the Reese family. Matriarch Carolyn Reese started the conference almost 22 years ago. Her three sons and their families all play an important part in running the show. At one time or another, most of Carolyn’s grandchildren have had responsibilities with the show as they were growing up. Today, grandson Matt Reese, is the Show Director of Road.
This past summer has been a productive summer for three of Carolyn’s granddaughters. All three were born and raised in Southern California and have had their turn at helping with the behind the scenes of Road. All college graduates, this summer has seen interesting changes in the girls’ lives as they have gone out on their own around the country.
Rachel Reese, daughter of Carolyn’s youngest son Darrell, moved to Chicago in 2014 to be the manager for a music store. This summer, she was promoted to District Manager of retail stores in Illinois and Missouri for Music and Arts. She will be supervising six stores and traveling regularly between the two states. Music and Arts is a national band and orchestral retailer servicing over a million lessons a year and fulfilling the instrumental needs of many musicians.
[caption id="attachment_4225" align="aligncenter" width="640"]
Mary Beth, Rachel, and Erika in Washington, DC[/caption]
On the Fourth of July, Rachel reconnected with cousins Erika Reese of Virginia and Mary Beth Reese of California, in Washington, D.C. to celebrate the nation’s birthday. It rained throughout the day but it eventually cleared up so they could dance on the Capitol lawn to the PBS, A Capitol Fourth Concert. The out-of-towners stayed with Carie Ruiz, Erika and Mary Beth’s sister, at her home in Virginia.
Carie Ruiz is the middle daughter of Carolyn’s middle son, Dave. She and her husband Kevin and their 3 children have lived in Virginia the past few years. Carie is a stay-at-home parent who still finds time for sewing projects. She has been busy hosting relatives all summer: the cousins for July Fourth, her dad and step-mom for Erika’s graduation, and her mom and Grandma Carolyn for her two boys’ birthday celebrations.
[caption id="attachment_4227" align="aligncenter" width="720"]
Carolyn with Great Granddaughter Laura[/caption]
Erika Reese, Dave’s oldest daughter, graduated this summer from the National Institutes of Health Specialist in Blood Bank Technology Program. It was an intensive 12-month training program offered by the Department of Transfusion Medicine in the NIH Clinical Center. During the past year, Erika has juggled working 32 hours per week as a Medical Technologist in the Transfusion Service Laboratory; 8 hours per week of didactic lectures and exams in advanced immunohematology topics; outside rotations at participating facilities; and completion of a research project. After graduation, Erika was eligible to sit for the national exam offered by the American Society of Clinical Pathology and on July 18, 2016, she passed her exam and is now certified as a Specialist in Blood Bank (SBB).
[caption id="attachment_4226" align="aligncenter" width="720"]
L to R, Kimberly Levy (fellow SBB student), Karen Byrne (DTM/SBB Education Coordinator), and Erika[/caption]
Erika recently moved out on her own to an “adorable” rowhouse rental in the Canton neighborhood of Baltimore. Erika has accepted a job as the Quality Assurance Specialist for the Blood Bank at the University of Maryland Medical Center in downtown Baltimore. This job is off the bench and involves reviewing systems from the blood bank to maintain and enhance the quality and safety of transfusion and tissue transplantation. She is also working with her mentors to get her research paper published in a peer-reviewed journal. Erika really enjoys doing research and looks forward to opportunities for future projects within UMMC and collaborating with professionals at other institutions.
Road to California is proud of these three Reese granddaughters. What a summer indeed!!]]>
Welcome to the Road to California Blog
Reese Granddaughters Are Making A Difference
August 6th, 2016Meet Road 2017 Featured Artist: Marilyn Badger
August 2nd, 2016 Red Feathers, where she did the quilting on, won Best of Show in 2013.
[caption id="attachment_4212" align="aligncenter" width="442"]
Red Feathers – Best of Show Road to California 2013. Made by Claudia Clark Myers. Quilted by Marilyn Badger.[/caption]
And at Road 2016, Marilyn won 1st Place for Traditional, Large Pieced for her quilt, Arandano. 
