I had an adventure!

I've just returned from New Braunfels, Texas, after a wonderful class at Quilting Adventures, at the TbarM resort. I had a great time! If you haven't heard of it, check out Quilting Adventures. Barbara and Alice offer several weeks of classes each spring, with fabulous teachers and delicious food in a beautiful location -- the hill country of Texas. There is not a better place to be in the spring! And they offer more than just fiber art courses -- they also offer courses that will interest traditional quilters. It's a great program!

I was there to take a course with Carol Taylor. Carol is a very talented woman. Her quilts are amazing! She utilizes color, texture and shape beautifully. She led us through 20 improvisational piecing/applique exercises, along with a little bit of machine quilting. And we spent the last two days working on a composition.

Carol is not only talented, she also has a lovely smile and an infectious laugh:

Evidence of spring was everywhere! This palm outside our classroom will soon be very spiky, but the new fronds were soft and fuzzy:

But slightly menacing, too, don't you think?

My design wall was way too small for the units I pieced using Carol's techniques. Here it is in the midst of the piecing exercises:

Wendy and I were both able to complete two small quilt tops. Wendy's palette was very cool and tranquil. And amazingly enough, she dressed to match it:

Not really amazing, if you know Wendy. She loves blue.

Mine was pretty hot! Also not surprising. I used a piece I had dyed several years ago as my focus fabric. It had an olive background with large splashes of lime, red-violet and orange. Right in my comfort zone! I threw in some yellow and some black and white prints for fun.

This is the second top I pieced. I was playing with lines again....I do love lines...

The first top I pieced was very circular. I love Carol's method for piecing circles, both large and small! So easy, so wonky, so very very cool!

I will definitely be integrating some of the improvisational methods Carol taught us into my work! Now, if I only had time to sew....

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