Sunday, March 17, 2024

EMPTY SPOOLS SEMINARS AT ASILOMAR

 Recently I had a BUCKET LIST experience, teaching at EMPTY SPOOLS SEMINARS. There is so much to share I will write two blogs--this one on the event and another on the class I taught.

This is the 39th year for Empty Spools Seminars. I have always wanted to attend but couldn't for various reasons. When I was recommended for Faculty there, more than two years ago, I knew this was my dream come true.

Asilomar Conference Center is 105 acres on the Monterey Peninsula, built in 1913. Originally a YWCA center, much of the property was designed by Julia Morgan, the first woman architect in CA, who later designed the Hearst Castle. This place is MAGICAL! Here are just some of the photos I took:

My view each morning at 5:45 am when I started my power walk

Even beautiful when it rained

My classroom straight ahead

Path to the Beach

Excellent walking paths everywhere

West coast beach--so different from the Gulf

Pacific Ocean, my happy place

Architecture shot

Main Lodge

Main Lodge, Guest Check In area

I arrived the day before classes started at 4 pm the following day. This gave me time to get my routine set. I was up about 5:30 am each morning to power walk for an hour, starting on the grounds, using a flashlight to supplement the well-lit property. I saw no one else until about 6:30. Once the sun was starting to rise I headed to the beach, my most happy place:


It rained a good bit the first few days. Fortunately, the Park Shop had really good rain jackets at a very reasonable price. Once I added that to my wardrobe I was set for the week. Umbrellas are not helpful because when it rains, it blows, so being able to cover up was best.

The food was really good and plentiful, with set times for each meal in the large Crocker Dining Hall. There were always vegan and gluten free options for those who needed that:

Breakfast, the fresh berries were so good:

Lunch, there was always soup and salad and usually an entree:


Dinner, fish was served several times during my 7 nights, which suits me fine:


I ate well, much more than at home, and expected my weight to be up, I guessed 8 pounds. I was right. It took 6 days of being back on my usual diet/exercise plan to drop those. I enjoyed all those desserts but the weight had to go. 

All of my teacher friends who have taught here told me it was a great place to teach. The students are energized with creativity. Many return year after year, including one in my class who was there for the 20th time. They reconnect with old friends from all over the country. I had students from MI, WI, HI, OH, UT, WA, OR, CO and many from CA. Four of my students came to take class with me, having been in my class in Houston or Durango, CO last year. It was so fun to see familiar faces!

Each evening except one there is Show and Tell and a short program. At the first Show and Tell, two of my students showed off their Garden Party Down Under Quilts, the 2022 Block of the Month quilt from The Quilt Show:



On the one evening off most of the teachers go out to dinner together as it is the only time we get to visit with each other. The Fishwife restaurant is very good and we could walk there:

Maria Shell, Libby Williamson, me, Betsy Habich, Deborah Fell, Mel Beach, Gloria Loughman, Sue Benner, two others were not with us

What made this so special for me? Power walking in sight of the ocean was magical. Seeing wildlife like deer everywhere was amazing. The birds were new to me and so colorful. A family of bunnies saw me walk by each morning in the pre-dawn light. The landscape is so different from home. Each morning I was in the zone, with my Airpods in playing my favorite music, singing to my hearts content. I told a friend it was "contemplative". 

More scenes to inspire you:

My room, 650 steps from the Dining Hall, I loved it!

Much to learn



Yes, they get this close

Deer are everywhere if you look

After a few days of rain, we had spectacular weather

I am SO LOOKING FORWARD to next year. The classes are set and registration will open in May 2024. I encourage you to make plans now. This is such a special place and learning experience. Here is the Faculty for next year:


The only hiccup was on my trip home. Thunderstorms in Dallas left me stuck there for two nights. There are much worse places to be stuck than an Embassy Suites in walking distance of a huge mall, remember malls? Grapevine Mills is a super place to get a few things--I had little with me as the checked baggage went on home without me. I had work to do, books to read, and got in a long power walk on a beautiful day:

Dinner at Embassy Suites

Hotel can provide essentials

Dinner and next morning breakfast--frig and microwave in the room saved the day

All spaces filled

Prom anyone?

Food court

Lunch at Whataburger

Sad to see the Sunset on this beautiful experience but I will be back next year, and maybe in 2026, for a "back to back", two weeks, two different classes. Truly my BUCKET LIST place to teach and so worth the wait:

The sun sets in the west...

Let's quilt,

Barbara

Sunday, March 10, 2024

WHILE I'M AWAY

As this posts, I am at my Joyful Journey Retreat, #5, at Red Rooster Retreat Center in Crane Hill, AL.

My attendance there is a SECRET--only my friend and co-conspirator Kathy R knows I am going to arrive two days late. From February 29-March 7, 2024 I was teaching FULL CIRCLE at Empty Spools Seminar at Asilomar Conference Center in CA. There will be a BIG post about that next week.

