Catching Up....Again

When I returned from Asilomar, I had quite a bit of my lone star completed. For the first time EVER, I went with a clear plan in mind. I had my strips cut and knew where I wanted to put them, so I was able to start sewing almost immediately!

Jan Krentz is a wonderful teacher; if you have any interest at all in making a lone star, take a class from her. You won't be sorry!!

 This is a pic of my original diamond design. I made a mock up of it for my pattern and followed it while putting my diamonds together.

 

A completed diamond, with the fabric in strips next to it for easy assembly. It was supposed to be foolproof and it was...almost. I only had one minor goof that had to be fixed when I got two fabrics out of order. 

 

When it was completed, I auditioned the black fabric for the background prior to cutting. Then others were getting in on the "try this" phase. Debbie suggested the dots on the center star; I vetoed that suggestion!!

 

This is what I have so far at home. As you can see, my "Y" seams didn't go as smoothly as I'd hoped.  Fortunately, my longarmer knows the old "starch and steam" trick and I think she can quilt those corners just fine! My only other thought, and I'll know this when I have all four braided borders finished, is whether I want another black border on the outside? Or maybe just black binding?  What do you think??

I'm happy with how this is going so far (except I keep staring at those wonky square bits--I bet I end up pulling them off and fixing them!) and I love that my plan of the black diamonds leading out worked as well as I'd hoped. 

When completed (please note: I said "when," not "if"), it will be the first project ever from a class at Empty Spools. I'm hoping this means I'm turning over a new leaf!!

Dory

Empty Spools 2015

Today is the last day of class for Session 2 of the Empty Spools Seminars at Asilomar. I will be sad to be packing up, but I'm not going home! From here, I go to Oakland to visit my granddaughter again and then to Sebastopol to see my other step-daughter and my brother!  Fun!!

If I've been paying attention and if my plans don't change, this is what I will be working towards this session.

 

I'll be in Jan Krentz' Lone Star class.   I actually used my EQ7 program and uploaded photos of my fabrics and then played and played until I came up with something I liked. I made the mock up and cut the strips prior to leaving home.  I didn't sew them though, as I was too afraid I'd change my mind. The best thing...this fabric is ALL in my stash! I didn't buy anything (okay, I didn't buy anything as of the writing of this post)

I'll post a pic of my progress when  return...I know you're all just on pins and needles, right???

Dory

Empty Spools 2014

Today I start classes at Asilomar in Pacific Grove.

Class this year is with Vikki Pignatelli; she does beautiful artistic work. You can look HERE for some examples of her style.  (This was Cindy's year to choose; she always goes for the artsy teachers, I go for more structure). This will be outside my comfort level, but I'm hoping to come home with something fun! This is the picture that was on the Empty Spools Brochure:

One of the best parts is that every morning, I'm up and out by 6 and going for a walk here. It will just barely be getting light; but it will still be beautiful!

More pics when I'm back!

Dory

Return from Asilomar

I'm back...have been since 2 a.m. on Thursday morning. Then the laundry and the time change and unpacking and putting things away and the two quilts I've finished and the next one loaded have all taken time. I cannot get used to the time change this year. We keep having dinner at 8:30--not good. Especially since we still get up at 6. I need to watch the clock and not the daylight to figure out when to eat.

But...here goes! Judy Niemeyer's class was phenomenal! We had 25 (or so) students in the class, all working on various stages of their own projects. Several had begun projects and were finishing up and even more had never done a Judy quilt and were newbies, like Cindy and myself. I was the only one doing Agave Cactus, several were doing the Bali Wedding Star (more about that later), another started Judy's fun log cabin pattern and others were working on still different projects. We probably had about 12 different patterns going at the same time. I was a bit concerned that I'd be lost in the shuffle, but Judy's teaching method left no one needing attention or instruction. She's very down-to-earth and an excellent teacher.

Because I was the only one working on this project, Judy got me started with the outside border to keep me busy until she could help with the center star. The top left is a piece in the picture below shows one of the border sections. There are four of each of those in that configuration; then four more in the opposite configuration. By the time I had been there for two days, I was strip piecing those as if I'd been doing Judy's quilts forever!

