You’ve spent hours making a quilt and now you want to take a quality picture to show your friends how gorgeous it is, but what’s the best way? First off, I just want to say that your quilt deserves a great photo. And you deserve the praise of your friends for all the work you put into your quilting masterpiece. A great photo can help you do that. I don’t think there is one perfect shot for every quilt, but there are 7 great ways to choose from that might help you get the quality photo you deserve.
1. The Hang
This is a great way to show off the quilt in it’s entirety. Hanging it on a blank wall in your home can look gorgeous with furniture and decor staged around it. The pic below was taken by hanging along a wire against our fence. While I find this picture adequate, it’s a little boring.
The image below was taken with the quilt hanging along a wire wrapped around two trees. The blurry natural background shows much more interest.
2. The Drape
I find this one the most difficult to make look natural. The folds add a nice effect, but require a lot of trial and error to make perfect. I often drape quilts over a chair or sofa. If you have a crib for a baby quilt or a beautiful bed, a quilt draped in it’s natural setting can be beautiful.
Make sure to remember your background. Boring or cluttered backgrounds can be distracting. So move that clutter out of the shot and snap some pics before the dog decides to sit on your soft quilty goodness.
3. The Flatlay
When we used to live in a two story house I would lay the quilt out flat on the ground floor, then run up the stairs and take a shot from the balcony. Holding the camera out over the edge and snapping a picture worked well most of the time. I would then go into Photoshop and edit out the carpet. It’s a nice look with no background to worry about.
4. The Fold
Although folding your quilt up doesn’t give its full effect, it’s a great way to display your binding or ruffles and gives your quilt a personal touch.
5. The Spread
Quilts, in general, belong on beds, but outside of a Pottery Barn catalog few of us have designer bedrooms that make a fantastic bed pic. If you don’t have a perfect arrangement of cushions, consider zooming in a bit. If you have an interesting lamp or bench in your bedroom, try to get that item in the shot to elevate the story your image is telling.
6. The Close Up
Those quilting stitches are what hold the quilt together but they can also be beautiful! Zoom in on your work, showing stitches and patterns. If the quilt is a busy pattern this can help simplify it.
7. The Baby
Probably the most distracting photo that can be taken of a quilt is by placing a baby in the picture! Everyone is looking at the baby, but dress that baby up in coordinating colors and eventually they’ll be looking at your quilt as well.
One final tip on photographing your quilt.
If taking shots outside or even inside, try to keep your quilt in the shade. Splotchy sunlight and shadows might be what your going for, but most of the time even lighting is best.
Get out there and shoot some quilt shots! I’d love to hear your thoughts!
CraftApple 