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To encourage the excitement for Road to California 2019, we held 3 Giveaways. The final and grand prize giveaway was titled, BFF (Best Friends Forever) Time with Eleanor Burns where the lucky winner would receive for themselves and up to 3 friends, a hotel stay for Road to California 2019, lunch with Eleanor Burns, and front row seats to Eleanor’s Trunk Show celebrating her 40 years in the quilting industry.  

This giveaway was quite popular; over 870 entries were received. The lucky entry chosen, #679, belonged to a Facebook Fan, Marianne Frasca-Troccoli from Wildomar, California. Marianne saw her name announced on our Facebook Page, as well as received an email from us, while she was waiting with her husband (who is on the list for a kidney transplant) at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, Arizona. “I screamed when I saw that I had won. My husband and everyone around us asked me if I was OK,” said Marianne.

When Road talked with Marianne to set up the details for her prize, she expalined why this prize was so meaningful to her: “My mom died suddenly 16 years ago. I was really spiraling and couldn’t function. One morning, I turned on the TV and there was Eleanor, flipping fabric and smiling. I though to myself, that is one happy person, and I immediately fell in love with her.”

So, it was Eleanor Burns that got Marianne through a dark period in her life and inspired her to start quilting. In the years since her first introduction to Eleanor, Marianne has made several of Eleanor’s patterns, has several of her books, and even bought an Elna Quilter’s Dream sewing machine because of Eleanor. Currently, Marianne is working on a quilt from Eleanor’s Day and Night book. Marianne brought the book for Eleanor to sign!!

Marianne’s BFF with Eleanor Burns luncheon was scheduled for 1:00 PM on Saturday of the show in one of Road to California’s offices in the Ontario Convention Center. Marianne arrived first with her friend Linda, her Book Club and quilting friend, who shared Marianne’s prize with her. A few minutes later, Eleanor arrived. There were lots of hugs and some tears for Marianne, as the two got acquainted.

Road to California owner, Matt Reese, and his wife, Jennifer, peeked in at the start of the BFF with Eleanor Burns luncheon to meet Marianne and offer his congratulations for winning the giveaway.

So, what did Eleanor and Marianne talk about during their luncheon? The kind of stuff that you would expect from BFF’s: grandchildren, sewing tips, and hair color (Marianne’s gray hair is accented with blue at the tips).  Marianne also asked Eleanor, “Are you still quilting?” Eleanor quickly responded,” Am I still quilting? I just finished making a ‘signature quilt’ for Accuquilt called Falling Leaves. I’ve been working on leaves all week.”

Part way during the BFF Luncheon with Eleanor Burns, Eleanor’s sister, Patty, was able to join the group. Eleanor described their sibling relationship as, “I am the engineer; she puts the color in to it.”

Later that night, Marianne and Linda took their seats on the front row to see Eleanor’s 40^th Anniversary Trunk Show. Marianne was invited to share her winning story with the guests in attendance before the show began. And in true Eleanor fashion, there was a lot of laughing, dressing up, and sharing quilt tips during her presentation.

When her BFF with Eleanor Burns time was over, Marianne remarked, “Thank you for a spectacular experience. We had a blast. Already looking forward to next year’s Road to California.”     

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Janet Stone of Overland Park, Kansas won $10,000 from Road to California’s Platinum Sponsor, Gammill, for her winning Best of Show entry, Garden Variety Sampler.

Janet Stone was a start-stop-start again quilter. She first started making quilts out of printed panels and tied with yarns back in the 80’s. She started quilting again, between lots of cross stitching, about 1995. Janet finally got “serious” about quilting in 2006 when she bought a new sewing machine. She entered a show in 2008 with the first quilt that she designed that had an alphabet in it and won 3 ribbons. That first winning experience, “immediately hooked” Janet on quilting for shows.

Janet’s trademark is alphabet quilts because she has “so many ideas” for this style of quilt. She decided to do a series of 26 alphabet quilts; Garden Variety Sampler is number 17.

