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| Goat Rock Vista along Highway 1 |
Last week, I drove up along the scenic Highway 1 to teach and lecture for the Pacific Piecemakers Quilt Guild in Gualala, CA. Highway 1 is a winding road that follows along the California Coastline, featuring lots of vistas, like this one above, taken during a rest stop at Goat Rock State Beach.
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| Gualala Art Center |
The Guild holds its workshops and meetings at the Gualala Art Center, beautifully nestled into the surrounding Gualala woods. I enjoyed exploring the grounds and discovering sculptures merging with the natural landscape. As part of my walkabouts, I discovered a few Banana Slugs, easily recognized by their bright yellow exterior.
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| Banana Slugs |
In addition to the stunning grounds, the Gualala Art Center has a large multipurpose room, which makes for a fabulous workshop venue. Here it is all set up for the Walking Foot WOW! workshop.
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| Walking Foot WOW Workshop |
And here are just a few of the Walking Foot Wonders, happily stitching away on their samplers!!
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| Gualala Walking Foot Wonders! |
Along with a few sneak peaks of their stitched blocks...
And a few more stitched samples...
And a few more blocks transformed through Mod Mola cutwork...
After class, I had the difficult task of returning to my hotel room, which included a beautiful ocean view, and a very large tub complete with jacuzzi jets!! Both amenities were much appreciated as I recovered from a day of teaching on my feet!!
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| Hotel Accommodations |
The hotel gardens included a lovely selection of succulents on display!
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| Gorgeous Colors and Textures on Display |
The next day, I returned refreshed and recharged for a day of Slice of Improv fun and creativity...
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| Slice of Improv in Action |
Here are just a few of the quilters embracing improvisational piecing...
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| Slice of Improv Fun in Action |
As the day continued, everyone's confidence in improvisational piecing grew, along with their collection of fabulous quilt blocks!
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| More Slice of Improv Fun! |
Besides the evening hotel relaxation, I also had a chance to sample some of the local cuisine: a welcome dinner at Gualala Hotel Restaurant, Trinks Cafe for filling breakfasts and a festive Taco Night, St. Orres Restaurant for the stunning architecture and plate presentations, and Franny's Cup and Saucer bakery for their delicious new Strawberry Custard Cronuts!
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| St. Orres (top photos) and Franny's Cup & Saucer Baker (bottom photos) |
On my last morning, I had a chance to sleep in and relax, as their guild meeting starts at 12:30/1 PM. So I spent some time watching the ocean, and much to my delight I spotted a whale swimming north!! On at least 3 occasions, I first spotted the whale spout, followed by the rest of the body arcing along the surface, and then a tail just as the whale submerged and reappear several minutes later! What an incredible start to my day!!
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| Majestic Gualala Sunset |
Many thanks to the entire Pacific Piecemakers Quilt Guild for the warm welcome!! And special thanks to Barbara for being an absolutely spectacular host and introducing me to so many special Gualala sights!!
I've never driven that section of Hwy 1. You make me want to put it on the list. Great shots of your classes and student work. They are lucky to have you there to inspire them.
ReplyDeleteIt is an absolutely lovely stretch with gorgeous vistas. Unfortunately my eyes were focused on the winding road and adjacent drop offs. The drive can take its toll on the body, especially if driving along for more than an hour. But it was well worth it for this lovely group of talented quilters!!
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