Welcome to the Road to California Blog

A Pet Friendly Place

April 15th, 2015

Everyone is welcome at Road to California: men, women, young, old — and even some dogs!!

Meet Narita and her owner, quilter Janie Bernstein of Santa Cruz. California. Narita is a 5 year old Labrador retriever. Trained by Dogs4Diabetics, Narita and Janie were brought together 2 years ago by Guide Dogs for the Blind. When Janie is quilting, Narita lays down at Janie’s feet. Narita enjoys going to quilt shows. The 20^th Anniversary Show was both Narita’s and Janie’s first time at Road. They loved coming and they look forward to returning next year.

Susan Butler and Coco live in Victorville, California. A Pomeranian, one year old Coco is a service dog that will sit on Susan’s lap when she quilts. Susan had gone to Road the past three years but 2015 was the first time for Coco. Susan loved seeing all of the quilts and visiting with the vendors. Coco seemed to like the show as well – but she didn’t particularly care for all the attention and fondling she received from the other guests.

And we can’t forget about Carolyn Reese’s dog, Harley. He is a familiar face at the Road office in Upland, California. He loves to greet visitors, especially the UPS man when he is delivering all the quilts accepted for judging for the showcase.

Do you have a pet that is “quilt friendly?”

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Tags: Dogs, Dogs4Diabetics, Guide Dogs for the Blind, Pets, Service Dog
Posted in Road to California | 1 Comment »

Quilt Ink

April 10th, 2015

One trend that we noticed at Road 2015 was the popularity of quilt tattoos.

Husband and wife Steve and Pam Dransfeldt own a longarm quilting business in Camarillo, California. They have attended Road for several years and appreciate the familiarity of Road. Says Steve, “I like seeing all the stuff at Road. The quilts are incredible. I work in a paper mill and I try to tell the guys how great quilting is but they have no idea.”

Both Pam and Steve sport several quilt inspired tattoos. Steve even has a tattoo design on the back of his leg that came from a Karen McTavish quilt. “Her quilt work is natural for tattoos,” says Steve.

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Photo by Gregory Case Photography[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3046" align="alignright" width="426"]

Photo by Gregory Case Photography[/caption]

Pam always asks permission from the quilters before they use their artwork for a tattoo

Linda M. Posle also asks permission before she uses a design from a book for a tattoo. She writes the author and has never been turned down.

Abbie Van Buskirk, teacher and advisor of the Quilt Club at Innovative Horizons Charter School, has an Eleanor Burns inspired Block of the Month design on her leg. Abbie showed Eleanor her tattoo when Eleanor helped out with the quilt tours for the elementary school students. Eleanor was speechless; that was a first for her!!

What do you think about quilt inspired tattoos?

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Tags: Eleanor Burns, Karen McTavish, Quilt Tattoos, Tattoos
Posted in Road 2015- 20th Anniversary Show, Road to California | 3 Comments »

A Field Trip Of Dreams

April 7th, 2015

Do you remember your elementary school field trips?

You probably went to a museum or to an art exhibit; the zoo or the fire station. Maybe you even went to a theatrical performance. For 5^th and 6^th grade students in the Quilt Club at Innovative Horizons Charter School, their field trip was to attend Road to California!!

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Photo by Gregory Case Photography[/caption]

A low, socio-economic school located in the low, socio-economic Perris Elementary School District, Innovative Horizons Charter School’s Quilt Club is in its second year under the direction of teacher (and quilter) Abbie Van Buskirk. The original intent of the club said Ms. Buskirk was to enable students to “learn to sew something for themselves and to sew something for them to give away.”

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Photo by Gregory Case Photography[/caption]

This year, there are 25 fifth grade and ten sixth grade students participating in the after school club. “I joined the Quilt Club to make quilts for people who need warmth in the cold,” said 5^th grader Jesus Ayala. Added Cain Gonzales, another 5^th grade student, “I wanted to make quilts for preemies.”