Best of Show, Garden Variety Sampler, was inspired by Janet’s many years of stitching reproduction antique cross stitch samplers. She was also inspired by some Japanese quilts that she had seen in several shows that use taupe fabrics, which Janet loves.

The layout of Garden Variety Sampler was loosely based on a page from an antique children’s book, written by Walter Crane in 1878. It took Janet about 7 months to complete. She works a regular 9-6 office job, so is only able to quilt in the evenings and weekends. Janet notes, “Luckily, I have a very supportive husband who encourages my madness.”

The dimensions for Garden Variety Sampler is 68 inches by 90 inches.  Janet keeps saying that she needs “to stop making quilts that are so BIG!! When I design them, the old-fashioned way on graph paper, they never seem so big! I quilt on a domestic machine, but I keep saying I am getting too old to wrangle these big quilts under my machine.”

Where was Janet when she found out she had won Best of Show? “In my sewing room. I have to admit, I was checking my email all day long at work, wondering if I was going to get a notification that my quilts had won! When I finally received the email, I had to run upstairs and share the good news with my hubby.” And her reaction? “Quite shocked! I am well aware of the AMAZING competition at Road to California, and I never take any win for granted. Every show is tough and you never really know what the judges will think of your quilt, as well as the quilts you are competing against.”

Janet plans to take her Best of Show winnings and put them in the bank. “I may spring for new carpet in my house, but I hate shopping, so that may take awhile.”

And if it wasn’t enough to win Best of Show at Road to California 2019, Janet also won in another category at the same show. Her quilt, ABC Frippery, won First Place for Large Applique.

ABC Frippery is number 18 in her alphabet series quilts. Her concept for this design came from “wasting time looking on Pinterest one day” where she came across “some amazing pieces of antique jewelry.” Janet started pinning several pictures of jewelry that she liked and interpreted them into blocks for this quilt.

The background fabric for ABC Frippery is a cotton velveteen that her friend, Gilber Muniz, hand dyed for her. Each block was appliqued individually, and then the blocks were appliqued on top of the background. The entire quilt was then quilted. Janet shares that she loves quilt embellishments and has a pretty good collection of stuff, so she incorporated several items in the quilt.

In addition to making alphabet quilts, many of Janet’s projects also feature sheep in one way or another. Janet says, “As a collector of sheep, I am kind of known for putting sheep in my quilts. I was not going to put one in this quilt, but my husband insisted. For anyone who hasn’t found it, it’s in the letter M.”

Now that she has won Best of Show at Road 2019, where does Janet and her quilting go from here? “I am working on quilt number 20 in my alphabet series and hoping to have it done by this summer. It is pretty big as well, and again, I find myself grumbling and wondering to myself why I keep making big quilts! I just want to stay healthy enough to be able to finish the 26th quilt one of these days!”

Congratulations, Janet Stone, for your Best of Show entry, Garden Variety Sampler, at Road to California 2019.

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Road to California would not be the premier consumer quilt show that it is without our sponsors. “Our sponsors are what keeps us competitive,” shared Show Owner, Matt Reese. Because of their generous support, Road continues to attract the industry’s finest entrants, teachers and vendors which are enjoyed by the thousands of our guests that attend our event.

For the fifth year in a row, our Platinum Sponsor is Gammill. Since 1980, the Gammill Quilting Machine Company has been an innovative leader in machine quilting. They were the first to develop a large-throat sewing machine on tracks which could be operated from both sides and move in any direction on a specially-designed stand. This revolutionary idea enabled pantograph patterns to be traced directly onto fabric, therefore making it possible to complete a quilt or bedspread in a matter of hours rather than days.

Their Platinum Sponsor contribution of $10,000 is the grand prize for the Best of Show quilt entry in our quilt contest. In addition, Gammill provides their Gammill Quilting Systems Stand Up Longarm Machines for classes taught by experienced Gammill quilters.  And throughout the show, Gammill hosts a booth front and center on the main show floor where experienced quilters love to have Road’s guests practice on their products.

