The Reading Room

I heard a story where the house was broken into, the family was robbed of their valuable possessions.  Amazingly enough, these smart folks under the guidance of the insurance company had a photo record of their jewelry, the important records, and other valuable possessions in their home.    The robber, who got away with all of these prized possessions and never recovered stolen property, took a few more items that were not photographed. 

To transport all of the “loot” the robber used the quilts from each of the beds in the house.  One was an heirloom made and handed down from the Grandmother, who had died recently and given the quilt as memory gift.  The other quilts were made over the years with stories of their own.  Valuable, no, these were priceless. 

When a quilter designs, sews, and finishes each of her quilts, hours of her life goes into each and every one.   From the design of the quilts, to the fabric that are chosen, each of the quilts has a unique and special story hidden behind the rows  or sewn into each of the appliquéd  patches.

 Quilters are so busy with the daily efforts of putting together the quilts, that taking photos of the finished product or keeping record of each one is not a top priority.

Ladies, fellow quilters, let us learn from just this story.  Our time, our talents, and our love of our craft is to be shared, BUT not stolen by another who sees no value in its content.

Cover yourself (no pun intended), and photograph every quilt and keep either a physical book of them or a digital one.  

1.       Use a digital camera and photograph each step of the process. 

2.       Store the photos of your quilts on more than one media.  For example:  Store the photos of the quilts on the hard drive of the computer, but burn a CD of them as well.  All too many times a computer can have a problem, files can be lost, and therefore, the photos of your quilts will also be done for good. 

3.       Take photos of not only the entire project, but close up views of the quilts.  If the quilts are lost or stolen, having these will help in the identification process.

4.       Using a permanent marker, date the CD of your quilts.

5.       Place the CD of the quilts, with the photographed valuable items.  Remembering to update as you complete more quilts.

6.       The printed version of the quilts is also wonderful.  Take the CD to a local printer, and buy a photo album.   If scrap booking is not your idea of fun, then just put the photos of the quilts into the album for later viewing.

Even if you are never need of it for a legal reason, share the CD or photo album of your quilts with your friends.  

By: Sharon Camp - Unique Baby Quilt Boutique