Such a Sunset 04-07-12

Not quite the South Pacific, but still a beautiful sunset. 

 

 

 
Just as the sun was going down this obliging seagull landed on the roof of the kitchen building. 

Tonight is the last night here at Empty Spools/Asilomar and I am too tired to do anything but go to bed.

Friday Feet 04-06-12

My friend who was wearing these fancy shoes said they came from the "Mama Shama" booth at a quilt show.  I can't find a website, but there is a Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/molashoes#

If you Google "mola shoes" there are quite a few references. 

 

  




My friend also said the shoes are not very comfortable.  I think they are wonderful, but I can't wear this type of shoe now-a-days.  Too bad!

Second week at Empty Spools w/Ruth McDowell 04-05-12

This second session of Empty Spools Seminars started on Tuesday instead of the usual Sunday.  So, I, and a bunch of other people, keep getting confused about what day it is.  Day three should be Tuesday, not Thursday.  Anyway, yesterday was the day that Ruth went over the process of drawing a piece-able design, looking at each student's photo or drawing and making suggestions for how the design might be drawn.  Today everyone (except I) settled down to develop their final drawings.  I always do a class list, which takes longer each year and includes a schematic of the room, who is sitting where, and what they are working on.  Somehow, this week it took me almost an entire day.  Of course, I stopped to have an massage by the wonderful Heidi Diouf, who provides massage service to many quilting seminars and retreats in this area - she has gifted hands.  And then I took a long lunch sitting with Verna Wheeler, my Book Group friend from Placentia.  And then ....  well, you get the idea.  I can find a zillion things to do other than what I should be doing!  But I thoroughly enjoy just being here and absorbing the creative energy and the beautiful surroundings.  Beautiful blue sky, but a wicked wind whipping up the whitecaps on Monterey Bay and trying to steal my hat.   I have signed up on Ruth's "HELP" list for first thing in the morning to have her check my completed design for any dangling lines or unsewable intersections.  Once she has her say and I have corrected any errors I will start numbering, ticking and transferring to freezer paper.  I did not bring a machine so will not be sewing.  But I can do some fabric selection from what I have purchased and what I culled from Mary's fabric library.  There is a lot to keep me busy.  And there is always the world's greatest fabric shop......

 

 

 
This was taken from in front of the shop looking at the Bay with whitecaps. 

Dinner out tonight at a restaurant that opened last September and is wildly popular with locals and tourists alike - reservations are necessary.  Il Vecchio serves fabulous fresh, mostly local food in a slightly funky, slightly sophisticated, wonderfully warm and cozy atmosphere.  I had the sea bass in tomato sauce - cooked perfectly - a crisp, fresh salad, and for dessert melt-in-your-mouth cannoli.  I might even have had a glass of wine, but I was driving.  Il Vecchio is just two blocks up from the Monterey Bay Aquarium and subscribes to the Aquarium's sustainable fish program, so I was comfortable eating the sea bass! 

Wordless Wednesday 04-04-12

 

 

Students in Ruth McDowel's class at Session 1 04-03-12

I am back at Asilomar for another class with Ruth McDowell.  I worked on my fuchsia drawing over the weekend and stopped at Kinko's on the way here to have it enlarged.  I hope the size will work and I don't have any 'dangling lines' that I cannot sew - Ruth will let me know if I do!   I am already missing all the lovely ladies in the class at Session 1 - it was a very compatible group and they are creating some very good quilts. 

 
Michelle Reid, Jill Beaman, Michele Wood, Toni Silvera listening to final day critique.  03-30-12

At the far left is Martha Calahane, partially hidden is Linda Bergmann, foreground is Christine Brown.  In back left to right:  Catherine Wynne, Annabelle Treacy, Maria Lansberry at critique  03-30-12

Donna Moog, Dasha Drab, and Carole Garcia at critique 03-30-12.  The Empty Spools bags are chartreuse this year.

 
Standing on left: Michelle Wood, seated on left: Pat Thompson.  Standing center rear: Carole Garcia, Linda Lawrence.  Seated center: Annabelle Treacy, Suzie Constantino, JIll Beaman.  Leaning against table: Janine Levine, Christine Brown, Linda Bergman.  At critique 03-30-12

Jill Beaman, Jeanine Levine, Christine Brown, Linda Bergman, Dasha Drab, Toni Silvera at critique.  03-30-12

Kathy Del Beccaro  Somehow I missed taking a picture of Kathy, so this one was taken today at the beginning of Session Two.  04-03-12 

Monday Browsing 04-02-12

Yesterday I drove up to San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles to see Quilt National '11 Parts A & B.  Visitors are asked to not take photos in the galleries, but there are also quilts hanging in the hallway and the meeting room.  So, I snapped a few.  The quilt below attracted my attention because I belong (or have belonged) to the Southern California Quilt Guilds.  I remember when this quilt was in progress and it brings back good memories to see it again. 