The club meets on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for 1-1/2 hours. It has access to 8 Brother sewing machines which were donated to the school along with cutting boards and cutting tools. Students cut out their own projects using fabric donated by Ms. Van Buskirk and other faculty at the school. Christine Tober, a mom of one of the club members and a volunteer with the Quilt Club, said of the program, “My son has been in the Quilt Club for 2 years and has become an advanced quilter. I love the opportunity the club gives the kids not only to learn how to quilt, but for them to socialize, use their math skills, and participate in something.”

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Photo by Gregory Case Photography[/caption]

Ms. Buskirk approached her school district and Road to California to attend the show. The district provided the buses from its art funding. After a one hour bus ride, the students were greeted at the show by Road’s owner, Carolyn Reese, and well known quilter Eleanor Burns. Many of the students were familiar with Eleanor’s Quilt in a Day and so they treated her like a celebrity!!

And Eleanor was just as excited to see them. “I started sewing when I was young so I know firsthand the benefits of how sewing will keep you healthy and give you something to look forward to each day. I hope these children will keep sewing the rest of their life.”

The students were divided in to three groups and given a three hour tour of the show. Each group took turns learning about long arm quilting machines and cutting tools; visited the Celebrating 150 Years of California State Parks special exhibit and met with the Egyptian quilters at their special exhibit. They were thrilled with the special treatment they received and were inspired but what they saw.

Carolyn Reese enjoyed hosting the students. “It’s important to let the younger generation experience the different aspects of quilting and learn that it’s much more than making blankets.”

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Photo by Gregory Case Photography[/caption]

For the Quilt Club of Innovative Horizons Charter School, going to Road to California was the field trip of their dreams!!

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Tags: Eleanor Burns, Innovative Horizons Charter School, Perris Elementary School District, Quilt Club, Quilt in a Day, Young Quilters
Posted in Road 2015- 20th Anniversary Show | 11 Comments »

Road's Fall Cruise Faculty: Meet Anita Grossman Solomon

April 1st, 2015

Full time quilter and author, Anita Grossman Solomon, has the least distance to travel to get on board Road’s New England Fall Foliage Cruise September 27-October 4, 2015.

A New Yorker, living in Manhatten, it only takes 30 minutes to fly from Anita’s home to Boston where the cruise embarks.

Anita was part of our faculty on Road’s maiden cruise through the Panama Canal last year. This trip she will be joining four other teachers —Victoria Findlay Wolfe, Shelly Pagliai, Stevii Graves and Margie Ullery — on this quilting cruise off the New England coast at the height of the Fall Foliage Season.

With a degree in art and experience as an art curator, Anita has developed an in-depth knowledge of and appreciation for quilting’s history as well as its more modern trajectory. While passionate about the look of some of the most complex traditional blocks, the daunting amount of cutting and sewing involved (and high seam-ripper potential) got Anita’s brain working overtime to figure out an easier way. Her Make It Simpler technique makes quiltmaking faster and easier. Anita has shared her method in her three books, as a Craftsy instructor and as a guest on HGTV’s Simply Quilts (twice), The Quilt Show, and Quilt Out Loud. on Since 2003, Anita’s books and the blocks she chooses to “revolutionize” keep all quilters in mind, offering techniques that will quickly deliver perfectly pieced blocks every time.

Anita will be teaching two classes on Road’s New England Fall Foliage Cruise: Anita’s Angle and No Waste Windmill. Both classes incorporate Anita’s simpler way of making elegantly proportioned blocks, perfect for using souvenir fabric from the trip. You can learn more about Anita from this fun video or on her blog, Make It Simpler

How far will you be traveling from to join our cruise?

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Tags: Craftsy, Make It Simpler, Quilt Cruise, Quilt Out Loud, Simply Quilts, The Quilt Show
Posted in Cruising with Road to California | 1 Comment »

Road’s Fall Cruise Faculty: Meet Award Winning, Modern Quilter Victoria Findlay Wolfe

March 27th, 2015

Victoria Findlay Wolfe, founder of the New York City Modern Quilt Guild and winner of QuiltCon 2013 Best of Show for her quilt, Double Edged Love, was introduced to Roadies at Road to California 2015. She was the curator of the Special Exhibit, Double Wedding Ring Challenge, partnered with Simplicity and Interweave Magazine.

