Empty Spools 2022 Continued 03-31-22

I have been so wiped out since returning from Empty Spools, mostly I have slept the days away.  In between naps I have gradually put some things away, edited my photos, taken care of KoKo, including two walks a day, and taken more naps.  I don't have Covid, so I guess it is just old age.  I haven't made it to the market, but will have to go tomorrow.  All I have left is some milk, some eggs (from my neighbor's chickens), and a few slices of bread.  Even the freezer is mostly empty!  

Sue Benner's class was very busy and she keeps the tempo up with assignments, slide shows, lectures and demos.  Our second assignment was to make six quilt "sandwiches" (backing, fusible, batting) either square or rectangular and I chose the 8" X 10" size.  Using the inspiration picture that we brought from home we were to make one realistic interpretation and five abstractions.  My inspiration was Angel's Trumpet Flowers and I found abstraction difficult. 

The original image is below my name, below that is a template I cut to use in some pieces.  The piece to the left is my realistic piece with yellow flowers. Below that is just a sort of outline in fabric, but there is something missing and I don't know what!  On top is one cut and fused with lace on the red backing - this will improve with quilting.  Below the lace one is a failure of three birds cut in the shape of the flowers which just doesn't work.  And, finally, on the far left is my REALLY abstract effort which everyone likes best!   The off kilter at lower left is the back of the sixth piece - I used this sale table banana fabric on the back of all the others.  

My tablemate, Andrea Bacal, brought a picture of a sort of garden gate with a wall, some potted plants, and an exit sign.  I think her abstractions are much more interesting.

Jackie Seidell sat behind me and started out with a picture taken in a fabric shop (India, maybe).  The photo is below her name and her realistic interpretation is to the right of her name.  At the bottom of the image are small pieces she made and rejected.  

Nancy Butterfield has her 1st project (12") on the left and her abstractions from a beach photo on the right.  

At the end of the class Irma Lubbe has all her work on her board. Lower right is the first 12" project, on the left the five 8"X10" abstractions with the small inspiration photo.  And her larger and final project on the top right.  

Colleen Babcock's 1st project on the right
is based on a picture of a bunch of people in round hats and a person who might be ill - I can't tell.  Her 2nd project on the left started with the image of the front of a train on a bridge.  

Elizabeth Littlefield brought a bright sunflower as her inspiration and did six abstractions using bright colors.  She also had a little sign posted on her board, "Keep it Simple".  Good reminder for this class.  

I hope I will have more energy and fewer naps tomorrow and will post more images from the class.  We went on to do a larger project, size and subject of our choice.  With the limited space in class my piece is only about 22".  

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Catching up, I hope! 03-29-22

I am sorry I have not been able to blog while at Empty Spools.  Trouble with my cell phone and with my laptop, along with exhaustion every night!  And now, even at home, I cannot change the margins on this paragraph.  Computing doesn't seem to be my thing anymore.  Anyway, I will blog pictures from my class until I run out, maybe be the end of this week. 

I can't find words to say how FABULOUS it was to be back at Empty Spools.  I felt like I was home after a long trip away.  Some students I knew from the previous 29 years, but there were new people to meet and a couple new teachers.  Of course, Suzanne and Gayle, the owners of this seminar event were there and Carolee with her shop in the back of Merrill Hall.  I did visit all the classrooms on the walk-about on Thursday after class and attended all the evening programs.  This time I had two friends riding along with me, Andrea Bacal and Judy Warren-Tippets, from San Diego.  Andrea and I roomed together and our room in Surf was only four doors from our classroom in Surf and Sand.  Very convenient.  

The building is the furtherest west on the campus and this is the view out the sliders.  On the far left is Sunset Road that goes along the Bay and in the dip in the right middle is a view of the waves in the Bay.  Those spikes at the top are the ends of the rafters that extend the roof over the little deck outside the back of the room.  We had four beds - a double and three twins.  Lots of room to spread our our stuff and, by choice, no maid service so we never had to tidy up.  

The classroom has great light since it is just floor to ceiling windows on three sides, but it is a little small for twenty students, each with their own table and all their piles of fabric and equipment.  The noise level can be dithering.  But we managed as has every class that has been in this location.  I took this picture while standing in the door, pretty much shows how together we were.   The class was all about ABSTRACTION.

Our first assignment was to take the picture Sue Benner gave to each of us and abstract it into a 12X12 fused fiber image using five preselected 20" square fabrics.    The original timing was 20 minutes, but we managed to stretch it to more like 40!  We then pinned them up on design boards and critiqued. The smaller images are the original pictures.  

The picture Sue gave me is an aerial shot of tundra with trees.  And this is what I did with it.

       And in middle right is Andrea's image of a deep water fish and her abstraction. 

I will share more with you in coming days, but right now I need a night's sleep, even after all the naps I have taken today.  Old age is upon me!

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