Arandano was a therapy project for Marilyn. After making quilts for competition for so many years, this was her first quilt she made just for herself. She never intended to enter it in a show. However, as she approached the end of the project, she decided that maybe Arandano was good enough to enter into competition. When she made the decision to enter it, Marilyn had to go back and correct a lot of flaws to make it competitive. It took her 1-1/2 years to complete from piecing to hand beading. Marilyn says she learned a lot about hand embroidery and beading and she really loved adding those touches to Arandano.
Quilting Treasures sponsored the Traditional, Large, Pieced category and awarded Marilyn $1,000 for her first place win. Of winning this prize, Marilyn remarked, “It is always wonderful to have a quilt you have put so much work on win it’s first time out in the competitive world. I was thrilled and even more so at Paducah where it won the $20,000 Best of Show award and became a permanent part of the collection of the National Quilt Museum. It just doesn’t get any better than that!”
What did Marilyn think when she was asked to be the Featured Artist for Road to California 2017? “Totally shocked! Road to California is one of my favorite shows and I have attended either as a teacher, vendor or student for as many years as I can remember. To have my quilts on display there will be awesome and I can’t wait to meet and talk with all the quilters who stop by to see my exhibit.”
[caption id="attachment_4216" align="aligncenter" width="440"]
Exuberance by Marilyn Badger[/caption]
In her role as featured artist, Marilyn hopes to encourage more quilters to enter competitions, as well as inspire the younger generation of quilters to continue the art form. “It has been such a passion of mine for over 30 years and I want to see the industry continue to grow, ” shared Marilyn. In her booth near the front of the show floor, Marilyn will have on display as many of her award winning quilts that can fit into the area. APQS will be furnishing a machine for her use during the show. Marilyn will be quilting some of her own small quilts and demonstrating how she accomplishes her quilting techniques.
[caption id="attachment_4218" align="aligncenter" width="300"]
Photo by APQS[/caption]
Marilyn lives in St. George, Utah. Besides being Road’s featured artist, what else does she hope to do while she is in California? “Enjoy the nice weather and perhaps go do a little car racing with my friends.” Be sure to stop by Marilyn’s booth and ask her about that car racing!!
To learn more about Marilyn, please visit her Facebook Page.
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So You Want to Make A Winning Quilt? Road 2016 Best Use Of Color
July 29th, 2016 Technicolor Deco was made and quilted by Shirley Gisi of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Shirley received $1,500.00 from sponsor, Primitive Gatherings.
In creating, Technicolor Deco, Shirley used designs both from traditional quilting and stained glass. She noted that the elements have a somewhat art-deco feel. Shirley had recently taken a trip to Cancun, Mexico, and used some designs from an Aztec museum there for her quilting. Shirley said that she spent nearly every day for two to three months working on the quilt.
How did Shirley react when she found out she had won Best Use of Color at Road 2016? “I love color and so this particular award really speaks to me. I like to use bright warm colors and gradated fabrics which I believe intensifies the piece.”
How did she spend her prize money? “We were doing some kitchen remodeling so I applied the award money to the project.”
What is Shirley working on next? She is continuing to try new things and work on new techniques.
To see more of Shirley’s work, please visit this Pinterest account.
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Meet 2016/2017 Vendor: Pollard’s Sew Creative
July 27th, 2016 Pollard’s Sew Creative began from a passion for sewing and has grown to become a creative sewing center as well as an authorized dealer for Pfaff, Husqvarna, and Viking sewing machines.
Founders Bill and Marcia Pollard, along with their daughter, Jennifer Noble, each bring their own area of expertise to the business. Bill repairs the machines brought into their stores. Marcia is the “creative juice” behind the company. It was from her observations 20 years ago that there wasn’t much sewing education available for the consumer that led the Pollard’s to provide a source where they could show “everything that can be done with a stitch.” Marcia is also known for her digitized machine embroidery exclusive collection for Elegance Threads and Designs.
