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Archive for the ‘Road to California’ Category

Giving Back At Road 2017

Friday, October 7th, 2016

“The life of a man consists not in seeing visions and in dreaming dreams, but in active charity and in willing service.     Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Road to California has teamed up with the Robert and Beverly Lewis Cancer Care Center in Pomona, California and Anita Grossman Solomon, one of our Road 2017 Faculty, to make as many quilts as possible on the Saturday night of Road 2017. All quilts produced that night will be given to cancer patients at the center on behalf of everyone participating with this wonderful cause.roadies-give-back2

The Robert and Beverly Lewis Cancer Care Center was chosen as the recipient of Road’s night of service because Show Director Matt Reese’s mom, Shellee Reese, has been a long time employee at the center. Roadies have supported the center in the past, casting votes for the award winning video that won valuable donation dollars to the center in 2014. Linda Rasmussen is overseeing the project and the Sew-A-Thon that will take place Saturday, January 21st beginning at 7:00 PM. Linda has been a volunteer at Road in the judging room for 17 years.  She joined Road to California’s staff last year, first as Ribbon Clerk in the judging room and now the Coordinator for Roadies Give Back. Linda says the goal for Roadies Give Back is to supply lap size quilts to the patients of the Robert and Beverly Lewis Cancer Care Center.  The quilts will be made from a block designed by Anita Grossman Solomon especially for Road to California.  Road to California fans and attendees throughout the United States and overseas are invited to make the blocks prior to the show.  Then, on January 21st, all of the blocks received will be assembled into quilt tops, quilted and prepared for donation to the Cancer Care Center. During the evening there will be door prizes and raffle prizes along with yummy treats. How can you be a part of this worthwhile event?saturday-january-21-7-00-pm
  • Tell a friend.
Share this blog post in an email, with your social media or with your guild. Linda has already started to visit guilds in the area. She says the response “has been enthusiastic.”
  • Make a square (or two or more!!)
There is no limit to the amount of blocks you can contribute. A raffle ticket will be given for each square donated. We will start accepting squares at Road’s office beginning December 5, 2016. Mail them in, roper them off, or bring them to the show.
  • Register for the event.
Go to our website and sign up to assist with either piecing (class 9600C), domestic quilting (class 9601C), longarm quilting (class 9602C) or finishing (class 9603C). A nominal $10 fee will be collected at the time of registration. Half the fee will go to directly to the Cancer Center and the other half will be applied to deferring costs for supplies for the evening.
  • Join in the fun.
Stay at the show after the classes have finished and the vendors have closed. Machines will be provided for the night. Guests are encouraged to bring thread, snips, pins and any other items that makes sewing more productive for them.teachers_classrooms__i4c5741 We hope you will want to be a part of this very special event. As Linda says, “It is a great opportunity to show support to people who need to know that we are all working toward making their challenge of facing cancer just a bit less intimidating.  Something to keep you warm, made with love, showing support, is a visible way to make a difference in someone’s day.” To learn more about Roadies Give Back including getting the pattern for the squares and where to send them when you are done, please visit our website.    ]]>

Meet Road 2017 Teacher Susan Else

Wednesday, September 14th, 2016

Susan will be teaching two, two day classes:  4502C  “People, People, People!”  on Thursday and Friday4502c

