Start with a Great Photo
Choosing the right photo makes all the diff erence.
Here are some tips I used for fi nding the best shot to make my quilt, “Tilly.”- Focus: Use a photo with sharp focus for best results.
- Value: Contrast between the dark and light area of a pet’s face make the
process easier. A black dog is much trickier but it can be done. - Crop: Remove unnecessary background or body from the image and
focus your portrait on the head. - Angle: Profi les and turned heads make interesting compositions.
- Eyes: Th ese are the focal point of the quilt and are important to get right.
- Continue to build the collage
around the eyes working toward
the nose. As you trace and cut
larger areas, remember these will
tuck under other shapes, so cut
a small allowance on 1 side and
then glue them together. (fi gure 4) - Continue working on the ears
and fi nally the neck. Remember
that details such as whiskers and
eyelashes can be stitched later
using thread. - For the body, cut larger pieces
and then free cut details of the
fur texture. Layer these in a
variety of colors. When you are
happy with the pieces, glue them
in place. (fi gure 5)
“Tilly” • 21" x 24"TIP: Taking photos as you go and looking
at the reduced image on your phone lets
you really “see” the composition.- When you are fi nished, check
that all the fabric is glued down
so not to get caught up when
stitching.
TIP: Th e black-and-white photo is useful
for seeing where shading is needed. If
you get stuck, look to your darkest and
lightest areas and cut those. Th en work
back, using pieces in medium values to
create a blended look.fi gure 5
fi gure 6