Quilt Classes « The Backroads to Road to California

Posts Tagged ‘Quilt Classes’

Meet Road 2019 Teacher Mel Beach

Friday, September 7th, 2018

3001C Magnificent Mandalas

4002C Slice of Improv

5002C Mod Molas & Bright Blooms

6002C Mod Mandalas

Making a t-shirt quilt first introduced Mel Beach to quilting. In 2003, she had a stack of old t-shirts from high school, college and summer camp that she assembled together into a t-shirt quilt. It traveled all over the country with Mel and served as a reminder as to how far she has come as a quilter.

Mel’s favorite part about quilting is to pull fabrics together for a new project and come up with a fun design. She also loves transforming her quilt tops with beautiful, modern quilting designs. The least favorite part of making a quilt for Mel is when the quilt isn’t speaking to her, usually when she’s trying to figure out a layout and/or determine the quilting. Using a design wall helps her explore different layouts and compositions. A sheet of acrylic plastic and some dry erase markers also come in handy for auditioning different quilting motifs. Where does Mel do her quilting? Her studio occupies her formal living room. Her partner is super handy and helped her to transform the room into a fabulous space for her to design and quilt. He converted an IKEA table into a sewing table by carving out a hole and setting Mel’s machine into a set-in shelf so that she had a large flat space for quilting. Her partner also built a custom wall unit to store all of Mel’s rulers and notions, as well as large benches that store batting, travel gear and make for great seating for Mel’s two pups to look out the window.

The two quilting tools that are always close are Mel’s camera to help her document her quilt making process and aide with design decisions and a trusty roll of blue painter’s tape which is super handy for accurate cutting, labeling blocks, mark-free quilting lines, and so much more! When Mel isn’t quilting, she loves going for walks with her two rescue pups, Panda & Susie Q, and taking pictures along the way. For the past 2 years, she has been taking Comedy Improv classes and routinely performs in comedy improv shows (similar to Whose Line Is It Anyway). Mel shares, “Not only have these classes helped me be more comfortable with public speaking and teaching, they also help me to think quickly on my feet, explore new possibilities, and they are so much fun!!!” Mel started teaching quilt making classes in 2015 when she was asked to lead a quilting demo for her guild. Mel said, “It was such a positive experience all around with lots of happy finishes. Less than a year later, I started to promote myself to other guilds and soon joined the quilt teaching circuit.” Mel’s favorite part about teaching classes is that she loves “watching the transformation among participants as they learn new techniques. Some may come in feeling initially nervous yet leave feeling confident and excited about learning a new technique. I also really enjoy watching quilters add their own fun twists to the technique and make it their very own!” [caption id="attachment_6042" align="aligncenter" width="452"]

Maker:L,Date:2017-9-30,Ver:5,Lens:Kan03,Act:Kan02,E-Y[/caption] What goals does Mel have for her Road students? There are four:

Have fun!
Try something new and different!
Be inspired!
Make it your own!

While her quilts have ventured to Road several times, Road 2019 will be Mel’s first time being at the show. She will be traveling from San Jose, California and says that she is “thrilled to be teaching several modern workshops. I am especially looking forward to seeing all the amazing quilts that will be on display and visiting the vendors.” ]]>

Tags: Mel Beach, Modern Quilt Classes, Modern Quilter, Quilt Classes, Quilt Show, Quilt Teacher
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Road 2018 Was A Huge Success!!

Wednesday, January 24th, 2018

How to describe Road to California 2018?

The sun was shining.

Teachers and their classes were creating.

The vendor floors were busy.

Guests kept coming.

And best of all, the quilts were amazing!!!

[caption id="attachment_5489" align="aligncenter" width="625"]

Best of Show, “Fractal,” by Claudia Pfeil[/caption] Not only was Jenny Doan, of Missouri Star Quilt Company, a popular teacher…

…her Trunk Show was inspiring.