and 6702C  Beasts in the Jungle  on Saturday and Sunday.6702c2 A native of Northern California, Susan Else is known for her use of 3-D elements.  She is nationally and internationally known, and teaches at art centers, museums, conferences, and fiber guilds across the U.S. Her work is in public and private collections, and she has completed many commissioned pieces. In addition, Susan serves on the board of the Studio Art Quilt Associates, so between that, teaching, and working in her studio, she is one busy lady!!else-6-1 Susan has always an interest in textiles; she started out as a weaver and spinner. She grew up in a family of artists and learned a great deal from watching their process, even though she never expected to become an artist herself. Her mother was a sculptor and she also taught Susan to sew. Susan learned how to quilt by taking an adult ed quilting class so that she could make a baby quilt for her first child. She didn’t actually finish that project until her daughter was seven years old. Since then, she’s has learned bits and pieces from every class  she’s taken,although what she does now, she has developed on her own. Susan began her journey into 3-D in 1998 when she attached 3D elements to flat wall quilts, and it took off from there. One source for her inspiration was Michael McNamara’s bird figures and she patterned some figures of her own. Susan shares, “My brain seems to generate these wry commentaries on contemporary life. My work is often based on my own experience in some way.”else-ponies_dream_email What are Susan’s favorite quilting tools that she uses with her technique? “My stuffing fork, my spring-loaded scissors, and the extremely thin curved needles I use for all my hand-work. Over the years, all of these have helped to keep the arthritis in my hand stable, and I’m still able to sew.” Susan has traveled as far away as Finland with her fabric art experiences. She is looking forward to teaching at Road 2017 because  she loves  when her students get excited about what they can do with the techniques she teaches them. “It opens up a whole new way of looking at fabric,” says Susan. She hopes her students will “play”  and get more tools of what they can do with fabric and thread.else_s_1 To learn more about Susan Else, please visit her website.    ]]>

Sibling Time at Road

Wednesday, August 31st, 2016

Siblings who share family ties and quilting ties are a great combination!!

Lauraine Clark (Upland, California) and Dianne Gullino (Bonnie Lake, Washington) 164 Even though Dianne is the sister that lives the farthest away from Road’s show location in Ontario, California, she has been coming the longest, for the past 10 years. About four years ago, she began persuading Lauraine to come with her and they have been attending together ever since. Dianne figures that she generally makes about 12 quilts a year. In 2014, she made 30 pieced quilts to honor all the veterans in her Pomona High school graduating class for their 50th class reunion.  At first, she was just going to make one quilt for the student body president, a veteran who was suffering from MS and could not make the reunion. After making his quilt, she decided to make quilts for all the veterans in her class. Classmates donated the money for the fabric to help relieve Diane of some of the cost. Lauraine helped with the piecing. The veteran classmates were moved by Dianne’s gift and were very appreciative.  For some, it was the first time they had ever been recognized for their service.  Dianne made sure that those who didn’t attend the reunion still got their quilts, mailing them off after the event.   Terri Krause and Keith DommerIMG_8758 For over 20 years, sister and brother Terri Krause and Keith Dommer, have met their mother at Road to California to celebrate her birthday and do some quilting. Terri thinks Road is the best place for a family outing. While Terri loves applique, she doesn’t have any desire to do it. She prefers a more traditional style and gives away most of the quilts she makes. Keith started out making pieced quilts. After 10 years of quilting, he started doing machine applique. His quilt tops integrate bold, graphic designs. Keith has won numerous awards for his quilting including this second place award for Traditional, Large, Mixed at Road to California in 2012:photodisc   Marina (Oak Hills, California) and Lisa Caraway (Rancho Cucamonga, California)199 Sister-in-laws who both love to quilt, Lisa brought Marina for her first visit to Road in 2016. Marina loves to quilt and loved the show. She said “I can’t wait to come back.” Lisa offered some good advice for show guests from her own experience. She said,  “make the rounds to all the vendors before you commit!!” The sister-in-laws have already begun their “plotting” to attend Road 2017. Do you have a sibling that quilts?   Will you planning be getting together at Road 2017?]]>

Water Tips For Your Iron

Friday, April 29th, 2016

Quilters depend on their irons – a lot. Using the right kind of water is important for optimum iron success.ID-100111912

Emily Jansson, a frequent guest blogger for Nancy Zieman, debunked common iron water myths and gave permission for Road to share with our readers.1_Myth-Tap-Water FALSE. Even though most high-quality iron manufacturers state that you can use regular tap water in your iron, it isn’t recommended especially if you live in the Midwest (where there is large amounts of sediment in the water) or if you use well water.2_Myth-Distilled FALSE…and TRUE. Distilled water is not a good idea for irons because it has no solid minerals in it, therefore making it a pure water. Pure water molecules are “hungry to get their atomic hands on carbon dioxide from their environment, making the water mildly acidic and prone to corroding metals.” Since irons are made of metal, using distilled water would not be wise unless your iron’s manual specifically states you CAN use distilled water because these irons are made of specific anti-corrosive materials. To be on the safe side, son’t use distilled water.3_Myth-Deionized FALSE. Deionized water is less expensive than distilled water. It is defined as water that has had ions removed. Therefore, it is desperate for positively-charged ions. Putting water that’s starved for ions in to anything electronic is a bad idea, especially an iron which uses alternate current flows4_Myth-Spring-Water FALSE.  Spring water is full of minerals which can clog an iron’s reservoir and steam vents.

