I am so excited to be participating in this year’s New Blogger Blog Hop hosted by the fabulous Beth over at Plum and June. It’s a yearly showcase of new quilt bloggers and is such a good way to meet new people and get tips on blogging & quilting. I remember reading posts over and over last year when I had just started my blog and they were such a big influence on me.
I haven’t taken a lot of time to introduce myself on my blog, so I’m going to take this opportunity! Grab a cup of your favorite bevie and let’s get started! I’m Michelle, a photographer & technical writer, turned obsessed quilter. I live in a tiny house in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest with my husband, our fur monster/dog Rugbie, and our first baby is on the way. We find out if we’re having a boy or girl later this week!
Here are a few random facts about me:
-I use exclamation points a lot, but am trying to get that under control! But I’m excited a lot!
-I love cheese and wine, although currently I don’t drink wine 🙁
-My favorite place I’ve traveled to is the Galapagos Islands
-I dance awkwardly and with great enthusiasm
-I played soccer in college and consequently have a hard time finding pants that go over my thighs
-Half of my fabric stash is prewashed and half isn’t. I can’t decide which way to go on that
-If you ask me to lunch, I will strongly suggest we get sushi
I have been sewing & quilting for a year and am self taught via the good ol’ internet. I’m drawn to simple, geometric quilt designs and solid fabrics, but have a hard time saying no to florals as well 🙂 This little collage is a good representation of some of the past projects featured on the blog.
chevron quilt | happy-go-lucky quilt | epp project | photography
My blog currently focuses on the progress of my many projects, but I’m going to start posting my latest adventures in exploring quilt design, naturally dying fabrics, and designing fabric. I also have a quilt photography tutorial series in the works that will debut at the end of the month!
I’d love to briefly share with you a couple of my favorite quilts I’ve made as well as my current work in progress. First is the “almost scrumptious” baby quilt I made for my cousin. It is a relatively simple design but it was the first quilt I made where I really felt like all the steps came naturally to me… I felt like a *real* quilter when I completed it! 🙂
Next is my latest finish, the barn door quilt. This is my favorite quilt I’ve made to date and the first one where I had no limiting factors on the color scheme/fabric selection. I can’t wait to do more projects like this one.
My last project is my current one, my picnic quilt. It’s one of the first projects I started last year and I came up with the layout myself. However I was a bit ambitious with my skill level (or lack thereof) at the time, so it was put on hold for a bit. I am back at it now and am currently piecing the used denim I’ve been collecting for the backing. I’m hoping to get it done in time for summer picnics by the lake!
Thanks so much for taking some time out to meet me and get a little tour of my online quilting home. I thought it would be fun to end this post with a little “thanks for reading” blog photography tip.
Photography Tip: Using Natural Light
When photographing your projects, use natural light whenever possible, even indoors. This will make a huge difference no matter what kind of camera you use! Don’t use your flash or have overhead lights on. I try to take my photos near a window. If light is too harsh coming through the window, you can diffuse it with some sheer white fabric or white tissue paper. Check out the difference with just a change in the light source:
photos are unedited and were taken with an iphone
In the image above, you might notice that the artificial light doesn’t look too terrible, but if you look closely you’ll notice a distinct color shift that makes the fabric colors look more red than they really are. Depending on what type of lights you have in your house, this shift could be even more pronounced.
Here is a look at how this photo was set up:
The fabric backdrop (which I should have ironed :)) is draped over my computer screen. As you can see, it’s nothing fancy, but it gives a nice result.
To really make the image pop, I cropped it & gave it a minor edit. Because I had soft, natural light to begin with, it didn’t need a lot of changes! Now it’s ready for my next Sunday Stash post!
Stay tuned for more tips in my photography tutorial series coming later this month! I would love to hear what you’d be interested in learning more about in terms of photography or using your camera.
Want to meet a bunch of other new fun bloggers? Check out these folks who are also participating in the blog hop this week!