Road’s Founder, Carolyn Reese, was honored by the Ontario Convention Center’s President and CEO, Michael Krause, for being a loyal business partner to the City of Ontario, the Convention Center, and the Community.

The new App, QuiltSpace, was enjoyed by thousands of users. The winner of the App’s Quilter Choice Award went to “Your Place or Mine” by Marva-lee Otos. She received $500 for receiving the most votes from the App users. [caption id="attachment_5488" align="aligncenter" width="482"]

“Your Place or Mine,” by Marva-lee Otos[/caption] And Road’s new owner, Matt Reese, still found time to give 5 month old son, Braden, a tour of the show.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to making Road 2018 “The Happening Place to Be.”

We can’t wait to start planning next year’s show!!

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Tags: Carolyn Reese, Claudia Pfeil, Jenny Doan, Matt Reese, Missouri Star Quilt Company, Ontario Convention Center, Quilt Classes, Quilters. Quilt Show, QuiltSpace, Road to California
Posted in Road to California 2018 | 1 Comment »

Creating Stained Glass Effects With Fabric

Tuesday, October 24th, 2017

Iglesia Santa Barbara de Santa Rosalia, Designed by Gustave Eiffel,[/caption] Just as art glass requires the artistic skill to conceive an appropriate and workable design and skills to engineer the piece, so does creating a stained glass effect with fabric. Road 2018 teacher Allie Aller has achieved just such a mastery and will be sharing her unique techniques in three classes. Allie will be teaching on Monday,

1017C Intro to Stained Glass Quilting, Allie Style

on Tuesday, 2017C Through a Gothic Window

and on Wednesday, 3017C Stained Glass Pillow

Allie began quilting in 1971. As she puts it, she “stumbled through” her first quilt (made out of bandannas from the army surplus store) entirely on her own. Her cousin was at that same time working in applique as a freelance illustrator. Allie credits her cousin as the one who took her by the hand and sent Allie off in the right direction. Everything Allie does is “quilt related.” An avid gardener, Allie says she gets inspiration for her stained glass effect quilts “absolutely 100%” from her garden. The fabrics she uses reflect and express the colors and forms that she sees there. “My quilts look like my garden and my garden looks like my quilts. The line is totally blurred…” confides Allie. Allie also is an avid traveler. The farthest she has traveled was to Varanasi, India, where she bought the most beautiful jacquard silks in the world. She is excited to be returning back to India this winter to study Indian quilts and handcrafts. Allie enjoys teaching, sharing with her students new concepts and skills, and watching them take off with what they are learning. While Allie will be sharing the various and wide interpretations of stained glass quilting, she hope her students will leave her classes with smiles, great memories, and increased confidence and enthusiasm for their work. What is Allie’s best quilting tip? “Practice, practice, practice. Think of your quilting the same way as playing a musical instrument. There are skills to learn, craft techniques to perfect, ideas to jam with…. but the bottom line is, it takes practice to be able to do what you want to do. Get it in your hands. Have discipline. And play your heart out.” To learn more about Allie, follow her on her blog.]]>

Tags: Allie Aller, Quilt Classes, Stained Glass, Stained Glass Art Quilt
Posted in classes, Road to California, Road to California 2018 | No Comments »

