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This Family Can Quilt!!

May 26th, 2015

Some families go to the movies. Other families go camping. The Dommer family goes quilting.

Meet the Dommer family: daughter Terri Dommer Krause; son, Keith; and mom, Darlene.

For over 20 years, they have planned get-togethers around their love of quilting. With Darlene’s birthday falling near the week of Road to California, it has been a tradition for the Dommers to help their mom celebrate by going to Road together and taking a class or two. It’s a natural way for the three family members to spend time together and encourage each other with their quilting.

How did they get started in quilting? Darlene sewed clothes until about 40 years ago, a friend invited her to attend a city sponsored quilt class. Terri also started out sewing clothes. She says she didn’t own a pair of store-bought jeans until she got a job out of high school!! Terri thought quilting would be a fun way to use her sewing skills. Keith grew up watching his mom and grandmothers quilt and thought they made “ugly things.” In 1990, he went to Visions, an art quilt show in San Diego and it just drew him in. His quilting is a great complement to his day job as a CPA.

Each of the Dommer family has their own quilting style. Darlene prefers traditional quilting and has done some appliqueing. 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.

[caption id="attachment_3186" align="aligncenter" width="407"]

Celtic Christmas Crossing by Keith Dommer[/caption]

What do they enjoy most about their annual Road family outing? For Darlene, she loves the inspiration she receives for trying new techniques. Keith is always astounded by the beautiful quilts and feels that “Road showcases the cutting edge of where quilting is currently heading.” Above all, Terri thinks Road is the best place for a family outing. And we would have to agree!!

How many quilters are there in your family?

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Tags: Family Quilters, Road to California
Posted in Road to California | No Comments »

Matt Reese: Road’s Show Manager And New Law School Graduate

May 22nd, 2015

You might think that managing a premiere quilt show that hosts over 39,000 attendees from around the world and features over 500 vendors is a challenge, try adding to that law school student!! That’s exactly what Road’s show manager, Matt Reese, has been doing the past four years.

Why did Matt want to pursue a law degree in addition to his Road duties? His undergraduate degree was in music performance. Knowing that one day he wanted to have a family, he knew that he needed a career. Gigging was fun, but it wouldn’t pay the bills and allow Matt to start his life the way he had imagined. Because he had always liked winning arguments, (so much that his family had joked that he would make a good lawyer), Matt decided to go for law school. It didn’t take long for Matt to discover that he really enjoyed the study of law.

Matt started law school at the University of La Verne, in the fall of 2011, going part-time in the evening. He chose that school because it was close to home and offered him a great scholarship. His favorite classes have involved property and business organizations. Biz Orgs was taught by a professor who specialized in fortune 500 mergers and acquisitions. Matt learned all about the inside world of large corporations and how to take a corporation public.

He did not like Constitutional law. Matt thought it was too dry and based on the decisions of nine people who may or may not see the law as black and white or grey or blue or who knows what. (For those who disagree and enjoy con law, Matt recommends they read Wickard v. Filburn and then explain to him why a farmer can’t grow a little extra wheat on his farm to feed his family).

During Road 2015, while Matt was finishing up his law school courses, he was leading a double life. He would work at Road from 6 am to 6 pm and then go to class from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm. Thanks to his family and especially wife, he was able to balance both of these demanding responsibilities.

Matt graduated with his Juris Doctorate in Law on May 16, 2015.

He is currently undertaking a ten week, seven days a week, twelve hours a day comprehensive test prep program at La Verne. It covers the thirteen subjects that will be tested on the California Bar Exam over three days at the end of July. Matt’s wife Jennifer points put that Matt is totally consumed right now with his test preparation and is devoting his full attention to this endeavor.

But Roadies need not fear: Matt assures us that he worked very hard before he began studying for the bar to make sure Road would run smoothly this summer. Currently, the Road office staff is finalizing the Road 2016 class schedule so that registration can open the beginning of July.

We wish Matt the best of luck on the bar exam and look forward to his return to his Road duties in August.

