SHOOT ME!

There has been a lot going on lately.  A week ago Wednesday I made a trip up to Maine to deliver merchandise.  Upon return I discovered that my trusty digital camera, which has given me many years of good service, was no longer working.  The thought at this point was that it was probably time to upgrade a bit since I was not taking photos of my work back when this camera was purchased.  The input that I received from the Artist Coordinators of the Garlic and Arts Festival was that my photos did not do my work justice.  I use to be a fairly decent armature photographer with my SLR Pentax K 1000.  I knew how to set it up to get a decent photo.  Not so with a digital camera.  Also, I did not want to break the bank on a new camera so after goggling the question "which reasonably priced camera would be the best for taking photos of flat art work", the site suggested another Canon.  This pleased me since I already have the software loaded for a Canon on my computer plus I am somewhat familiar with the product.   The photo of my latest project to the left of the screen was taken with my new camera.  Everything you read about photographing art work says natural light is the best...but not in direct sunlight.  CHECK!  While we are away on vacation next week I will try to take the time to familiarize myself with the bells and whistles on this camera.  I like to set the exposure and shutter speed myself which comes from my days of having a manual camera.  I very seldom have the camera set on auto.

A couple of weeks ago I decided I have too much fabric in my stash so I have set myself to make only items that  use my stash up.  NO NEW FABRIC unless is is necessary to coordinate it with a stash fabric to make items for the Garlic and Arts Festival, which is the last weekend in September.  I went a step further today. This little purse to the left  was a small wall hanging this morning.  I made it several years ago and it has never sold.  I turned it into a purse today.  I had two fat quarters of the black print in my stash.  It did make up into a very nice little purse.  The back section is 2-3" longer than the front to allow for a flap. Guess what I did while I was trimming the front and back even, getting it ready to put the binding on it?  I cut the flap section of the back off.  The back section on the purse and the flap are machine quilted.  I cut out another flap, quilted it and then proceed to figure out how to attach it so that it wouldn't be obvious what it did.  I cut back the batting 1/4" along the top of the back so that there wouldn't be a double thickness of batting at that point.  I attached the flowered fabric to the back but that left the lining to attach.  I had left a 1/2" of fabric allowance along one length of the flap.  I folded it over 1/4" and then sewed that in place.  Since the background on the print is black and the lining is black, it worked out just fine.  No one would know.  It took me several hours to make it but this is only the third purse of this type that I have made.  I am hoping I pick up a little speed with the pursuing ones I hope to get made by the end of September.  Of course cutting the flap off did slow me down a bit!