Jenny joined the business 14 years ago. With a background in technology (she has 2 degrees in technology and is the former head of the Ed Tech Department at the University of LaVerne), it was the recent technological developments with sewing machines that brought her to the business. Today, she oversees Pollard’s Sew Creative business operations. Jenny is also credited with involving their company with Anime Expo, an American anime convention held in Los Angeles, California the first weekend in July and organized by the non-profit Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA). Pollard’s providing sewing machines at the event to encourage youth to sew their own Anime costumes for the convention. 
Pollard’s first store was opened in Glendora, California and they have just added another location in Arcadia, California. Each store offers daily classes and carries products to “sew on and sew with.” They are leaders in an evolving industry, combining computer technology with sewing machines. Their “full package” includes not only selling one-of-a-kind products, fabric, and notions but also offering sewing classes. In addition, they give computer classes on the Dell laptop computers they sell, bringing together computer programs and sewing machines.
Why do the Pollards like coming to Road to California? Says Jenny, “We like to connect with the people and tell them about all the options there are available to inspire.” As the industry continues to change, Pollard’s Sew Creative will “keep pushing outside the box.”
To learn more about Pollard’s Sew Creative, visit their website.
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Traveling The Globe To Get To Road
July 21st, 2016 
Mary Allum and Catherine Dodd[/caption]
Catherine Dodd came from the Isle of Harris in Scotland. Her hometown is famous for producing Harris Tweed. Catherine journeyed 30 hours to get to Road to California. Her trip began from her home where she drove a half hour to get to the port where she boarded a ferry for a 2 hour sail. When she got to the mainland, she next drove 14 hours to Heathrow Airport in London for her 11-1/2 flight to Los Angeles. After arriving in Southern California, she drove 1-1/2 hours to Mission Viejo to stay with her sister. Catherine was in California for 2 weeks, which included she and her sister attending Road to California. Catherine’s sister, Mary, is the sewer in the family and has lived in the United States just one year. She heard about Road to California from Mel’s Sewing and Fabric Center. Their first stop at Road was to take the bus tour that included going to Hoffman California Fabrics. Mary was looking forward to going to Hoffman and Catherine was interested in seeing all the fabric on their bus tour.
[caption id="attachment_4181" align="aligncenter" width="625"]
Jenny Bacon and Margaret McDonald[/caption]
Quilters Margaret McDonald and Jenny Bacon came to Road from Australia. Both friends spent 10 days in the Southern California area. Jenny is not a stranger at Road. She has attended the show for the past five years and helps with the quilt contest judging. After 3 days of judging, Jenny was looking forward to getting out and seeing the show. It was Margaret’s first time at Road. She was looking forward to all the new experiences that Road had to offer, including going on a bus tour.
Road 2017 is already set to welcome more international visitors. Teacher Jenny Bowker will be coming from Australia to teach her classes along with the Tentmakers of Cairo who will be showing their quilts as well as teaching classes with Jenny.
No matter where you live, getting to Road is easy. We have suggestions for your travel arrangements on our web site.
How far will you be traveling to Road to California 2017?]]>
Color and Quilting
July 18th, 2016 2017 Road Teacher, Michele Crawford, knows a lot about color and quilting. A quilt designer since 1989, Michele presented a $5.00 lecture at Road 2016 on The Value of Color which explored the use of color value to enhance quilt design.
