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Road 2017 Special Exhibit: Mountain Mist Historical Quilt Mid-Century Quilts Made New

Wednesday, December 7th, 2016

Where would a quilter be without batting?

Cotton batting by the Stearns & Foster Company has been a staple of quilt making since the 1800’s. Long trusted by quilt makers for its strength and cleanliness, the batting needed a sales boost as the quilt revival of the 1920’s and 30’s took hold. Sales manager, Fritz Hooker, launched an ingenious marketing campaign to make Mountain Mist batting more attractive to quilt makers. His plan was to revamp the batting wrapper by adding colorful quilt designs that he developed in to the Mountain Mist pattern series. Fritz worked with professional artists as well as seasoned quilt makers to vet his choices. After a pattern had been tested for design and work-ability, a model quilt was made. By 1950, there were about 100 Mountain Mist patterns and a model quilt for each design.

Through the years, the company has shared these model quilts in various ways. They were loaned to state and county fairs, fashion shows, and quilt events. On the 150th anniversary of Stearns & Foster, the complete set of quilts was displayed at the International Quilt Festival in Houston in 1996. In 2012, the Mountain Mist sample quilts were acquired by Quilt House at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln along with other materials from the company. [caption id="attachment_4523" align="aligncenter" width="600"]

This Fan Quadrille quilt pattern was first made available by Mountain Mist in 1942. The original is on the left, and an update (which requires no curved piecing) by Linda Pumphrey is on the right[/caption] The Special Exhibit, Mountain Mist Historical Quilt Mid-Century Quilts Made New, is curated by Linda Pumphrey. She authored the newly released book with the same title.

The book contains variations of 14 original quilts designed and released by Mountain Mist in the 1930’s and 1940’s on the back of the Mountain Mist batting wrappers, Some of the quilt designs were updated and simplified and some remained the same as the pattern using current fabric lines. The various designs speak to quilters of today just as they inspired quilters of the mid 1900’s. This is the second time that quilts made from the Mountain Mist pattern collection have been shown at Road to California. In 2009, quilts from the collection were shown to over-whelming response. This “new” exhibit is being shown for the very first time at Road to California 2017.

In addition to sponsoring this Special Exhibit, Fibrix, LLC, the parent company of Mountain Mist, will be donating 800 batts to support the Roadies Give Back Event on Saturday evening, January 21st as well another 200 batts for another Road initiative. Road to California is appreciative for all Mountain Mist is doing to support quilting at Road 2017.]]>

Tags: Linda Pumphrey, Mountain Mist, Mountain Mist Historical Quilts, Roadies Give Back
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A Quilt Show, an App, and a Showbook Walked into a bar…..

Thursday, December 1st, 2016

Photo Courtesy of Brian Roberts

Prior to Carolyn’s retirement she had been pushing to have a mobile app. Three years ago we met with our in-house software team on the creation of our own mobile application. Those talks laid the groundwork for the app you experienced last year and our app going forward. Early in 2015, Carolyn, who is always a forward thinker, believed the future in show programs and guides would be a mobile app and tasked me and my assistant with finding a mobile application for the show. Long story short – we were over sold and under delivered by the mobile app company. The app became “bloated” with so much information and just didn’t work to my expectations. pinkie_pie_bloat_base_by_sitting_lyra-d5q6p7i

pinkie_pie_bloat_base_by_sitting_lyra-d5q6p7i

The decision to not have printed materials available was a difficult one. Human beings are creatures of habit – if we provided printed materials no one would use the app, however we did underestimate the number of individuals who would not be using the app. This was a mistake on our part. 25301111100_4f87c1b830_o

Photo Courtesy of Brian Roberts

You may ask yourself – going forward what are you going to do about all this. First and foremost – Road will have a few different options to choose from for a show guide – both printed and as part of a mobile application. It is very important to me that you are given the best Quilt Show experience that I can offer you. As such we have made the following changes to our Show Guide platform.

