AN "INTERESTING" TRIP

Recently I flew to Denver to meet with Colorado Quilting Council, a statewide guild that meets in person and on Zoom. Overall, it was a great trip and the people were wonderful. BUT, a few funny things happened that will make this trip memorable.

I start out in Huntsville Alabama and almost always make a connection in Atlanta. This doesn't bother me at all, that's just what travel looks like for me. I know my way around ATL, rarely use the underground train, I walk between the various terminals. It's all good. Both my flights were fine--the ATL to Denver flight was about an hour late leaving so I arrived an hour late. 

The day before I made sure the person picking me up had the flight info so she could keep an eye on the flight. Do you know the easiest way to do this is to text the flight numbers to yourself--DL1708 and DL530 for this day. That creates a link to PREVIEW FLIGHT which will show in real time when the flight left, when it is expected to arrive, which baggage claim it will use, etc. Very easy to keep up with flights that often have changes the day of travel.

Sue met me at Baggage claim where she already had my big purple suitcase as we had exchanged photos so we each knew who we were looking for. Now we were off to find her car.

She parked in 3N--you can't there from here or almost anywhere at the Denver airport. Most elevators said 3 was not accessible from that elevator so off we went to find another elevator. Airport construction is always ongoing and what worked a month ago may not work at all today.

After 45 minutes of twists, turns, wrong floors, wrong parking areas, we asked the nice young man at the INFORMATION booth--it was his FIRST DAY and he didn't know. BUT he did have a map and I found the very small print that showed how to get to 3N--it wasn't easy. But we got there and eventually were ready to head south for the drive of a little less than an hour to the hotel. 

The Residence Inn by Marriott at Highlands Ranch is the hotel this guild uses. Rooms are large with a full kitchen: refrigerator, cooktop, microwave, dishes, silverware, and a table with chairs as well as a large desk and couch. It was clean and my room was in the building nearest to the Lobby/Breakfast area--that's good, there are several buildings. You want a ground floor room as there are no elevators--hauling my 50 pound suitcase up and down stairs would not be fun.

After we saw my room was fine, I had Sue drop me off up the street at the Lazy Dog restaurant so I could pick up dinner to go. I took it back to the hotel and was a bit disappointed that my "medium" burger was exceptionally well done. My husband would have loved it. It was tasty... 

The next day I had an excellent breakfast--lots to choose from. I could eat wisely and the banana and yogurt would be for later. There might have been a bagel too...The staff person did an excellent job keeping things refilled. I made a point to tell her what a great job she was doing:

Ready for the day:

Sue picked me up right on time to go to the meeting at a lovely Lutheran church. I like to arrive an hour early so the technical side gets all set. The church audio/visual system is used, my PowerPoint is on a thumb drive and that always works. 

EXCEPT something had changed with the system, the church contact person was on vacation and the guild person did all she could to make it work. To no avail. Those watching at home on ZOOM were able to see the entire meeting, including my PowerPoint. The 125 + people in attendance could not see anything on the screens. 

I was told about this just prior to the meeting beginning at 10 am. During the meeting I had time to consider how I would present the Lecture: A QUILTER'S LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT aka Your Kids Don't Want Your Stuff, to the audience without the slides that illustrate the various points.  I used my Ipad so I could see the presentation and just gave all the information as usual. 

The president reminded the audience they could watch on ZOOM on their phones as the guild tech person feverishly tried to get things working--unsuccessfully. I gave the guild permission to upload my PowerPoint to their Members Only, Password Protected website--they were given 48 hours of access. This is a big deal--I do not let my "intellectual property" be saved, recorded or shown in any other way. Most teachers I know do the same. We are paid for one presentation of the lecture. 

Before my presentation there was Show and Tell--my favorite part of most meetings. They did something interesting--after the person told about the quilt she brought to share, it was draped over chairs so it could be seen after the meeting up close, for those who wanted a better look:

The guild had an "opportunity quilt" on display and it was lovely. It will go to a lucky winner in December. It was pieced and assembled by Carol Cook and others from the guild. Celeste Grande did the beautiful quilting. Celeste tells me it's a Judy Martin pattern:

Photos of the quilting I took--simple but lovely: 

All in all, the day went well. Those at home saw the Lecture as usual. Those in the audience appreciated the chance to go home and watch it again on their computer. 