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Photo by Gregory Case Photography[/caption]

Victoria was born in rural Minnesota and learned to sew and quilt practically as an infant. Both her mother and grandmother were quilters and her father, a farmer, also had an upholstery business. A graduate of the College of Visual Arts in St. Paul, Minnesota, she landed in New York City in 1994 and has never left.

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Photo by Gregory Case Photography[/caption]

In addition to her business making custom quilt commissions, Victoria is a fabric & thread designer, author of the books, Double Wedding Ring Quilts and 15 Minutes of Play and was the Modern Contributor to Quilt Life magazine.

In 2010, Victoria started Bumble Beans BASICS, an ongoing quilt drive bringing quilts to homeless families being put back into transitional housing in the NYC metro area. Through this outreach program, over 3000 quilts have been made and donated from quilters all over the world.

Road to California welcomes Victoria Findlay Wolfe as one of the faculty for Road’s New England Fall Foliage Qult Cruise September 27-October 5, 2015. On the cruise, Victoria will be teaching two classes. She will be sharing her method of improvisational piecing from 15 Minutes of Play, helping students “play” with their design skills while learning to combine colors and prints in new ways. In her other class, time will be spent learning how to sew together the pieces of a Double Wedding ring so that students can conquer this beautiful quilt.

There are only a few spots left on Road’s fall cruise and to experience Victoria Findlay Wolfe’s fun way of quilting. Will you be sailing away with us?

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Tags: 15 Minutes of Play, Bumble Beans Basics, Cruising with Road to California, Double Wedding Ring Quilt, New York Modern Quilt Guild, QuiltCon, Special Quilt Exhibit
Posted in Cruising with Road to California | No Comments »

When A Famous Artist Meets A Famous Quilt Show

March 25th, 2015

Photo by Gregory Case Photography[/caption]

Road to California’s guests come from all over the world: men, women, old, young, quilters and those who appreciate quilts. During Road 2015, one guest, artist Giorgio Tuscani, came simply because his good friend — the Mayor of Ontario, California — invited him. He had no idea what he was in for; he thought he was going to see a bunch of patchwork blankets. But after spending two hours on the show floor, Giorgio went away with a whole new respect for the quilting world.

Giorgio Tuscani is a Renaissance painter whose paintings can sell for upwards of $125,000.

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“I Give My Love To You” Giorgio Tuscani[/caption]

He is also a fabric designer with his own line of clothing and shoes. Born in Italy, raised in West Texas, Giorgio had no background with quilts. When his good friend, Mayor Paul S. Leon, invited Giorgio and his partner, Rod McDonnell, to come visit Road to California 2015, Giorgio said he accepted the invitation simply to “oblige the mayor.” What he didn’t expect was to experience “an art form from a different world that I didn’t even know existed.”

Giorgio and Rod were given a tour of some of the special exhibits by Road’s staff. They got to see up close the prize winning quilts as well as Celebrating 100 Years of California State Parks and were “totally blown away by the sophistication ” of the artistry and quilting.

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Point Lobos State Natural Reserve by Christine Robin Hartman[/caption]

They also spent some time with Featured Artist, Sheila Frampton Cooper. Tuscani and Cooper immediately connected as Sheila began her career as a painter before leaping to her current passion of studio art quilts.

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Photo by Gregory Case Photography[/caption]

During his visit, Giorgio was especially touched by the obvious caring community that quilters enjoy. “I love how the quilters nourish and support each other,” remarked Giorgio.

What was Giorgio’s overall opinion of Road 2015? “I have a whole new appreciation for this art form. It was simply amazing.”

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Tags: 100 Years of Celebrating California State Parks, Giorgio Tuscani, Mayor Paul S. Leon, Quilting Community, Renaissance Art, Sheila Frampton Cooper
Posted in Road 2015- 20th Anniversary Show | No Comments »

Let’s Get Organized With Bags

March 19th, 2015

Annie Unrein, owner of ByAnnie.com, knows a lot about keeping things organized. For one, she used to be a Certified Public Accountant. Having order was her life then and continues today. She has a special interest in keeping her home organized, especially her sewing room.