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Tags: Road to California, University of La Verne College of Law
Posted in Reese Family | 8 Comments »

From Travel to Sewing: Meet Yazzii Bags

May 19th, 2015

“Life is short. Do it right”

This philosophy has guided Yazzii Bags owner, Yasmita Magan, in all her decisions, especially as she has developed this international company known for producing “the world’s best bag.” [caption id="attachment_3160" align="aligncenter" width="525"]

Photo by Gregory Case Photography[/caption] Born in South Africa, Yasmita is a Canadian citizen who has called Australia her home for the past 26 years. Once you meet her, you are captivated by her exuberance for life and for her business. It’s easy to see how she acquired the nickname, “Jazzy Yazzii.” With a passion for people and design, Yazzii strives to put her “best foot forward” in all she does. Yasmita’s professional career started in the travel industry. She had seen the need for a travel bag that was versatile and long-lasting, so began developing quality, handmade bags, the forerunners of today’s Yazzii bags. At age 40, Yasmita left the travel industry and for the past 14 years, has been selling her bags full time. [caption id="attachment_3157" align="aligncenter" width="609"]

Photo by Gregory Case Photography[/caption] The first Yazzii Bags were sold to hold jewelry when traveling. They quickly became popular with crafters as mini craft organizers. Then, in October, 2001, while selling her bags in Sydney Harbor, Yazzii met two women dressmakers who fell in love with her bags and remarked how versatile they could be for storing sewing supplies. Yazii took their suggestions and began marketing her travel bags to the sewing world where their demand has quickly grown All bags are handmade in India in a factory owned by Yasmita. A Hindu, Yazzii speaks their language and feels more comfortable running her company there than in China. She has made 65 trips to India over the years to personally oversee the bag production. Workers sit on the floor as they make the bags. It takes approximately 7 hours to produce one bag!! Yazzii is especially proud of the fact that her bags hold their value. Her zippers are of the highest quality and remain intact even after 14 years of constant opening and closing. In addition, a specialty line of bags have been designed for quilters Sue Spargo and Jinny Beyer. [caption id="attachment_3161" align="aligncenter" width="613"]

Photo by Gregory Case Photography[/caption] Yazzii Bags are sold in Australia, Europe, Japan and the United States. Being a vendor at Road 2015 was a highlight for Yazzii. She appreciated the “tremendous opportunity” Carolyn Reese offered her to be there. Yazzii’s husband (they’ve been married for 36 years) joined Yazzii for the show, assisting her in selling the bags. They both loved meeting all the quilters, hearing success stories of their Yazzii Bags, and introducing new customers to their product. They are thrilled to return to Road 2016. Yasmita Magan is fulfilling her dream of making a difference in the world, one Yazzii Bag at a time. ]]>

Tags: Craft organizers, Jewelry bags, Jinny Beyer, Road to California, Sewing organizers, Sue Spargo, Yazii International
Posted in Vendors | No Comments »

Road 2015 Arcade Quilts

May 14th, 2015

One of the highlights of our show each year are the stunning quilts hung in the Ontario Convention Center’s Arcade.

[caption id="attachment_3152" align="aligncenter" width="614"]

Photo by Gregory Case Photography[/caption]

Carolyn Reese chooses a Southern California Quilt Guild to host this special exhibit. In 2015, that guild was The Westside Quilters of Los Angeles.

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Photo by Gregory Case Photography[/caption]

The Westside Quilters Guild supports traditional, contemporary and art quilters of any age and from all experience levels. The guild meets quarterly on Saturday mornings at St. John’s Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles. Their meetings include lecture presentations, workshops and occasional field trips.

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Photo by Gregory Case Photography[/caption]

The Westside Quilters guild is a service guild, promoting charitable work with several organizations. Members are expected to give several hours of service each year. Many of their philanthropic endeavors benefit children. they make crib, baby, and childrens quilts for La Familias Del Pueblo, Para Los Ninos, St. Joseph’s Early Learning Center, and to Japanese Tsunami/Earthquake victims.

[caption id="attachment_3148" align="aligncenter" width="594"]

Photo by Gregory Case Photography[/caption]

Thirty five quilts created by members of the guild adorned the atrium. Sally Wright curated the exhibit for the guild. Said President Perla Rothenberg, “It was a proud moment to see Westside Quilters on display.”

[caption id="attachment_3149" align="aligncenter" width="550"]

Photo by Gregory Case Photography[/caption]

What guild do you think will be featured in 2016?

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Tags: Ontario Convention Center, Quilt Guilds, Westside Quilters of Los Angeles
Posted in Road 2015- 20th Anniversary Show | 1 Comment »

Aloha!! Meet Hawaiian Quilter, Carrie Fondi

May 12th, 2015

Carrie taught two Traditional Hand Quilting classes and a Traditional Hawaiian Applique class at Road to California 2015

A mother to 9-year old twins (a boy and a girl), Carrie Fondi of Aloha Quilt Designs, self-taught herself at the age of 12 (or 13) how to quilt. She has been Hawaiian Quilting nonstop since then, studying under many Master Hawaiian Quilters over the last 15 years.