Joyce was right; my center star probably would have looked better with batiks that read more as solids, but I'm okay with it. There is one mistake that took us a bit to figure out; bet you can't see it. We'll see if you can tell when I post the finished project (notice I said "when," and not "if.")

Judy's quilts are done in components. This shows all the border pieces, the center star, the "lone star" piece as well as the outer star bits. I have almost all my components done and plan to put them together soon! 

The last day at Empty Spools is a "walkabout." At 4 on the last full day (when class is supposed to be over for the day), everyone tours the other classrooms. A great idea to get you motivated and inspired for next year's project. Before folks started touring, Judy was at my design board and attempted to put the quilt together in some semblance of order. The darn thing is huge! She ran out of room rather quickly.

Other than the "lonestar" segments and a few border bits, I am ready to put this baby together. Its a bit intimidating, but I think I can do it. Then I have to applique on the little curved bits at the ends of the blue/purple/green sections. Of course, that means fusing...I don't applique.

While I was busy in Pacific Grove building a quilt, Dennis was busy in Port Townsend. He built this Greenland Kayak in 7 days! They built them using the stitch and glue method, so he was doing some sewing of his own.

PS...thanks for the nudge, Joyce--got me to post!!!

Empty Spools 2013

I am so fortunate to be going to Empty Spools again this year! I leave next Wednesday on the travel adventure--car, ferry, train, plane, car--and that's just to get there.  This time, Cindy and I are taking a class from Judy Niemeyer. I love her quilts and feel so privileged to learn from the lady, herself.

However, now that I've chosen my pattern (Agave Garden), choosing fabric/color has been a chore. I don't want my quilt to look exactly like hers, so I've tried to shake things up a bit. Honestly, give me a kit for this one--I'm making myself crazy.

I studied the pattern for a long time trying to determine how she'd done her color placement and then I imitated that. I'm still not sure about what I've chosen and even though some of my colors are different, I just noticed that I'm still going with the basic yellow/red/orange combo in the middle. Oh well...

More pics to follow as I get things cut out.

Pacific West Quilt Show in Tacoma

I'm in Portland this week at MQX and rather than leave you post-less again, I'll leave you with some beautiful quilting shots from the Tacoma Quilt show.

* * * * *

A few months back, the Sequim guild chartered a bus for travel to Tacoma for the quilt show. I was a bit curious about the bus we'd be on since my friend, Annie, had just gone on a bus tour where the chartered bus turned out to be an old school bus--you guessed it: no air conditioning, no heat! I was quite pleased to arrive at the rendezvous area and see one of those nice senior citizen type buses. And I'm sure that's what this bus was since I got the last seat...a wheelchair in the back of the bus! It was quite comfortable though. It even reminded me of my mom as she was a paraplegic.

The next few posts will have pics of some of my favorite quilts. One of the most fun things for me at quilt shows is to see how others quilt their quilts. Its also quite sobering to realize how far I have to go to get as good as these quilters. Some are simply amazing.

The next few pics are from a quilt by Janet Fogg. I love her style and took her class the first time I went to Asilomar. Someday I may even finish the quilt I started there. Janet's style is unique and take a close look at her quilting. I'm loving the puzzle pieces!!

Close-up of the puzzle pieces and the really cool way she quilted the words "its magic." Take the time to click on the photo. It will make it large enough to really enjoy the quilting detail.

Would you look at the quilting on this car!! Janet does all her own quilting; its fabulous!!

Stay tuned for more quilts.

Dory

I feel so privileged!

Remember I told you about Empty Spools and my class with Wendy Mathson in June? We made the Storm at Sea block using Wendy's Trimplates. Wendy had a couple of unquilted tops at the class that she'd brought along to show us what other things could be accomplished with her Trimplates.  She let me bring this one home to quilt; I was so honored!!

I wanted to keep the quilting simple, yet I had to do something fun in those big, open blue areas. So I played with the new flower I learned. This is what they looked like on the back.

