Quilters Are Jack of all Trades!!!

One of my quilts is being considered to use on a post card, as advertisement for an upcoming show. Of course I am very excited to be considered, and as I was taking pictures yesterday, it occured to me how many skills one has to master in order to be competative in the world of quilting today.

Not only does one have to think up an idea for a quilt, then design it in paper or whatever works for you. Then she must chose fabric and make the top. From there she must choose a backing and sandwich it together. It doesn't stop there as the next step is to decide how she is going to quilt it. Practically no one hand quilts anymore, so then there is the question of FREE MOTION QUILTING. This scares some people to death, and I must confess it takes a lot of hours of practice to become proficient. SO, now it is quilted and bound------------- but that doesn't end the process.

It took me some time and money (I must confess) to figure out a working program to photograph my quilts. I started out borrowing a friends 35mm camera, and spent hours trying to find slide film and a place that would develop the film. So I finally purchased a 3 mega digital camera. Then the shows decided you could send in digital cd, but they wanted at least 4 mega. So, I bouhgt the bullett and purchased a 6 mega. Of course I had to learn the new technology also and how to download the pictures and THEN somehow get them into a program that would allow then to go to my blog. ( I can't tell you how many hours I spent figuring out that one.

All in all, QUILTERS are amazing. Especially those who like to compete! It will be a cold day in hell when this profession really makes one a lot of money, so the love of the craft keeps us going. I know it is for the ART that makes it all worth it, and for the glory of being selected as standing out of the crowd. So, I guess I will do it in some stages as long as I can sit at my machine and see what I am working on.

My hat is off to those of you who continue the tradition!