Oh, that is wonderful!!! I hadn't thought of showing something on the surface. That could be really interesting. Fun idea to play with!

this is a great thread as I have also thought of doing wavy lines but obviously it isnt as easy as it was in my head and more research is needed before i dive in...lol..thanks to everyone who has responded and now to research..

I hope this will make sense (and I'm sorry, but I can't post pictures... simply cannot follow directions for pushing this key or that when I don't have anything on my screen or keyboard with that word; wish we had a simple "add photo" place! I've been told "thousands do it so there is no problem").

A couple of years ago I made my sister a swirl quilt (using colors from one of her paintings). It had a round center and different batik fabrics "unwrapped from that center" and as each piece moved away from the center circle they got larger.

The method I used was to lay out the fabrics around the center in a series of color, decided on the curves I wanted (all in my head at this point) and moving the "next" piece out of the way, cut the curve I wanted out of piece #1. Then I folded over the edges of #1, clipped it from raw edge to 1/8" of the folded edge, ironed it down smooth.

Then I took piece #2 and laid #1 on top of it, as near the edge of the fabric as I was comfortable with (forget 1/4" seam!), made sure it was flat, no tweeks, and sewed the folded onto the second piece very near the edge with a simple straight stitch.

After stitching I turned the the pieces over and clipped away at the second piece to about 1/2" of the edge.

On to piece #3. This is not a thrifty way to do it, but my time is worth something too! And the scraps can be used in many, many ways.

I am going to try to change my avatar to that quilt so you will have a hint of what it looked like (well that didn't work, I can't figure that out either!). If some one wants to, they can send me their regular email address and I'll send a picture of it to them and they can post it. I haven't a clue as to how to do it. Sorry. The swirl quilt sure got a lot of compliments at the 50th anniversary party and my sister loves it. It is lap robe size (she keeps it on her couch and uses it in the evenings to keep warm).

If you appliqued your batik to the background with a very narrow stitch, maybe even as narrow as a straight stitch, and used a metallic thread, would it visually read as sunlight glinting off of the water? Or as sunlight seen through the water? I think that perhaps the difference in how it would read between the two effects of sunlight would depend upon the angle of stitching. Sunlight through the water would have to be stitched from top to bottom and your fabric applied like that. Sunlight glinting off the water would be horizontal to the surface of the water and would most likely go from side to side. Just a suggestion as it might add a further detail to your wall hanging and would eliminate the curve problem.

Amazing !!
Love the colors,very nicely done.

wow it sounds complicated to me !!!! good luck

The fabric won't lay flat in the area of a curve.

I'm confused about the part where you say you'll cut away the fabric...'.. cut away the additional fabric beyond the 1/4-inch seam allowance.."
If you are trying to make chennille, there are easier ways to do it.

I have one of those flexible curve things. (Not sure what it's real name is since my hubby took it to his cabinet shop so he can use it to make a template for a counter top that will go against a curved wall and I can't look at the package to see the name.) It's about 18 in. long and flexes to any curvey shape you want. It is 1/4 in wide, so using it automatically adds your seam allowances. I would suggest getting one of those to make your quilt. You can change the curves through out your quilt making it look even more like water. I got it at a quilt show and it wasn't very expensive. There are instructions included. Your idea sounds beautiful. I hope you post pics when you are finished.

#23 above was w/o a picture, but I have received help (Thank you PatriceJ and others) and I am going to try to post it here. Wish me luck! Remember, these are colors from my sisters paintings... that means she is the insane one, not me:D