Without a doubt, I get the coolest mail!  I love hearing from you and seeing the images of your work.  This week, I received a message and images from Wendy Sanborne, of Scottsdale, Arizona, who attended my recent class in Phoenix.

Wendy Sanborne and Class Project

Hi Gail

I have been enjoying your posts and loved that you could write your diary, post your pictures with captions and both blog or email it all. You inspired me to look into it myself. I put the first page of an email I wrote during a recent trip into my own blog with a couple pictures. I haven’t finished it yet because I was just seeing how it worked. You may have inadvertently shared, not just your trip to Paducah, but a new way for me to send my trip diaries when I travel.

I also saw another blogpost on your website with photo of our group doing your class on Little House of Geese in Scottsdale.  I have attached a picture of my completed top. You also inspired me (that’s two inspires in one month!) to “get to” a small 6 x 9 windmill paper piecing that I had been avoiding because the pieces were so small. But your technique, especially with the freezer paper, took all the “fear” out of it for me. I was able to complete it easily for a friend’s birthday that week. She has Dutch heritage so I bought the pattern in Amsterdam when I was there almost 2 years ago!!!

Dutch Windmill by Wendy Sanborne

Secondly, I was able to quickly stitch the “Love” flag for the “To Boston with Love” flag project started by a Vancouver MQG when I found out about it last weekend. (I grew up in Boston and have family and friends there so doing something to share our love with them was easy) Thank you for making that all possible for me.

Love Flag by Wendy Sanborne

Here are pictures of all three quilts. (the other flags are from my grandchildren).  Thanks again for inspiring not just quilting, though that too.

Wendy’s Prayer Flags

Take care,

Wendy

Thanks, Wendy, for sharing these and also your thoughts! Blogging is a wonderful way to share your life adventures, large and small! Good luck with your blog and all your future endeavors.

I just got back from a week of teaching for the Arizona Quilter’s Guild.  What fun we had!

At the Arizona Quilter’s Guild Spring Meeting,  Helene Block came up to tell me that she had made my Little House of Geese Pattern that was published in American Quilter Magazine last summer.  Only, when she went to enlarge the pattern, her copier refused to cooperate.  So, Helene made it at half-size!  So much fun!  Thanks, Helene, for sharing!

Enjoying a meal with the Arizona Quilters Guild.  Exquisite food! — at Gerardo’s Italian Bistro.

Little Goose, Little Goose!  We had fun in class , sponsored by the Arizona Quilter’s Guild and held at the Bernina Connection.    Great students, great shop!  Thanks everyone for having such great attitudes!

I really appreciate it when students send me pictures of quilts they started in one of my classes. Here’s another wonderful quilt that began in class. Ruth Turner took my design class at Quilt Colorado in Estes Park, in 2008. I love her clever use of flying geese in the dragon and her border is wonderful. Thanks, Ruth, for sharing this image.

Here, as promised, but a little late, are photos of class projects from my one week workshop at Quilting Adventures in the Hill Country of Texas at the T-Bar-M Resort and Conference Center.

“Women in Fabric” was designed and stitched by Peggy Fetterhoff who brought this great quilt for show and tell!

From my class, this design was created by Jana Drane! It looks to be a beauty when it’s done!

Here’s another image from my class at QA:  Betty Gilliam, from Stillwater, OK, wanted to interpret a photo that she took at Cabo San Lucas.  We figured out a “rock” filler that works for foundation piecing for the effects on the cliff!  Good job, Betty.  I can’t wait to see the finished quilt!

Another design from class at QA – this one by Susan Womack.

And, the final design photo from my class at QA:  This by Peggy Fetterhoff.  I can’t wait to see the photos when all these quilts are done!  It was a great class!

Well! I caught a bit of flack from some of my fellow New Mexico quilters for my last post. In it I mentioned how I wanted to go to the Space Camp in Huntsville Alabama and that a trip to space would really top off my year of exotic travel. Well, they reminded me that southern New Mexico is home to the Spaceport America, from which Virgin Galactic actually will fly people into space! A number of Hollywood celebrities have already booked reservations.

