FULL CIRCLE AT EMPTY SPOOLS SEMINAR

More than two years ago I was invited to teach at EMPTY SPOOLS SEMINAR held every year at Asilomar Conference Center on the Monterey Peninsula in central CA. I have been looking forward to it since then. This is the 39th year, it began the year I became a quilter.

See my post about the place and the experience here: Empty Spools Seminar Part 1

The class I was asked to teach is FULL CIRCLE, a pattern by Wendy Williams. This is a great project for a 5 day Seminar--it has lots to teach and would keep the students engaged for the entire time. My sample turned out great and the quilting by local longarmer extraordinaire Patty Wilson made it that much better:

I have written several blog posts about this quilt, read them here for more info:

What You Can Learn

See the Quilting

Class Taught Locally September 2023

Each student bought the pattern and my 10 page addendum with tips and clarifications. 

I was thrilled to have 21 students, one of the largest classes that Session. They came from all over the country: OH, WI, HI, WA, UT, CO, and CA. The two from Hawaii had taken Western Sun with me in Houston last fall--I was so pleased they wanted another class. The two from Colorado took class with me in Durango last spring--so great to see familiar faces again. 

This class had to be fast-paced as I had to be sure we covered all 9 of the patterns in Quadrant A as well as how to assemble the outer borders and complete quilt. "We advance for the swift and repeat for the deliberate." Everyone was encouraged to ask all the questions they might have, as frequently as necessary until they "got it". 

The first day was 1.5 hours of instruction before dinner and the evening welcome program. They got right to work drawing their patterns. The first full day, Day 2, we spent the morning on more pattern drawing. After lunch it was time to sew and sew they did. 

Here is what I saw before class began the morning of Day Three:

Wow! I was so happy to see so much progress. Everyone was cheerful, eager to learn, fun to talk to and kept up with what is a pretty fast-paced class. 

A couple showed me quilts they were inspired to make from my blog:

Suzanne made X blogs from Charm Squares from my tutorial

Susan was happy to have the outer road on Color My World, another Wendy Williams pattern that was the 2021 Block of the Month quilt for The Quilt Show

And here are the photos I took at the end of day 5:

And there has to be a CLASS PHOTO. I would be delighted to see any of these students in class again. They worked hard, learned more than they know, and will be able to make the entire quilt now. Although a couple plan to make only Quadrant A. I look forward to seeing their completed quilts sometime in the future:

Empty Spools Seminars is such a magical experience! I will teach there as often as I am invited--it's just that kind of place. I came home with my cup of creativity full to overflowing. I am working on a new sample or two for future class offerings.

AND IF YOU WANT TO LEARN THIS QUILT, YOU HAVE ONE MORE CHANCE: I am teaching this at Southern Charm Quilting in Huntsville, AL as a 5 day SPECIAL EVENT May 6-10, 2024. The fee includes the pattern, my addendum, 5 full days of class instruction, lunch the first day and $100 toward fabric purchases. Don't miss this opportunity. Fifteen students attended the first of these Special Events last September. There is a great hotel nearby if you are traveling from out of the area. I hope to see you there. Register online today.

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