Meet Road 2018 Teacher Kristin Vierra

Monday, August 28th, 2017

Gammill stand-up longarm machines on a stationary frame. These classes are on Monday 1014R Fun Feathers that Fit Anywhere and Tuesday: 2014R Easy Background Fillers for Longarm Quilters Kristin will also be teaching a class on Wednesday where Brother machines will be provided for each student’s use: 3016C Easy English Paper Piecing by Machine Then, on Wednesday evening, Kristin will be teaching a design class (no machine necessary) 3068C So I got it pieced, now what? A Lincoln, Nebraska native and former University of New Mexico nursing teacher, Kristin Vierra has also lived in California, Arizona, Florida, Colorado, Iowa, D.C., Tennessee, and Louisiana before returning back to her roots in Lincoln about 10 years ago. Kristin’s great-grandma taught her mom how to quilt and in turn, Kristin’s mom taught Kristin how to sew. As Kristin says, she has always sewn in one form or another, and even made an occasional baby blanket. Kristin tried hand quilting but thought hers “never looked right; instead of nice even stitching, I had Morse code. You know, dot, dot, dash, dash, dash.” She also felt that she never seemed “coordinated enough to quilt on a domestic.” Plus, it always made her shoulders ache on big projects. When Kristin moved back to Lincoln, she “was lucky enough to find a used Gammill Longarm. That was when I really actually started quilting. My longarm and I just clicked and the rest as they say is history.” Kristin finds inspiration for her quilting literally “everywhere.” It drives her husband and kids nuts because she has been known to come out of a bathroom and ask for the camera because there was a particularly cool tile that she wanted to use as inspiration for a quilt. Architecture, carpets, nature, designs on people’s clothes— all are fair game to Kristin when it comes to quilting. While she uses many quilting tools, Kristin’s favorite is her design board. She had it custom made out of clear plexiglass with registration marks to help her divide up blocks. Kristin places it on top of a quilt and draws on it with dry erase markers. It makes it really easy to audition designs, without having to mark the quilt or even worse rip out stitches. She’ll be demonstrating this tool in her “So I got it pieced, now what?” class. Her best quilting tip is “don’t be afraid to try.” Kristin admits that “some of my coolest creations have come from my biggest mistakes.” Kristin’s favorite aspect of teaching is “that moment when you can see the ‘light bulb’ go on in someone’s head.” All of a sudden, “some concept or technique they have been struggling with becomes clear and they get so excited.” For Kristin, that’s the absolute best feeling to be a part of. What does Kristin hope her student get out of her classes? “I want them to go away inspired and excited about whatever project they are going to work on next. It doesn’t matter if you are making cuddle quilts or the next BOS winner. All that matters is that you are enjoying yourself and having fun.” To learn more about Kristin, please visit her website.]]>

Tags: Brother Sewing Machines, English Paper Piecing, Gammill Quilting Systems, Longarm Quilting, Quilt Classes, Quilt Design
Posted in classes, Faculty, Road to California 2018 | No Comments »

We Have Just The Class For You

Tuesday, June 27th, 2017

Classes for Road to California 2018 have recently been released. Priority Registration opens July 1^st at 8:00 AM with public registration starting July 8^th also at 8:00 AM, all Pacific time. For 2018, we are offering over a hundred classes taught by a distinguished faculty that are geared to all levels of quilters. Our classes offer assistance with traditional to modern techniques, hand and machine quilting skills and the latest in surface-embellishment using paint, thread and embroidery. With so many choices, how do you know which class is right for you?

Skill Level

Based on teacher recommendations, we assign the following skill levels for our classes: Beginner: New to sewing or it’s been awhile since you last sewn. A knowledge of basic sewing skills with some rotary cutting skills and a working knowledge of using a sewing machine is useful. Beginner-Intermediate: Some basic sewing experience with confidence to move past beginner. Intermediate: Knowledge and experience from sewing over time. Advanced: Experienced quilters looking for a challenge. All Levels: Assumes a knowledge of basic sewing skills, basic rotary cutting skills and basic quilting skills, either appliqué or piecing.

Expand your horizons

Take advantage of our varied classes and patient, expert faculty to explore new techniques that you’ve always wanted to try. Or enroll in a class that is not even machine sewing related. We offer several handwork classes like beading, watercolor on fabric, silk ribbon embroidery, and hand quilting, to name a few. [caption id="attachment_5011" align="aligncenter" width="279"]

3063C Celtic Dance Bracelet Amy Loh-Kupser http://www.i-bead.com/[/caption]

Equipment

Are you looking to purchase a new sewing machine? While many of our classes require you to bring your own sewing machine, there are others that have sewing machines provided, allowing you to “try before you buy.” Have you always wanted to try longarm quilting but don’t have access to a longarm machine? We offer several classes that provide longarm machines for your use.