Carrie finds inspiration for her quilting at her second home in Maui, Hawaii. She says, “I can walk down the street and find inspiration in everything from the man’s shirt in front of me to the flowers that have fallen in the sand.” When she isn’t quilting, Carrie likes to swim and surf in the ocean with her family.

Needles (and thread) are the one quilting tool that she can’t live without. A small applique project always travels in her purse. She even quilts on the beach in the sand!

Carrie travels about 30,000 miles in her car each year teaching. Of course, Hawaii is the farthest distance she has gone to teach a quilting class. Because she has young children, she “cannot leave {her} family for long or often.”

When Carrie is teaching, she enjoys watching her students learn the art of hand applique and quilting. She remarked that, “Most students walk into my class scared or intimidated by hand work and then leave with a confident smile on their face.” Her best quilting tip to her students: Relax!!

What did Carrie enjoy most about her classes she taught at Road 2015? “All the happy students!!” She was appreciative for the full classes and the great students she had.

Look for Carrie to return to Road 2016; she can’t wait to meet her new students. Will one of them be you?

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Tags: Applique, Hand Quilting, Hawaii, Hawaiian Quilting, Maui
Posted in Faculty | No Comments »

Thanks, Mom

May 5th, 2015

What better legacy than for mothers to pass on their appreciation for quilting to their children — the younger the better. Just ask these three moms who brought their babies and young children to Road 2015:

Violet Evans, age 10 weeks, sits in her bouncer while her mom, Megan Evans, sews. Violet is happy that Megan met her quilting friend, Michelle Barbee, at the LA Modern Quilt Guild because they encourage each other with their modern quilting projects. Michelle started quilting twenty years ago when her son was little (he’s 23 now) and Megan has been quilting for the past five years. Road 2015 was Megan’s fifth time at the show and Violet’s first. They all had “a fun time looking at all the quilts and shopping.”

2 year old Ben Yoshizawa, came to Road 2015 with his mom, Erika, and dad, Taka. Erika started quilting six years ago when she and Taka were engaged. She thought it would be fun to take a class and start a new hobby. Taka supports Erika in her quilting. He bought her her sewing machine, a Bernina 550, that she uses to not only sew but to also do free motion quilting on her quilts. Taka also made Erika a sewing table for her machine. Ben liked looking at all the “neat stuff” and watched as his mom “tried out some new equipment.”

Destiny (age 7) and Makayla (age 16) had a great time having their mom, Tamara, guide them around the vendor floor. Tamara is a busy quilting mom. She has ten children – six girls and four boys – and they all know how to quilt!! Tamara said she has always loved to sew. Her first project was a baby quilt that she had to “cut out a ridiculous amount of squares.” She later enrolled herself and a daughter into a parent participation quilting class so that they could both learn the “right way” to quilt. Makayla first learned to quilt from her mom five years ago. One of her favorite projects she has made is a hidden nine patch quilt. Destiny started out as her mom’s official seam ripper when she was just three years old!! Destiny began quilting two years ago and has made her own twin bed quilt out of flannel squares. All three ladies enjoyed seeing the quilts on display and getting ideas for their next projects.

Happy Mother’s Day to quilting moms everywhere.

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Tags: #Mother's Day, Children and Quilting, LA Modern Quilt Guild
Posted in Road 2015- 20th Anniversary Show | No Comments »

Repurposing Your Denim

May 1st, 2015

We are always reminded of the need to reuse-renew-recycle — especially when it comes to fabric scraps, fabric stash, and used clothing.

Luveta Nickels of Junk Jeans is an expert at reusing fabric, especially denim. Road to California 2015 was Luveta’s second time at the show and first time giving a lecture presentation. Her class, “Ready to Wear Rehab” shared original ideas on how to repurpose denim jeans.

Known as the “denim diva,” Luveta has had an interest in recycling denim jeans since she was a young girl. At one time, she had collected over 3,000 pairs of jeans! Her natural curiosity about the workings of zippers, tack buttons, rivets and even the purpose of holes in the knees, prepared Luveta in those early years, for cutting, ripping and tearing her current creations.

During the lecture, Luveta shared how to make a denim jacket out of three pairs of jeans. And how one pair of jeans can be cut down to make four placemats!! It is all about how you lay out your project, Luveta explained.