To give the design some cohesiveness, I quilted a flower in the centers of the crossing blocks. 

I filled the border with a dense paisley-type pattern. My goal was to push it back so that the flowers and the orange are what caught your eye.

Wendy's class was so popular, she was asked back to teach next year. She'll be at Asilomar April 2-7th. If you've been waiting for the perfect class before going, this is it. Wendy is a great teacher and a really fun person. You won't be sorry!!

Dory

Asilomar - Part Three

Okay, so finally...Cindy's and my projects.

First the few pics I have of Cindy's. She's always way more organized and comes to class with an idea of what she wants to do. Me??  Organized??? No....I decide the first night of class usually.  Cindy's maiden name is Starr, so she loves stars--are you surprised? Me neither.  She opted for something pointy and star-like for her Storm at Sea quilt.

She started here with colors that will go well with her family room:

As class went on, she got to this point. Its going to be so incredible when its done! (Sorry for the photo quality; I took these pics with my iPhone.)

Then I started mine with just a small drawing from an idea in Wendy's book and came up with the players.  And the best part about the cutting? Many of the pieces are "cut about" whatever size; only a few are "cut exactly." That's the beauty of using her Trimplates.  Click here to see a video of Wendy demonstrating the Trimplates. You sew and then square...fast and easy!!

From my original center drawing and playing with my fabrics, I got this... 

Then it was back to the drawing board to try to figure out where to go. Luckily, Wendy had brought her computer and printer and was able to print out larger design sheets for us to color...I mean design.

And from my drawing, came this.  Funny thing was that I absolutely did not like it, until I put it on point. When it was square and staring at me, it was so boring. When I turned it 45 degrees, I fell in love (don't tell Dennis!)  Now I have to figure out how to end it or let it keep growing.

Part Four will be up when this quilt is finished...or when the top is done anyway. My goal is to have it ready to take to Asilomar with me next year.

Dory

Asilomar - Part Two

Okay, so I've told you that our class was taught by Wendy Mathson (pronounced 'mat-son'), but did I tell you how wonderful she was? This was her first year teaching at Empty Spools and she was like a kid in a candy store. She was so excited to be there and so concerned about doing everything right. 


Each night, after dinner at Empty Spools, there is a meeting where the instructors show their stuff. This is to get you interested in other classes and to show you what's out there. Wendy had prepared a slide show of her quilts, but after seeing the first night's slide show, we convinced her to bag that and, in its place, show her quilts and share the stories of them that she'd shared with us. She was so nervous, but she did it and both her and her quilts were very well received.


As far as our class was concerned, take a look at the projects that were well on their way to being completed by Day 4 of the class:


This one is a present for a grand daughter...

This one will go on a CA King bed when its finished...

This one is in Wendy's book, made by another instructor. I had planned to make this one, but didn't buy the fabric for it. The ladies who did make it had modified their templates so that the finished block size is half the block size of normal (does that make sense?) 

This one was also made with the modified templates. 

This one was going to be the traditional Storm at Sea with just the darker blues. Wendy suggested adding some pop with the bright blues (excellent suggestion) and also suggested the pinwheel-style blocks to add some interest. This one was so much prettier in person!

Another traditional one, scrappy this time...

Karen's is actually sewn together, except the outside border. Can you say "over achiever"?

This is the same as the quilt on the cover. Wendy has a great story about that quilt, but its hers to share and not mine. If you have the good fortune of taking a class from her, make sure she tells you. Its pretty funny!

Another like the cover quilt, except for the colors...

This one belongs to Ella Jean...she took the "Storm at Sea" block to heart! She will be appliqueing the sailboat onto the quilt to replicate a real storm at sea that she was in.

There were a few other tops that I didn't get pictures of.  Yolanda had a beautiful Mariner's Compass center in hers. Hopefully she'll send me a picture and I'll include it here on a later post.

More to come (mine and Cindy's) in Part 3!

Dory

Asilomar 2012 - Part One

For the third year in a row, Cindy and I headed out for our Empty Spools session at Asilomar. I spent the week before our trip in Quincy, dropping off and picking up quilts and catching up with good friends. It was a nice being back, but boy was it HOT!

