I found that the easiest way to photograph quilt tops is after you made the quilt sandwich. The fabric sticks nicely on cotton batting, keeping the quilt top perfect and flat.
This top is already quilted and washed, tomorrow I will add the binding!
For my new sewing studio I plan to make a portable design wall, covered with cotton batting or maybe flannel. While I rarely need it effectively for design, I think it is of great help for photography.
I searched on Pinterest, here are a few ideas, in case you are interested in making one for yourself.
Vanishing Design Wall for Quilters
How to make a semi-portable design wall
Portable Design Wall
Design Wall
Retractable Design Wall
Design wall from vinyl with cotton flannel on the back
Great tip to clean your design wall
Maybe a lint roller would work the same??
Geta
Interesting links. Thanks.
Geta, do you really wash your quilts before you bind them? I have always bound them first. I can see where your intensive quilting would make that possible, but with less detailed quilting I would be worried about "deconstruction." Do you trim first? Stay stitch the edges within the seam allowance for the binding? What do you find the advantage to be, if any? Just curious.
Brenda, I ALWAYS wash my quilts after the quilting is done, BEFORE binding. Even the quilts that aren't so heavily quilted. I keep the excess batting and backing. The quilts usually distort after the first washing; while it's wet, if necessary, I bring it in the desire shape, then when it is dry, I trim the excess batting and backing. I have never had a problem with this. And I wash most of my quilts by machine. I can't say if this is a safe method for hand pieced/hand quilted quilts, as I don't sew by hand.