With the current interest in creating handbags and purses – not to mention Road to California’s and ByAnnie.com’s Bag Challenge for Road 2016 — Luveta demonstrated a fun embellishment: using the pockets from worn denim jeans.

To use Luveta’s technique, you will need a pocket removed from a pair of jeans, some lace, and a spray bottle filled with bleach.

Step One: Remove a pocket from a pair of worn jeans.

Step Two: Arrange a piece of lace over the pocket

Step Three: Spray bleach over the lace and then immediately remove the lace.

Step Four: Be patient and wait for the bleach to take hold on the fabric. Once it has dried, the pocket can be stitched to your project.

Luveta said that this procedure can also be used on t-shirts. You just have to dilute the bleach before spraying over the lace.

Do you have any tips for reusing fabric or jeans?

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Tags: Luveta Nickels, Recycle, Recylcing Jeans, Renew, Reuse
Posted in Road 2015- 20th Anniversary Show, Road to California | No Comments »

Pretty in Pink: Meet Shabby Fabrics

April 28th, 2015

Did you happen to notice the very pink vendor booth at Road 2015?

Shabby Fabrics is all about family and fabric. An online, 8,500 square foot warehouse that carries hundreds of “the most beautiful fabrics on earth under one roof,” Shabby Fabrics is based in Coeur d Alene, Idaho. The Shabby Fabrics family includes owner Jennifer Bosworth, her husband Dave and their two children, twenty “amazing” full time employees, and three “loveable” dogs.

[caption id="attachment_3097" align="aligncenter" width="648"]

Photo by Gregory Case Photography[/caption]

Jennifer credits the beginning of Shabby Fabrics as “a result of God’s work.” Prior to September 11, 2001, both Jennifer and Dave were employed as commercial pilots for United Airlines. Following the events of 9/11, many of the major airlines began to furlough airline personnel – including the Bosworths — because people were reluctant to fly and the economy had taken a major downturn. Jennifer explained that a furlough is a temporary lay-off of unknown duration. During a furlough, employees are not paid and they lose their medical insurance. The Bosworths couldn’t just switch to another airline because they were furloughing pilots too. Their situation became very serious as they had no other source of income.

Jennifer prayed for guidance and God said “Do what you know and do what you love.” Growing up, she always loved to create and craft. In her early twenties, she supplemented her family’s income by selling her handmade crafts at holiday bazaars and other craft shows. So Jennifer decided to go back to what she knew and loved. Jennifer called her mother and asked for a $10,000 loan to start a new business and buy her first round of inventory. Shabby Fabrics began as an Ebay company in the basement of the Bosworth home in Spokane, Washington. When the business grew from the basement to include the living room, kitchen, and a specially built backyard building, it was time for Shabby Fabrics to move into first a commercial building in Spokane, and later to their current location in Idaho.

Why is Shabby Fabrics an online-only business? Says Jennifer, “We chose to be online only because we launched the company during one of the worst US economic downturns. We knew we needed a global customer base to balance the effects of a bad US economy or else we wouldn’t survive as a company.”

[caption id="attachment_3098" align="aligncenter" width="679"]

Photo by Gregory Case Photography[/caption]

Besides fabrics, the most popular item Shabby Fabrics sells are their pre-fused/laser-cut shapes and kits which are “quick, fun and easy.”

Road to California is the only show Shabby Fabrics leaves Idaho for. They have been coming since 2012 and appreciate the opportunity to meet their customers face to face. They also enjoy the beautiful, sunny weather (there’s rarely sun in Coeur d Alene) and getting an In-N-Out Burger!!

And about that pink…. Says Jennifer, “I just love pink. It’s a girly color and I think there’s at least a little “girly girl” in all of us! I love pink, glitter, rhinestones and ruffles. But I can also throw a football and fly a Boeing 767. Go figure!”

[caption id="attachment_3099" align="aligncenter" width="679"]

Photo by Gregory Case Photography[/caption]

Indeed, “quilting is sew fun” at Shabby Fabrics.

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Tags: Coeur d Alene, Idaho, In-N-Out Burger, Laser Cut Shapes, Online Quilt Store, Pink, Quilt Fabric, Shabby Fabrics
Posted in Road to California, Vendors | 4 Comments »

A "Couple" Of Quilters

April 23rd, 2015

Road to California is even more fun when shared with a spouse.