[caption id="attachment_4175" align="aligncenter" width="368"]
Photo by Brian Roberts Photography[/caption]
Michele began her lecture talking about the psychology of colors which often dictates what a person wears, lives with, and puts in their quilts:
Red: action, confidence
Pink: romance, tranquility
Orange: close relative to red; sets apart from surroundings
Yellow: happiness, optimism
Green: soothes, relaxes
Blue: calm, cool, trustworthy
[caption id="attachment_4177" align="aligncenter" width="336"]
Photo by Brian Roberts Photography[/caption]
Purple: uplifts, spirituality
White: hope, purity
Black: power, authority
Grey: knowledge, wisdom
When creating a quilt, color provides the basic design principles: Movement, Repetition, and Variety. Michele gave some added tips for repetition and variety. She said a Resting Spot should always be included in a quilt including a different color or value or border. She also warned about not having the quilt be too busy. If a quilt is too busy, it’s not pleasant to view because the eye is constantly wandering. And because variety is the spice of life, a zinger color (something not even in the quilt or border) can “make the quilt” sparkle. The color wheel is divided into 3 categories that are considered the pure colors: Primary colors – red, yellow and blue with (*Yellow being the most dominant pure color) Secondary colors – orange, green and violet Tertiary colors – red/orange, red/violet, yellow/green, yellow/orange, blue/green and blue/violet Complimentary Colors appear on opposite sides of a color wheel – red/green for example. Black is the mixture of all the pure colors. White is the absence of color. The true neutrals are the achromatic colors: black and white plus grey. The rule of thumb to remember when working with pure colors is that LIGHT ADVANCES ON DARK and DARK ADVANCES ON LIGHT. [caption id="attachment_4176" align="aligncenter" width="336"]
Photo by Brian Roberts Photography[/caption]
Color Value refers to how light or dark a color is. Michele said that understanding this concept is vital in making effective scrap quilts. Quilts will be more interesting not if the colors (or fabrics) do not match, but rather when different colors work together when they are in the same color value.
[caption id="attachment_4173" align="aligncenter" width="336"]
Photo by Brian Roberts Photography[/caption]
Every fabric in a certain color can be divided into three main groups: LIGHT, MEDIUM, and DARK. Within these groups, they can be subdivided again into three separate areas of light, medium and dark (i.e. light-light, medium-light and dark-light).
Light: Fabrics in these colors (white, cream, ecru, etc.) are effective as backgrounds, for contrast and to soften the look of a quilt.
Medium: Fabrics in these colors (medium blue, red, green, etc.) provide a rich look as a blender or contrast between light and dark fabrics.
Dark: Fabrics in these colors (black, navy, forest green, etc.) create a strong bold contrast. These are the colors that are going to pull together all the rest of the colors or “pop” in a quilt and are good for borders.
[caption id="attachment_4174" align="aligncenter" width="364"]
Photo by Brian Roberts Photography[/caption]
When deciding on the colors for a quilt, Michele recommended starting with the block design first and pull the colors to the outside of the quilt. Whatever colors are used in the center of a quilt should be the border fabric/color.
To learn more about Michele and her quilt designing, please visit her website.]]>
Two Ways To Show Off Your Quilt for Road 2017
July 14th, 2016Do you have a quilt that you have been working on that you would like to share with the public?
Road to California 2017 is offering two opportunities for quilters to enter their quilt designs – one that we are known for and a new one for quilts to be part of a special exhibit.
First, there is Road’s annual Quilt Contest. For 2017, quilters have the chance to vie for prize money totaling $90,000. Once again, Gammill is sponsoring the Best of Show category, offering $10,000 for the top prize. [caption id="attachment_4055" align="aligncenter" width="404"]
Best of Show Road 2016 – Silk Road Sampler by MelissaSobotka[/caption]
Road receives hundreds of entries each year in their annual contest for the fifteen categories. In order to qualify to enter, quilts have to have been made since January 1, 2015 and could not have been entered in a Road contest previously. The quilts have to been made with three distinct layers and no pre-quilted fabrics can be used.
[caption id="attachment_4093" align="aligncenter" width="336"]
2016 Outstanding Modern Quilt by Linda M. Thielfoldt[/caption]
Individuals can enter up to 3 quilts in the contest. Entry packets can be obtained on the Road website and must be received at Road’s office (either online or by mail) no later than October 3, 2016. Entrants are notified by November 28, 2016 if their quilt is chosen for the competition. Quilters then have until December 23, 2016 to ship their quilt to Road’s office.