Jen @ Bower Bird Patch
Afton @ Quilting Mod
Jessica @ One English Teacher
Barbara @ Suzy Homemaker
Cynthia @ Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework
Mary @ See Mary Quilt
Laurel @ Drowning In Fabric
Linda @ Talking Lunch Box Quilts
Rebecca @ One Wee Bird
Anne @ Hudson Valley Quilts
Diana @ Red Delicious Life
Terri @ Childlike Fascination
I love the tip for using a sheet or tissue paper to diffuse the light! I would have never thought of that! I was always nervous that my pictures were taken with an iPhone, but I loved that you used one to do this demo. Not only that just little tweaks made such big differences! I need to start playing more! Thanks!
Hi Barbara! I hope you use that tip to diffuse the light. I’d love to see your results! The iphone has a good little camera, don’t be nervous about using it! 🙂 Thanks for visiting during the hop today!
Michelle – I LOVE your picnic quilt – the idea, design, fabrics, just everything! I hope that you will consider a tutorial when you have it all completed. Congrats on the little one.
Thanks Elizabeth! So glad you like the picnic quilt 🙂 I don’t think I’ll be making a tutorial on it because the swoon blocks aren’t my pattern, but I’m happy to give you the measurements of the other stuff if you ever want to give it a try! 🙂
Thanks Beth for those photography tips. That is an area I really need to work on. I am really intrigued by your picnic quilt. i have been watching its progress and look forward to seeing it progress! Thanks!!
Thanks so much for stopping by! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed the photography tip!
Here from blog hop. So nice to meet you. Great photog hints!
Thanks for stopping by and saying hi! So nice to meet everyone from the blog hop! 🙂
I love that you show the picture and a sneak peek so to speak behind the scenes, great tip! I like exclamation points too!
So glad you liked the tip (and exclamation points!)!! 🙂 Thanks for checking out my projects!
Wow! Your photography is amazing. Thanks for the tip about how you set up your picture. Lighting does make a big difference.
Thanks for the sweet comment Jasmine! I agree, lighting makes such a big difference!
I ADORE your picnic quilt & your barn door quilt. (I was thinking of making one-and now I really want too!) I also LOVE exclamation marks! 🙂
Thanks so much Emilee! You should definitely make a barn door quilt. It is such a fun one!!! 🙂
Wow Michelle, I was so looking forward to checking out your blog hop post and I haven’t been disappointed. It’s so nice getting to know you and to hear of your exciting news, congratulations! (I’m looking forward to hearing if your going to make a boys or girls cot quilt). Of course, your amazing photos and photo tips are very much appreciated at my end. Thank you very much….
Awww, you are so sweet, thanks Jen! I am very excited to find out if I’ll be making a boys or girls quilt, I already have two distinct piles of fabric pulled 🙂
Oh yay! I love your photography and can’t wait for some tutorials. My biggest issue is the background gets fuzzy (which is good) but not when half the quilt is fuzzy. I am also nosey to know what lenses you typically use. Also if we lived closer I am always down for a sushi lunch, most of my friends do like sushi so it’s usually a solo treat for me :(.
Oh, I wished you lived closer too. I don’t have any sushi friends here! I’d love to talk lenses with you. I go between my 50mm 1.8 and my 28-135mm 3.5. Do you have the 50mm 1.8? I have to most issues with fuzziness when I use that one.
Lovely to meet you, Michelle. Great photography tip! I remember your barn door quilt – it is awesome! And oh my gosh – I am swooning over your tiny house. Love! I would happily go out to a sushi lunch with you!
Thanks so much Yvonne! It’s so nice meeting everyone from the blog hop! I’m so glad you like our tiny house, we have so much fun living here. I’m up for sushi anytime, come on over! 🙂
Your quilts are so pretty! I am getting ready to get my first DSLR, so I look forward to your photography posts also 🙂
Thanks for checking out my projects! That is SO exciting that you are getting your first DSLR. I’m excited to see what you decide on!
Beautiful blog! Love your photo tips – am definitely working on that skill. Good to meet you – we should do sushi hee hee – my fave too!!! New follower!
Thanks so much Lisa! I’m looking forward to checking out your blog and meeting you as well 🙂 I’m up for sushi whenever!!!! If you’re ever in the Seattle area, we can have a lunch and fabric shopping day 🙂
Nice to meet you MIchelle! I love your pictures! Enjoyed reading your intro.
Thanks for stopping by Vera! I’m looking forward to spending time reading yours tonight! 🙂
Hi Michelle, your love nest and your first baby on the way makes my heart sing, such an exciting wonderful time!