Meet Jan and Mike Rowe of Perth, Australia. (In case you were wondering, their air flights from Perth to Ontario, California took 18-1/2 hours!!). Art and quilting are Jan’s passions. Her interest in quilting began 20 years ago when she was visiting her sister in England and ran across a sign advertising a quilt show. She has been quilting ever since, favoring “contemporary” designs. In 2001, she started teaching quilting. Mike and Jan travel all over the world, picking themes for their trips that almost always include a stop at some quilting venue. They came to Road as part of a one month tour around California for their 44th wedding anniversary. Mike is “very supportive of Jan’s quilting interests and turns a blind eye to her shopping.”

Road 2015 was Gary and Laynee Greenberg’s third visit to Road. From Fresno, California, Laynee taught kindergarten for 20 years, retiring in 2011. She started quilting after she retired. They always come to Road together. Gary enjoys supporting Laynee in her quilting hobby. In return, Laynee goes with Gary to his HAM radio events. Both Laynee and Gary appreciate the creativity that goes in to the quilts they see at Road. Gary observed, “They are incredible.”

[caption id="attachment_3086" align="aligncenter" width="707"]

Photo by Gregory Case Photography[/caption]

Mel and Chong Ogawa drive up from their home in San Clemente, California to spend a day together at Road. Road 2015 marked their fourth time visiting the show. Mel says he comes along to offer “moral support” — and to manage Chong’s shopping bags. Chong has been quilting for 15 years. She likes to incorporate Hawaiian fabrics in her designs. Both Mel and Chong like viewing the exhibits. Chong likes to get new ideas from other quilters while Mel admires the quilts because they “look just like pictures.”

Have you considered bringing your spouse to Road?

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Tags: Couples traveling to Quilt Shows, Quilt Show
Posted in Road 2015- 20th Anniversary Show | 1 Comment »

Your Personal App Challenge

April 20th, 2015

App: noun. An application, typically a small, specialized program downloaded onto mobile devices

Since 1987, apps have been making it easier for users to access Internet services on their cell phones and tablets. But it in 2015, apps moved from the World Wide Web to the Quilt World in the form of a special quilt exhibit, Your Personal App Challenge.

Curated by Road’s own Matt Reese and Stevii Graves, makers were asked to create a “fabric ‘app’ lication depicting an aspect of their life or their identity. The quilters had 5 months to complete their entries.

While Matt and Stevii personally knew the quilters they invited to participate, Stevii remarked that she has really come to “learn more about the individuals from the variety of images and interpretations that were created. The people we invited to participate were famous quilt teachers, Facebook friends, Road staff and quilting buddies from coast to coast.” Truly an all star line up of contributors!!

“Where in the World is She?” is the design of Sherry Cowley. Sherry hesitated at first to participate; she wasn’t sure what she could convey as her personal app. Then she thought about how much she travels. While Sherry and her husband live on the east coast, her husband works on the west coast. Sherry is always traveling somewhere and it’s difficult to pin her down. She might be off visiting her husband at his job in California or her girlfriend in France; vacationing in Hawaii or Mexico or staying at her beach house. And then there are all the various trips she goes on with her husband not to mention the 14 house moves they have made together. “Where in the World is She?” became the perfect description for Sherry’s traveling life. She wanted to keep the pattern basic and simple, thus the plain, yellow arrows. Sherry chose the background fabric because it reminded her of flight patterns.

Sue Graham of Northern Virginia chose the USO as her theme for her personal app quilt. Sue spent 7 years as a volunteer for the USO. When she got the invitation to participate in the challenge, she was sitting in the USO lounge at Dulles Airport. At first, Sue wasn’t sure if she could come up with anything to do. Then, she looked around the lounge and said to herself, “This is a part of my life — here is my app.”

The youngest App maker is Beatrice Findley, who depicted a computer code that wrote her name. This young teenager’s app quilt combines her love of computer programming and her mother’s love of quilting.

The most unusual app quilt was made by longarm teacher Cathy Wiggins. Cathy’s quilt is made of quilted leather, which has become a Cathy trademark.

The exhibit is made up of 54 quilts and Road to California was its’ first stop. It is expected to travel around the country with the next stop at the Home Machine Quilting Show in Salt Lake City, May 7-9, 2015.

What personal app would you come up with to describe you?

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Tags: Apps, Computer Programming, Leather Quilting, Special Quilt Exhibit, Traveling, USO
Posted in Special Quilt Exhibits | 3 Comments »