I encourage each and every one of you who has a smartphone (or tablet) to download our new mobile app when it is available. We will be releasing a different mobile app closer to the show (more details on that below.)
We will have a show guide complete with Vendor listings and map available on our website in printable format on January 1. For those of you who do not have a smart phone, we highly recommend you download and print the Show Guide in advance.
We will have a very limited supply of printed copies of the show guide available for purchase at the show. The copies will cost somewhere between $3-$5.

The Mobile App

family-34l_pr-print Photo courtesy of Apple, Inc.

Last year we attempted to use a mobile app platform that was specifically designed for Trade Shows and Events. Not only did some of you find this difficult to use, we found it difficult to use as well. The app was not designed specifically for our consumers, and unlike our other technology services was an “off the shelf” option. Needless to say, we are not using the same company for this years app. We have contracted with a tech start-up company to develop a mobile application system specific to the needs of our quilters. The app will be trimmed down, sleek and easy to use. We are focusing on the sections that you used the most: (1) Comment Wall, (2) Maps, (3) Vendor Listing, and (4) Class Listing and Locations. The new app will require a new app store download (as the old Road to California app is technically owned by the old company and we are unable to update it…) The content is available to the public, however if you wish to post on the comment wall you will be required to create a login, or use one of your existing social media accounts. We will keep you up to date when the new app is available to download.

Downloadable Show Guide

The Show Guide is different than the old Show Book. The old Showbook was a huge book – oversized with all sorts of items that are not vitally important to your experience at Road. So – with this change, the new Show Guide will contain information that you need to know, Vendor Lists, Maps, Contestant Information, and brief information on the Special Exhibits. Sponsors will be listed as well, but that’s it. We estimate the book to be between 24-32 pages long at the most. For those of you who do not want to print it at home, I highly recommend you go to Kinko’s or your local print shop and have it printed. When posted, the link will be on the main page of www.road2ca.com easily visible. Just tell the printer where to go and they shouldn’t have a problem printing it.

Guides Available for Purchase

I have never intended to make a profit on the printing of the Show Book, and this holds true to the Show Guide. However, as labor rates and printing material costs in California increase higher and higher, we have noticed that the losses of the Show Book as astronomical – not just the monetary losses, but the environmental losses. Each year I would watch us dispose of dozens of boxes of the Showbook. Not only is that costs that we are absorbing, but the environmental impact of printing all the guides to not have them used was immense. Why print so many? We were stuck in a situation where we could print books based off our estimated attendance and have a surplus or printed a reduced number and run out. Running out of books without a mobile app, or other option was not an acceptable alternative. Therefore, we will have a very limited supply of printed books available. There will be a cost (between $3-$5 depending on the cost of having the books printed). 25504042981_ef61f1f091_o

We welcome your feedback on this matter. Give the app a chance – and let us know how you liked it, and how it can be improved. We will be sending our surveys this year regarding your overall experience and specifically your experience with our app. We look forward to receiving your feedback. In closing , for those of you who found the experience at Road without a Showbook a negative one – I heard you, and we are working to find a solution. I do hope that those of you who have a Smart Phone or Tablet will try our new mobile app. Best Regards Matt Reese Show Director]]>

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Meet Road 2017 Faculty Jennifer Rapacki

