Quilt University May Newsletter
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April 25, 2008
As I mentioned last month, we escaped from the campus and took Quilt University on the road early in April. Since you
were with us in spirit, I thought you might enjoy hearing about our trip to Asheville, NC. This was our first try at
carrying all of you on the road. We stopped at the halfway mark on our 7 hour drive and checked in at Quilt U while grabbing a
bite. The table was a little high for mousing around and they don't have booster seats for grownups. Next time, I may
bring a cushion of my own.
Planning ahead, our reservations were in a hotel where I could relax in a whirlpool at the end of the day. The desk
clerk told us that we were in the penthouse, which conjured up elegant visions. I needn't have worried. We were on
the top floor, but our hallway looked like all the others, with lots of rooms on both sides. We passed the bathroom
as we walked in. A few steps took us into the living room where I was stunned to see a platform with the whirlpool on
it! This snuggled up next to the sofa and coffee table. The sleeping area was at the far end of the room, divided
from the living area by a little partition that jutted out about 18". Are you getting a picture of this room in your
head? This could either be very embarrassing if you had guests or quite the party room.
Trying to put the best spin on it, I figured I could watch TV while I was in the Jacuzzi. I always unpack immediately
so the wrinkles can hang out. Roger set up the laptop, so we could check on Quilt U. We got online but lost the
connection about every 3 minutes. After the fourth time, he decided to see if the lobby had a better WI-FI hot spot. To make a long, sad story short, the answer was no. There was no way we could stay there. I pulled out my trusty cell
phone and found another hotel nearby who promised their connection was dependable.
Our clothes were hurled unceremoniously back into the suitcase. So much for wrinkles. By the time we had checked in
again, I was cold, tired and hungry. We decided to find someplace nice to eat and call it a day.
We have discovered that we both like looking at historic houses. Going in the off season, we have often been the only
two taking the tour. This leads to wonderful conversations with the docents, rather than listening to a canned
speech. Our two main destinations in Asheville were Biltmore on Monday and the Thomas Wolfe House on Tuesday.
Biltmore is the largest private home in the US. It was cutting edge when it was built in the late 1800's, with
private bathrooms, elevators and electricity throughout. Unfortunately, the commoners (people like us) aren’t allowed
on the elevators and we trooped up and down four flights of stairs as we explored the giant house.
Despite being cold and overcast outside, the place was mobbed. Rather than stand huddled around a live guide as part
of a big group, we opted for the audio tour. You wander around at your own pace, pushing a button to start the
commentary for each room. It's an amazing place and there must have been a battalion of servants to keep it clean and
wait on all the guests. If their children ran off, they could be lost for days.
We staggered outside after about two hours, ready to put our feet up and get something to eat. There are several
restaurants on the grounds and the closest was the Stable Café. Yep. They turned the stables into a restaurant. You
have to admire their ingenuity. We ate in one of the horse stalls. It was actually quite elegant and the Bourbon
Barbecue was excellent.
We had planned to tour the garden and conservatory. The skies were looking more threatening than ever, so we got our
car and drove down past the garden to park. We had just walked through the conservatory and were stepping outside
when the skies opened up, pouring rain, sleet and snow all at once. I can take a hint. It was time to call it a day.
Tuesday was gorgeous - clear blue skies and a hint of spring in the air. I had picked up a brochure for Kitchen &
Company which boasted a 165' gadget wall. Who could resist that? We spent a delightful hour looking at things I never
knew I needed. I brought home a pizza stone kit and have already discovered you don't have to make your own crust to
get a great pizza. I'll share my recipe on the page with the
pictures of the trip.
We only got a little lost looking for the Wolfe house. The streets downtown are so steep, I knew I never wanted to
explore on foot. That eliminated plan B, which was to visit a bunch of art galleries. I think Roger was relieved.
I loved Look Homeward, Angel and the house was practically a character in the book. Built as a wedding present for a
young couple, Wolfe's mother bought it to run as a boarding house. I have never been in a boarding house. My visual
knowledge of them comes from films, so I found the place fascinating. People rented a space to sleep, not a whole
room. You might go to sleep alone in a double bed and wake up next to a stranger who had rented the other half! Nearly every room had as many beds as you could jam in. Your $1 a day bought no privacy but did include meals.
