Sue Benner, artist, teacher, author 03-31-23

I have taken many classes from Sue Benner and always learn something new.  Even this third time in the landscape class was an eye opener.  She presents information in a way that I can understand and gives one-on-one suggestions for the work being done by each student.  She has made samples to help illustrate her techniques.  Here are the samples she had at the class and also some from the previous week when she taught her Flower class.  

For a  pathway through the trees she laid down the mountains, mid-level, and close  up of the path  before constructing the trees. 

See all the shadows done with small bits of varied colored fabrics. 

Working from the top (sky), middle (fields), and close up (grasses). 

Entire background is  built and very close up grasses added. 

Going crazy with strips and squares and very  thin grasses applied on top. 

Difference in values to show distance.  

 From the flower class................

The flowers are cut freehand in different sizes and applied to a background square.  These are then arranged in the different rows - 9-patch, 16-patch, etc. 

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Home again. 03-30-23

Class was over yesterday, Wednesday, at noon.  I had a little car problem so looked up a mechanic in PGrove and got an okay to drive home.  Stopped at Back Porch in their new location.  The fabric selection is just as wonderful, but miss the gallery and the spaciousness of the old place.  Then I made one more cruise of Sunset Street that goes along the Bay, quite a few walkers and rock climbers and dog walkers and bicycles - just the usual crowd.  But it was chilly and somewhat windy. Then on the road toward home.  Some showers and construction, but made it to Harris Ranch before dark.  Settled into my room, took a shower and collapsed about 8:30pm!!  Coupla' pit stops during the night, but up and ready do go at 8am.  I had thought to have steak and eggs for breakfast, the HRanch beef is the best, but the menu prices dissuaded  me,  $35  - $53 for breakfast is beyond my ken!  Settled for prime rib benedict at $20+.   Ate half and had  the other half for dinner tonight  - but ate both eggs this morning.  Leftover eggs don't appeal to me! \

On the road again.  Weather was moving clouds, some peeks of blue sky, a few showers, and a little gusty wind.  Light traffic.  There was a deluge going over the Ridge Route/Grapevine, but the temp was 41F so no snow.  Everyone slowed down and drove carefully and soon we were all safely on the south side.  Cloudy, but no more rain.    Home at last about 2pm.  Emptied the car, but  didn't put anything away.  Arranged to pick KoKo up tomorrow morning and then collapsed again.  I have NO stamina these days along with the sciatica pain and now a pulled shoulder.   Ain't easy getting old, eh?  So, I slept for about three hours and then started putting everything away.  It will take a long time, I think.  

On Sunset there are a number of places to pull out and watch the waves.  And the people, dogs, birds, ground squirels.  The other side of the bay is just a sketch of medium blue. 

Dark clouds with just a tiny patch of blue.  Fields of yellow flowers - which I cannot think of the name of at the moment.  Not poppies or mustard - very low growing like a carpet of gold.  

Not a lot of traffic!  The clouds hide the north side of the mountains.  

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Empty Spools at Asilomar 03-27-23

My laptop is telling me there is a "Connection issue try again later" so no pictures tonight.

All is going well, Sue Benner is such a great teacher, so helpful and so non-judgmental.  There are 20 ladies in the class and only a few are non-stop talkers.  I am so accustomed to working in silence that all the chatter is distracting.  We are in Merrill Hall so there is always noise from the shop and people crossing through the building only one door on each side is open due to the high winds.  I am only "playing", not going to make any prize winning quilts.   Right now I am going to bed so I will have a little vim and vigor in he morning.  G'night!

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Empty Spools 2020 - Other things. 04-11-22

Three meals a day are provided for students and the food is usually quite good.  They do fabulous veggies, fresh from the local fields and cooked correctly.  There is also a large bowl of salad at the table for dinner - fresh and tasty.  On Wednesday night there is no evening program and some students go off campus for dinner.  Several of us went to one of my favorite Pacific Grove restaurants right on the border with Monterey.  Il Vecchio has the best Carbonara I have ever eaten and they also offer a side of steamed broccoli which is my favorite vegetable.  Delicious!  I don't even remember what anyone else ate, but we did share a piece of chocolate cake for dessert.  Four forks were flying!  It was excellent. 