Monday, November 28th, 2016

4017R Charm Pack Table Runner On Friday 5018R and Sunday 7011R, Weave that Quilt Background And two half day classes utilizing technology: Saturday Morning, 6017R Fractal That! Quilt Design on an iPad $jr-6017r-fractal-that-quilt-design-on-an-ipad$ Saturday Afternoon, 6018R Print That! With Photoshop Elements Jennifer Rapacki learned to sew as a young girl, starting out sewing clothing. Eventually she got into couture techniques for the clothes she made for work as well as tailoring jackets for her husband. As the workplace became more casual, Jennifer turned to quilting as a way to continue working with fabric. Her first quilt was actually made in 1983 from a log cabin pattern kit of calico prints. She didn’t know to do the binding and no fabric was provided for it in the kit, so she turned the backing to the front (“we didn’t have YouTube back then”). Of course, today, Jennifer knows many ways to bind a quilt!! Jennifer does most of her work in a quilt studio space she owns in Ventura, California because she and her husband live on a sail boat in Channel Island Harbor. She finds inspiration for her quilting “just about everywhere.” On a recent trip to Spain and Portugal, she was continually seeing “quilt designs” on the buildings and sidewalks. In Lisbon, she knew she was probably the only tourist continually stopping to take photos of the cobblestone sidewalks. One design is posted on her Instagram that she thought would make a great border. A brass Stiletto is Jennifer’s favorite quilting tool. She says it’s her “3rd finger.” How did Jennifer start incorporating technology in to her quilt designs and techniques? It began in 2008 when she started playing with inkjet printing on fabric on her home printer and developed a Photoshop Elements class that she taught at the local quilt shop. It was after her quilt guild in Santa Maria asked her to speak about what she was doing with inkjet printing on fabric and Electric Quilt in 2010, that she started offering her lecture about Modern Technology for Quilters to other quilt guilds and teaching workshops. She began using an iPad for classes she was teaching at quilt shows because she wanted to reach a broader quilting audience who didn’t necessarily want to lug around a laptop to a show. Plus, according to Jennifer, “the maturity of the iPad has brought more capability to the apps available. I am continually looking at what apps are available to see if they can be applied to quilting design.” One of Jennifer’s best quilting tips is how she makes stitched mitered corner binding (joining binding in the corners). Originally used for her custom inkjet printed binding, it also allows for changing colors in the corners along with being great to use on small quilts where it would be difficult to join binding in the middle of a side. Quilting Arts Magazine plans to publish Jennifer’s article about this technique in the Feb/Mar 2017 issue. What does Jennifer like most about teaching? “Learning from my students. I think I learn as much from them as they do from me. I especially like when they take the technique I’m teaching and go in a direction I hadn’t thought of.” To learn more about Jennifer, please visit her Facebook Page. ]]>

Tags: Quilt Class, Quilting and iPad, Quilting and Photoshop Elements, Quilting and Technology
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Meet Road 2017 Faculty And Vendor: Jessica VanDenburgh

Saturday, November 19th, 2016

4561C Stitch Sling Bag and on Saturday night, 6065C Diva Wallet This native New Yorker, Jessica VanDenburgh of Sew Many Creations, has always loved to sew and discovered quilting about 10 years ago. She started making bags around the same time using her quilting fabric and tools. Her friends and family loved the bags she made so much that she began selling them as a small side business. Within a few years, the business grew so much that Jessica couldn’t keep up with the demand. She decided to try selling the patterns instead of the finished bags. According to Jessica, “it was a wonderful switch, much more rewarding and less stressful.” A couple years later, she designed her first quilt pattern and the rest “as they say is history.” What does Jessica like most about her business, Sew Many Creations? “The fabric! I just can’t get enough!” Jessica is inspired to design more patterns because of the beautiful fabrics available. She loves how fabric speaks to her and tells her what to make it into. Jessica “absolutely” loves to teach. To her, “there’s no better feeling than to see someone accomplish something they didn’t think they could do and know that you helped them do it.” Bags are Jessica’s favorite because they tend to have a reputation of being difficult but she breaks it down into easy steps. The Stella Sling bag is the perfect purse size with lots of pockets and includes Jessica’s favorite – a recessed zipper. The Prima Diva wallet also has lots of pockets and a beautiful metal frame closure. Jessica hopes her students learn that bags are not as hard as they might have thought. They should be prepared: Jessica likes to have fun and laugh a lot during class. And she gives lots of tips and tricks. In addition to teaching her classes, Jessica and Sew Many Creations will have a vendor booth featuring lots of patterns, purse hardware, fat quarters, 1 yard cuts and bag kits. What is Jessica looking forward to when attending her first Road to California? “Meeting lots of new people. That’s always the best part of being at a quilt show.” And to this New Yorker, coming to California in January “sounds pretty good too!” To learn more about Jessica and Sew Many Creations, follow her on Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter.]]>

Tags: Bags, Jessica VanDenburgh, Modern Quilting, Modern Sewing Enthusiast, Quilting, Sew Many Creations
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Tuffets: All The Rage Is Coming To Road 2017