Road 2019’s Best of Show winner is Garden Variety Sampler by Janet Stone.

Gammill is always “thrilled” to play an integral part of Road to California. The company appreciates the show’s great mix of education, vendors, special events, quilt showcases and fun. Says Gammill representative, Shandi Brinkman, “Road to California attracts such outstanding talent. We are excited to be able to recognize the creativity, hard work and dedication of quilters.”

It is Matt Reese’s hope that Gammill and Road to California will continue to enjoy “a long and lasting relationship.”

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Since Road to California 2014, we have offered Daily Raffles.

Each year, guests at the show fill out entry tickets and deposit them in our gold drum at the North Information Desk.

Then at 3:30 PM each afternoon, one lucky winner’s name was drawn. It has been fun to see the excitement and appreciation of our winners.

The popularity of our Daily Raffle has grown so much the past 5 years, that we decided to expand our Daily Raffle to two separate opportunities.

New for Road 2019 is our Road Bucks Giveaway. We’ve created special $100 Road Bucks that feature the face of our show’s owner, Matt Reese. Each morning of the show, at 10:00 AM, we will hold a drawing to give away to two lucky winners, a Road Buck. To enter, simply fill out an entry form at the South Information Desk.  

Winners need to be present to win. Just like with our Daily Raffles, once we announce the winners, we will allow 10 minutes for them to collect their prize. Just in case they are in a class, the Pavilion, Exhibit Hall or Ballroom, we make an extra effort to contact the winners by cell phone. The only rules for our Road Bucks are that they must be redeemed on the day they are won with one of the over 225 vendors at the show.    

Daily Raffles will still be offered at the North Information Desk. Again, to enter, guests need to fill out an entry form prior to the 3:30 drawing. Because of the generosity of our vendors, for Road 2019, we will be holding TWO Daily Raffles on Thursday and Saturday!! On those days, the first raffle will be held at 12:15 PM and the second raffle will be at the customary time of 3:30 PM.

Items that will be given away in our Daily Raffles include sewing machines from Pollard’s Sew Creative, Mel’s Sewing and Fabric Center, Moore’s Sewing Centers and OC Sewing & Vacuum, plus a sewing table from Martelli. Information regarding each item being raffled off each day and time will be posted at the North Registration Desk.

We loved giving stuff away before the show with our Get Ready For Road giveaway. Now, that the show is here, we’re looking forward to giving away even more with our Road Bucks and Daily Raffles.

Good Luck to all who enter and above all, ENJOY THE SHOW!!!

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Special attention to guest safety is a priority for both Road to California and the Ontario Convention Center.

For Road to California 2019, the Convention Center has announced that there will not be any individual bag checks. In addition, outside food will not be allowed inside the venue, except for those who have special dietary needs.

Some of the precautions we take each year to ensure guest safety so that everyone has a pleasant experience while visiting our show include:

Security Detail

Providing a quality experience that involves large crowds, over 200 classes and events, and more than 229 vendors and exhibitors, requires extra safety precautions. For the past seven years, Road to California has hired special security detail to watch out for their guests. Their security personnel have extensive experience dealing with loss prevention with a big box retailer for over 20 years. They walk the show floor and hallways, scrutinizing body movements and behavior as they watch out for shoplifters and employees stealing from their employers. What advice do they have for our guests to help prevent possible losses and maintain guest security?

• Keep bags and purses close and in front of you.
• Use Sack Sitters to manage your purchases. Sack Sitters are from Boy Scout Troop 628. Their post during Road to California is located in the hallway of the Convention Center. For a minimal fee, the scouts watch over large purchases so guests don’t have to haul heavy items around all day. The money they earn is used for future camp outs and other troop activities. 

  

• At night, leave the convention center in groups.

