Asilomar Views 04-04-08

Jane Barnes matches this ceanothus bush near the door to our classroom, Nautilus. The bush was in beak bloom on Sunday when we arrived, but I was so busy with other things I didn't photograph it. It is probably better with Jane as counterpoint.

Some trees are always bare this time of year and they are one of the things I love about Asilomar. All those gnarly, twisting limbs are so graceful.

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See the raindrops across the top of the picture? This was taken looking under the railing and along the back of the sleeping rooms. It rained all day on Tuesday (I think it was, anyway), but the other days were mostly clear and cool.

A last look down the path to Asilomar beach which is directly across Sunset Ave from the back gate into the Asilomar grounds. There always seems to be someone on this beach, no matter what the weather. Most of the coastline is rocky, so a stroll on the sand is special.

I have visited Asilomar for about thirty years. Floyd and I stayed there when there were rooms available and since 1991 I have visited at least once a year for the Empty Spools Conferences. It is high on my list of very special places - along with Yosemite Valley, Pawleys Island on the coast of South Carolina, the Oregon beaches and Bishop Creek west of Bishop, CA.

Ruth McDowell's class (#8 ) 04-03-08

The Boy at the Beach is Judy Macurda's grandson. She has added some bright 'summer-at-the-beach' colors to her design.

This colorful landscape has been designed and constructed by Grace Giaimo. Isn't that sky wonderful?

Ruth McDowell, Patty Bagley, Kay Crabbe.

Deborah Lancaster, Kathy Shaker, Kayrn Meyreles and (in front) Carolyn Tickner. On the left of the picture are veggies from Ruth McDowell's "Pieced Vegetables" book. Del Thomas is making them in the size they appear in the book - except the celery which was too small for her to piece!

Ruth McDowell's class (#7) 04-03-08

Mary Ann McReynolds' Dahlias and Butterflies will be very striking when completed - she has a good start. Mary Ann has placed a plastic wastebasket liner beneath her work and will pin the pieces to this when she transports her work home. Clever!

This Chicken will be raw-edge appliqued to a pieced background that Deborah Lancaster started constructing in Ruth's class.

Last year in Ruth's class Lisa Batris didn't complete her Pelican, so she brought it back this year and has made good progress - the pelican's head has all been pieced together. (See my post of 04-02 for an earlier view.)

Here is Patty Bergkamp with the Pelican she started in the class this week. Lisa is pointing to a fabric with the appearance of a rock that birds have been sitting on. Sorry about the quality of the image, but it is the only one I have!

Ruth McDowell's class (#6) 04-03-08

Carol Jacobsen took this photo of a camel on a trip to Australia. She has carefully drawn the rectangles formed by the wire fencing and shows the camel superimposed on this background. She hopes to include some of the Australian fabrics like the one across the top that she has collected.

Clematis flowers are the focus of Kay Crabbe's design. She has some of the fabric pieces in one flower pinned up and a selection of fabrics she is auditioning for other pieces.

Margaret Harden has one section completed for her Hibiscus flower. She has decided to minimize the pink color and accentuate the red and white.

Patty Bagley's Lighthouse is looking very realistic. After the fabric for the building is all selected she will audition fabrics for the rocks and the sky.

Ruth McDowell's class (#5) 04-03-08

Karen Meyreles has all of the fabric pieces for her Lotus pinned up on a master drawing, with a copy of her design shaded with the colors needed for each piece of fabric placed below.

This is the photo Karyn used to design her quilt.

Joale Starkie is making blocks with sunflowers and an Indian head for her quilt. She has sewn together these sections of one sunflower block.

Kathy Shaker is duplicating the picture of a moth with the very subtle colors of her original photograph.

Ruth McDowell's class (#4) 04-03-08

This handsome rooster was designed by Carolyn Tickner from her own photo. The background fabrics on the left are from Kaffe Fassett and are a much brighter green than they appear in the photo.

Sharon Bangerter's Red Onion which might be the beginning of an ongoing onion series.

Auditioned fabrics for Kay Crabbe's Clematis hang next to the pieces she has already cut and pinned into place.

Linda Lawrence brought her Water Pump from last year's class and now has the quilt top all sewn together.

Ruth McDowell's class (#3) 04-03-08

On the final day of class (9am - 11am) Ruth goes around the classroom and lets everyone have a say about their own quilt. She will also offer comments about different aspects of the quilts. It is one of the high points of the class and we all learn a lot from this session. Rarely does a student finish a quilt top during the 5-day class. We are trying to learn the entire process of creating a design, sewing order, selecting fabrics, piecing and quilting. This is not a "product class". So, the majority of the fabric pieces in these pictures are pinned to the master drawing.

Sharon Lee's Sunflower. Putting similar shapes in the background and borders helps accentuate the central motif.

Jane Barnes' Girl at the Beach. She has captured the motion in the original photo with the swirl of the hair and skirt. The flowers on the left punch up the colors of the dress and the skin.

Traci Lee's Australian Shepherd has many, many very small pieces in the face and body. The face is becoming very realistic as she adds tiny pieces.

Lynn Marquard has done a lot of work on her Foxglove Fairies since the picture I posted on Wednesday.