The 10th stop on the MN Blog Hop is Mary Wilberg of Quilted Treasures quilt shop in Rogers, MN. Mary has a tutorial on using grommets to make an easy decorative pillow.
Be sure to leave a comment on her site for her prize, and if you’ve left a comment on all ten sites, you will be eligible for the grand prize! Good luck.
Sue
I have long observed that when you’re using zoom, objects in the background can look much closer to your subject than they really are. A couple of months ago, my DH Jim was reading in the sun room. He looked so comfy and natural, I didn’t wanted to disturb him while taking a picture. I used quite a bit of zoom and basically took the picture of him from two rooms away. I was surprised — no, shocked – when I got the photo on my computer, because I know we don’t have a neighbor that close in the back! It looks like I could just run over and borrow a cup of sugar fat quarter, doesn’t it?
Take a look at a picture of the same house taken out of the same window but I’m standing close to the window and didn’t use any zoom (the house shown in the picture above is outlined here in red):
Weird, huh? Well, when I took the picture of Jim, the camera zoomed everything in, including what was in the background, and made it appear that there is less distance between the subject and the background than there really was; things look compressed.
Why would you do this on purpose? One reason would be if you’re on vacation taking a photo of your family in front of a landmark or something of interest. If you back up from the people and then zoom in on them, still including the landmark in the background, what’s in the background is going to look larger and more prominent and make for a more interesting picture (rather than standing close to the people and including the background behind them).
Another reason would be fairly similar to the picture I took of Jim. Let’s say it’s a cluttery background that we want to minimize (like my sewing room!), and we don’t want to have the background detract attention away from the subject of the photo. You would do the same thing I did: back away from the subject and use your zoom. Because it’s “enlarged”, there will be fewer items appearing in your background, and it will be less distracting.
And remember, for the best quality photos, only use your optical zoom. Your picture quality will degrade once you get into the digital zoom range. (I do occasionally use my digital zoom, but I do lose quality when I do.)
“Depth of field” is a term used to describe the how much of the photo is in focus, depthwise. Zoom can affect your depth of field, as shown in a lot of my bird photos. Here I was using quite a bit of zoom and had my focus directly on the Cedar Waxwing. That accounts for the soft focus of the branches at different distances than the bird, as well as our neighbor’s house.
Compare it with this photo taken out the same window this spring, but no zoom involved. Much more of the picture is in focus — greater “depth of field”:
Don’t wait until a big occasion to try some of these techniques. Practice and play around with it. Then when the need arises, you will have a better idea of what you’re going to get, because it can be difficult to see just what’s in focus on your display.
Also, depending upon the amount of zoom your camera has and how much of it you are using, you will have more or less of the compression effect or change in depth of field. Just play and have some fun!
Also, feel free to upload pictures to the PhotoFridays album on Flickr.
My usual disclaimer: I am a layperson when it comes to cameras and photography. I just happen to like taking pictures and trying to figure out how to take better pictures and to understand my camera better. Hope this has been of interest to you!
–Sue
Thursday’s Child Has Far to Sew…
I would love to be able to say I’m devoting all my time, 24/7, to finishing up my many, many UFOs. That is not the case. However, my goal is to keep at least one UFO project in the foreground so that particular UFO doesn’t slip back into the dreadful black hole known as my sewing closet. Right now I have selected three projects to enjoy the light of day as well as some weekly attention:
1. Shine On Bayou Cane (a Judy Laquidara quilt-along pattern from last fall). I determined that to make a queen-sized quilt, I need 56 blocks. Previously: 1 block done. This week: 8 additional blocks done!! Woo-hoo!!!
2. Nana’s Posies & Pinwheels. I started this throw-sized pieced-and-appliqued quilt in a class last summer two summers ago, and since appliqué isn’t my thing (shudder), it got stuck in the closet. Previously: the 13 pieced blocks are done, as well as 5 of the 12 appliqued blocks. This week: 2 lousy leaves appliqued!!! That’s 1/6th of one block. Not much to brag about, but hey, progress is progress! Aren’t the blocks pretty with the leaves? I was hoping that by doing this quilt, applique and I would become one. Isn’t happening.
3. Moda Posh Charm Pack Quilt. The top was done many months ago, the binding is made – it just needs to be quilted and bound! This is earmarked as a birthday gift for SIL Marilyn’s July birthday, so it has worked its way to the top of my quilting pile. This week: thought about loading it on the longarm, but four customer quilts are ahead of it. I guess “thinking about it” doesn’t count for much, or else all my projects would be done by now.
It occurs to me that this is an ideal combination of UFOs to be working on. I have some piecing to do at the sewing machine, some portable handwork, and a top to pin onto the longarm. I didn’t work on all three items this week — only two of them – but that still smells like victory to me.
How are you doing? Did you do at least a little bit of work on a UFO this week, just to get reacquainted with it? It feels really good to see progress, no matter the amount. Hang in there. A little bit every week will add up to eventually finishing an item.
Here’s something that is working for me: I now have a design wall (thanks again, Judy). I pulled out a manageable number of unfinished blocks to complete this week (eight) and pinned them up on the design wall. Instead of being mystery fabric in a plastic tote (which is all too easy to ignore), they became a visible reminder of what I needed to get done this week so I could blog about it today.
You may post any UFO photos on our UFO Busters’ Challenge album on Flickr if you’d like, and it would be fun if you leave a comment about your UFO progress, or lack thereof!