[caption id="attachment_4035" align="aligncenter" width="327"]
2016 Director’s Choice by Kathy McNeil[/caption]
Judging for the contest will take place on January 17, 2017. Besides the top prizes, judges also consider three winners for each of the categories offered. All winners are notified the evening of the 17th.
[caption id="attachment_4110" align="aligncenter" width="336"]
2016 Outstanding Traditional Quilt by Bethanne G. Nemesh[/caption]
For more information on our 2017 Quilt Contest, please visit our website.
If you have a modern design quilt that you are proud of, perhaps you might consider entering it in the Special Exhibit, Modern Quilts – Redesigning Traditions. While no prize money is being offered, accepted quilts earn the prestige of being included in this special display.
The exhibit will be shown at the Ontario Museum of History and Art in Ontario, California, December 1, 2016 through January 22, 2017 – which includes time during Road 2017.
Modern Quilts: Redesigning Tradition, explores the modern evolution of traditional quilt patterns. Entries must adhere to the exhibit theme: traditional quilt blocks redesigned into a quilted item displaying Modern Quilting aesthetics. The traditional block used as inspiration must be identified by its commonly used name on the entry form.
[caption id="attachment_3839" align="aligncenter" width="296"]
Not Your Grandmother’s Wedding by Pauline Saltzman[/caption]
Submissions considered for acceptance to the exhibit include quilts, bags, pillows, and table coverings. All entries must consist of three distinct layers: top, middle layer and backing and must be quilted by hand and/or machine. No entry can exceed 96” wide. Due to shipping restrictions, quilted upholstered furniture will not be accepted.
[caption id="attachment_3842" align="aligncenter" width="297"]
Square in a Square by Christa Watson[/caption]
The deadline to submit entries is August 15, 2016. Accepted pieces will be notified by October 1, 2016. Interested sewists can request detailed information and an entry form from Guest Curator, Geroganna Hawley at ghawley@ontarioca.gov
Road to California is looking forward to all the submissions for both of these events. What quilt will you be entering for Road’s contests?
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Mixing Generations Makes Great Quilt Friends
July 8th, 2016 
Valerie Hall and Velma Anderson, age 80, met two years ago through their quilt guild, the African American Quilt Guild. The guild was having its show and Valerie struck up a conversation with Velma while waiting in line to buy fabric. Velma has been quilting since she was 9 years old. Valerie is just starting out. She says she is “learning the process.” Velma said that she is “trying to be a good example to Valerie in helping her quilt.” Road 2016 was Valerie’s first time at the show and she “loved it.” The show was Velma’s 5th time. She enjoyed the show as well but remarked, “I never have enough money.”
These three friends are each exactly 10 years apart in age. All from the Seattle area, Lois was born in 1949, Teresa was born in 1959, and Michele was born in 1969. They met 12 years ago at a quilt retreat. All three wanted to quilt, but didn’t have any quilting friends, so they signed up for the retreat and have been friends ever since. They came to Road 2016 with their quilt teacher and three other friends. Because of their teacher, Lois, Teresa, and Michele prefer traditional quilting using Civil War fabrics. However, they did say, “We also like to get out of the box.” They stayed the whole week of Road, starting with Preview Night on Wednesday, where they appreciated seeing all the quilts without the crowds. During the show, they had expectations to see high quality quilts and do a lot of shopping. They all agreed that their expectations were met. And what made their trip even more fun was that Teresa was a grand prize winner, having won 2 tickets to Road from a contest Road had sponsored last fall.
