Empty Spools Seminar

I returned yesterday from a workshop at Pacific Grove, CA.  Empty Spools seminar held on Asilomar Conference grounds.  I loved my 5 days with Sue Nickels.  She instructed us on her technique of designing borders inspired by antique quilts.  The technique can be used for designing quilting designs as well.  After we designed our own border, she taught us her technique for fusing and using a small blanket stitch to keep the edges from fraying.  I did not have plans for the project - just wanted to learn the technique.

This is my class project.  An original design using Sue's technique.  Now that I like it I have to design
a quilt to use it!  Maybe make more "borders" and make a strip quilt?  Maybe a table runner? 
Maybe make this the top of a quilt and piece something to go below? 

Did you notice the missing circle in the photo above?
I don't have all pieces stitched down yet.



This is a border I designed to use with my Vintage Rouge quilt.
I sketched 1/8 of the border and fit the vine with leaves around
the piecing.  The design will repeat around the quilt.    I can
hardly wait to get it together.

 

 The area around Asilomar is beautiful.

View from my room.  When you first wake up and look out it looks like snow.
We did have rain several days.



This was the view from the end of the corridor leading to my room.
I found a path to get from the dining hall to my  sewing room
following the boardwalk through the dunes.  Lovely walk.

Thanks for checking in.



Postcards for St. Patrick's Day

When my nieces and nephews were small I'd send them holiday cards various times throughout the year.  I'm now sending them to the next generation.  For Valentine's Day the selection of children's cards was the same it had been for at least 2 previous years so I decided to make them postcards instead.  They were a hit with the children.
Yesterday and today I constructed 15 postcards for St. Patrick's Day to go out in tomorrow's mail.  I think the workers at our post office enjoy seeing them as well!

I bought a bag of St. Patrick's Day fabric scraps at my last guild meeting.
It gave me a large variety of fabrics to use.

 

Nothing fancy, but fun to send and receive.
 

I have to come up with a different plan for Easter cards. This is the second time I've used the "crazy quilt" idea.  Suggestions anyone??

Thanks for checking in.