After lunch, we set off for the Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The beautiful facility contains both
permanent and changing exhibits and has a large sales area stocked with the work of local artisans. A lovely covered
casserole insisted on coming home with me.
To enjoy the mountain views, we decided to come back to the hotel by way of the Parkway. After about 20 minutes, there
was a barricade saying the road was closed and we turned off the Parkway as instructed. Almost immediately, we came
to a crossroads and there were no directions! We just flipped a coin between two numbered roads.
I guess if Davy Crockett had been in the car, he would have looked at the moss on the trees or something, but we just
kept driving and guessing which way to go. My favorite stretch was all downhill with dozens of heart stopping
switchback turns. The next time I see a movie car chase on mountain roads, I will have a lot more respect for the drivers. At last, we came to a stoplight! Civilization! Good thing, too. Another couple minutes and we would have been in
Tennessee. We had just spent the last hour driving away from Asheville.
We made it back home all in one piece and I think I am cured of wanderlust for a while.
NEW CLASS
You know the birthdates of tons of friends and relatives. In Quilt the Zodiac, Ruth Blanchet has adapted the
traditional zodiac signs to create elegant appliqué motifs which can be used on a wide variety of projects. What a
great gift idea! Instructions for all of the projects are included in the course material. Simple machine techniques
will make the work go quickly. Class begins May 17.
MAY CLASSES
Patchwork & Piecing
Bargello Twist with Ruth Blanchet
Buttons & Bows with Patti Anderson
Fast, Fun, Fabulous with Carol Miller
Jane Was Nuts with Carol Miller
Stack-n-Whack Hexagon Stars with Bethany Reynolds
Appliqué
Stress-free Celtic Tablerunner with Nancy Chong
Quilting, Surface Embellishment
Fabric Pages with Martine House
Hand Quilting with Nancy Chong
Pictorial Quilts
Artists Revisited with Marilyn Belford
Miniature Landscapes with Susan Brittingham
Realistic Fabric Portraits with Marilyn Belford
Dyeing
Batik It with Marjie McWilliams
Playing with Paint with Lyric Kinard
Tea Stain Dyeing with Marjie McWilliams
Three Unconventional Ways to Dye with Marjie McWilliams
Embroidery Modules
Beginning Machine Embroidery with Joanne Winn
Digitized Quilting with Joanne Winn
Design & Color
Crazy and Sane with Cindy Thury Smith
Darned Quilts with Dena Crain
Designer Pinwheels with Dena Crain
Self Expressions Studio with Myrna Giesbrecht
Computer-Aided Quilt Design
EQ6 Sampler with Fran Gonzalez
Paper and Foundation Piecing
Double Wedding Ring Tablerunner with Ila McCallum
Points and Curves with Myrna Giesbrecht
Strip Mine with Patti Anderson
Garments and Accessories
InVestigations with Carol Miller
Other
Studio Makeover with Myrna Giesbrecht
Registration Calendar
EIGHTH ANNUAL VIRTUAL QUILT SHOW
You have until midnight April 28 to send in your entries for the show. The instructions are in the Student Commons.
I have already been receiving lots of entries for the show and, as always, we are truly impressed with the quality of the work that
comes in. As a teacher, I can tell you that nothing pleases us more than to see a student take our instructions and
far exceed anything we could envision.
The show will be open from May 1-20. All visitors to Quilt University will be able to vote for their favorites. Please vote only once. Duplicate votes are discarded.
STUDENT TIPS
Occasionally, someone asks me to structure the classes so that everyone is at the same level. They find it intimidating when
another student’s photos show work that is more advanced than their own. Doreen Speckmann used to say that the
person on your right would work faster and the one on your left would have better fabric. When you see a picture of a
great class project, don’t despair! For all you know, that person has tried many times before creating the work you
see. We are all working in different places on the quilt continuum and we bring different life skills to each class. Your work may seem advanced to someone else. The important thing is to share what you do and what you know so that we
can all enjoy, learn and move forward.
Carol Miller
dean@QuiltUniversity.com
www.QuiltUniversity.com
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