You’re tired. You’ve spent your day seeing beautiful quilts, meeting new people, getting inspired. You’ve bought a lot of cool tools and supplies for your next project. You’re tired of carrying all of your stuff around but you don’t want to haul it out to your car in case you’ll miss out on something. Sound familiar?  Feel familiar? No need to get worried, anxious, or burdened. The Boy Scouts of America are ready and able to help relieve this kind of stress during Road to California.

Troop 628, a member of the California Inland Empire Council and chartered through Water of Life Church in Fontana, California, has been coming to the rescue of Road attendees for the past 10 years. The Reese family has a long history with this troop. Carolyn’s son Mike was an assistant scout master. His son, Matt Reese, went all the way through the troop, eventually earning the Eagle Rank.  They know firsthand all about the “helping other people at all times” promise of boy scouts. 

Troop 628 appreciates being able to assist patrons with their belongings. For a suggested donation of just $2.00 per bag, attendees can leave whatever they want at the scout station. And for 25 cents per visit, patrons are welcome to take their belongings in and out of the secured area. These prices have remained the same for the entire ten years. And of course, tips are always welcomed.

The scouts and their leaders volunteer their time during the week.  A portion of the proceeds earned goes in to the boys’ individual fund raising accounts which are used for camping trips, merit badges, and other Boy Scout expenses.

Burnell, age 17 and a Life Scout, said, “Serving at Road is a big help for my camp expenses. It is a wonderful opportunity to help other people and prepares us for adulthood. I especially like providing service for elderly women. I like being able to help in some small way.” The biggest tip he ever got? “$20.00!!!”

Issac, age 12, is a Tenderfoot. He commented that it is really fun and very busy because there are a lot of customers. His favorite part? “Counting the money, bagging the goods, and watching the stuff.”

The boys appreciate the opportunity to serve as they practice valuable life skills such as face-to-face interacting with people of all ages, how to make change, and the chance to practice their “Please” and “Thank Yous.”   

“Doing a good turn daily,” is what Troop 628 is all about, especially during Road to California.

What do you think about Troop 628’s service?

If your conference goal is to learn as much as you can about all kinds of quilting topics and techniques in the shortest amount of time, then Road’s Roundabout is the perfect event for you.

Roundabout is an activity always on the move. Over 25 stations were set up on a ballroom floor, designated by a different colorful balloon. Each station represented a particular topic of interest for quilters and was led by one of Road’s expert and capable staff of teachers and vendors. 

Attendees received a list of what was being offered and chose which stations they wanted to visit. Ten minutes was allotted for each segment, giving attendees the opportunity to learn from 7 or 8 different stations throughout the evening. Some stations had hand outs and giveaways. All stations provided different ways to approach their projects. While there was a sales area set up to purchase books, tools, and kits from the various presenters, there were no active sales pitches being given so attendees never felt pressured. 

Sonja Hoch, a member of the Night Owl Quilt Guild and Road’s new Roundabout Coordinator, said this about the event: “There are so many talented people offering instruction and ideas. Since it is impossible to take all of the classes at Road, the Roundabout is great way for giving a snippet of what is offered.” 

Throughout the evening, you could hear a lot of chatter and a lot of “ah ha” moments going on. Some of the stations were standing room only. Many attendees had a hard time moving on to their next station. 

Energy. Excitement. Education. That just about sums up Roundabout.

Did you participate in the Roundabout? What did you learn?

For the past 12 years, the Kellis sisters have made Road to California their reunion destination. Hailing from three different western states, this year’s reunion also included a member of their family’s next generation, a daughter/niece who came from New Mexico.

Each of the sisters (and niece) are avid quilters but they have individual preferences for the fabrics and techniques they like to work on. Their interests include Antique, Appliqué, Embellishing, Modern, and Piece-work quilting along with working with Wool and Batik fabrics. 

Why is Road their favorite reunion destination? It is the perfect place to leave husbands and children behind, get inspiration, and see a ton of quilts on exhibit. Finding out about and buying the latest quilting tools, is also a favorite activity of the sisters. One year, they researched and purchased together a long arm quilting machine. This year, their purchases included a special foot for their sewing machine that aids in sewing curves and a handy tool that does a great job securing fabric for rotary cutting. 

For the Kellis sisters, quilting is a shared passion. Being together, under one roof, among fabulous quilts and other quilters at Road to California, is the perfect combination for a perfect reunion. 

Did you meet up with people from other states at Road? Where did everyone come from?

Kali Stone is just 9-1/2 years old and already is quite an accomplished quilter. She inherited her love of quilting from her grandmother, Phyllis Morrow, who is the quilt display coordinator at Road. From the time Kali was very small, she watched her grandma quilt and wanted to try it herself. So Grandma Phyllis bought Kali a Hello Kitty Janome  model sewing machine when Kali was just six years old. That was all Kali needed to begin designing and sewing her own quilt creations.

Kali likes to incorporate “random ideas” into her designs. Her first quilt had a cupcake theme and was entered in a quilt show. Other themes Kali has featured include soccer, bugs, and Halloween. Kali is currently working on a dog quit for her Chihuahua, Duke, using several dog designed fabrics.

Quilting isn’t Kali’s only sewing projects. She has designed and made dog costumes for Duke and she likes to embroider too.

Like other devoted quilters, Kali came to Road to look at the quilts to get new inspiration. She also bought some crystals and charms, an embroidery kit from the African Folklore Challenge, and an ink set and stencils.  

Kali sees herself sewing “for the rest of her life.” She can’t wait to inherit her Grandma’s and Aunt’s stash to use for all her future creations.

Some say teenage sewing is a long lost hobby but at Road to California, it is alive and well.

“Teaching another generation” is near and dear to Road and the American Sewing Guild who co-sponsored this year’s Teen Sewing Camp. Said teacher Sue Vite, “It is inspiring to teach teenagers and see them get excited and catch the sewing bug…Our generation can’t be afraid to teach the younger generation.” It was apparent that young students truly appreciated learning from experienced sewers.

The goal for the class was to provide an opportunity for young sewers to “relax and create.” Students 10-17 years old were separated into skill level groups for the sold out session. For a $5.00 fee, they were able to choose from five different projects and could work on as many as they could finish during the six hour class. Pre-made kits were all ready to go for the students to make pillow cases, zipper pouches, applique tote bags, nine patch pillows, and elastic waist skirts. Both basic sewing and quilting skills were taught.

What is the most difficult skill for young sewers to grasp? “Sewing a straight line,” replied Ms. Vite. “They have no fear with zippers or anything else. Getting a good seam is tricky for them.”

One of the students in the class was Carolyn Reese’s granddaughter, Jillianne Reese. While Jillianne has spent her whole life helping her grandmother and mother sew, this was the first time she took a class. Jillianne found the class to be both “fun and hard.” She definitely wants to keep on sewing “to make cute things for kids and things for around the house” as well as floor length dresses for her International Order of the Rainbow for Girls meetings.

Lauren, 13 years old, has been sewing since she was 8 years old. She has her own sewing machine and has made several quilts but prefers to work on the types of projects that were offered during the class. She said it was “fun to create new things.”

Brooke, age 11, started sewing when she was just 5 years old. She sees sewing as “a form of art” and says that “It’s good to know how to sew and be able to fix things. When you make things, it saves you money.”

Seeing all the enthusiasm for learning this skill, it is safe to say the future of sewing is in good hands.

When did you first learn to sew?