Finishing a quilt and photography issues

I finally finished my aqua and brown quilt - yes, I quilted it myself.  It's usually slow going because I have so many stops and starts.  Rarely do I have a big block of time to just quilt.  I have to work it in when I can, usually weekends and occasional evenings.  But, when I finally get to the binding stage, it's a wonderful light at the end of that particular quilting tunnel.  I love the binding process, which a lot of people don't.  I thinks it's because I always do it by hand, and I love handsewing.  Now to photograph the quilt.  I've taken classes, read the books, got the camera, etc., but I'm never really happy with how the quilts look in photos.  I can work on the color in my Photoshop Elements (not ready for full blown Photoshop!), and get it pretty true to the original color, but I thinks it's the whole "staging" process that has leaves the photos a little lackluster.  Do I drape the quilt over a chair?
It might look more casual, but then you can't see the pattern.  Then I try laying it in the grass outdoors:

 
Maybe better - at least you can see what it is. But as I look across the yard, there is the pool, sitting there with the exact same beautiful aqua colors that are in my quilt.  What if I position the quilt next to the pool?

 
I'm hopeless.

But, I also have another lovely little quilt to show off.  I didn't make it, but Heather, my daughter did.  She made it for her grandmother to celebrate her 80th birthday this next weekend.

 
I think it's beautiful.  I just wish Heather could have come with it!

Comments

[Beth in AZ]

This turned out SO pretty! Can I send the picture to Mary? I know she would love to see another one of her patterns made up. She put mine on the pattern page!