So what is the best kind of water to use?

According to Emily, filtered tap water is the best water for your iron. That includes water that has been filtered through a system like Brita or a refrigerator with an ice-maker and water dispenser. A couple of other iron water tips from Emily:
  1. Do not use vinegar in your iron unless the manual specifically says you can. Vinegar can react with some rubbers and plastics (like gaskets and the reservoir itself), causing problems with the insides of an iron.
  2. Be diligent with emptying your iron of water when you’re finished using it. Empty the reservoir while the iron is still hot and leave the lid open to help any stray droplets evaporate
Using these tips will not only improve the functionality of your iron but will extends its life as well. For more great sewing tips, see more of Emily’s articles on Nancy Zieman’s blog.  ]]>

Book Preview: Quilts From El's Attic

Friday, April 22nd, 2016

Quilt as Desired Special Exhibit, where longarm quilters took original antique quilt tops and added a modern flair to them. And Eleanor Burns was on hand to introduce her new book, Quilts from El’s Attic.1090_LG Eleanor Burns is a You Tube quilting star,  creator of Quilt in a Day, and the perkiest 70 years young woman you will ever meet. During a $5.00 Lecture class, Eleanor shared that Quilts from El’s Attic features 10 antique quilt patterns made in to newer, modern quilt designs. Eleanor’s love of antique quilts is her passion and she set out to simplify those beautiful vintage patterns from the past. In addition to the patterns, Eleanor also includes vintage quilts from her own collection, offering fabric selection advice, lovely sample quilts, history, and yardage and cutting charts. The book went on sale in April. In her class, Eleanor discussed the history behind some of the famous antique designs along with her modern renditions. Did you know that in 1860, the Ladies Art Company was the first company to publish quilt patterns? There were no instructions, just pieces of cardboard with a little picture. The Crow’s Nest quilt (circa 1890) was an example of these early patterns. [caption id="attachment_3990" align="aligncenter" width="525"]Eleanor_Burns_class-29 Photo by Brian Roberts Photography[/caption] El’s version of the Crow’s Nest in her new book uses Civil War reproduction fabrics to create a more modern positive-negative space. Eleanor and her sister created the floral fabrics when Eleanor was recovering from her heart surgery last year. [caption id="attachment_3991" align="aligncenter" width="562"]Photo by Brian Roberts Photography Photo by Brian Roberts Photography[/caption] Did you know that in 1930 the Kansas City Star published a new quilt pattern every week? Women would make that block the day the pattern came out and put the blocks into samplers [caption id="attachment_3986" align="aligncenter" width="576"]Photo by Brian Roberts Photography Photo by Brian Roberts Photography[/caption] Here is Eleanor’s new version of a block sampler: [caption id="attachment_3993" align="aligncenter" width="550"]Did you know that red is Eleanor's favorite color? Photo by Brian Roberts Photography Red is Eleanor’s favorite color! Photo by Brian Roberts Photography[/caption] Did you know that in 1941, a McCalls pattern sold for 35 cents? The traditional Dresden Plate pattern was quilted by hand. Eleanor took the original design and added an ice cream cone border. [caption id="attachment_3988" align="aligncenter" width="586"]Photo by Brian Roberts Photography Photo by Brian Roberts Photography[/caption] Eleanor has made an ice cream cone template available on her website to make it simpler to create this modern table runner which is machine quilted. [caption id="attachment_3989" align="aligncenter" width="530"]Photo by Brian Roberts Photography Photo by Brian Roberts Photography[/caption] Did you know that the Baptist fan was created for convenience? Church ladies would sit together to quilt. Because there was limited space, they added a curve to their design and used large stitches. [caption id="attachment_3994" align="aligncenter" width="549"]Photo by Brian Roberts Photography Photo by Brian Roberts Photography[/caption] As always, you can count on Eleanor Burns to give an entertaining look at quilting.  ]]>