[caption id="attachment_4158" align="aligncenter" width="625"]
Charlotte, Brittany and Lisa[/caption]
Lisa and Charlotte are running buddies. Lisa was always talking about her quilting and Charlotte wanted to learn how to quilt, so in 2012, Lisa started teaching her. After Charlotte began quilting, that interested her daughter Brittany to start. Now, Lisa, Charlotte and Brittany all belong to the same quilt guild. Lisa has been coming to Road since it began 21 years ago. She enjoys coming to the show because “it is a wonderful opportunity to meet other quilters.”
No matter your age, sharing a love of quilting can break down any generation gap.]]>
Meet 2016/2017 Vendor: Eye of the Beholder
July 6th, 2016Eye of the Beholder Quilt Design will be returning to Road to California in 2017
How does someone go from professional dancer to quilter?
That is exactly what Margaret Willingham did. For many years, Margaret taught choreography for a modern dance company specializing in classical ballet and modern dance. When Margaret developed major back problems (she had 5 surgeries in 2 years), she realized that teaching dance was no longer an option. Newly divorced, Margaret had to find something she could do to make a living. So she turned to her passions to find the answer. [caption id="attachment_4151" align="aligncenter" width="552"]
Photo by Brian Roberts Photography[/caption]
Margaret loved being creative, artistic, and quilting. For Margaret, fabric was “fun to play with.” She “followed the doors God had given” her and started Eye of the Beholder Quilt Design. She has been in business going on 6 years. Instead of choreographing dances, she is choreographing quilts.
Eye of the Beholder Quilt Design specializes in original applique patterns inspired by the world around us. Margaret has developed a reverse applique process that is “a no brainer.” Just Trace-Baste-Snip-Stitch. Margaret shared that she’s even had 10 year olds master her technique. “People are amazed at how easy and simple of a process it is.” Eye of the Beholder Quilt Designs can also be done as machine reverse applique because Margaret has found that some people don’t like to do hand work.
[caption id="attachment_4148" align="aligncenter" width="625"]
Photo by Brian Roberts Photography[/caption]
From August, 2015 to January, 2016, Margaret put 11,000 miles on her new van traveling to various shows. She spends most of the time in her booth demonstrating her applique steps with her customers. She has also put up tutorials on her website, has a booklet that explains her technique, and writes a blog sharing applique tips and experiences.
[caption id="attachment_4149" align="aligncenter" width="625"]
Photo by Brian Roberts Photography[/caption]
Road 2016 was Margaret’s first time at the show. She had never really been to Southern California before and was excited to be at Road as she had “heard good things about the show.” She is looking forward to returning to Road 2017.
[caption id="attachment_4150" align="aligncenter" width="625"]
Photo by Brian Roberts Photography[/caption]
You can learn more about Eye of the Beholder Quilt Designs on their website.]]>
Families That Quilt Together Stay Together
June 29th, 2016 Road to California is a great place for family members of all ages to enjoy.
Kim, age 19 from Simi Valley, California, attended Road 2016 with her mom and grandmother, a third generation quilter. Kim got into quilting when she decided she wanted to make a quilt for her best friend. Since then, she has also made a couple of wall hangings. She finds quilting to be a nice break from school and work. Road 2016 was her third time at the show. “I love it.” Kim likes seeing all the quilt entries. “They are mind blowing.”
These three generations of quilters visited Road from Bakersfield, California. Grandmother Kay, Kay’s daughter Judy along with Kay’s granddaughter and Judy’s niece Alyssa, age 13, enjoyed spending the day together, enjoying the variety of quilts and skill levels on display.
Kay has been quilting for 30 years and is 90 years old. Judy started sewing in the 8th grade and has been quilting for the past 25 years. Her first quilt was made from fabric she bought at J.C. Penney. She cut out hexagons, created her own pattern and sewed it together. Today, she prefers to applique. Alyssa started quilting 5 years ago. She likes to piece together fabric to make pillows. While her aunt and grandmother have been to Road dozens of times, Road 2016 was Alyssa’s first visit. “I liked it,” remarked Alyssa. She especially enjoyed the Carol’s Zoo Booth.
Who in your family do you bring along to Road?
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