–Sue
My First 10 UFO Projects Slated for Completion, with the year project was started:
Shine On Bayou Cane (components made; need to make 56 blocks) 2008
Nana’s Posies & Pinwheels (need to finish applique on 6 blocks) 2007
Posh Charm Quilt (need to quilt) 2008
Amandajean’s 9-Patch (50 blocks made/30 to go) 2009
Afternoon Tea (24 blocks made / 5 to go; assembling top will be some work!) 2004
Fruit Ladies (needs quilting) 2008
Minnesota Quilt (needs quilting) 2008
Large Wholecloth (sew on borders and quilt) 2009
Rose Basket Wallhanging (quilt it) 2002
One Block Wonder (figure out what the heck to do with it; don’t like it thus far. I think I will make it smaller and get rid of a bunch of blocks.) 2007
Today hop on over to Jamie’s Scrap-Bags web site. She has a great tutorial on discharge fabric dyeing that makes me want to gather all the materials and do it right now! It will have to wait, but I am going to try it.
To be eligible for Jamie’s drawing you have to do TWO things: leave her a comment for one of her prizes AND sign up to be a follower of her blog. Comment on all 10 Minnesota Blog Hop bloggers in the appropriate spot and be eligible for a grand prize! The designers have done a fabulous job in offering a fun array of patterns and tutorials these two weeks. One more tomorrow, so remember to stop back!
–Sue
Today you will get to visit the paint stick lady, Shelly Stokes, at her site Cedar Canyon Textiles. Today she is sharing a really interesting demonstration on using paint sticks in her quilt-as-you-go placemat tutorial. And when you check it out, be sure to leave a comment on her blog to be entered in her drawing. Enter in all ten Minnesota Blog Hop sites, and you will be entered in the grand prize.
You can find links to each previous day’s blog if you scroll back through my posts (I’ve been listing the links each day) if you’ve missed commenting on any of the previous seven blogs. It’s not too late to catch up and get in the drawing for the grand prize! The blog hop runs through Friday, so be sure to check back.
Sue
Today’s puzzle is one of the bunny pictures I took on Monday.
These young rabbits remind me a little bit of deer in their coloring and big dark eyes. I’m doing two puzzles today — one harder, one easier. Good luck on putting this wascally wabbit back together again!
An an easier one:
–Sue
Thursday’s Child Has Far to Sew…
Thursdays I’m posting my UFO progress made over the previous week. If you have unfinished projects that you’re working on (or should be working on), add a comment to tomorrow’s post and let us know how you’re doing!
I will also have a link to a photo album where anyone interested can post photos of their UFO progress. I know everyone is extra busy in the summertime; I know I am! But I’m determined to whittle away at my UFOs until I have a clean slate. Of course, I may have to find a way to live to 150 years of age, or figure out a way to have more than 24 hours in a day!
I’m just going to do the best I can, one seam, one block, one quilt at a time. See you tomorrow!
–Sue
My favorite photos from this week are mostly birds (big surprise there). First a black-capped chickadee at the finch feeder, and he was serious about getting some lunch:
He sang a little song for me:
And then he suddenly had enough of my company, and flew away:
Our next visitor was a goldfinch. I was going to say they are my favorite, but I guess I say that about lots of birds. This female had a seed in her beak:
Then I had to laugh when I saw Vicki W’s blog today, because she posted a picture of a bunny. I took pictures today of bunnies in our backyard as well. These young bunnies truly are everywhere! With all the rain we’ve had recently, our grass must be pretty tasty.
–Sue
lands you at Terry Atkinson’s site. In case you don’t recognize her pattern company name, Atkinson Designs, take a look at her patterns and you’ve likely made one or more of them (Lucky Stars, Yellow Brick Road, etc.) I have many of her patterns and at least one larger pattern book, and her designs wonderfully easy to put together.
Check her out on Tuesday and see what’s going on at her site. (ED NOTE: Today Terry is sharing a pattern/tutorial for a small bag that can be use for sock knitting projects, or for anything you want — a sock sack!) Be sure and leave a comment on her Blog Hop posting for a chance in her drawing; leave a comment on all 10 participating Minnesota Blog Hop hostesses for a chance at the grand prize!
–Sue
Done:
Six guild BOMs (six to go) in Asian fabrics, gift for DIL
First Weds Block Exchange block (Aunt Sukey’s Choice in red, white, and navy blue). I liked this block from the guild BOM so well, I made it for the Block Exchange as well.
To Do This Week:
My present personal UFO Challenge is to finish the Shine On Bayou Cane of Judy Laquidara’s design. The block under “UFO” is done, 59 more to go! I have the components ready, so it will be just like sewing 9-patches together. My goal for the week: Do the eight additional blocks laid out here. And OOPS, I see I have block all messed up. Can you find it?
I was going to make two quilts, 30 blocks each. Now I’m going to make it queen sized. This is for DS #3’s 30th birthday, which is past, but he really won’t need a quilt on his bed ’til fall (says the Queen of Rationalization). I am really challenging myself to complete, complete, complete quilts! I really love this one; it just got put into a bucket, which could just as well have been a coffin. Now that it’s back out in the light of day, it will stay out until it’s done!
9-Patch Block-a-Day quilt from CrazyMomQuilts; I have 50 out of 90 blocks done (all fabric is from my scrap bucket, except the sashings, not seen here). Seven blocks pinned up ready to piece this week.
Finished the family reunion signature quilt (except for some final touches):
Lots going on, but I must like it that way. The really big news: I finally fit in a haircut today! You know you’re busy when you can’t even get a haircut. I had to apologize to my hairdresser for nibbling away at my bangs with my little Ginghers. She forgave me and fixed it all better!
I really love having a design wall. And it was so simple, I should have put one up much sooner. Thanks for the inspiration, Judy!
–Sue