Meet Matt Reese: Road’s New Show Director AND A New Lawyer

Wednesday, March 2nd, 2016

Carolyn Reese, the matriarch and founder of Road to California since 1995, has worked closely with her grandson, Matt Reese, the show’s manager. Matt and Carolyn In 2013, while Matt has been overseeing Road to California, he was also enrolled in law school at the University of La Verne. Matt’s studies came to an end last summer when after graduation, he shifted gears and began studying for the California State Bar Exam, administered on July 28, 29 and 30th at of all places, the Ontario Convention Center – home to Road to California.Matt's Graduation5 In order to focus on the bar exam, Matt took a leave of absence from his Road to California duties for 10 weeks, May through July. What was it like for Matt to prepare for the bar exam?  “I studied on average 10-12 hours a day (some days more, some days less) and studied for 70 days straight. I did not take a day off. When Road’s registration started, I did pause, but studied again in the afternoon. I at least outlined every bar exam essay question the state of California released since 2001, practiced over 2,000 multiple choice questions and did over 20 performance tests. Even over the Fourth of July I was studying prior to going to my in-laws house for a BBQ. I figured a short summer sacrifice was better than doing this again.” As a newlywed, Matt’s wife Jennifer, also made some sacrifices (well, sort of) while Matt dedicated the 10 weeks to his studying.  Matt recalled, “I actually think my wife had a blast while I was studying. She spent a lot of time with her mother crafting and so on. She even made a cuddle quilt for my cousin’s newborn son! She was extremely supportive, and was a great help in keeping me focused and on track.”Matt's Graduation During the three days of the exam, Matt would arrive at 7 AM at the Ontario convention Center and did not leave until 5 or 5:30 PM most days. What was the bar exam like? “Overall, the written portion of the bar was pretty straight forward. The multiple choice was difficult – but everyone else thought so too. I would not want to take it again, but it was oddly fun. After we worked so hard to prepare for the test, it felt like normal routine to sit and write the test – and also realize that we wouldn’t have to do this again for a long time!” said Matt. Matt started back to work at Road to California on August 5th, while most of his classmates and friends took the month of August off. Even though he fell back in to his Road duties, it actually took him about a month to recover from all that studying. “My brain was so saturated with information it was hard to focus on anything.” New logo November 21, 2015 was the day the bar results were published. Multiple news reports were released throughout September, October and November telling how across the nation the bar results were at an all time low. This caused some anxiety for Matt. Also, right before the announcement, on November 19th, Matt’s grandfather passed away. That coupled with the recent death of Carolyn’s sister Glenda, also added to the stress Matt was feeling anticipating the news. Matt, Jen, and his parents put the online results up on the TV so that they could all see the news at the same time. And the news was very good: Matt Reese passed the California Bar Exam on his first try!!! What does the immediate future hold for Matt? He will be transitioning in to a new position: Road’s Show Director. And he will be starting a law practice in estate planning, available to work with clients starting in May. Currently, Road’s office space is being transformed into a dual location — home for the show and also the home for a new law practice – to accommodate Matt’s new responsibilities. Please join the Road family in congratulating Matt Reese, Estate Planning Lawyer and Show Director for Road to California.  ]]>

Supporting Local Quilt Guilds: Meet The Valley Quilters

Friday, February 19th, 2016

145 The logo was designed by one of the founding members of the guild in 1981 and depicts areas of interest around Hemet, California where the guild is located. Those symbols include nearby Idyllwild in the San Jacinto mountains, clouds, dairies and local agriculture. Mary joined the guild in 1992. She has appreciated the “fellowship, knowledge, and hand quilting skills” that the guild has provided. [caption id="attachment_3822" align="aligncenter" width="695"]Past Presidents Mary Fidler and Sandra Dougherty Past Presidents Mary Fidler and Sandra Dougherty at Road to California 2016[/caption] Providing quilts for those “in need of comfort” are donated from the guild to hospice patients and to the local police and fire departments to use in trauma situations. Their Yakkers group promotes hand quilting and meet each Monday. While either hand quilting the guild’s opportunity quilt or tying security quilts, it gives members an opportunity to have someone to talk to. The Valley Quilters just celebrated their 36th Annual Quilt Show February 12 and 13. Funds collected at this event goes to their scholarship fund. Five, $1,000 scholarships are awarded to local high school seniors at their April Meeting. Their opportunity quilt, Flowers for my Wedding, was won by Hortencia Roesler.  2016Opportunity Quilt Next up for the Valley Quilters Guild is their annual Quilt Retreat March 14-17 at Vina de Lestonnac. To learn more about the Valley Quilters Guild, visit their website or their Facebook Page.        ]]>

