Customer Reviews

Secrets of Digital Quilting--From Camera to Quilt: 8 Projects; 25 Techniques; Embellish with Paints, Inks & More

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is an excellent buy for anyone wishing to work with digital pictures and quilting. I commend the writers and publisher. Directions/instructions are easy to read and understand. I could never figure out the difference between software products, inks, fabric to use, etc and you told us what you use and what you recommend which is what I wish other book writers would do. They tend to stay generic and I want to know what "you" use and why. One of the best books I have bought in a long time.

This is the ultimate "how-to" book for anyone who ever wondered how to turn their digital camera pictures into one-of-a-kind quilts or other fabric pieces. This same book also works well for those, like myself, who never dreamed of doing this, but thought it sounded like a cool idea once they learned about it. :-)
The colorful, well-illustrated pages are not only informative, but in themselves inspiring, as they show many of the finished products created by the authors using these techniques. Their logical, step-by-step explanations take the mystery out of the whole process while instilling in the reader the confidence to pursue her own projects. This was essential for me, a novice quilter and average photographer.
I'm delighted to add this book to my library and recommend it strongly to any quilter or photographer who is ready to take her work to the next level.

I have been a fan of Lura's art quilts since I first saw her demonstrate her face-painting techniques on HGTV's Simply Quilts. This book combines Lura's talents in art and quilt making with her husband Kerby's expertise as a professional photographer. It includes useful information on the how and why of using your digital camera specifically for printing on fabric, which I have not found in other digital photography guides. The technical chapters demystify those all those settings on your digital camera and the different types of digital files. Best of all, it explains how to use Photoshop Elements software to improve your pictures for the effects you want in your digital photo fabric. Even if you only want to use a point-and-shoot camera without learning all the technical stuff, there is good information for you in this book. There are mini-art lessons by Lura which deal with elements of design like positive and negative space, symmetry and balance, shape and form, color and value. Additionally, there is a section in which Lura references the types of markers and paints that she uses to enhance her surface design with additional color and shading. There are eight projects which utilize the different techniques explained in the book, with handy page references. What I like about the projects is that they are not patterns or designs for you to replicate. Rather, they offer guidelines and techniques for creating your own unique photo project. A section on construction technique offers a tutorial on piecing curves the P-Free way: no paper, no pins, no planning! I recommend this book for anyone who wants to improve their digital photography and editing skills, and learn some new art quilting techniques.

A marvelous book by Lura Schwarz Smith and Kerby C. Smith, offers inspiration and encouragement with many juicy secrets. Printing photos on fabric using Photoshop Elements is explained and photographed with the actual screens. Experiments with different art supplies, pens, inks, paint, crayons, etc., have been done to offer advise on the lighfastness and washabilities of these products on the fabric photo prints, a great time saver when one needs to know which to use to enhance a color in a print. Creative elements in designing quilts will have one running to their sewing supplies to try this method of quilting, the book's last page of instructions is how to create the label! Flipping through the pages is a delight, the top of the pages show quilt designs of each chapter, the page numbers are next to a quilt block.

This is a wonderful book for quilters who are interested in printing fabric or using photography within their quilts. The instructions are clear, the projects are fun and the photography is beautiful.

I love the idea of photos and quilting and wanted to go beyond the basic photo in a square memory quilt. Although I already had photoshop experience beyond what is in the book I thought what was there was just enough without getting bogged down. I thought the sample designs inspiring enough and the discussion of fabric and accessories again good without overdoing it. Overall I really liked this book for the way it tackles the topic. I think it suits the beginner to advanced beginner and would suit persons with minimal photoshop skills. I also thought the samples are the type of quilts people realistically look to do.

This book is beautifully presented and has some great ideas in quilting and has some great projects to follow. Unfortunately when I purchased it I thought it was more of a 'take a picture and then transfer that picture in FABRIC to a quilt'. Which is not exactly what it does, it actually shows you how to print that photo onto fabric and transfer it to a quilt. Although it was not what I thought it is still a fantastic book.

This is just the book I had been searching for! I've read articles about printing on fabric, and none of them helped me to produce images with vivid color. I have a top-knotch printer, and that should have done the trick, but it didn't. Kerby's step by step directions for navigating PhotoShop Elements are perfect: they are easy to follow and they work! I have riotous color at my command! The icing on the cake is the second half of the book, written by Kerby's wife, Lura, who is an accomplished, recognized quilt artist. Her instructions on inks, paints, and other embellishments challenge the imagination and put these skills within reach of the neophyte fiber artist.

I want to thank Lura Schwarz Smith and Kerby C. Smith from the bottom of my heart for their book "Secrets of Digital Quilting - From Camera to Quilt." I bought it after I saw a photo memory quilt displayed at the local university and instantly knew I wanted to explore how I could combine my interests with photography, computers and fabric.
I am a recently retired science teacher and have literally used this book every day since I bought it, and know I have only begun to sample the many techniques the authors offer. What especially appeals to me is the way the technical information is provided for using computers, scanners, digital cameras, photo-editing software, printers, inks and fabric and additionally why it's best to do something a certain way.
As I work my way through this book and seek out their suggested resources, I look forward to transforming photos into remembering quilts.

This book has been an inspiration to me. There are so many thoughtful presentations that show you how to accomplish photo techniques. The embellishment chapter added a dimention to my photos and wallhangings that I had not used before. The author is specific and provides a supply list for each project. Each project is a learning experience. This will be a reference book for me for a long time. You cannot get all the information presented in one reading session. A must for any person serious about using photos for fabric projects.