Safety support

To further insure guest safety, the Convention Center hires a private ambulance service that is made available to assist guests with any medical needs they might have during the four days of the show. They are located at four stations in the Convention Center: under the stairs in the South Lobby; in the Pavilion Tent; in the Main Hallway and in the North Lobby.

The medics are ready and available to help with any kind of medical emergency before, during and after the show each day. Should a medical situation arise, medics advise that you “raise your hand for help” and someone will come to your aid. If they can’t handle a situation, they are prompted to call 911 and have an ambulance come to the Convention Center.

The medics report that falls are the most common medical situation they deal with at Road. To prevent falls from occurring, they recommend guests wear comfortable shoes, bring a friend to assist with special walking circumstances, proceed slowly and cautiously in crowded areas, and if you are used to using a walker or wheelchair, by all means bring that apparatus to the show.

Road to California is committed to supporting guest safety throughout the show.

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Our 24^th Annual Road to California Quilters Conference and Showcase gets underway January 24-27, 2019 at the Ontario Convention Center in Ontario, California.

We are so excited to welcome our guests!! Preparations for this year’s Show began as soon as Road 2018 closed. And for the past few months, things have really sped up the closer we get to the Show.

What are some of the benefits you will get to see and do for your $16 entrance fee to Road to California?

Amazing Quilts in our International Quilt Contest

Hundreds of finalist quilts will be judged soon, and the winners will be announced for the over $92,000 in cash prizes!!

Educational Opportunities for all Budgets

We offer over a hundred classes taught by well-known authorities in the quilting industry. While formal registration for individual classes has closed, we will be posting last minute class openings and cancellations at our on-site Registration Desk. These openings are filled on a first come, first served basis.

Many of our vendors offer education and quilting tips in their booth.

Daily, we offer $5.00 Lecture Classes. These one-hour lectures are taught by popular vendors who share trending topics in the industry. This year, our Show’s Owner, Matt Reese, will be giving a lecture on the history of Road to California and how we put together our phenomenal Show. For a listing of all of this year’s lectures, go to this link.

The Latest in Quilt Products and Services

More than 200 Vendors in over 500 Booths will be offering the latest in quilting tools, fabric, books, sewing machines, and other unique items.

Special Exhibits and Celebrations

Where else can you find quilt tributes to Elvis and Prince in one location? Follow this link for a listing of all the Special Exhibits at Road 2019.

New Road Sponsor, Olfa, will be kicking off their 40^th Anniversary of their rotary cutter by showcasing their limited edition, Ruby Rotary Cutter.     

Quilting Inspiration

Meet new quilting friends and reconnect with old ones as you meander through the Ontario Convention Center. Best of all, prepared to be wowed and inspired by all that Road to California has to offer.     

See you soon at Road to California 2019 –“The Best in the West” Quilt Show!!!  

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Road to California has become the quilt show where many Special Quilt Exhibits make their debut.

In the past, Road has showcased several Special Quilt Exhibits during one show. For 2019, we won’t be having as many Special Exhibits at one time – just a few that are high in quality and unique in presentation.

What can you expect to see in the way of Special Quilt Exhibits at Road to California 2019?

Inspired by Elvis

This Special Quilt Exhibit was curated by the same person, Donna DeSoto, who put together the Beatles Special Exhibit which was on display at Road 2015. The entire collection of quilts for this quilt challenge will be on display. And who knows, maybe Elvis himself will be at the show as well.  

Southern California Quilt Council

Seventy quilts will be on display, all created by members of the Southern California Quilt Council. It promises to showcase what is happening with Southern California quilting and will be in the ballroom. Last year, this same group sponsored the Special Quilt Exhibit, Emerging Light.  

Gillian Travis

British quilter, Jillian Travis, will have over 40 of her quilts on display in the front of the main Exhibition Hall. Her designs have been described as, “fresh, unique, and different; an original.” Jillian was one of our faculty on last year’s Road to California Baltic Cruise. She will be teaching at Road 2019.