Fifteen years ago, Annie’s passion for organizing led her to create patterns for bags that keep things organized not only around the house but when traveling too. Annie developed an online class on the web site, Craftsy, showcasing how to make her travel bags. It became apparent very quickly that other people saw the value of being an organized traveler, as over 9,000 people signed up for Annie’s Craftsy class in just the first six months!!

At her Road 2015 class, Let’s Get Organized, Annie offered 3 Top Tips for making useful, fashionable, and efficient handbags, purses, and organizer bags:

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Photo by Gregory Case Photography[/caption]

1) Handbag Zippers are a must!! Clothing zippers are not wide enough, long enough, or sturdy enough to hold up to all the constant opening and closing.

2) Proper Zipper Form. Sewing a zipper in your project is not like how you did it in HomeEc. The best way to put a zipper in a project:

∙ Make sure the zipper is all the way shut

∙ Lay the zipper face down on top of the fabric, allowing it to hang over on both ends

∙ Stitch zipper down with a ¼” seam

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Photo by Gregory Case Photography[/caption]

∙ Turn zipper over and finger press the zipper tape so that it lies flat. Stitch again along zipper tape

3) Vinyl is Versatile. Vinyl is a great addition to handbags, purses, and organizer bags. Always use heavy, 16 gauge, premium weight vinyl, 50 weight polyester thread, and a 90-14 topstitch needle (the eye is twice as big). There is no need to change the stitch length on your machine. To avoid static when sewing vinyl, use the tissue paper that comes with the fabric as a backing between the fabric and the sewing machine. Simply tear away when you are done stitching.

Annie, along with Road to California, is sponsoring the Purse and Handbag Challenge. Using Road’s 20th Anniversary fabric as the foundation, participants are encouraged to use their imagination in embellishing their designs.

With spring just around the corner, there is no better time to get organized around the house and for upcoming trips. Sewing handbags, purses, and organizer bags – using Road to California Fabric – is a great way to start!!!

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Tags: Annie Unrein, ByAnnie.com, Craftsy, Handbags, Organizing Bags, Purses
Posted in Road 2016 Challenge, Road to California | No Comments »

Meet Road Faculty Member, Brian Haggard

March 17th, 2015

Brian Haggard is the first to admit that he got in to quilting backwards.

A Floral Designer for 22 years, then an Interior Designer with his own business (Windsor Home Interiors) for 17 years, quilting is Brian’s third career. “I have been fortunate to always have a career centered on creativity.”

While Brian had helped his grandmother with her quilts since he was a child, he actually first started quilting on his own about eight years ago. His first quilt was a crazy quilt that he made for his mother as a Christmas gift. Then, when his grandmother passed away, Brian made a memory quilt of her life. His family was so excited about Brian’s new hobby; they encouraged him to do more. He made more quilts, table runners, pillows, and eventually came up with a process to take pictures, duplicate them on fabric using sepia tones (“Sepia is my world”), and embellish them in a quilted piece.

He received so many requests on how to do his sepia picture technique that he decided to write a book, Crazy Quilted Memories, in 2011.

This is where the “backwards” entry into quilting came in to play. “I didn’t know that you had to first promote your work and make a name for yourself before you write a book. I did it all backwards. I wrote the book first, and then went in to the industry.” It only took one year for Brian’s work to be recognized and now he is working full time in the quilting world. His second book, Embroidered Memories, was released in 2012.

Brian loves teaching and being on the road. He has taught his quilting method in Ireland, New York, Ohio, Chicago, Illinois, Kentucky, and last January, in Ontario, California at Road to California 2015. “There is nothing like the joy of helping a person ‘get it’ the first time. That is why I teach.”

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Picture by Gregory Case Photography[/caption]

His students at Road 2015 enjoyed being in his class as much as Brian enjoyed teaching it. Said Rachel, “Brian is very creative and talented. He is humble and easy to talk to.” Val added, “Brian’s teaching is very effective. It is easy to pick up his techniques and I have lots of ideas to take home.”

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Picture by Gregory Case Photography[/caption]

What does the future hold for this quilter? More teaching and another book for C&T Publishers. Going backwards has proven to be the right move for Brian Haggard!!