Dawn, Sue's partner in programs/workshops took me to Chicken Salad Chick for lunch where we met up with about a dozen guild members. Several told me they watched on Zoom on their phone, the rest were going home to see the slides on their computer. Everyone was sympathetic and understanding about the "technical difficulty".  We all did the best we could and it worked out. 

Since I was on my own for dinner and Lazy Dog was not my favorite, I got smart and ordered a different Chicken Salad Chick meal to go for dinner. That worked out fine. I had a quiet afternoon in my room, talked to my husband for a while, handled email and business stuff, etc. My plan to swim that afternoon went by the wayside when I realized I didn't want to be out there in the 96 degree heat, at a mile  up in elevation--no sunburn for me. 

On these trips I often don't sleep well. Different bed, different sounds, etc. But I was sound asleep at 2 am Sunday morning when the fire alarm went off. I jumped up, put on clothes I could wear in public, called the front desk  which took a while to get answered. The fellow knew about the alarm and said the fire department had to put it out. I got back in bed, fully dressed, put a pillow over my head, and listened to the very loud alarm for 15 minutes. The good news: there was no fire and the alarm works.

There wasn't much sleep after that. But in the morning I had another great breakfast. While getting dressed for the workshop day I had a "wardrobe malfunction"--my new Taos Sandals broke--the velcro on one of them came un-stitched from the leather--not to be worn again. What else could possibly go wrong?! I talked to me husband early that day and he said "BE CAREFUL!" 

before the shoe broke

I love meeting people who know me from my blog, The Quilt Show, and from taking classes at other venues. They often want to show me their quilts from the Block of the Month or our classes. One of those in attendance saw on my blog the week before that I would be in her area that next weekend. Janet Miller joined the guild, signed both herself and her daughter up for the Sunday workshop and came to the Saturday meeting. She asked if I wanted to see her BOM quilts and, of course, I did. She brought them to the workshop Sunday:

Garden Party Down Under

Homeward Bound

Janet's turned edge machine applique is exquisite. She used Superior's MonoPoly thread for a small modified blind hem stitch. I dare you to tell it's not hand applique. She quilted these on her domestic sewing machine. I was thrilled to see such excellent work and all the other students got a special Show and Tell during lunch.

Class  went very well--Oh My Stars! has been a popular class for me. The 15 students did well, there were lots of "teachable moments" and it was a good day:

After class Sue took me to a Modern Market to get a Salmon Caesar salad--no more Lazy Dog or chicken salad this trip. I took it back to the hotel, Sue and I said our goodbyes, and a quiet night was ahead of me.

No fire alarm that night. Not a bad night's sleep. I was up at 5:15, packed and at breakfast at 6 am. Jeanette, my ride back to the Denver airport, was right on time and we headed north. We had allowed ample time for the trip since it was a Monday morning but we made it in less than 45 minutes. Within 30 minutes of saying goodbye to her, I had checked in, gone through TSA and gotten to my gate, A two hour wait doesn't bother me, I have plenty to read and I'd rather be safely at the airport. 

The flight to ATL was perfect. The flight to HSV was delayed about 15 minutes because the inbound plan was late. But I was going HOME and my husband was eager to get me back, safe and sound. The next day he fixed my shoe with some powerful glue--he is a very handy man!

I have been making these kind of trips for 12 years, 8-12 times a year. There have been very few issues on all those trips. Only once did I get stuck overnight, for TWO nights, in Dallas due to weather. There are a lot worse problems than spending two nights at an Embassy Suites. 

With all that travel I have been lucky.  I am cutting back on travel in the future. Big shows, Empty Spools Seminars, and teaching locally, that is where you'll find me. It's time to spend a little more time at home. 

Next up is the Fall Retreat in Livermore CA September 29-October 4, 2026. There are a few spots left--see the  FLYER HERE.  I will be teaching Oh My Stars! and The Village. 