Judy, Andrea, and I went to the Red House (another favorite spot) on Thursday night for their scrumptious hamburgers.  It is always difficult to decide which of my favorites to order, but this was definitely a hamburger night.  Never fails to satisfy. 

On Thursday immediately after class (4pm) all the classrooms are open for "walkabout" so students can visit all of the classrooms.  We enjoyed seeing  the work others were doing and contemplated what classes we might take in the future.

We especially appreciated Priscilla Bianchi, who is from Guatemala and uses fabric from her native country in her quilts.  Combining that fabric with commercial fabric her students were creating some fascinating designs. 

We were so taken with the vintage Japanese yukata fabric that Patricia Belyea was selling in her classroom that I didn't take pictures of her students' work.  However, I did buy some of the fabric.  I have followed Patricia for a few years and she has moved to Eastern Washington now and will open her online shop this month. Check out Okan Arts.  Her students were working with the yukata fabric and commercial fabric and sewing both curved and straight seams.  Interesting. 

We admired the projects in classes with Katie Pasquini Masopust, Susan Carlson, Velda Newman, and Marianne Williamson.  

It is expensive to attend Empty Spools, but all food and lodging are provided so there aren't extra costs involved, unless you choose to eat out or buy fabric!  Start saving up for next year's session. The 2023 schedule will be out in early May.  

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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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At Empty Spools - Asilomar 03-23-22

Sorry I have not been able to blog.  Mostly I have just been so exhausted I go to sleep by 9:30pm, but I also had to figure out how to get online and reset my laptop because I used it at Fed Ex/Kinko's to transfer my class list and that seemed to have re-set everything!   As time goes by I seem to forget how to do much on the computer.   It is 10pm and although I had a nap today I need to get to sleep.  Here are some pictures from out classroom in Sue Benner's "Abstraction" class. 

Well, change direction!  Cannot access pictures I took today, but here are two from the Tuesday evening program when Velda Newman showed her latest quilt "Roses" with the aid of 7 or 8 of her students.  I am not sure about the dimensions, but something like 52" TALL and maybe 16 feet long?  Huge, as are most of her works.

Velda is retiring and won't be teaching at Empty Spools after this year. 

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A Little Sewing 03-12-21

I recently found out that one of my quilting friends has been in the hospital for Covid, but is home now.  Since the group only meets on ZOOM and there are usually 80 - 90 in attendance it is hard to know who is there and who isn't.  She is such a nice person and is always sending me cards and notes.  So, I made this mug mat for her and put it in the mail this morning.  I don't think she reads my blog, so it will still be a surprise for her.  She is fond of butterflies.

The background is not my work.  Another quilting friend doesn't save scraps or rejected creations.  In a workshop she wasn't happy with what she had done and cut it down, throwing the  already quilted pieces in the trash.  Being a confirmed "dumpster diver", I picked out the larger pieces and have been using them for fabric postcards and mug mats and...  whatever. 

 

This is the back side, not colors I would ever put in a quilt - orange and pink?  Never, never, never - nope!  But somehow this works for me.  

Here is a close up of the butterfly on the front.  I had fused a FQ of butterfly fabric previously for some cards and just cut out a few for this effort.  After I cut them out (with the fusing on the back) I outlined them with black fabric marker, fused them down and appliqued them with a straight machine stitch on the very edge using black thread on the top and monofilament on the bobbin.  So the stitching can barely be seen on the other side.    As usual with my combination of camera and laptop the color is washed out quite a bit.  

But I am so pleased with myself that I actually sewed something.  I have stacks of half square triangles and have used up all the precut triangles.  Now I am squaring them up which is such a tedious project requiring four cuts for each 3" square.   Still can't think of what to do with them when they are finished.  But, again, I am actually sewing every day for an hour.  Well, now I am just cutting, but I consider that part of the sewing process.  