So today I am encouraging you to look at this previous post from 11 years ago about the LESSONS TO LEARN FROM AN OLD QUILT--click on this LINK to find it: 

Antique Ohio Star Christmas Quilt in my collection

AND I would LOVE TO HAVE YOU JOIN ME  at the local class ANTELOPE CANYON DIT DOT EVOLUTION at Southern Charm Quilting in Huntsville, AL, March 19 and April 2, 2024. The fee covers two full days of class instruction full of tips to keep you straight AND THE KIT WITH ALL THE FABRIC! Don't miss this class if you love the design as I do--it will not be offered again. REGISTER ONLINE TODAY:


Let's quilt.

Barbara


Sunday, March 3, 2024

FEATHERED STARS PERFECTLY PAPER PIECED: THE CUTTING PART 3

As this posts, I am teaching at EMPTY SPOOLS SEMINAR  at the Asilomar Conference Center in Pacific Grove CA. I am sure we are having an awesome time, more than 20 students with me for 5.5 days learning to make FULL CIRCLE. The pattern is by Wendy Williams and has a lot to teach. I am sure I will have much to report when I get home.

The Sunday Sew and Sews are a group of friends who meet at my home to support and encourage each other with quilting projects. Usually we are working on one project, the Block of the Month from The Quilt Show, for example. It's fun to see how everyone selects fabrics to create a similar but unique quilt. 

This year the Sunday Sew and Sews are making Feathered Star quilts. If you want to sew along with us, look back at the two previous posts about this project: PART 1 and PART 2

This might be a bit backwards, but today I'll talk about cutting the many pieces that are required for the 15" Feathered Star block designed by the late Sue Garman. You shouldn't be surprised that it takes a while to cut all this out:


When I first started my Diamond Jubilee quilt about 12 years ago, I created a chart to keep track of my fabric selections with hand written cutting directions. For students, I had to make a much more legible, organized chart for cutting sizes: 

Paper piecing requires pieces be cut oversized, then they are trimmed to the accurate size after adding each piece to the paper foundation. While it uses more fabric, it is fast and accurate. And why do I have all this fabric if not to use it?!

My blocks have two fabrics that are the same in each block: the center paisley and the off white feathers. The other fabrics change in each block. First, I decide on a background color. Then the color of the feathers. After that, I just figure out the rest: the kites, tips/squares and the fabrics that surround the center octagon.

Cutting Steps:

1. I didn't fussy cut the center squares as it would make little difference but you could:


2. One big QST cut in quarters, 4 squares are the Background fabric: 


3. I like to cut feathers with a Half Square Triangle Ruler, it saves a little fabric and is fast. I cut the green feathers in the exact same way: 

4. 45 Degree diamonds are easy to cut, start with a 45 degree cut on the outside edge of the 2" strip:

5. Cut 2" wide Diamonds using the 2" line on the ruler: 

6. Kites are easy and FUN to cut. Start with four 5" squares cut in half: 

7. Turn the long side of the triangle like this, place the 5" measurement on the left corner, trim away the little triangle on the right side--it is trash unless you save pieces that small:


8. Viola! Now you have 8 Kites:

9. A lot of useful cutting instructions can be found in this book. Each shape has its' own page and both left-handed and right-handed instructions/diagrams are provided:

10. For some of the small pieces, I don't cut them apart until I need them so they don't get lost. On the wrong side I have used a pencil to draw the cutting lines so I'll remember what they are for--these 8 triangles will surround the center, 4 are HST and 4 are QST: 


11. Here are all the pieces cut for another Feathered Star. Now I am ready to sew:


Feathered Stars are marvelous blocks! One can be the center of a great quilt--I have made several quilts with a Feathered Star as the center medallion. Many are amazing in one quilt.  Give it a try. 

Let's quilt.

Barbara

Sunday, February 25, 2024

PICK A PETAL -- MONTH 3

 PICK A PETAL is the 2024 Block of the Month quilt designed by Jen Kingwell exclusively for The Quilt Show. It is FREE to Star Members, join today to take advantage of this great bonus. WATCH Jen's Show to see how she makes this quilt--it is FREE for EVERYONE all of 2024: Jen Kingwell Show 3401

Month 3 introduces Block 2, a unique block with curves and petals, ideally made with hand piecing:

Jen's block from the sample quilt, all hand pieced 


I studied this block for a while, trying to find an easy way to machine piece it. I made several: 

1. Completely hand pieced, following the pattern instructions--too slow for me

2. Machine pieced the first 2 curves and center square, hand pieced the petals. I call this the "Hybrid Method" --that works but not real fast

3. Re-designed to eliminate the curves, applique the petals on top--much faster and a good alternative

4. Substitute a completely different block--I declare that a fail, I tried several alternative blocks but none supported the basic, excellent design of the quilt

So, my personal solution is to do some with idea 2 and some with idea 3:

Curves joining green, aqua, and background sewn by machine, center square added by machine, Petals added with hand piecing 

Alternative block, straight lines by machine, petals hand appliqued on top--before trimming to the correct size, 8.5" including seam allowance

If you prefer hand piecing, simply follow the pattern instructions to make 20 Block 2, using a wide variety of prints. Block 2 is more controlled than Block 1, which used a different print for each position. This Block uses only 5 fabrics.