Let's quilt.

Barbara

EMPTY SPOOLS SEMINARS -- THE PEOPLE

Teaching a 5 day seminar to one group of students at EMPTY SPOOLS SEMINARS is one of the best jobs possible in the quilt/fiber art world. And it is one of the BEST EXPERIENCES for creative people.

PART ONE: The PLACE—See it HERE

The STUDENTS:  This is the "end of class" group photo, minus Terrie who was dealing with a car issue. Three of these women are repeat students--Mollie and Anne for the third time, Connie for the second. It is a treat to have familiar faces and happy, dedicated students. The others came as strangers, but all left as friends:

Terrie, not to be forgotten

Some students at each Session are "first timers", all of them say they will be back. "Why did I wait so long for this amazing experience?" Some come every year, currently poring over the 2027 Class Catalog to make their first and second choice selections. (Registration opens June 20, 2026 for the 2027 Seminars.)

The chance to learn from one teacher for 5 days in an in-depth setting is just hard to describe. Many students try out new-to-them techniques. Others are looking to expand their knowledge in a new direction. The class offerings are a mix of so many techniques/learning opportunities.

My goal for ALL my classes, whether 5 hours or 5 days, is that each student, regardless of skill level, will leave class learning more than they expected to learn. I often say "I am here to teach you everything I have learned in the last 40+ years as a quiltmaker." The Empty Spools experience allows that to happen.

Two of these students told me straight away this was their first quilting class ever. They thought they would be slow or even over their heads. Both did great work, learned a lot, and never felt behind. I "advance for the swift, and repeat for the deliberate." Each student gets all the help they need or want.

Two rented sewing machines as they flew in--there is always a learning curve at a new machine. They both did fine, learned what they needed to, and will proceed to make full star blocks at home.

Their WORK:

The STAFF:  

Wendi is the daughter of Gayle Wells, one of the founders of Empty Spools Seminars, now in it's 41st year. Penny is the granddaughter of Gayle, so niece to Wendi. They do an excellent job, learning the ropes with each new year. While living full lives, with full time jobs "on the side".  

Wendi Wells

Penny Wells

Suzanne Cox, the other founder is a delight, still attending in an advisory capacity. Photo in the lower left is Wendi, Suzanne, and Penny:

The FACULTY:

It is always good to be surrounded with amazing teachers. Some of this Session's teachers I have known for years, the rest I was happy to meet. Traditionally, the teachers go to dinner together on the one night of the Session when there is no evening program. We go to The Fish Wife restaurant, a short walk from campus. It is a great chance to find out things in the quilting/fiber art community and to make new connections:

From left to right: Sue Benner, Gloria Loughman, Timna Tarr, Maria Shell, Jenny Haynes, David Taylor, me, Cindy Grisdela, Kevin Womack.  Great food, even better conversation.

Each teacher has an assigned night to present a brief show of their work and introduce themselves to the entire audience. Merrill Hall is the "Seminar Central" all week--a beautiful building. My view from the stage:

The audience

Janet Fogg's quilt behind me--she was the Artist in Residence this week

It isn't easy to keep to the specified 9 minutes time--I did my best--and since no one was after me a few extra minutes to show off students work from prior years was ok.

The RELATIONSHIPS: 

Many of the students meet others here and form lasting friendships. They return year after year, to learn, discover, unwind, and build on those friendships.

Last year a wonderful woman came to my session the first day, not as a student, but as a member of The Quilt Show for many years. She wanted to meet me. She brought me beautiful flowers from her garden and the most sincere and heartwarming note of appreciation:

2025

This year she was back, as a student in another class during Session 5. I spotted her in the Dining Hall and we had a great but brief Reunion. Next year I will present a Lecture to her local guild:

Linda Herrera and I, 2026

It is moments and PEOPLE like this that keep me going and bring me back to such amazing places on my Joyful Journey as a quiltmaker.