Please please do photography tips, I have a flash camera but use my iPhone way too much, cause it’s easy 😉
I really love your barn door quilt too, tutorial please, now we’re friends I feel I can ask you haha.
Looking forward to seeing your next project 🙂
Hi Rebecca! We are definitely friends now, so feel free to ask me anything! 🙂 The barn door is a pattern done by my awesome friend Sarah at Sarah Quilts. I have a button linking to it in my sidebar. She goes through it step by step and it comes together really quickly. You should definitely check it out!
I go to my iphone way too much. It’s so much easier than lugging out my equipment! But I’m really trying to be more mindful of it, even if that means getting a little less sewing done. But once the baby arrives, it might go back to fast and easy 🙂
Hi Michelle, it’s lovely to meet you. Congratulations on your little one! Pretty quilts. Since you asked, I’d be interested to know how to photograph black quilts (and other light absorbing colours) so that the quilting shows. I have a couple of art quilts that are being terribly difficult! Thanks, and I look forward to all of your tips. I take photos with my Android phone, so “point and shoot” advice would be most useful to me…like the tip you shared today!
Thanks for the congratulations Carole! We are pretty excited 🙂 Your photography questions are so great, thanks for sharing! I will add photographing dark quilts to my list, such a good topic! And I will definitely try to keep my tips applicable in some way to all kinds of cameras. I really believe any camera can take a great photo! 🙂
Oh look at your lovely baby bump! Congratulations … can’t wait to see what quilt you come up with for bub 🙂
Heehee, you are too nice! I swear it’s doubled in size again this week. 🙂 I can’t wait to start quilt planning for the little one. Probably will start the second I find out the gender!
Its nice to meet you. Your photography is amazing and I love your quilts – I’m not that great at using solids so its wonderful to see them used so effectively.
Thanks so much for stopping by Deborah! I have a hard time putting prints together so maybe we should trade tips 🙂
Yum yum cheese. I suppose you’ll have to cut that out too (soft ones, right?) 🙁
Your photos are so pretty. I could stare at them forever. I look forward to your quilt photography tutorials! (Who has time for ironing though ;)). Hmm I guess knowing how to “stage” a photo would be handy to know, particularly when you don’t have a lot of options for backdrops or scenery (mostly because: I’m lazy lol).
I don’t know why, but one day ages ago I was looking at tiny houses and watching YouTube videos on them. As much as I love being in a “big” house with lots of things, it seems almost so liberating to live in such a small space!
Ahh your secret quilt top! 😉 BOARD GAME QUILT BLOCKS?! Genius!!
Ohhhh cheese. I did have to cut out some soft and unpasteurized cheeses, but that still leaves me with enough choices (thank goodness). We have a cheese shop in town and I just go and sample everything. It’s the best!
Haha, I agree. Ironing is a tough one to convince myself to do. For my final version of the photo, I just photoshopped out the worst wrinkle. I call it computer ironing 🙂 Staging is my weak point, so I’m really trying to get better at that. It’s really hard!
I love that you spent a day looking a tiny house videos. I was obsessed with them long before we actually decided to go for it. They are just so cool! There are times where I definitely miss my space (quilting is not really known for it’s lack of supplies) but I’m able to work around it. It is so liberating to not worry about stuff for an entire house. And cleaning the whole thing takes under an hour. More time for projects! 🙂
Haha, I know, I’m being so mysterious with that dang quilt top. I need to convince my husband to hold it up for me for a pic. It’s too big for me to drag around myself!
I can’t pick just one favorite of all of your quilts! Beautiful work 🙂 Congrats on the upcoming birth of your first child – how exciting!
Thanks for the great photography tips! Living in the desert, all windows have patios over them and finding indirect sunlight outside is a major challenge!
Thanks so much for your kind words! I can imagine that living in the desert would provide quite the challenge for photographing in indirect sunlight! Maybe we’ll have to invent a portable studio that gives you instant soft light wherever you go! 🙂
hello and nice to meet you! Your work in progress quilt looks like a fab project! I take the most atrocious photos, no matter what I do!
