Learning Product Photography In An Afternoon

Sometimes my own can-do spirit is enough to get a project done... and sometimes I need to call in my reinforcements!  Such is the case with photographing my projects and products.  Despite having received four whole years of visual arts training in college, I somehow dodged basic photography!  Unbelievable.  This is when my friend and crafting colleague Christina over at Meadowlarking came to my rescue with an afternoon-long photography lesson! 

I just happened to have a bright and beautiful new apron sample on hand for the lesson, with which I learned that bright green summer leaves can sometimes make the best backdrop for vibrantly colored cottons... who knew?

This is my standard Flat Front Apron pattern, due for re-release by mid-July of this year.  I've been busy sewing up trunk show samples; this one features a bright Moda polka dot and the periwinkle Paradise Garden print from Amy Butler's Love Collection.  Summery, isn't it?  I can't wait to sew up and photograph the rest of my sample aprons - they are a motley group of colorful and witty cotton things.  There are no holds barred when choosing fun and bright fabrics for aprons... the brighter and more outlandish, the better.

As cute (and addictive to make) as these aprons are, they're notoriously difficult to photograph, making them the perfect photography student challenge.  We folded, we draped, we hung this apron on a hanger.  Christina suggested folding the apron in half and swept the ties to the side and - voila! - instantly more photo-friendly.

Of course, just getting the apron folded wasn't the only challenge... In learning how to best photograph the fabric, I also learned how to block and direct excess light using a piece of foam board... here you can see me acting as the gleeful photographer's assistant, blocking out all the dappled sunlight from our cheerfully-colored apron model.

While I am ultimately better trained to sew these projects than to photograph them, I came away from my lesson knowing my camera a bit better, and a I had more confidence about photographing lots of my upcoming projects.  I also have more enthusiasm, which only bolsters my can-do spirit!  Lights, camera, action!...  Awesome product photos, here I come!

My First Adventures In Hawaiian Quilting

You know that you're addicted to sewing when you take your quilting with you on vacation to the Big Island of Hawaii.  ...and what better project to take than a Hawaiian appliqued quilt block?  In case you aren't familiar with Hawaiian quilting, there is a great history and a lot of resources for you over at Poakalani.net (they also publish a wonderful series of pattern books that include instructions).  Simply stated, the Hawaiian quilting tradition that is practiced today arose from the teaching of traditional western applique quilting techniques to the islanders of Hawaii, who then combined this western technique with traditional Polynesian tapa cloth motifs.

My first project is a 22" sampler, which will be used as a throw pillow sham when complete.  The artwork starts with a 1/8th pie segment template that is used to cut the folded cotton, much as you would a tissue paper snowflake.  The design of this block is the Guava pattern by Apapane Quilting; you can see my work in the first stages, with the light yellow applique aligned on the creased backing fabric:

The next step in the applique process is to thoroughly hand-baste the applique fabric onto the backing.  I've basted loosely in the middle, just enough to keep things in place while I stitch:

No hoops are used while sewing the applique to the backing.  Here I am using a hand-sewing needle to needle-turn the edges of the applique under 1/8" and stitch by hand with a tiny pick stitch all the way around the motif.  Initially the turning was difficult and not as smooth as I'd like, but my stitches and turns are looking better as I near completion of the applique process!

Here you can see some of the finished applique work - mostly tidy, but the parts that are a little rough won't look as obvious after the next step of hand-quilting.  I'm loving the summery colors of citron and pale yellow here - bright reminders of breezy, sunny days stitching on the lanai!