of whimsy to my castle, so I incorporated unicorns, Red Riding Hood, and a wolf. Since Red Riding Hood is a Germanic folk tale, she felt like the perfect addition to the scene. I also imagined how fun it would have been to include dragons soaring in the sky, but I didn’t have any dragon fabric on hand!
Once all the fabric pieces were in place, I quilted the design with uneven grid lines, adding texture and movement to the finished piece. The result? A cherished memory of my journey along the Rhine, infused with a touch of whimsy to reflect the magic I imagined unfolding in the trees.
Want to make your own Viking View castle and houses? Get the pattern here: Viking View Digital PDF Download
This downloadable PDF includes a template that prints on regular paper for easy assembly at home. It also features a full 20" x 30" template that can be printed at a copy shop for added convenience.