Do you want to try a sit-down longarm machine? There are several classes that include sit-down longarms like the Handi Quilter Sweet 16 and the Bernina Q20. Students can learn the same skills as a quilter who uses a domestic machine; the machine is stationary and the quilter moves the quilt through the machine.

Perfect your techniques

Have you just begun to learn a new technique and need some practice? Utilize our classes to perfect your skills.

Learn from the best

Our 2018 faculty is top-notch. Many have taught not only throughout the U.S. but internationally as well. And several are published authors too. We bring the experts to you.

Don’t forget the Swag

All class attendees receive a badge for admission to classes, exhibits and vendors. In addition, they also get a show program plus entrance to Preview Night. Registrations prior to January 9th will also receive a special gift: a Road pin and/or year bar. One last bonus item that all class participants receive is a tote bag. Last year we gave out small foldable grocery bags. Although many students enjoyed the bag due to California’s strict new single use plastic bag ban, many were not satisfied with our choice of bag. We sincerely apologize for 2017 class attendee bag. When selecting our 2018 bag, last year’s comments and desires were taken into account. The 2018 tote bag is a canvas tote large enough to hold shopping goodies without getting too heavy. There will also be a very special surprise included with each bag which will be revealed later this year. Road hopes you’ve found your reason to sign up for one of our many classes. To encourage early sign-ups, we will be giving away 5 Priority Registrations. To enter, comment below with the name of the class(es) you are interested in taking before midnight Pacific time on Thursday, June 29th. Using Random Number Generator, 5 winners will be chosen and notified June 30^th, in time for Priority Registration on July 1st. Remember, Priority Registration is non-transferable. Good luck to all the entrants. We can’t wait to see the class registrations start coming in.]]>

Tags: Contest, Priority Registration, Quilt Classes, Quilt Teachers
Posted in Road to California, Road to California 2018 | 37 Comments »

Meet Road 2017 Teacher: Jenifer Dick

Saturday, August 13th, 2016

JeniferDick Jenifer began quilting on a whim. She was a cross stitcher in college and was checking out a new shop in Kansas City for supplies when she noticed that half the shop was fabric. By this time, she was getting bored with cross stitching because she felt constrained by the lack of freedom in recreating the charts. Jenifer noticed that the quilt girls could pick their own fabric and put it together however they liked. That kind of freedom really intrigued her. There was a sign-up for a beginning quilting class and she signed up on the spot. This was in 1993. The rest, as they say, is history; Jenifer never cross stitched again! Jenifer says when it comes to quilting, “I am kind of schizophrenic. I am equal parts bold and graphic, and equally organic! I have a graphic design background so simple shapes and bright colors have always caught my eye. And the art of the early 20^th century has always attracted me. Contrastingly, I live in the country in the woods and love my trees and birds! They often show up in my applique designs.” When asked what her favorite quilting took was, Jenifer replied, “I keep my tools really simple – machine, scissors, rotary cutter, mat, rulers. I find you can do 99% of what you need to do with those simple tools. I do have one tool I use that isn’t a quilting tool at all that I like! It’s an orange stick, used for manicures. It can be a stiletto, a third hand, it helps cleaning out nooks and crannies in my machine, and it helps in applique. Quite versatile for a small piece of balsa wood!” The best quilting tip Jenifer has to offer is to spend the money on a really good quality iron. Why? Because “You can’t imagine how big a difference a good iron makes! It glides over the fabric better, helps reduce fatigue, and the heavier weight helps with pressing open seams without making them wobbly.” Though Jenifer also recommends having “a cheap iron with a non-stick sole plate on hand for gooky jobs – working with fusible, lots of starch, etc.” The best part about teaching for Jenifer is meeting the quilters and getting to know them. She says that she has found that her quilting students come to her classes with tons of knowledge and that she always learns something from the students at every workshop she teaches. Since Jenifer mostly teaches locally in Missouri, she is really looking forward to coming to Road to California and meeting her students. She hopes that they learn something new and have a lot of fun. Jenifer shared that in her classes, they laugh a lot and she gives out fun prizes throughout the day. But most importantly, she strives to teach something new – no matter how small – to even the most experienced quilter. To learn more about Jenifer, visit her website. ]]>

