Spring Arrived

While I was away for nine days to the Pacific Coast near Monterey, California, spring has arrived here in Wisconsin.  The snow is gone, it will be close to 60 degrees today, the grass is showing a bit of green.  I leave, and wow, the snow disappears!

I had the most marvelous class at Empty Spools (http://www.emptyspoolsseminars.com/) at Asilomar near Pacific Grove, right on the ocean.  It was serene and restful, and my class of 24 motivated women accomplished great things with their machine quilting.  If you want to take your work to a new level, please consider this 5-day class with me next year.  I'll be there for Session II, March 25-30, and Session V, May 27 - June 1.  There are many other great teachers there in each session, it is a feast for quilters.  And the food is nice too!

So much has happened while I was away that it will take me a little time to catch up.  Meanwhile I will be thinking of some of the things I learned from my classes there and a wonderful 2-day class for the Monterey Peninsula Quilt Guild afterwards.  I was inspired by creative ideas and questions, by problems encountered, by helpful suggestions from everyone.  I will write about it soon and we can all learn.

My new Gingko design was successful, and Apple Core was a hit and looked stunning when everyone tried it on various fabrics and with thread colors that complemented rather than contrasted.  It was FUN.  My students worked very hard, put in long hours, and listened and experimented, and the results were worth it. 

I've also had requests for a continuation of my monthly quilting tips on my website, which I shall try to do once again, but am fighting the old and slow and temperamental computer used for that.  I may have to re-do the website on my new equipment, and if that is the case, it will be a bit of time before the tips re-appear, because I have other commitments right now.  Please be patient.

One of these projects is a regular column in American Quilter Magazine, the AQS member publication, but also available on news stands.  I will be answering your questions there about machine quilting, so watch for the upcoming first column and email me your questions.  I will read them all, choose one topic that recurs, and answer it in the next issue.  Hope you enjoy it! 

Meanwhile, it is time to unpack, play with Oliver who missed me but enjoyed his time with his cat Dad, and get back into my usual routine.  Paducah is right around the corner too.

Get out some beautiful fabric, batt, and thread, put in a fresh needle, and do some play at your machine today and everyday.  And keep quilting, your work gets better every day.

Diane