Their beautiful facility is in southern New Mexico near the White Sands Missile Range, which played a big role in the US space program and not far from Roswell, home of the only documented alien visit. Currently bus trips of the Spaceport facility are offered, until operations ramp up to the first flights. So, a little friendly tourist rivalry between New Mexico and Alabama. A trip to space? Or a trip to Space Camp?

But, back to the wonderful quilts from the Heritage Quilters of Huntsville, Alabama:

My favorite part of every guild meeting is Show and Tell. This original design by Beverly Penaranda, guild president, was certainly eye-catching!

Also from Show and Tell at the Huntsville Heritage Quilters, this fascinating quilt by Elaine Poplin!

I love the Wonky Houses by Fran Stinson.

Some members brought more than one quilt. Here’s a traditional design by Judy Ballance.

And here’s Judy Ballance’s original and way fun Halloween Design! What a wonderful, creative group this is. I had a blast with the Heritage Quilters of Huntsville. Thanks for showing me a good time!

Greetings from Huntsville Alabama where I taught for the Heritage Quilters Of Huntsville. What a delightful group of ladies to teach and hang out with!

From Friday’s class, Judy Ballance, finished one wedge of her star right after lunch!

And by the end of class, Judy Ballance had finished all of the wedges of her star! Good Job, Judy!

Shelia Calvert showed up in class Saturday with her nearly finished quilt from my Cartwheel Constellation that was published in American Quilter Magazine. Shelia is hand quilting her masterpiece! Good job! I can’t wait to see the finished product.

Also on Saturday, Elaine Wick Poplin dropped in at class to show off her “Rhapsody in Blue”, 2005. She began the quilt with a medallion she designed from my Stellar Journeys book. Elaine drafted the flying geese while on bedrest with her soon-to-be baby in 2004. She hand-quilted the medallion and geese on the background and then free-motion quilted with metallic threads on her domestic machine. It hangs upside down from the original plan because she likes it better that way. She uses the quilt in her high school trigonometry class to teach the subject. Very cool!

Huntsville is a delightful town in northern Alabama, nearly in Tennessee, only a few miles from the state line. Technology, space, and defense industries have a major presence in Huntsville, including the Army’s Redstone Arsenal, NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, and Cummings Research Park. Most important of all – it’s the home of Space Camp – the ultimate camp experience. I always wanted to go to Space Camp, or send my children there, but it never worked out. Did you know that you are NEVER too old for Space Camp! I just found out that they have adult and family and corporate team building camps. Since this is my year for exotic travel, maybe I’ll include space in the itinerary!

Untitled © 2012, By Myra Phillips, Joplin, MO

Myra took my five-day workshop at Empty Spools Seminars at Asilomar Conference Center on the Monterrey Peninsula in April 2012.   She has this to say about her little quilt:

Hi Gail!  Just wanted to tell you again how much I enjoyed your class at the Empty Spools Seminar this spring.  I wanted to do a small piece so that I would indeed get it finished!   My daughter did the machine quilting and I wish you could see the detail she put into that.  Her quilting really made my quilt!   So thanks again for all of the time and work you put in to make your class so enjoyable and informative!  I am anxious to see all of the other projects as they get finished—you all hear that class?

Myra Phillips, Joplin, MO

Quilting Adventures, Class of 2009

Speaking of the San Antonio Area, did you know that I will be teaching a five-day workshop for Quilting Adventures in Kerrville, TX, March 3-8, 2013?  I firmly believe that students learn and retain much more when they take a multi-day class because the information can be presented more slowly at a rate where it can be absorbed.  In addition, students  make really good progress toward the completion of their own original design.

Work in progress by Ann Gehin, Netherlands

Work in progress by Janice Schindeler, Houston, TX

Above are two works in progress from the class.  Because students have ample sewing time and can sew all day and all night, if desired, with all meals dished up by the resort (fantastic food!), they get a lot done!

Whimsical Hearts by Janice Schindeler

Janice designed and stitched this whimsical quilt for her husband, Harry, to whom she has been married for 40 years!  I love it!

Cupcake, by Janice Schindeler

And, Janice stitched this one up using the techniques taught in class.  It was for her daughter, who is a “cupcake”.   Are you interested in joining me in the Hill Country in March 2013?  I would love to spend a few days with you. Contact Quilting Adventures.