France Patchwork

France Patchwork is the National Quilt Guild of France. It has over 15,000 members who can cover everything from traditional to art quilts that are incredible to see. Road to California and France Patchwork are working together to bring two exhibits to Road 2019: “Rainbow” features quilts made by kids in France and “Linen Dreams” which required the makers to use linen in their quilts.

The “Prince” Cherrywood Challenge

Cherrywood Fabrics has sponsored three previous Special Quilt Exhibits at Road: Wicked, The Lion King, and VanGogh. Their 2018 Cherrywood Challenge featured a tribute to legendary rock musician, singer and actor, Prince. Participants were asked to use Prince’s music as inspiration to push themselves creatively, think outside the box, and create new fiber art. The contest was open to anyone and they received entries from several countries. All the quilts were the same color, fabric, size and theme.

Other Special Quilt Exhibits include “Quilts on the Wall,” an annual Road to California Exhibit, and new this year, a Special Quilt Exhibit based on “Cosplay.”   

Be prepared to be amazed at Road 2019’s Special Quilt Exhibits.

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The third and final prize package for our Get Ready for Road Giveaway is BFF Time with Quilt in a Day Founder, Eleanor Burns. One lucky winner and three of their friends will receive:

A stay at one of Road’s Host Hotels January 24-27

Lunch on Saturday with Eleanor

Front Row Seats at Eleanor’s Saturday night Trunk Show

Eleanor Burns is a quilting legend.

An innovative sewer since she was a young girl, Eleanor self-published her first “Quilt in a Day” book in 1978, igniting a quilting revolution. She introduced an incredibly rapid stitching system, applying the method of assembly line sewing to piecework. Her concise, step-by-step directions were easy to grasp, allowing anyone to be successful at making a quilt. Eleanor Burns is credited for giving quilt makers techniques that compacted months into merely a day, a quilt in a day.

Through her Quilt in a Day enterprise, Eleanor has become a prolific author (she has written over 80 books), a revered teacher trainer, popular television personality, and celebrated industry role model. In 1990, Eleanor pioneered the way people view quilt making with television. Her Quilt in a Day TV series began airing on PBS and is still broadcasting nationwide and abroad, even teaching in Japan. Adding to all of that, she has developed her own “Signature” fabric lines, several special edition sewing machines, and has received numerous awards and recognition for her lifetime of achievements.  

Eleanor will be celebrating her 40^th year in quilting at Road to California 2019 by headlining two stage shows, Forty Fabulous Years With Eleanor, on Friday and Saturday night. The shows are a trip down memory lane with Eleanor entertaining guests with her hilarious stories, outtakes, and timeless memorabilia; all while sharing beautiful quilts and teaching priceless techniques.  Tickets for these shows are still available and can be purchased at Road’s Registration desk.

How to Enter

Comment below by answering the following question: How long have you been quilting?

All comments received count for 3 entries. You can earn more entries by commenting on applicable posts on our Facebook Page and Instagram Account @road2ca for a total of 5 entries for this give away. Entries are accepted through midnight PST on January 14th.  The winner will be announced on January 15th. 

For complete rules and information regarding the Get Ready for Road Give Away, please go to this blog post.     

Good Luck to all who enter this last give away before Road to California.

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Did you know that Road to California has its own Vendor Booth at the show? It is stocked with all kinds of merchandise for purchase that is made especially for Road.

The second prize package in our Get Ready For Road Give Away is a collection of all the items we offer in our booth featuring our Road to California logo, valued at approximately $125.

New Items for Road 2019

This year’s Road to California tote bag features the 2018 Best of Show Winner, Fractal, by Claudia Pfeil. The sturdy bag is roomy and has a zipper closure to keep all your Road purchases safe.

The 2019 lanyard is in the colors of this year’s 1950’s theme, pink and black.