Wednesday, November 16th, 2016

1201R Square Tuffet on Monday and Tuesday Experiencing trying times in life sometimes end up being a great motivator in trying new things. That’s exactly what happened with Pagen Lewis. Pagen’s mom and sister had always sewed, but according to Pagen, she “just didn’t get it.” About 17 years ago, when Pagen found herself going through a rough patch and had some extra time on her hands, her sister suggested that Pagen should take a quilting class. At first, Pagen “laughed” at the idea. After a lot of her sister’s pushing, Pagen finally agreed to take that class and fell, “hook, line, (and) sunk.” About six months after that, Pagen purchased her first long arm and started quilting for charity and customers. When Pagen learned that her job that she had for 18 years in the computer industry was being moved overseas, she had six months to figure out what she was going to do next for work. As a single mother with 3 young children, she began researching how to start a business and what quilt shops were in her area. Guess what? There weren’t any!! Within that six months, Pagen opened Quilter’s Cocoon in Riverside, California and started running her own business. That was 15 years ago and Quilter’s Cocoon is still going strong. How did Pagen get involved in making tuffets? She saw a round tuffet on-line made with Kaffe Fassett prints. She searched everywhere to purchase one. She didn’t end up finding one but she did find a place to take a class that also offered certification to teach. That was in July, 2015. Pagen actually made two tuffets before she even went to the class for training. Pagen has taught hundreds of students how to make both round and square tuffets. She started teaching her round tuffet classes in August, 2015. She wrote the pattern and had the fusible interfacing printed for the square tuffet and began teaching that class in June, 2016. What can you do with a tuffet? Pagen says they are perfect for “special gifts.” She says that many tuffets have been taken over by students’ family pets and that grandchildren like using them to play favorite board games. Pagen’s favorite tuffet was one she made out of red Kaffe Fassett Colletive fabrics. Once, she made a patriotic one for her father and on the bottom, put photos of him from the Korean War and his and her mother’s wedding photo. While there is some sewing machine work involved, Pagen’s tuffet class is part of Road 2017’s non-quilting classes that include several beadwork classes. Pagen and Quilter’s Cocoon will also have a vendor booth at Road 2017. ]]>

Tags: Pagen Lewis, Quilter's Cocoon, Quilting, Tuffet
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Meet Road 2017 Faculty: Amanda Leins