We left Quincy Friday morning and made our first, and traditional, very important stop at Morning Star Quilt Shop. Since Dennis had commandeered one of my suitcases with deliveries that had to be made for him, I was forced to buy fabric for my Empty Spools project. It was painful, but someone had to do it! I ended up purchasing mostly blues and oranges (surprise!), but more on that in Part 2.

Friday and Saturday nights were spent with Cindy's brother, Dick, and his wife, Lynn. Really nice people and best of all, they have five dogs, two horses, one miniature pony and one miniature donkey.  The donkey was so cute and Dick even offered to let me take her home, much to Lynn's dismay! This is their biggest dog; isn't she beautiful! They also have two normal sized and two small ones.

Sunday, a few more quilt shops and then we checked in at Asilomar. It was lovely there all week long. No bad weather, lots of sunshine, walks on the beach every morning and, best of all, quilting all day long!

Cindy and I have a pretty good routine since she likes to sleep in a bit and I like to get up. I go for a good walk (have to get some exercise to prepare for all the food eaten during the day) and am back to our room in time to get ready for breakfast. This is the "trail" that takes you to the ocean beach.

First view of the ocean.

The view headed back to our classroom one evening after dinner. It is just so beautiful and relaxing there. I'm already saving my pennies for next year!

Dory

Happy Father's Day to Me!

Today is Father's Day and the first day of my third session at Empty Spools. I save my pennies all year so that I can go here with my best friend, Cindy. Next year, we may be a foursome. My sister, Barb, is coming for sure (she's already signed up) and another friend from Quincy may come to. Funny thing is, she's not a quilter. She just wants to come and hang out!!

I'll be working on my Storm at Sea block with Wendy Mathson all week. Its going to be so much fun!!!

Wendy Mathson Storm at Sea "The Wendy Way" Quilters have loved this pattern for years, intrigued by how straight line piecing gives the illusion of curves. Storm at Sea may be an old favorite, but it doesn't need to be pieced the old-fashioned way! In this class you'll learn my innovative TRIMplate® piecing technique which allows you to make the units quickly and easily, without sacrificing accuracy. This is a trim-after-you-sew method with no templates, no paper piecing, and no bias on the outer edges. Students will work on one or more projects of their choice. We will explore the vast design potential of Storm and Sea, which can be anything from traditional and scrappy to innovative and contemporary. www.QuiltsbyWendy.com Level: All Supply List

Dory

Empty Spools Seminar with Sally Collins

Empty Spools is an expensive vacation, but if you're spending it with Sally Collins and a good friend, its priceless! Sally is such a fantastic teacher and so nice...hard to believe that anyone could honestly be that nice, but she is. Classes start at 9 a.m., you get a break for lunch and they're over at 4. Last year, my teacher strictly adhered to those times. Not Sally. She was in class before breakfast and stayed every night until way past 9 p.m.

This was the quilt that our class was based on. However, before we even started, we had a basic drafting lesson and then we all changed her block to whatever interpretation we wanted.

We made mock-ups of our block, created templates, auditioned fabric and then finally pieced it together. Sally gave lots of instruction about accurate piecing, pressing and the perfect 1/4" seam. Due to my lack of planning, it didn't take long before I realized that the fabrics I'd brought were all wrong. This quilt needed "serious" fabrics and I had grabbed brights.

First "draft":

Second:

See what I mean? It needs serious fabrics, like maybe some beautiful greens, grays, whites and a little blue like the colors of our meadow after a snow storm. One of the best parts about all of this was the experience. I will redraft my block, lose the star in the middle, and start over again. Another terrific benefit: the new friends I made there.

This was the view from our classroom. We were in the back of the main hall with this lovely view of the ocean. Our room was close by and had a fireplace! Every day the cleaning staff put in one of those bags you just light and watch burn, and every night we did just that.

This is one of Sally's quilts. Looks like your normal lonestar, right? Wrong!! The diamonds in this lonestar are only 1/2 inch (yes, inch!) in size.