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

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

FULL CLASS FOR FULL CIRCLE

 Recently, I was fortunate to have a full class of 15 dedicated students enroll in a 5 Day Special Event workshop at Southern Charm Quilting here in Huntsville AL. They worked hard for all 5 days and accomplished so much. I was so happy with how the class went.

Full Circle is a pattern by Wendy Williams. I saw the quilt in 2020 and determined I wanted to make one. When I was asked to teach it at Empty Spools Seminar in March 2024 I had to get the sample made:

90" x 90" 

I loved the fabrics I selected, some are 20 years old but real favorites of mine. The spectacular quilting was done by an amazing local longarmer Patty Wilson. I love everything about her quilting on this. See this blog post with more details of the quilting: Full Circle is Quilted

Hoping to get about 10 local students for this class here at home, I was thrilled when 15 enrolled. Five flew or drove in from out of state, the rest were local. Six states were represented in the group. They may have started the week as strangers but they left as friends. 

Everyone learned a lot and got so much done. As a teacher, you think you know what can be done in the time allotted but you are never sure until you teach the class. As I will have 24 students at Empty Spools I was eager to see if my plan would work. It does!

There is a substantial Supply List for this class and Fabric Selection is key. I offered a day at the shop where I would help anyone who wanted hands-on help picking fabric, about a month before the class. Here are my fabrics: 

Here are some photos to give you an idea how the week progressed.

The first day I gave each student a set of labels for each of the 9 blocks and Borders--they put them on their Ziploc bags to keep organized:

My biggest concern was Block 2, Flower Garden. It takes time to prep the circles and hand embroidery can take awhile. Most students got the stems sewn in place so they could move on--the hand work can be done later. Some used machine stitches for the circles so they got them sewn on: 

Learning to paper piece using freezer paper as a foundation was new for most students. The results were excellent:

Learning to sew curves is another technique this quilt project provides, it's not hard, just don't be in a hurry: 

By day Two we had made 4 "blocks": flying geese, checkerboard, flower garden, and houses, AND learned how to sew the arcs together: 

Mid-week we had a Field Trip--out to dinner at Guadalajara Mexican Restaurant for those who wanted to come. We had 17 including a few spouses. Joan snapped this shot and I'm glad she did. After dinner anyone who wanted to come see my studio was welcome since I live very close to the restaurant:

I was delighted my friend Jan Davis was in the class. She and I have a "mutual admiration society" thing going on. She is a local hero, having flown on the Space Shuttle three times. The first day I embarrassed her a bit by making sure everyone in the class knew who she was, most did not. Young women today may think women have always been able to do anything they want but many of us remember the struggle to succeed in a "man's world" should we have chosen to pursue such a career, as I did in the United States Marine Corps and Jan did at NASA.

Jan has just released her first book, Air Born,  the story of her dad's life as a B 17 pilot in WWII who spent 21 months as a POW. It also includes her own story as an Astronaut. Many of the students bought copies of her book which she graciously autographed, and she even posed for pictures with those who asked:

Jan with Sandy F: 

The week flew by for all of us. I told the students in advance to expect to be tired at the end of each day and they were. But they hung in there and were rewarded for their efforts.

THE WALL, the last day of class--I was so happy with how much was accomplished by each student:

Japanese/Oriental style fabrics from Lisa C:

Happy Houses and everything else from Kari:

How about making this quilt with Neutrals as Jan did: 

The mandatory "class photo" after "graduation". What a wonderful group of quilters this was, I am honored they chose to spend a long 5 days with me. They taught me things too:

There are just a few spots left in this class at Empty Spools Seminar March 2024 . See this blog post about Full Circle at Asilomar

If you prefer to take the class here in Huntsville, I am very happy to say I will offer it once again at Southern Charm Quilting May 6-10, 2024. The Class Fee includes 5 days of detailed instruction, the pattern, my 10 page Handout of "Changes, Tips and Clarifications", lunch the first day, a $100 gift card for store purchases, and a day when I will be in the shop for Fabric Selection assistance, about a month before class begins. 

I offer a huge "Thank You" to this fine group of students and look forward to seeing their completed quilts, whenever that may be. And a "Thank You" to Southern Charm Quilting, Cindy and her staff, for taking a leap of faith to offer a 5 day class with me. Several students said this was the perfect place to take this class. Those who slept in their own beds were happy and those who slept at the Spring Hill Suites hotel nearby raved about it. I hope you join us next year. Sign up now as I expect this class to fill with 20 students as people see what their friends have done so far.

Let's quilt!

Barbara