Hi Wendy! Thanks so much for stopping by! Don’t be so hard on yourself about your photos, they are definitely not atrocious! When I started, mine were all dark and blurry. You are way ahead of that! 🙂
I love all your projects, but especially the barn door quilt!!! (I might have an exclamation problem too, but there are worse problems we could have!)
Your photography tips are really useful – unfortunately for me, I have almost zero natural light in my apartment (especially in winter), which means outside I go. I’m looking forward to your series later, and the finished board game quilt!
Thanks so much for visiting Sarah! I guess if over use of exclamations is the worst of my problems, I’m doing alright 🙂 Winter is rough for photos but photographing outside is more fun anyway, right?! (as long as it’s not too cold :))
You’ve certainly caught the quilting bug! Your barn door quilt is stunning: very strong design using a very well planned color palette. Thanks for the photography tutorial. I’ll be coming back for more of your tips.
Yes, it is safe to say I have a permanent quilting bug! 🙂 Thanks so much for taking the time to check out my projects and for leaving such a nice comment!
Hi Michelle, loved reading your post – gorgeous photos, I look forward to your photo tutorials.
Thanks so much for visiting Ruth!
Visiting from the Blog Hop, great photography tips, thank you!
Thanks for visiting Carole, so glad you enjoyed the photography tip!
I love your quilts, especially the picnic one in progress. The board games are such a good idea and I’m a massive fan of repurposing fabric so I’m really liking the plan for the backing too. The photography tutorials sound like a great idea, I always find one of the hardest things is trying to take a photo of a large-ish quilt that gives a good flavour of the whole quilt but still gets a certain amount of the detail in there. I know you can always do close ups too, but I find it’s great to get a good headline shot of the whole thing, and useful for ‘pinning’ and things like that as well. So if you have some tips on that I’ll find them very handy.
Thanks so much for checking out my projects. I am really excited to play some board games on this quilt this summer! Thanks for the idea for tips on keeping detail while photographing large quilts. I’ve added it to my list. I really appreciate it!
A great post Michelle! Your baby is already adorable – I look forward to seeing what you stitch up for he or she.
Awww, thanks Heidi! 🙂
Im totally in love with all your projects and this in just one year, Im really impressed, I love your clean style, and your happy colors in each project
Thanks so much for your kind words Cornelia! It’s been a wonderful year and I can’t wait for the next one 🙂
Hi Michelle! I am not from this years blog hop but following along anyway. I see you already have wonderful instincts when it comes to quilts even though you are so new. I am sure your new baby to be will be wrapped up in loveliness. Great tips on the photography. That is my worst area next to computer skills. I tend to focus on the quilts and I think it would be great if you referenced in each post back to the original pattern of the piece you are working on. Barn door (I made one of those in Sarah’s qal too) and Swoon, especially so if others want to do it there is easy reference to them. Always good to give credit where credit is due.
Great job on getting the blog hop started.
Thanks so much for following along with this year’s hop. I think there are a lot of great bloggers in this year’s group! With each of my projects there is a link to the finished/original project pages with all of the pattern makers info. My blog hop post was already super long, so it was the best way to keep things brief. I would never want to not give credit! 🙂 Thanks for reading!
Thanks for sharing all of this! I am so happy to have found your blog. As a new blogger myself, the one thing I am trying to improve is my photography skills and your tips have been very helpful!
Thanks Bethany, I’m so glad you found the photography tips helpful! I’m excited to check out your blog!
Hi Michelle! Thanks for the tips on photography. I’m still a newby with a camera if my iPhone is any indication. I wish I had natural light in my sewing room, but I guess I will just have to photograph somewhere else. I love your projects and I can’t wait to see what you come up with next! (I like exclamation points, too!!!)
Hi Janet! Thanks so much for your nice comment! I can imagine getting photos without natural light in your sewing room would be difficult! I’ll try to think about a work around for that issue. I take most of my pictures outside even though I get lots of light inside. There’s just something about outside pics I like even more 🙂
I love your photography tips! And I could sure use them! Looking forward to your tutorials on the topic!
I just started a hand-piecing project myself – so I am excited and inspired by your work and the love and clear passion you put into it all!
I have been “stuck” on your page for the page nearly two hours – b/c some of your words really hit home with me. But there are so many fellow newbie bloggers I want to visit as well – so off I go!
