Workshop with Sally Collins 05-12-10

I don't take a lot of workshops these days - usually just my annual two weeks at Empty Spools Seminars at Asilomar Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove, CA. But Sally Collins is in Orange County this week lecturing and teaching at both Surfside Quilters Guild and Beach Cities Quilters Guild and Sally is on my list of programs and workshops not to miss, no matter how many times I may have heard her. She is an amazing quiltmaker who does everything with great precision and is able to share her techniques in a way that I 'get it'. She is also a gracious and elegant lady. The workshop today was strictly no-sew and all paying attention and taking notes - it was terrific. Although I have all of her books there is something about hearing her explanations and seeing her little 'demos' on a felt board or white board and actual cutting of templates that makes it all register in my brain a little better. I highly recommend Sally's programs, her workshops, her books and her friendship!

Sally in her workshop talking about and demonstrating quarter square triangles.

"Circle of Stars" Approximately 10" square. The distortion in this image and the others below are due to the camera angles and the ineptitude of the photographer.

The following three quilts are the best pictures I took while her quilts were being held up on stage at the meeting yesterday. Unfortunately, I have no names or sizes on these. They are all among the largest she makes - maybe 36" to 46" - I will try to find further information about them to add here later.

She uses border prints to great advantage. She told us she only buys Jenny Beyer's designs because they are accurate in their repetition.

Although I saw this quilt in-the-fabric yesterday and today, I still have a hard time accepting that the tiny, on-point half-square triangles are only half an inch. And some even smaller.

And the tiniest diamonds you have ever seen make up the eight-pointed stars in this quilt.

http://www.sallycollins.org/