 

 

If you click on this image to enlarge, you will be able to read the identifications.  

I enjoyed see the Quilt National quilts, although some a too "far out" for me.  Pat Pauly's "Pink Leaf 2" is my favorite in this exhibit - I had no idea it is so large, 65"W x 77"L.  When I checked on the QN website to see where Part C might be exhibited I was surprised to discover....
10/21/12 - 2/12/13: Oceanside, CA--[Collection C] Oceanside Museum of Art, Oceanside, CA So, it will be there at the same time that the Visions Biennial "Brainstorms" will be at the Visions Art Museum in San Diego.  Mark your calendars and plan on seeing two great art quilt shows in one day.  Heaven!

There is a lot of current conversation about Pinterest - move to the bottom of the following page for several items about it.  http://www.websitesforquilters.com/

Most people don't want to think about death and dying, but at 74 it is time I sorted out some things.  Dr. Oz had a program about making arrangements and offered this site.
http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/living-will

Here is a good tutorial for people who don't understand what a Blog is.  http://www.serendipitypatchwork.com.au/Blog/GuidetoBlogging.pdf

http://www.creativelivingmedia.com.au/ Three online magazines from Australia/New Zealand

Last year the Association of Pacific West Quilters extended their "range" to cover all of the western states and provinces.  Their August QShow in Tacoma was great, but there were few quilts from California.  Check their website for information and entry form.  The DEADLINE for entries is April 20th.   I'd love to see some California quilts when I go to the show this year.
http://apwq.org/               http://apwq.org/quiltshow2012-entry.php

Empty Spools - Critique in Ruth McDowell class 04-01-12

Here are pictures of the other ten projects that were done in Ruth's class last week.

 
Karen Melvin's Calla Lily - This picture is from Thursday as I missed taking a picture during the critique session.  03-30-12

 
Jill Beaman's kids w/swan.  She is auditioning fabrics - maybe the blue for the pants, maybe the pink for the jacket.  The image on the pale blue fabric on the top right is ice cubes - it will make a great sky!  03-30-12

 Maria Lansberry's girl with shells is a composite image.  The girl is in the picture at the right, the shells are additions from another picture.   03-30-12

 
Michelle Wood's design relates to her childhood in Redlands, then a major orange producing area.  The dancing lady in the top right will appear discreetly somewhere on the quilt - a tribute to those olden times.  03-30-12

 
Toni Silvera finished the top left section of her huge design for tree/corral and started fabric selection for the overhanging tree -- just the trunk so far.  03-30-12

 
Catherine Wynne's heliconia is a composite and she has the inspiration photos lined up at the bottom of her board.   Gorgeous leaves!  03-30-12

 
Annabelle Treacy used three pictures for her rock wall, monstera deliciosa, plumeria design.  The fourth picture is a Hawaiian spider that will appear where the red S is between the leaves.  03-30-12

 
Carole Garcia has chosen unusually colors for her eucalyptus tree, but they work!  03-30-12

 
Kathy Calahane's window is based on the photo at top right.  03-30-12

 
Martha Calahane's huge tree takes up two design boards -impossible to take a straight on picture. 03-30-12

Empty Spools - Critique in Ruth McDowell class 03-31-12

On the last day of class all the time is used to go around the room and allow every student to say something about their work.  Ruth usually says a few words about each project.  These works are no where close to completion and the fabric pieces are pinned up only in the approximate position they will go, so they overlap each other and are a bit askew.  The colored and white dots that show on all of them are the heads of the pins used to fasten them to the design boards used in class. 
Here are quilts from half of the class - I hope to post the other half tomorrow.  

 
Janine Levine's red barn on final day of class.

 
Christine Brown's goose on the final day of class.  Also at lower left the samples she made from Ruth's book before she came to class.  Good idea!

 
Linda Lawrence peacock on final day of class.

 
Suzie Constantino's passion flower on the final day of class.

 
Donna Moog's magnolia blossoms on the final day of class.  She is using three different pictures for the three blossoms to create this large quilt.

 
Pat Thompson's egret with Ruth McDowell talking about it on the final day of class.  Samples made using patterns from a Ruth book at lower left.

 
Linda Bergman's puppy on final day of class.  The colors are yellowed from the indoor lighting - I do not use a flash in classes. 

 
Kathy Del Beccaro's Taffy and the kid on final day of class.

 
Dasha Drab's elephant seal on final day of class.

 
Michelle Reid's "Oreo Cow" on the last day of class.  (A Belted Galloway cow, sometimes called a "Beltie", but colloquially called an Oreo cow because it looks like a cookie on legs.)

More tomorrow.  Del