These clever pin cushions are perfect for keeping track of sewing needles and pins on the go and come with four needles already inside.

Our Road Fans come in handy for staying cool in any type of weather.

Need a place to jot down quilting notes? These 3-3/4” wide by 5-1/2’’ long mini-journals are filled with lined paper and tuck easily into a purse or project bag. They come in three colors: red, black and blue.

These trendy Pop Sockets help to secure your smart phone in your hand.

Our clear zipper pouches are perfect as a wallet substitute or for carrying around small sewing supplies. They are 4X6 inches and open to 1-1/2 inches wide.  

Not pictured, but also new for 2019, that is offered both in our booth and for this giveaway, are Road mouse-pads and metal pin savers for organizing and securing your Roadie Pins.

Additional Road Items

If you are a regular visitor to our show, these additional Road items may be familiar:

Glass Nail Files,

Quarter Inch Seam Mini-Rulers,

and a 5-inch Square Ruler.

And who knows… we just might find some more classic Road gear in our warehouse to throw in for the give away too. We love surprises!!

How to Enter

Comment below by answering the following question: What is your favorite quilting notion?

All comments received count for 3 entries. You can earn more entries by commenting on applicable posts on our Facebook Page and Instagram Account @road2ca for a total of 5 entries for this give away. Entries are accepted through midnight PST on January, 10^th.  The winner will be announced on January 11^th.  The winner will receive their prize when they come to the show or if they can’t make Road 2019, we will mail it to them.   

Good Luck to all who enter.

For complete rules and information regarding the Get Ready for Road Give Away, please go to this blog post.

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Road to California 2019 is just around the corner. Quilts vying for $92,000 in cash awards; Amazing and Unique Special Exhibits; Over 100 Classes and Over 220 Vendors – are all ready and waiting for the show to start January 24, 2019 and run through January 27th at the Ontario Convention Center in Ontario, California.

Are you as excited as we are for the show to begin?

To help countdown the days to the beginning of Road 2019, we’re offering the 2019 Get Ready for Road Giveaway.  Three prize packages have been put together that we hope will entice any quilter—whether or not they intend on attending the show – to participate and have some fun.

Prize Package #1 is an opportunity for one lucky winner to take a longarm class on Monday or Tuesday from award winning longarm quilter, Linda Gosselin. We introduced Linda on our blog a couple of months ago. If you ever thought about trying out longarm quilting or wanted to improve your longarm skills, this prize package is for you!!! One lucky winner will be able to join the rest of the students in having a hands-on experience using a Handi Quilter stand-up longarm machine provided in the class.

Prize Package #2 is a Swag Bag filled with ALL the Road to California logo items we sell at the show. The swag includes a reusable bag, nail file, mousepad, lanyard, pin savers, shirt, fan, quilt ruler, 20^th Anniversary Fabric, a tote bag and much, much more.  

The Grand Prize, Prize Package #3, is a chance for one lucky winner and 3 of their friends to meet and spend time with celebrity quilter, Eleanor Burns. Included in this prize package is a 3-night stay at one of Road to California’s host hotels, lunch on Saturday with Eleanor, and front row seats to Eleanor’s 40^th Anniversary Trunk Show on Friday or Saturday night.   

How the 2019 Get Ready for Road Giveaway works

Each prize package will have a window of 4 days to enter. A social media post announcing the current prize package will be posted on Road to California’s Facebook Page and Instagram Account as well as in an article on our blog. To enter, write a comment answering a question in the posts during the time the prize package is live. Each comment on Facebook and Instagram will count as one entry. A comment in an eligible blog post will count as 3 entries. So, there are 4 chances to enter for each prize package offering.

Entries will close at midnight PDT on the last day of a prize package offering. Eligible entries will be counted, and the total number will be submitted to Random Number Generator to determine the winning entry. Winners will be notified by email and/or on our social media sites.   

We hope you are as excited as we are for this giveaway – and for Road to California to begin. Good luck to all who enter.

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