Thank you for sharing your passion!
Thanks Marcia, your comment made my day! So glad you were able spend some quality time here 🙂 I’d love to see your hand piecing project. Have you posted about it yet? I’ll definitely be by your blog to check it out!
Fabric designs?? So exciting! I can’t wait to see what you come up with! (…lots of exclamation points too…)
Yes!! It’s something I’ve been wanting to do for a while. Currently finishing up the last of a series of illustrator classes so I’m hoping to actually get my ideas out soon 🙂 A hundred exclamation points!
Wow, you weren’t kidding when you said tiny house! I can’t wait for your photography series. I really struggle to take nice pictures, so I’ll be following along for sure. I’d love to know the technical stuff, like what ISO means and how to get it right. Your epp project is lovely. I’m nearing the end of mine, so I’m trying to figure out what my next hand work project will be and those stars just might be calling my name. How’s the pregnancy going?
Hi Leanne! Heehee, no I wasn’t kidding! 🙂 It’s built on a 8×16 trailer, but we have a sleeping loft so it’s actually pretty roomy! So glad to hear you’ll be following along for the photography series. I’m really excited! Oh that is really exciting that you are nearing the end of your epp project. I hope you’ll blog about it when you’re done! The pregnancy is going great as of week 13. That first trimester was quite brutal, glad it’s behind me! 🙂
Wonderful photography examples, your pictures are just wonderful through all your blog posts. It’s quite wonderful to meet you. What i’ve seen here your projects will certainly be an inspiration to come!
Hi Terri Ann! Thanks so much for stopping by. This blog hop has been so fun! Can’t wait to check out your projects as well!
Great photo tip! I can’t wait for your photo series to start! I’m slowly remembering what I learned in high school, and this will really help! I also love exclamation points! (and am trying to edit them out, but left them in for this comment’s sake).
Thanks Liz, I’m so excited about the photo series. I think it will be a lot of fun! 🙂
I absolutely love all your advice for photos, etc. and even greater, you’re a quilter! Love the ones you have completed and excited to see your future completions!
Thanks so much for your sweet comment Megan!
Awesome quilts, and I can’t wait for the photo series, I love your picture examples great job
I’m so glad to see you are looking forward to the photo series. It’s going to be a lot of fun! 🙂
Great tips and your photos are beautiful on here. My son is taking a photography class so he is passing his tips on to me as well. Your quilts look wonderful as well.
Hi Beth! Thanks so much! I love that your son is passing on photography tips. You’ll be an expert in no time!
first and foremost, i LOVE your little “hello there” image in the right sidebar. it’s adorable! i also LOVE your barn door quilt…those are literally all of my favorite colors put together in one quilt. you’ll have to let us know if you are expecting a boy or a girl…i’m on a roll with baby quilts right now…probably because they are just small enough that i don’t mess them up 😉 lol. and thank you so so so much for the photography tips. i just got a new camera for blogging and don’t have the slightest idea how to take pictures. all of your photos are amazing, so i will be sure to come back for your sunday post! i hope you will head over and visit me on the 11th!
Thanks for such a sweet comment Christina! I had so much fun taking that “hello there” image 🙂 The colors on the barn door quilt are my favorite colors as well! I am seriously thinking about making my next quilt out them too, I’m obsessed. I will definitely post of this little one is a boy or a girl. I can’t wait to start on a baby quilt for him/her. I mostly make baby quilts as well. I just love how fast they come together and it seems like all of my friends and family are having babies so I always have a good excuse 🙂 I’m so excited that you got a new camera!!! I hope you’ll come back for the photography series. I’ll definitely be heading to your blog for a visit!
That picnic quilt is all sorts of genius! Really looking forward to seeing it finished.
The photography tips are really helpful and it’s just occurred to me that I’m photographing stuff in the wrong direction, which leads to washout. Will need to set up some sort of backdrop, too.
I myself am prone to parentheses (It’s true)(usually two in a row, just like this).
I’ve added you to my blog reader and can’t wait to read more.
Thank you so much! I’m looking forward to finishing the picnic quilt! Can’t wait to share it. I’m so glad the photography tips were helpful! I’ll be interested to see how your photos look after you change the direction. And I love that you do several parentheses in a row, that is awesome.