What's NEXT:

February 28-March 5, 2027 SESSION 1 of EMPTY SPOOLS SEMINARS 2027 I will be teaching FULL CIRCLE, a Wendy Williams pattern.  My quilt:

92" square

I taught it in 2024 at Empty Spools, the class filled quickly with more than 20 students. Everyone did very well. Last year Anne and Mollie brought their completed quilts for Show and Tell--it was so good to have them there. They were enthusiastic students who said "Don't try this one without Barbara to guide you."  My 10 page typewritten Addendum to the 32 page pattern is very helpful. Anne and Mollie kindly brought them again this year so everyone could be inspired to join us NEXT year.

Anne Flanigan's FULL CIRCLE

Mollie Gilliam's FULL CIRCLE

As this quilt teaches SO MUCH, it can only be taught in this format, 5 technique-packed days. And as this is the second time I am offering it at Empty Spools it is very likely the last time it will be offered. SO, if this is one you REALLY want to make, NOW is the time to plan on registering--2027 Registration opens JUNE 20, 2026, 10 am PST. Find the FULL CATALOG with all the necessary information HERE

Planning for EMPTY SPOOLS SEMINARS 2028 gets underway later this Summer. I have a few ideas for great classes to propose. What would YOU WANT TO LEARN if you had 5 days to just delve into quiltmaking full time, with all your meals provided, nothing to do but just delight in and ABSORB it ALL?

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

LOTS TO DO

 As usual, I have lots to do. Last week I taught Oh My Stars! to 19 students locally. Some flew in, some drove a long distance, some were locals. It was great "practice" for me as I will be teaching this in Houston to 25 "strangers"--those not yet friends.

At my Retreat in March I taught this to 15, so this wasn't the first class presentation. Each class teaches me something, how to improve the way I present the class instruction. And for this class I wrote a 10 page "Addendum" to the pattern.

The students did great. Let's start at the end, with the "class photo":

It was especially great to have a friend come from Mobile to take the class, fellow quilt teacher Nina Clotfelter. She provided a chance to critique how class went and added helpful insights, even during class. And she made a great star:

All the students work, toward the end of the two-day, 10 hour class:

After class I made a couple "step outs" that will visually help students understand how to select and cut and sew the 5 fabrics needed for a star. I sent this to the class and they all agreed this visual will help understand the instructions: 

The next time I teach this will be in Houston. That class filled in less than 30 minutes when enrollment opened and has a Waitlist. I am teaching it at EMPTY SPOOLS SEMINARS April 29-May 4, 2026. And a Colorado guild has selected it for a class in June 2026. I love teaching this class and hope to get a few more opportunities.

After class Nina came to my home and while in the studio looking at my completed Laurel Ridge quilt top on the design wall, she noticed "something". Oh, NO! Upon careful study we found I had turned one section completely around. And it had to be fixed, since it's still a top:

Then, as if that wasn't enough, during my LIVE broadcast a few days later, someone with a good eye found 3 more blocks turned askew. Yes, they too have to be fixed. This is going to take some time. Even "professionals" make mistakes. Big Sigh...

The next project looms. In September I am teaching on two cruises, back to back. 10 days to New England and Canada followed by 5 days to Bermuda. The quilt for the New England/Canada cruise is On the Lily Pond, my own design, and the quilt is totally finished: 

The other day I received the Kit for this project and have to "check" it. This means counting every piece to be sure they are all there and that all the needed pieces have been provided. This is going to take some time.

I love the fabrics selected and having them pre-cut will make this a breeze to sew. At least I don't have to make this top before we sail, just get Step-outs ready for teaching: 

The Bermuda class project is much smaller, since it's a 5 day cruise. And that top I do have to complete before we sail. The Kit for it came this week so it had to be checked. There was an issue with one of the required shapes so they will be recut. And I am hard at work on the sample:

Only 10 more blocks to go: 

Next up is pack for a teaching trip to the Eastern Shore of Maryland with the Bayside Quilters. One lecture, a half day class and a full day class will keep me busy. Then I am taking a side trip to Philadelphia to see friends and family. That will be fun.

I hope you are busy too! 

Let's quilt.

Barbara