For the "HYBRID METHOD", using both machine and hand piecing, here is what I did: 

As always--I add at least 1/2" extra to the outside edge for "insurance". That outer edge is only 1/4" FINISHED, pretty narrow:

Fabrics selected, templates traced

A gentle curve I found easy to machine piece, sewing Edge to Edge is fine on this seam, Dot to Dot is NOT NECESSARY here 


Jen demoed a clever trick on her Show, using the corresponding template to draw the actual sewing line should you want to have that line. 

To draw the sewing line for joining Template J (the dark print) to the Background, you will need to do it in two steps. First, place the curved template on the wrong side of the Background, placing the curved edge on  the two dots drawn on the background. I used a mechanical pencil.

The outer curve is larger than the sewing line so you need to work from right side to the middle, Step 1: 

Then shift the template to the left side, put the curve on the two dots, left and middle, to complete the curve: 

Middle curve drawn

To add the curves for the petals, simply use the Petal Template to draw those lines. Be sure the template is right up to the dots drawn when the background pieces were cut out:

                                                    

Five pins show you how this will be sewn. I found it easier to use only 3 pins, middle and outer edges. Sew SLOWLY, it's not how fast can you sew it, but how accurately. I use a Stiletto to keep the outside edges aligned as I sew SLOWLY:

Although this photo shows I sewed "dot to dot" when joining the background, that is NOT NECESSARY with this seam, edge to edge is fine. It is faster and does not require backstitching. Dot to Dot sewing is most helpful where multiple seams come together:


One of the great things about the FORUM is all the things you can learn. I don't know everything. Sonia showed how she has made several Jen Kingwell quilts using curves like this. She showed a little different "path" for piecing. Make 4 units with templates I, J, and K, add the center square to two of those, piece the Petals to the other two. Now you have a long, gentle curve to add the left and right sides to the center shape: 


Another tip Jen mentioned in her Show is that she cuts a lot of the pieces from a wide variety of prints before she makes the block. This gives lots of choices for fabric selection. I think most of us just cut for each block, one at a time. Here is my original plan for this block:



When I got to that stage, I didn't love it. My advice: if you don't love it, don't sew it. Find another option. The Lime green shown above was an option, this purple is what I ultimately chose. Now I have a couple extra sets of Petals for future blocks:


Once the block is sewn and pressed beautifully, it has to be "trimmed to perfection", 8.5" including seam allowance. Take your time and carefully line up the diagonal lines, getting the petals exactly at the 1/4" mark. I fiddle with it BEFORE picking up the rotary cutter. A mistake now could be really bad: 


Before trimming, showing how I pressed this block


AN ALTERNATIVE BLOCK:  I mentioned on the FORUM, in December, I was trying to find an alternative block. HelenW showed what she worked out in Electric Quilt, a block that looks similar but uses straight lines instead of curves. She shared her design with me, I printed it from EQ8 and was ready to give it a try. 

I like it for speed and that from a distance, it resembles the original. In my center I used two of them, do they jump out? 


If you like it, give it a try:


Made in 4 sections, it is easy to use the eighths fabric cuts in the Kit. Jen discusses the importance of grain in her Show so I was sure to cut pieces on the Lengthwise grain, along the selvage:

Cut BACKGROUND    1.5"  X  10.5"  (4)  this includes an extra 1/2" for insurance
        OUTER ROW       1.75" X  8.5"   (4)
        INNER ROW        1.75" X  6"      (4) 
        CENTER SQUARE   2.5", use the Template (1)
        PETALS, use the Template (4)   I added the Dots on the FRONT for needle turn hand applique.

Sew the strips staggered, fold in the middle 

IMPORTANT PRESSING TIP: Press two sets in toward the middle strip, press the other two sets away from the middle strip--this allows the seams to "nest" when sewing the diagonal mitered seams: 


Fold in half, carefully aligning seams. Draw a DOT 1" from the FOLD, that is the DOT for the center Square

Use a Half Square Triangle Ruler to accurately cut BEYOND THE DOT. The dashed line on the ruler sits on the dot, the seam allowance is to the right of the dot. Keep the sewn lines straight as you make this all important angle cut

Ready to join the 4 strip sets to the center square

Dot To Dot Sewing with backstitching is important here

All 4 strips sets sewn to the center square
I sewed from the center square out to the edge, backstitching at the center. Press seams open

                                            

I made a Petal Template without seam allowance so I could draw the sewing line for the hand applique. Using a mechanical pencil gives a light, thin line

Auditioning Petal options

Here is this block except for one last petal ready to be appliqued on. I  will do that in the MONTH 3 LIVE, scheduled to air March 1, 2024:


Wow! That is a LOT of information this month. It gets easier next month when we move to the Log Cabin blocks.

Let's quilt.

Barbara