Tags: Jenifer Dick, Quilt Classes, Road to California 2017
Posted in Faculty, Road 2017 | No Comments »

A Modern Twist At Road 2016

Thursday, February 25th, 2016

Modern quilts are primarily functional and inspired by modern design. Modern quilters work in different styles and define modern quilting in different ways, but several characteristics often appear which may help identify a modern quilt. These include, but are not limited to: the use of bold colors and prints, high contrast and graphic areas of solid color, improvisational piecing, minimalism, expansive negative space, and alternate grid work. “Modern traditionalism” or the updating of classic quilt designs is also often seen in modern quilting.

There were many opportunities for guests to experience modern quilting at Road 2016. One way was to take a class with two of the popular modern quilter teachers, Natalia Bonner and Jenny Pedigo.

Natalia Bonner

Natalia taught six classes including Beginner’s Guide to Free-Motion Quilting and Incline, a quilt pattern from her book, 20 Modern Log Cabin Quilts. Natalia and her three year old stayed in Whittier with family for the week she was at Road. Natalia thought all of her students were awesome. As they sewed, Natalia would encourage and help her students. She even did some ripping out!!

In one of her classes, there were two ladies sitting across from each other who were both from Maryland. About half way through the class they realized that they were from the same quilt guild!!

Lynn Mysel from Beaumont, California said she “really enjoyed Natalia’s class on improvisational piecing. Even though I didn’t finish my project, I gained the confidence needed to continue when I go back home.”

Jenny Pedigo

Jenny enjoyed everything about her Road teaching experience — including the weather. She was really busy during the show, teaching two all day classes, Chic Kisses and Metro Rings, plus being a vendor for her company Sew Kind of Wonderful.

After attending both of her classes and borrowing other students’ supplies, two ladies finally decided that they “really needed to buy Jenny’s Quick Curve Ruler” so that they could make more of her projects when they got home.

Jenny couldn’t say enough about her “friendly” and “nice” students. Pam Russell and Karen Brohmer (pictured above) said they had a “so kind of wonderful time” in Jenny’s classes.

Road to California is a quilt show for all quilters!!

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Tags: Jenny Pedigo, Modern Quilting, Natalia Bonner, Quilt Classes, Sew Kind of Wonderful
Posted in Modern Quilting, Road 2016 | 1 Comment »

Road 2016 Faculty and Vendor: Meet Michele Crawford Plus A Giveaway

Wednesday, December 16th, 2015

Michele Crawford will be teaching on Monday, 1003R Carpenter Star, and an evening class on Saturday, 6066C Crumb Quilting

Michele’s company, Flower Box Quilts, will have a booth on the vendor floor.

Michele Crawford has a long history with sewing, crafting, and pattern making. Since the age of 9, she has always had a needle and thread in her hands whether it was stamped cross stitch, crewel, crochet, knitting, embroidery or sewing clothes. Michele taught herself to sew. Her first projects were sewn on her grandmother’s featherweight sewing machine. Michele’s first business was making woven potholders on a loom and selling them in her neighborhood. While in high school, she wanted to be a fashion designer and go to New York City to school. She ended up being an elementary school teacher, getting married, starting a family, and then began her life as a self-employed designer and business owner. Michele’s first business was Cross ‘n Quilt. Started in 1986, Michele designed and sold her patterns combining counted cross stitch and quilting. Through this experience, Michele has created over 4,500 published sewing, needlework and quilting designs in over 40 different publications. She has worked with over 35 fabric, thread and batting companies to date. In 2002, a few quilting magazines started offering kits for the projects in their magazines featuring new fabric collections, and that was the start of Michele’s internet business, Flower Box Quilts. By 2008, she began designing her own quilt patterns to sell on her website as Flower Box Quilts, and also offered other quilt fabric kits exclusive to her site.