Saturday, November 12th, 2016

Amanda Leins is one of the teachers in Road 2017’s new industry room classes where students will be able to experience firsthand, quilting on both domestic and long arm machines. Amanda’s classes include: Monday 1007C Refined Rulers: Using Templates With Domestic & Sit Down Machines Tuesday 2010C Blended Quilting: Combining Ruler-work With Free Motion Quilting On A Domestic Machine Wednesday 3012C Fundamentals of Free Motion Quilting Thursday 4012C Improv Quilting: Creating Curves Using Straight Lines Friday 5012C Aqueducts: Piecing Curves How did a trained classical archaeologist like Amanda Leins become a well-known quilter? It all began with the men in Amanda’s family. Her maternal grandfather remembered carding the batting as a 6 year old boy during the Depression, listening to the ladies gossip as he sat underneath the quilting frame. Amanda got started in quilting on a visit to her grandparents about 14 years ago. Her “fella” (now Amanda’s husband) had to work while they were visiting so she had days to sit with her grandparents and listen to her Grampa Johnny share his love for quilts and how much he admired the ones left to their family, many of which Amanda had never seen before that trip. Her Gramma Nita had an in-cabinet Singer that many family members (mom, dad, aunts and uncles) had sewn on and Amanda wanted to be part of that tradition. Amanda made her first quilt on Gramma’s Singer, cutting things out on a coffee table, and never looked back. Amanda’s background in classical archaeology comes through with her quilting. Much of what she designs and makes is based upon the art and architecture of the ancient world. Her book shows how to take those ancient things that are timeless and still make fresh and modern designs. Amanda also appreciates how classical design principles are based upon observations of the natural world. She is thrilled to know that she is carrying on a grand tradition of working with her hands to make beautiful and functional things. She believes that “this creative act is something that is an integral part of what it is to be human.” Amanda has traveled all over the United States to take and teach quilting classes. Her two favorite classes that she has taken have been a practical class taught by Kimmy Brunner on trapunto and a class taught by Karen McTavish. While Amanda has yet to make a trapunto quilt, what she learned has helped with some tricky quilts that Amanda says “were less than perfect and had some extra fabric in some places and not in others.” Regarding her class with Karen McTavish, Amanda says she likes how Karen “approaches quilting design and finds her artistic process so very interesting.” What is Amanda’s favorite quilting tools? For piecing, she cannot “live without” her glue basting and starch. For quilting, she adores working with rulers and templates, and is “wildly in love” with her BERNINA Q24 longarm which she says is “so fun to use.” Amanda’s best quilting tip is to relax and smile. She shares, “If your shoulders are down and you’re actually smiling a real (smile) and not gritting your teeth, you get less stress headaches and your quilting designs will be more fluid. If you find yourself tensing up, get up, walk around, shake out your muscles, and smile! Your body and your quilting will be grateful! [caption id="attachment_4465" align="aligncenter" width="839"] Quilt designed by Janet McWorkman and quilted by Amanda Leins for Janet’s book, “The ABCs of Quilting “(C&T)[/caption] Amanda got into quilting because “it brings me delight and being able to share that is, well, delightful! Whether that’s providing a solid knowledge base, my tips and tricks, or sharing my love of the whole process, I want each student to come out of that class thinking ‘that was worth it. I can do this!’” You can expect Amanda to try and give as much information and time to practice in class as she can so that each student has what he or she needs to be successful and delighted in their work when they get home, not just those first few days, but as they continue to grow in their quilting abilities. To learn more about Amanda, please visit her website.]]>

Tags: Amanda Leins, Bernina, Long Arm Quilting, Modern Quilting, Quilt Teacher
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Experience Both Domestic And Long Arm Quilting In These 2017 Classes

Tuesday, November 8th, 2016

the first time, Road to California is offering an industry room where students will be able to experience firsthand, quilting on both domestic and long arm machines. Mel’s Sewing and Fabric Center and BERNINA have teamed up to provide both types of sewing machines for classes taught by Mandy Leins, Paula Reid, and Jenny Bowker. How did this concept idea get started? Matt Reese, Road’s Show Director, approached Mel’s Sewing and Fabric Center with the idea and they loved it!! Mel’s has been a BERNINA dealer since 1960 and has been supporting Road to California for many years. BERNINA machines have been requested repeatedly for classroom opportunities because they are easy to use with a proven success record for all levels of sewing interest. Mel’s is providing 10 standard domestic BERNINA machines and 10 BERNINA long arm machines for use in the industry room classroom. The long arm machine being featured is a BERNINA Q 20 – a sit-down long arm machine. This model accommodates the best of both worlds: it can be placed on a frame or set in a cabinet. Using a frame allows the quilter to move the machine while the fabric is stationary. With the cabinet, the fabric can be moved under the stationary machine. Each instructor assigned to teach in the industry classroom —Mandy Leins, Paula Reid, and Jenny Bowker — will share specific techniques on both machines. [caption id="attachment_4457" align="aligncenter" width="383"] Fluff & Stuff will be taught on Wednesday and Thursday by Paula Reid, Class 3401C[/caption] On the domestic machine, features that will be highlighted include the walking foot, darning foot, basting stitch, BERNINA Stitch Regulator, pedal control, the Freehand System, and user interface to achieve amazing results. The sit-down long arm will emphasize hands-on work with acrylic templates, the #96 foot, BERNINA Stitch Regulator, user interface, and pedal control [caption id="attachment_4458" align="aligncenter" width="388"] Quilting with a Starter will be taught by Jenny Bowker on Saturday, Class 6001C[/caption] Students will be encouraged to spend time on both machines. With the experience on a domestic machine, anyone should be able to apply the skills at home to come up with creative and beautiful designs on their personal machines. And after experiencing the Q 20, students can use their hands-on experience to see what amazing things can be done with templates on a sit-down longarm. Road to California is thrilled to be the first show in 2017 to experience the BERNINA Q 20 in a classroom setting. ]]>

Tags: Bernina, Domestic Machine Quilting, Jenny Bowker, Longarm Quilting, Mandy Leins, Mel's Sewing Center, Paula Reid
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Meet Road 2017 Faculty’s Three Sisters

Thursday, November 3rd, 2016

Sew Kind of Wonderful and their Quick Curve Ruler—Helen Robinson, Jenny Pedigo and Sherilyn Mortensen.