Meet Road 2016 Contest Winners

Wednesday, February 10th, 2016

Part of the fun of Road to California is entering the contests.

Two Tickets to Road 2016: Teresa Borkin

[caption id="attachment_3796" align="aligncenter" width="492"]Carolyn Reese congratulates Teresa Borkin Carolyn Reese congratulates Teresa Borkin[/caption]

Teresa Borkin, from the Seattle area, had always wanted to attend Road. When she won two tickets for the 2016 show in a giveaway on the blog back in September, that sealed the deal. Teresa and six of her quilting friends came for three days. Teresa expected to see high quality quilts and her expectations were met. She attended Preview Night  where she enjoyed viewing the quilts without the crowds. Teresa also enjoyed the shopping and seeing vendors from Washington: Carriage Country Quilts, Quilter’s Roost and Quilter’s Coop. “I’m going home with a whole bag of stuff.”

Thursday Daily Winner: Alice FinkelsteinDaily Raffle Thursday

Alice Finkelstein traveled to Road from Paramount, California. This was her 11th year attending the show. Each year, Alice along with her cousin and a friend, stay 3 – 4 days, taking classes, shopping, and enjoying the variety of things offered during the show. Alice put her winning ticket in the raffle barrel at around 1:00 PM on Thursday. It didn’t take her long to collect her prize; she was standing close by when her name was called as the winner of a Baby Lock Rachel sewing machine donated by Moore’s Sewing Center. “I was speechless when I won. It was wonderful.”

Friday Daily Winner: JoAnn Taylor Rice215

Road 2016 was JoAnn Taylor Rice’s first time at the show. A resident of Scottsdale, Arizona, JoAnn came for three days and “had the best time. I loved every minute.” She heard about Road to California through her quilt guild, Delightful Quilters. JoAnn was in “shock” when she heard her name called. “My friends and I hurried to get there when the raffle was being held. I hated to think what would happen if I wasn’t there when my name was called.” JoAnn  won a Bernina Simple Red 215, donated by Mel’s Sewing Center and Upland Vacuum and Sewing.

Saturday Daily Winner: Maj Uggelberg033

Maj Uggelberg was quilting away in a class being taught by Jerry Granata when her friend came running in and shouted that Maj had won the Saturday Daily Raffle. Maj dropped her project and ran to claim her prize, a Husqvarna-Viking 650 sewing machine, donated by OC Sewing and Vacuum. Maj is from Stockholm, Sweden and Road 2016 was the first quilt show she has ever attended. She arrived in the United States on January 12th and was staying until February 26th. Her first reaction to winning was “Wow!!” then, “Will it work back in Sweden?” and “How am I going to get this home?” Maj met OC Sewing and Vacuum owner, Joe Fuller, who told her because it was a Swedish sewing machine, all she would need is a particular cord and there would be no problem using it with the electricity back home. Shipping her new sewing machine home was a breeze because UPS was on site at the Ontario Convention Center and they were able to help Maj get her machine ready to send to Sweden.

Sunday Daily Winner: Liza DeBordSunday Daily Drawing winner

Lucky for Liza DeBord, her daughter entered Liza’s name into the drawing for Sunday. Liza won a Martelli LaCresta Premier Workstation, valued at $3,250!! Liza was “amazed” that she won such an awesome prize.

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There’s A New App In Town: Road To California

Monday, January 18th, 2016

Road to California App.Road App 3 Since May 2015, we have been working on this new application. Says Matt Reese, Show Manager, “The Road to California App is bringing our show in to the future. Using the app provides reliability knowing we can share the most current information about the show in real time.” Another benefit of the app: it supports Road to California’s efforts in sustaining a green environment.  The app is replacing the Show Book, reducing the huge amount of paper used to publish the books.

