I must be getting old. It doesn’t seem like 40 should feel that old, and in fact it didn’t bother me when I turned 40 in March this year. Of course, to my children, I’m ancient, and to my husband, I’m young. I’m nine years younger than ITMan, which is not so much, until you remember that he grew up in the 70’s and I was an 80’s child, and there are some vast differences in attitude based on that. I guess it’s all a matter of perspective when you’re talking about age. To me, 65 seems old, but now some of my readers may be sending “Who’re you calling old?” comments my way.

Forgetting things almost always bites you in the butt, one way or another…

Whatever your perspective on the age issue, I’m starting to feel old sometimes, like when I can’t remember things. Part of the problem is just having too much creative stuff bouncing off the walls in my head, and the non-creative stuff just can’t compete so it just gets out of the way and then goes into hiding. (As an aside, I don’t have nearly as much trouble in the memory department as ITMan, who seems like he’s battling early-onset Alzheimer’s sometimes!) I write more notes these days, which is a good thing because I absolutely HATE to forget things. Forgetting things almost always bites you in the butt, one way or another, by inconveniencing yourself or worse, someone else.

It’s finally gotten to the point where I write notes about sewing machine settings or other quilting-related tidbits about certain techniques, so that I can remember them when I go to do something again. Only problem is, I tend to lose little bits of paper quite easily. Ok, they’re not exactly lost, just buried under other bits of paper, and sometimes fabric and such. Read the rest of this entry »

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The observance of Veterans Day means more than sleeping in (though I must say, that was heavenly this morning!), but I’ll bet my kids have no idea why they’re not doing school today. That’s completely sad for two kids who have spent a good portion of their school years in Department of Defense schools, and whose father is a 24-year veteran of the US Air Force. Maybe we can cut the DoDDs schools a bit of a break, due to the fact that three of the most recent school years were spent at an international school, and not much (if any) mention was made of US Veterans Day.

Other than that, I think that maybe the pace of life these days is so wild that when a holiday weekend comes along, people are just so thankful for the break that they don’t care why they get it. I have to say that I don’t remember my parents ever discussing the whys and wherefores of holidays with me when I was a kid, and I don’t remember much about it from school either. Obviously, it’s up to me now since my kids have school at home, so they may start getting an extra “mom project” every now and again. Yeah, they’re upstairs sleeping late or otherwise vegetating in their rooms, but I think a short discussion about why they’re getting the bonus is in order later.

ITMan is at work today, despite the fact that he is a veteran. His company is one of those that says “we’ll give you the day after Thanksgiving off instead.” I think that policy ought to apply only to employees that are not veterans! Of course, there’d be a skeleton crew aboard at the office on Veterans Day if that were the case, since a huge number of these people who work for government contractor companies like this are veterans, I think.

In the spirit of the day, I think I’ll begin work on a small quilt with a patriotic theme that’s been floating around in my head for a couple of years, and is now destined to be donated to the Silent Auction at the Guild Quilt Show in spring. What about you? Are you home from work today to observe the holiday? What about your kids? Do they understand the significance of Veterans Day? Whatever you do this Veterans Day, say a thank you to all those who serve or have served our country.

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Part three of a four part series about entering quilt shows, the jurying and judging process. This series is based on my experiences at quilt shows and classes I’ve taken about the quilt judging process.

Next to good workmanship and striking design, it’s a great picture that will help your work get noticed and accepted to the quilt show. When you’re ready to take that picture, there are a couple of different ways to go depending on your time, budget and interests. First, consider hiring a professional. Professional photographers know how to get a great picture, with true color and balanced lighting, and they have the right equipment to get the job done. However, do look for someone who specializes in art photography as opposed to portraiture or nature scenes, as there is a huge difference in technique, setup and lighting. Be sure to ask for digitals of the photos, so that you can use them as you wish later as well.

If you choose to use a professional photographer, be sure that you relay your deadline to them…

If you choose to use a professional photographer, be sure that you relay your deadline to them, and that they understand it’s importance. There is nothing more frustrating than getting the quilt done, and missing the entry deadline because of a photography problem. You might decide to take the photos yourself to prevent this kind of mishap, and have complete control over the output and rights to the photos of your work.

Taking the photographs yourself can be costly in terms of initial setup and time spent learning. At a minimum, you’ll need a 5 megapixel camera, a tripod, a quilt stand and some good portable lighting. A temporary studio area is also a must, so look for a large empty space where you can control the lighting. I used to use my basement room, because it’s fairly long so I could get the camera far enough away from the quilt and at one time it was nearly empty. I could close the outside window shades and all the doors, and control the lighting completely, so it was perfect. I’ve also borrowed rooms in community centers for the day when I had bigger quilts that required correspondingly larger spaces for photography.

You can take photos outside for good natural lighting, however waiting for the perfect non-windy, slightly overcast or not too bright day could cause you to miss that deadline as well. I’ve taken photos for shows outside, and had it come to near disaster from even the slightest breeze as the quilt stand topples into the grass! Read the rest of this entry »

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