Wednesday Evening: 3064C Mini Kites

Friday Evening: 5070C Mod Pineapples

Helen Robinson, Jenny Pedigo, and Sherilyn Mortensen are three of four sisters that share their love of quilting through their business, Sew Kind of Wonderful. Currently, they live in three different states: Sherilyn in Cedaredge, Colorado; Jenny in Everett, Washington; and Helen in Mesa, Arizona. Between them they have 14 children, 3 grandchildren, and 2 dogs. [caption id="attachment_4441" align="aligncenter" width="625"]

(l-r) Helen, Jenny, and Sherilyn[/caption] How did these three sisters get started in quilting? About 20 years ago, Helen taught herself to quilt from a Fons and Porter book when she had to teach an after school sewing/quilting class to junior high students. She taught Jenny how to quilt soon after that. At about the same time, Sherilyn was teaching herself because she wanted a big quilt for her bed. Helen, Jenny, and Sherilyn’s quilts mostly have a modern feel. They find inspiration for their designs in everyday objects: patterns in floor tiles, weaving, nature, and also through a desire to challenge themselves to go to a different place than the usual.

Their business, Sew Kind of Wonderful, began with Jenny’s brain child, the Quick Curve Ruler. She wanted it to be a family affair that would give the three of them a chance to see each other more often as none of them (and their other three siblings) live close to each other.

All three sisters are equally involved in the design, piecing, and quilting process. They have a constant group text running and lots of FaceTime. Jenny manages the distributor orders. Helen does the online store and wholesale orders, and Sherilyn does the blogging and trunk shows. Of course, the Quick Curve Ruler and the QCR Mini Ruler are their favorite quilting tools. They haven’t sewn a quilt without a curve in five years because their Quick Curve Ruler made quilting fun again! Each sister also has a longarm — a Gammil Classic – that they love. It allows them to do the whole creative quilt process from design, fabric selection, piecing and finishing it off with the quilting. Teaching classes together says Helen “is the cherry on top” because they get to see quilters when they have their ‘lightbulb’ moment; when the methods and processes they use click and their students fall in love with sewing curves. Helen adds that the sisters ‘have a great time being together! It is the best part of our business. If you spend any amount of time with us there is way too much conversation about ‘gluten free’ and ‘bathroom issues’….LOL” What can their students expect to get out of their classes? “Lots of energy, conversation, hands-on help, and uniquely different snacks,” reports Helen. “We want students to enjoy a no stress approach to quilting and piecing curves. There are not any quilt police that will knock on your door at 11 pm and tell you you did it wrong. Enjoy the quilting process.” Besides teaching their classes, you will also find Helen, Jenny, and Sherilyn during the show in their vendor booth for Sew Kind Of Wonderful.

To learn more about Sew Kind of Wonderful and the Quick Curve Ruler, visit their website. ]]>

Tags: Helen Robinson, Jenny Pedigo, Modern Quilting, QCR Mini Ruler, Quick Curve Ruler, Sew Kind of Wonderful, Sherilyn Mortensen
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Meet 2017 Vendor: Circa 15 Fabric Studio

