I'm a photography gadget person. Well, maybe not so much me, but My Guy is. Over the years I've been gifted a few gadgets. Some work, some kinda work, some either don't work or they are smarter than I am (probably the latter). At any rate, back in October I bought myself a gadget that's kinda a photography thing, but it's also a quilty thing too. I was tired of having quilt photographs that looked like this:
Yes you can see the quilt, but it just looks funny to me. I just don't have a place where I can hang a quilt to get a nice full on shot of any of my larger projects. So after reading some interesting tutorials on how to get good pictures of your quilts (like this one), I finally ordered one of these:
It's a photographer's backdrop frame (with the completed Flurry quilt as the model). So now I can hang up a quilt and get a nice front on shot of the whole quilt.
I like this perspective much better.
A quilt isn't really done until I've posted it's picture. The tutorial at the link above recommended you sew on a hanging sleeve to mount a quilt on the backdrop frame. I'm too lazy to sew on then take off a hanging sleeve. Next best thing? Curtain rings. I bought 2 packages of the big rings at Hobby Lobby. They have little clips at the bottom and the rings just slide over the cross bar. I used those to hang the quilt. The clips just barely cover the binding so you can either crop them out or Photoshop them out. As long as you evenly distribute the weight of the quilt across a number of the rings, it doesn't seem to cause any problems no longer than the quilt is up on the frame having it's picture made. For larger quilts you use more of the rings, for smaller quilts not as many.
So my favorite thing this week is being able "pose" my quilts. I'm not sure the pictures will be any better, but at least the funky angles will be gone.
To see more favorite things, check out all the links over at Quilting in Pyjamas.
You're right. the quilts look great displayed that way. very nice.
ReplyDeleteI need one of those....why did you show me that lol
ReplyDeleteA very handy gadget indeed. If it wasn't raining so much, I'd take my latest finish out and hang it on the clothesline to get a photo! As it is, I think WM is going to have to "pose" for me!
ReplyDeleteI could do with one of those too. That's a great gadget.
ReplyDeleteSo very clever! I love those curtain rings with the clips, too. Great job!!! (And you're so right -- the photos look so much better if the quilt is hanging.) :)
ReplyDeleteFabulous favourite! Oh, my, golly. Your Flurry is just gorgeous. I'm still too scared to quilt mine. Yikes! ☺ That really is quite the cool gadget. People amaze me with their ability to think up things like that. Happy Friday, friend!
ReplyDeleteThat's a great gadget. I, too, have used curtain clips for doing wall hangings. Just love them. The photos show how much better the perspective is using the gadget.
ReplyDeleteI like the hanging pictures so much better too. Does this thing fold up for storage? I have to wait for the perfect, semi-cloudy, no wind day to hang my quilts outside for a photo. Doesn't happen often.
ReplyDeleteThat is one of the coolest and best ideas I have ever seen Kate. Was it very expensive? I think I need to get one!
ReplyDeleteGreat favourite (and a winner for the quilters judging by your comments this week !)
Now that IS COOL! Great pics and beautiful quilts, by the way. :-)
ReplyDeleteGreat idea! My son has one of these, I should just get the clips and just go over by him and photography my quilts. I had been thinking of an area in my sewing room, where my design wall is, of hanging some sort of rod, but the space is small and lighting is poor. You're right, they do look nicer photographed this way.
ReplyDeleteClever you! Are these spendy? I'm half tempted to make myself one of those PVC frames I used to use for the soccer team banners I had to put up every game when my kids were playing...but mostly I just clip my quilts to the fence in my backyard!
ReplyDeleteexcellent. you have me wondering where i could do something similar outdoors ... without storing the backdrop frame. my clothesline is low, and my indoor lighting is terrible.
ReplyDeleteso far, only lame ideas:
the local playground?
baseball backstop?
the open garage door?
your quilts are beautiful and you have me thinking ... thanks !
Isn't it funny now perspective makes all the difference? that is a great new toy :-)
ReplyDeletenice. it really does make a nice difference when you see a quilt hung and photographed.
ReplyDelete:-)
libbyQ