The Empty Spools sessions for this year are canceled.  The State of California runs Asilomar, it is a state park, and it will not be open until (maybe) July.  The Empty Spools 2022 brochure is supposed to be out toward the end of April.   This year would have been my 30 year to take classes there.  It is such a lovely place to spend a week while sewing with like minded quilters from all over the world.  

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Another day in isolation! 01-03-21

The longer I am in isolation the less I seem to be able to accomplish.  Today we did our two walks around the loop, ate, read, napped, played toss Froggy, did a few little household jobs, dismantled the Christmas wreath, trolled Facebook, read and answered a few e-mails.  Didn't talk to anyone and only saw three people on both of our walks.  Is that a dull day, or what?  I must do better.  Make a list and stick to it.  

I had an e-mail from Suzanne at Empty Spools Seminars.  Looks like I might miss another year - after going every year since 1991.  They have had to cancel the first two sessions, so no class with Sue Benner.  I'll check to see where else she might be teaching later in 2021.  But I moved my reservation to Session V in April for the Independent Study.  I have taken that before, just taking a project from home and working on it all week.  As I recall I didn't finish it there, but that is my SOP anyway. Unless the vaccination program gets going there may not be any Empty Spools Sessions at all this year.  Here is a picture of one of the housing buildings at Asilomar taken maybe 15 years ago.  The blue flowers are ceonothus bushes, native to California, but I doubt these were natives.  Lots of deer all over the campus and the surrounding town of Pacific Grove.  

Asilomar is part of the California State Parks system, so when everything is locked down the entire campus is closed.  When I was up there last April to pick up quilts at Back Porch I thought I would just drive through, but the gates were chained closed.  Hope I do get to visit again one day, it is one of my most favorite places, I suppose because it hold so many happy and satisfying memories. 

Those of you who have been to Back Porch Fabrics may remember Dorothy, mother of Gail Abeloe who owns the shop.  Dorothy died recently at an advanced age.  I don't think she had Covid-19.  She was such a gracious, lovely lady, as is her daughter Gail.  

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Trying to get back to blogging 09-27-20

Have not been able to blog since last week.  On Thursday my dear friend Mabel Huseby of Mt. Vernon, WA, died.  She had been diagnosed with colon cancer in July, had surgery, went through two sessions of chemo therapy pills and ended up back in the hospital.   It was just too much for her, she was 89.  We met in 1999 at Empty Spools Seminars at Asilomar and just hit it off as good friends.  We started writing e-mails back and forth every evening in 2010, so we were very connected in our every day lives.  There is such a huge empty place in my life I am having a hard time adjusting.  I last saw her in August 2019 when I drove up and spent a couple weeks there, including five days at a class with Sue Benner at the Coupeville Art Center and KoKo stayed with Mabel and Mac in Mt. Vernon.  We had planned another visit for May 2020, but that didn't work out due to the Virus.  Thought about going in October, but it didn't look much better than the May trip.  So now I will never see her again and I just can't get my mind around that.  

Just a week before I had gone to Oceanside Museum of Art to see the Southern California Contemporary Quilt exhibit so I have pictures of that that I want to post.  I'll try to do that soon.

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In an April long ago 04-18-20

Looking back in my picture files again.  Just typed in "April" and found a few quilt images. 

This is from April 2005 in a class at Empty Spools with Sylvia Einstein.  Sylvia did wonderful wedding ring pattern quilts and had us use the same templates with original settings.   I think I called mine "Green Trails".  It has yet to be quilted.

This picture is from April 2003 when this quilt hung in a big show in Pennsylvania.  It is a group quilt with blocks made by friends of Judy House who subsequently died of cancer.  It started out as just a few blocks from Empty Spools friends and spread to her friends all over the country.  Unfortunately we didn't put any dimensions on the request for blocks so there was no uniformity.  It took me forever to put it together and I had to make some small blocks as fillers.  I still get a kick out of the chicken in the lower right with a block of three eggs right below it.  Looks startled!  After her death the family donated the quilt to a children's hospital or clinic in the Washington DC area.  Might have been Walter Reed.  As difficult as it was to put together I think it is the most fun quilt I have ever worked on.  