Wednesday, October 26th, 2016

Circa 15 Fabric Studio is a new vendor to Road to California. Owner Kristen Suzuki has been obsessed with fabric for a while. She started off small by opening a fabric shop on Etsy. It didn’t take long for her shop to become very successful. She started ordering more and more fabric and before long, Kristen found that fabric was taking over her entire house. She had to decide what the next step was going to be. Since she had always wanted to have her own business, Kristen decided to take the plunge and open a brick and mortar fabric shop a year and a half ago in Kirkland, Washington that today is a 2000 sq. feet. Originally from the bay area in California, Kristen has lived in Washington for the past five years. Kristen and her fiancée have been engaged for 1 year, but haven’t found the time to plan a wedding because she is so busy with her store. They hope to get married sometime in 2017. Kristen loves to bake and cook but doesn’t have much time to bake these days. She actually went to culinary school for baking and pastry, many years ago. Kristen does love quilting and spends most of her “free” time sewing samples for the shop. Being a part of the quilting, sewing and crafting community is something Kristen really enjoys. “Every day I get to chat with such creative and generous people. I love seeing what people make with the fabrics they buy from us. I love helping someone choose fabric for a quilt or project they are working on. I love the look on customer’s faces when they walk into the shop for the first time, and see all the beautiful samples and fabrics.” Circa 15 Fabric Studio is excited to bring their unique style to a whole new group of people. They are very active on Instagram and have a lot of followers from California whom they are looking forward to meeting in person. Kristen and her team are also excited to meet new people and see what the other vendor booths are selling. Says Kristen, “It’s so fun to see what’s going on in the industry. I’m hoping to meet new friends in the business as well.” One item that Circa 15 Fabric Studio is known for is their selection of unique fabrics from Japan. They also carry a lot of modern fabrics. There will be lots and lots of bundles of fabrics in their booth, putting together cuts from their newest collections. They will also have many quilt kits as well. To learn more about Circa 15 Fabric Studio, please visit their website. ]]>

Tags: Circa 15 Fabric Studio, Japanese Fabric, Kirkland, Kristen Suzuki, Modern Fabric, WA Quilt Store
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Meet Road 2017 Teacher David Taylor

Saturday, October 22nd, 2016

Handi Quilter Sweet Sixteen sit down longarm class. These classes use the same skills as a regular sewing machine.

1004C The HQ Sweet 16 Overture on Monday

2007C Rhythm and Hues on Tuesday

David will also be teaching two applique classes:

3009R Simple Floral Appliqué on Wednesday

4601R Animal Artistry through Appliqué a 3-day course, Thursday-Saturday

Award winning quilter, David Taylor, knows about adversity. Last February, a gas explosion and subsequent fire destroyed his home in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Since the fire gutted the living room and the sewing loft, David has been without his tools and supplies for the past nine months. Both of his Berninas were melted; his serger was gone; rulers were twisted and turned and his Handi Quilter Sweet Sixteen was a major loss. Needless to say, it was a very devastating experience. David says, “Every day since the fire, life gets a little easier and a little harder at the same time. I’ve been taking long walks, reading and doing jigsaw puzzles to occupy my thoughts” until he can start to rebuild his studio.

Born in 1963, David was raised in Peterborough, New Hampshire, one of six children: three boys and three girls just “like the Brady Bunch.” His mother “tied” quilts while David was growing up but as a single mom with six kids, she didn’t have much free time to devote to quilting. David first focused on apparel construction. In 1998, a longtime friend who knew of David’s life-long love of fabric, suggested he try quilting. He was reluctant at first as he didn’t want to cut up his “precious fabric collection.” Since then, he has never looked back. Because he has never taken a quilting class, David believes that the best way to learn is to practice, practice, practice, practice, practice, practice and makes a lot of mistakes. In addition, he believes that quilting “should be a team sport,” He recommends joining a guild or a group and getting together with like-minded “fabric fondlers.” And if there isn’t a group where you live, David says, “Start one.” For David, there is no greater satisfaction than “seeing a student’s face light up when they realize they CAN do this!” He hopes his students will learn that if they create from their heart, the rest will follow.

Before he comes to Road, David will be looking forward to purchasing a home in Henniker, New Hampshire. The house was originally built in 1825, and was renovated at the turn of this century to include a two-car garage with studio and office space above. David says it is “Perfect!” To learn more about David Taylor, please visit his website.

Tags: Adversity, Applique, David Taylor, Handi Quilter Sweet Sixteen
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