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Tags: Brian Haggard, C&T Publishers, Crazy Quilts, Memory Quilts
Posted in Road 2015- 20th Anniversary Show | No Comments »

Meet the Glendale Quilt Guild

March 13th, 2015

The Glendale Quilt Guild’s 36^th Annual Quilt Show and Retreat is this weekend, March 13 and 14, 2015 at the Pasadena Convention Center.

The Glendale Quilt Guild meets the 2nd Wednesday of each month at the first Congregational Church of Glendale. The guild has over 200 members. Tim Spinn has been a member for four years and is the newsletter editor. “I love the guild, says Tim. “There are always great educational opportunities and charity quilts to be made. It is a fun group to belong to.”

Loving Hands is the name of the guild’s committee that makes and donates quilts to worthy causes. They provide hundreds of quilts each year to various organizations including LAC/USC Hospital, Glendale Adventist Hospitals, Veteran’s Residential Facility, Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study, Family Promise of East San Fernando Valley, Glendale YWCA Domestic Violence Shelter, Kaiser Hospice, MEND and the Foster Care Project at All Saints’ Episcopal Church Pasadena.

Carol Andrews is the “beloved member and founder” of the Glendale Quilt Guild and the Glendale Quilt Guild annual Quilt Show and Retreat. In 1979, after attending a quilt conference in Palo Alto, California, Carol decided that “We need a quilt show in Glendale.” Carol enlisted the help of her quilt students and organized the First Annual Quilt Show of Glendale in 1980 at the YWCA on Lexington Avenue in Glendale. One of the vendors at that first show was none other than Road’s Carolyn Reese, who owned the Fabric Patch at the time. Carol oversaw the quilt show in Glendale for three years before turning full responsibility for the show over to the guild.

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Photo- Gregory Case Photography[/caption]

The theme for this year’s show is Home Is Where The Quilt Is. Their opportunity quilt, which was on display on Saturday at Road to California, has at its focal point, a log cabin house surrounded by log cabin blocks. The main quilt blocks were sewn by members of the guild with fabric donated by guild members.

Road to California is pleased to announce that the Glendale Quilt Guild has been selected as the featured Southern California Quilt Guild for Road 2016. The guild will be responsible for providing the quilts for the special atrium exhibit located in the Arcade of the Ontario Convention Center. Congratulations, Glendale Quilt Guild!!

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Tags: Glendale Quilt Guild, Quilt Show, Road to California 2016
Posted in Quilt Guilds | 1 Comment »

Cruising With Road: Won’t You Join Us This Fall?

March 10th, 2015

Even though snow is still falling in some parts of the United States and Spring is still more than a week away, that won’t stop us from dreaming about our upcoming New England Fall Foliage Quilt Cruise, September 27-October 4, 2015.

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Photo courtesy of thelifeofluxury.com[/caption]

Road to California sponsored its first cruise with Deb Roberts and World of Quilts Travel last year. We had so much fun, we could hardly wait to go again. This time, we are taking advantage of the fall brilliance in the scenic northeast.

We set sail on this colorful journey on Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas, sailing round trip from Boston, with stops in the ports of Portland and Bar Harbor, Maine as well as St. John and Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Our 7-day cruise adventure features two non-stop quilting days with classes offered from these award winning quilting educators: Stevii Graves, Shelly Pagliai, Anita Grossman Solomon,Margie Ullery and Victoria Findlay Wolfe.

Deb points out five reasons what makes Road’s fall quilt cruise off the coasts of New England and Canada is so special:

1- Historic sites to visit

2-Famous Fall colors to enjoy

3-Natural beauty of the shoreline to view

4-Quaint villages and architecture to explore

5-Local food, including lobster and crab, to experience

This quilt cruise is filling up fast. We’d love to have you join Carolyn Reese for this amazing adventure. Don’t miss the boat – spaces are selling fast!!

See you in New England!!

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Tags: Canada Cruise, Deb Roberts, New England Cruise, Quilt Cruise, Royal Caribbean, World of Quilts Travel and Textile Tours
Posted in Cruising with Road to California | 19 Comments »