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Memories of Asilomar 03-24-20

When I first went to Asilomar Conference Center in Pacific Grove about four decades ago, it was very rustic and seemed removed from the surrounding town; just quietly existing on the shore of Monterey Bay.  Then I started going to the Empty Spools Seminars there in 1991 and it became one of my most favorite places in the world.  Since then it has changed, providing more accommodations and smoothing out the rustic flavor.  Now the dirt paths are paved with bricks, the stairs all have railings, there is a small café in the building where guests register, and many other "improvements".  It is in the California State Parks jurisdiction and one requirement is that the plants need to be natives.  But during the many years since it was built many non-native species had been planted, by people or birds, and those plants had to be removed.  The ice plant on the sand dunes was taken out and replaced by natives.  Other areas were cleared and replanted according to the new rules.  One of the most missed plants is the Calla Lily.  They grew everywhere, increasing their clumps each year and they were so lovely in the shade of the trees and in the "swamp' near the entrance. When they were being pulled up the park rangers gave away starts to anyone who wanted them.  I took three, but only one has survived.  This year it has huge flowers that make me nostalgic for those old Asilomar views.  Of course, the tree blight has taken most of the trees and the disease resistant trees are still small and guarded by wire cylinders to keep the deer away.  It is sad to see every year.  This year all but the first session of the Empty Spools Seminars were canceled due to the Virus, so I won't be seeing any of it, after yearly visits for all these years.  However, I cherish the Calla Lilies and the memories of all those years at Asilomar. 

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Beautiful drive to Oceanside 03-11-20

The drive to Oceanside today was a joy.  The traffic was light and there weren't very many of those drivers that have to get in front of everyone else - weaving between lanes and trying to intimidate other drivers by climbing their tailpipe.  It was an hour and 15 minutes each way, no stress.  Lunch was very good - more about that on Friday.  

The blue sky meets the very blue Pacific Ocean. 

That pile of clouds is over Catalina Island and to the right is the non-operating nuclear station at San Onofre. .  

Going north on I-5 near Camp Pendleton, headed for that pile of clouds over Orange County. 

And off to the east are clouds over the hills behind Camp Pendleton.  No rain today.  Temp about 70F.

Empty Spools has canceled Sessions II and III because Asilomar is closed for four weeks.  I read that the virus affected passengers from a cruise ship will be housed there.  Hope they can disinfect it sufficiently because I am planning to transfer my class to the Independent Study class the last week of April.  Can't go a year without Empty Spools.  

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Hanging Quilts 02-20-20

Today my friend Mary and I helped hang the quilts from the Thomas Contemporary Quilt Collection (TCQC) at Back Porch Fabrics in Pacific Grove.  The shop owner Gail Abeloe has a great eye for what goes with what so she does the layout.  Mary and I and the two ladies working in the shop helped to hold, align, held quilts up for Gail, stapled up the labels and generally made ourselves useful.  It is such a thrill for me to see so many of the quilts hung together and they do look spectacular.  After they were all hung we took a lunch break at Peppers restaurant and had wonderful salmon tacos, chicken enchilada, mushroom/artichoke enchilada, and the accompanying rice and beans.  Great lunch. 

The exhibit will hang until the Empty Spools Seminars are over, so until April 30th.  If you are anywhere near Pacific Grove do go and enjoy these amazing quilts made by some of the most creative quilt makers of the last 30+ years.  Here are some general views of the classroom where the quilts are showing. 

Charlotte Bird, Valerie Goodwin, Sherry Boram, Deborah Lacariva, Dena Dale Crain, Ruth B. McDowell.

Linda Colsh, Deidra Adams, Marianne Burr. 

Kathleen Probst, Ruth B. McDowell, Alison Livesley, Susan Else, Janet Steadman, Elizabeth Busch, Libby Lehman, Rosalie Dace, Sue Benner, Judith Content

Ann Johnston, Melody Johnson, Patricia Klem, Diane Firth, Ruth B. McDowell, Caryl Bryer Fallert Gentry, Freddy Moran. 

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