What are some of the app features?

  • A map to help guests locate everything at the show: Classes, Vendors, Special Exhibits, and even food
  • A personal schedule so guests can plan out what to see and do, including the $5 Lectures.
  • A listing of Exhibitors so guests can locate them on the showroom floor. Guests can keep track of the products they are interested in, and have the exhibitors’ contact information for after the show.
  • A listing of Teachers, their classes, and their contact information.
  • A listing of Sponsors.
  • Information about the Daily Drawings.
  • Menus for each of the food buffets served each day.Road App4
In addition, guests can join in the fun sharing their pictures, comments, reviews and ratings of the show with other guests. Users can even earn badges for their participation with the app!!

How do you get started?

To get the free app, for Apple users, go to the App Store and search for Road to California. Google users need to go to the Play Store and search for RoadToCalifornia (all one word).  It’s best to download the app before you come to the show so that you can become familiar with its features.Road App 2

What if I don’t have a smart device? Or I forget to bring my smart device?

No worries. There will be two iPad stations in the Convention Center (each having five iPads running the app) available for guests to use. Road Staff will be on hand to answer questions and  guide guests with their app questions. And for those guests who just can’t manage the app this year, there will be a small number of traditional Show Books available. The Road to California App allows guests to customize their Road 2016 experience and keep their information long after the show has ended. Carolyn Reese, show owner, is thrilled to offer this new addition. “We are excited to provide better and more information to our guests using the app than we ever could with a show book.” What feature are you looking forward to using on the Road to California App?  ]]>

Road 2016 Marketplace: Meet Hoffman Fabrics

Friday, January 15th, 2016

Last year, Road introduced Marketplace where top manufacturers in the quilting industry shared their knowledge and expertise directly with our guests. Located right in the center of the main show floor, Marketplace is the destination for innovation and inspiration on the latest and most popular quilting products. This year, there will be 6 companies in Marketplace, including Hoffman Fabrics.new Hoffman logo

Hoffman Fabrics was founded in 1924 as Hoffman Woolens by Rube P. Hoffman. As a wholesale converter of the highest-quality cottons and blends, Hoffman Fabrics designs and creates more than 800 innovative screenprints and handmade batik fabrics each year. They employ a team of in-house textile artists to create fabric collections for the quilting/home-sewing industry, as well as all types of manufacturing. The company’s new logo design is their first change since 1976. It is only the third version of the Hoffman brand mark. Did you know that Hoffman Fabrics was also behind the creation of California “surf fashion?”

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZt2n6Ujc9c[/youtube]

At the Hoffman Marketplace booth, they will be showing video and  talking about how they design and make their world-famous batiks designed in the U.S. and produced on the island of Bali. Very new to their Hoffman Bali production is their Indah line (under the Me+You brand) of  solid hand-dyes and minimalist accent batiks designed for the modern quilting aesthetic. Among popular designers working with their Indah fabrics are Sam Hunter and Latifah Saafir.

Hoffman will also be talking about the “new” Hoffman Challenge, which has been reinvented and refreshed for 2016. For the first time in its 28-year history, the Challenge has two selected Challenge fabrics, a butterfly print (style #N4240) from their digitally printed Crystalia collection. Participants can use the Challenge fabric in the 132-Opal (white) or 213-Onyx (black) color way – or both! Also a first: Hoffman will be accepting online submissions for the initial vetting of artwork for the contest.Hoffman Challenge bw_web Aurifil is co-sponsor of the Hoffman Challenge and has designed a special thread collection complementing the fabrics.aurifil challenge box_web aurifil box challenge_web And since Hoffman is now a leading producer of digitally printed fabrics for the quilting/sewing industry, they will also be talking about digital prints at their booth as well. Digital printing lets Hoffman offer an unlimited color palette so their digital print fabrics burst with infinite colors, shades, layers and textures.Hoffman_Quiltmaker2016Jan_Skylines To learn more about Hoffman Fabrics, please visit their web site.  ]]>