Very nice to meet you. thanks for the photography tips, they are awesome. I love using my iphone as it takes pics in HD.
Thanks so much for stopping by! That HD feature on the iphone works pretty well! So fun to play with it! 🙂
I’m so glad that I’m not the only over-user of exclamation points! Every time I have someone proofread my posts the main comment is to get rid of them all. I can’t help but be super excited about great fabric and fun quilts!
Glad to have an exclamation over-use buddy! 🙂 I know what you mean, how do you not get excited every sentence you write about quilts and fabric!? Too much fun! 🙂
Great to get to know more about you. Love your photo tips and looking forward to your photography series!
Thanks Amanda! It was fun putting it all together. I tend to be more private so it was fun starting to put a little more about myself out there 🙂
Hi Michelle – thanks for the window into your world! It’s lovely. Are you in OR or WA? I grew up in Oregon and miss it, particularly this time of year your picnic quilt with the board games is genius. So glad you took a photo of the pile of quilts before you cut them up. Your barn door quilt is great and reminds me of a Pendleton rug (in a good way!).
Thanks for visiting Karin! I’m in WA but was born in Oregon! Where did you grow up? Summers in the northwest are so lovely, aren’t they?! Luckily they tend to get started a little later, so I have some extra time to get this picnic quilt done 🙂 And I love Pendleton!!! 🙂
Hi!! I was born in Eugene but my parents lived in Forest Grove and I went to school in Portland for 13 years until I came to the east coast for college. We’ve had a string of days here in NH that have felt just like a wonderful Oregon summer. I’m looking forward to keeping up with what you’re up to, and a first baby!! 🙂
I was born in Eugene too! Small world 🙂 I love the Portland area. I have lots of family that live there so I get to visit often. Do you enjoy living in NH? From what I’ve seen it’s very beautiful there.
Thanks for the photography tips! I’d be interested in the best way to preserve the color of the quilt while getting a good detail shot of the quilting. Right now I sacrifice the vibrancy of the picture and take it a bit dark. Are you planning to expand into a not so tiny house when the little one comes?
Thanks so much for letting me know what you’d be interested in about photography. That is such a good topic idea! We are going to stay in the tiny house while the baby is still tiny. We love it so much it’s hard to think about leaving, but we’ll probably start talking about next steps once the baby is here 🙂
Hi Michelle – Stopping by from the hop. I love all the quilts, especiallly the Scrumptuous Baby Quilt. The photography tutorial you gave here was helpful to me, and the way you staged everything near the window. I am really looking forward to your longer one later this month.
AND can’t wait to hear if the baby is a boy or a girl. Please e-mail me and let me know.
Hope you’re enjoying the hop.
Hi Anne, thanks for stopping by. I’ve really been enjoying the hop, so many fun people to meet! I’ll definitely be posting the gender announcement… probably with a fun pile of fabric 🙂 I’m so glad to hear the photography tip was helpful, I’m excited to start the series! 🙂
Great post Michelle! I love the colours in that barn door quilt! You photos are beautiful! I always take a picture in natural light and mine still never look that good!
Aww, thanks Jehnny, you are too nice!
Thanks for the great tips. Your photography is beautiful.
I love that picnic quilt! I don’t know about piecing a Scrabble board, but I think my kids would love to have a checkerboard blanket for our trips to the beach!
(I also have a problem with exclamation points!)
Thanks Mary! Let me tell you, I will never piece a scrabble board again. Once was more than enough, haha 🙂 But the checkerboard was really fun and I bet your kids would love a checkerboard blanket!!
Thank you for your photo tip! This is one area I am definitely lacking – especially for Sunday Stash. I usually just throw it out on my cutting table or floor and snap away – usually at 2am! I also notice my phone/ipad take terrible pictures in general.
Haha, I totally understand the late night, last minute, Sunday Stash picture. That happens quite a bit! 🙂 I find my iphone takes ok pics and can be helped with some editing. But the quality is never like on my actual camera. So glad you stopped by!
This is great, Michelle! And I love all your quilts – your Barn Door was my favorite from that QAL. I just loved the teal right through the middle. Striking!
Awww, thanks Sarah, what a wonderful compliment!