EMPTY SPOOLS SEMINARS 2026 -- The PLACE

This is the third year I have taught at Empty Spools Seminars and each time I love it more.

Located at Asilomar Conference Center in Pacific Groves, CA, it is a magical place. Rustic, wild, beautiful, historic. So many words could describe this place. Bring together 11 teachers with creative classes involving quilting in so many forms and you have the perfect atmosphere for creativity to blossom and grow for almost 200 students. And this happens 5 times a year!

Just a glimpse of the PLACE:

Boardwalks along the beach--my happy place

Merrill Hall, historic early 1900's building--Empty Spools main meeting space

Beautiful pathways make walking fun

Educational signs around the 110 acre campus

Scenes around the campus

I walk to the beach every day

Early morning

The stairs to my room

The main entrance

The Social Hall with a huge fireplace, cozy chairs, two pool tables, Phoebe's Cafe and a Gift shop

An 1890's piano--the sign says "Be Gentle"

Signs around campus help you find your way

                                                        

I walked up these rocks one day leaving the beach

"My tree" outside my bedroom window

Sunset

WILDLIFE:

Deer are all over the property, I saw them early morning and late afternoon

Sea Creatures, related to Portuguese Man of War--very squishy to walk on, an unusual sight, a few days later they were gone

One of two wild turkeys I saw sauntering by

I also saw brown squirrels, bunnies, geckos, English Bluebirds, a Red Headed Woodpecker, and lots of sea birds.

LODGING:

First built in 1910 as a YWCA camp, some of the buildings are historic. The architect was Julia Morgan, first woman architect in California, who later went on to design Hearst Castle. The lodging is in many buildings scattered all over the property, nestled into the pine forest. 

The accommodations are "rustic" and simple. No TV, wifi is spotty, AC and heat might be iffy. The rooms are clean and there is little reason to be in your room except to sleep. The shower is strong and the water is hot. There is a small refrigerator in my room, which I didn't need. I love my room and ask for it every year.

MEALS: 

I call this Camp Dining Hall food for grownups. There are always vegan and gluten free options for those who need that. Portions are generous. I didn't have anything I didn't like. At home I don't eat dessert very often--here I ate it at every meal. 

Any meal I don't have to plan, shop for, prepare, serve and clean up after is a GOOD MEAL for me:

Lasagna, garlic bread, salad, cookies

Grilled salmon, baked potato, broccoli, salad and cake

My usual breakfast with a small Danish 

Roast turkey, potatoes, carrots, salad, cake

Delicious meatloaf, brown rice, veggies, salad, cake

Prime rib, scalloped potatoes, salad, apple cobbler

The property is hilly and I walk a good bit from my room to the Dining Hall then over to my classroom. Each morning I get in a 45-60 minute power walk from 5:30-6:30 am.  Even eating like this I was only up 2 pounds for the 8 day trip. The second day at home they were gone and I'm back to my usual smart eating plan.

Asilomar Conference Center is part of the California State Park system. You can find much more information and photos online.   VISIT ASILOMAR

Next week I will talk about the PEOPLE! The best part of Empty Spools Seminars is the relationships built here.

Let's quilt.

Barbara

LAST CHANCE FOR EMPTY SPOOLS SEMINARS 2026

Registration for Empty Spools Seminars at the beautiful Asilomar Conference Center near Monterey, CA closes January 9, 2026. There are still a few spots left in my class OH MY STARS! 

    

My quilt

Detail of the quilting by Patty Wilson

Detail of the back showing the quilting

Quilt on cover of the pattern

This quilt has a LOT to teach: precision piecing, color/fabric selection, how to have points that match perfectly, more than one way to make many small stars for the sashing, and so much more. All skills that will enhance ALL your quiltmaking going forward.

Having the opportunity to work on one project for 5 days with one teacher is such an incredible experience.  Find registration information for Session 5 here:

SESSION 5 EMPTY SPOOLS SEMINARS 2026

And I can't say enough expressive, exuberant words about the location: Asilomar Conference Center. I describe it as a "Magical Place".  For so much more information about what you can expect as a student, see these previous posts:

My Trip 2025

My Trip 2024

If you are flying, you may rent a sewing machine for your use in class. A few of those are still available today, be sure you reserve one when you register.

Personally, I cannot WAIT to get back there, it is the highlight of my year. I hope you will invest in yourself as a quiltmaker/creator and join me!

I will end with a few special photos of the place:

Let's quilt.

Barbara

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