The Flower Box Quilts booth is known as the “happy booth.” She likes to showcase many different styles and techniques to inspire her customers. Featured in her booth are seasonal and non-seasonal fabrics as well as 100 of her original quilt patterns including those for quilts of all sizes, runners, place mats, pillows, Christmas ornaments and tree skirts, and other decorative items. She still likes to combine counted cross stitch with quilting and has started to offer other types of handwork including working with wool felt and embroidery, and hexagons.

Michele is looking forward to teaching her two classes. She enjoys interacting and being with the quilters, and sharing her tips and techniques for quilting. She wants her students to have FUN and reminds them that there are many ways and techniques to achieve the same results in quilting. Her motto? “We cannot achieve perfection but we can strive for excellence.” She especially loves it when she sees the “light bulb” come on in a student’s face when they have tried something new that she taught them and it works for them. There are several sewing tips that Michele likes to share. One is Don’t wash fabric before piecing. She believes that the finishes help achieve a “cleaner” cut with a rotary cutter. Some other tips: Iron as you go; It’s OK to sew over pins; and Use 100% Cotton thread. To learn more of Michele’s tips, you’ll just have to take one of her classes!! Michele is looking forward to being at Road 2016: “I LOVE the amazing and positive energy of all the quilters – vendors – staff at Road! The extreme excitement of being at the cutting edge of quilting and being inspired by so many incredibly talented and creative people is mind boggling, humbling, and fabulous!” To learn more about Michele, please visit her web site.

Now for the giveaway: Michele is giving away 5 copies of her book, Just Cut The Scrap. To enter, simply comment below what you are looking forward to the most at Road 2016. You have until midnight on Sunday, December 20, 2016 to enter. Five lucky winners will be chosen using Random Number Generator and will be notified on Monday, December 21, 2016. Good luck to all who enter. ]]>

Tags: Flower Box Quilts, Giveaway, Michele Crawford, Quilt Classes, Quilt Teacher
Posted in Faculty, Road 2016, Vendors | 63 Comments »

Road 2015 Faculty Spotlight: Meet this Dynamic Father-Daughter Quilting Duo, John Flynn And Kate Flynn Nichols

Tuesday, November 25th, 2014

On Tuesday, John will be teaching 2012C Glorified Nine Patch and Kate will be teaching 2008C Crosses and Losses

What could be more fun than sharing your passion of quilting by giving workshops, creating innovative templates and kits, and bouncing off new ideas with someone from your own family? That is exactly what John Flynn and his daughter, Kate Flynn Nichols, have been doing for over 15 years. Both residents of Montana, they spend a lot of time together fine tuning patterns, assembly directions and pressing techniques so that their templates and laser pre-cut kits go together as easily and smoothly as possible. John got in to the quilting scene in the 1980’s when he was testing the quilt frames that he was designing and building for his wife Brooke. He soon discovered how relaxing hand quilting was and has been working at it ever since. Kate started quilting in 1988. She grew up watching both her parents quilt. She went to Guild with them and started stashing fabric at a young age. Kate entered her first quilt show at just 8 years of age!! As she got older, she was “actually surprised to find out later in life that not everyone quilts!” They each find inspiration for their designs in different ways. For Kate, it comes from nature and her parents’ old magazine collection. John has an engineering background so he finds inspiration in the geometry of objects and from old traditional quilts. John and Kate have different preferences when it comes to working with color. John’s favorite palette is the colors of the rainbow; bright primaries and secondaries. Kate likes strong pastel combinations and monochromes. Interestingly, Kate is the company’s fabric buyer; she has a sure hand in color selection. While they enjoy their partnership, working closely with each other can have its drawbacks. Kate says, “It’s hard not really having a separation between work and family. Who wants to plan their next business trip at Thanksgiving dinner?” John admits his challenge is that since he and Kate both have engineering minds, “they think alike most of the time” which can be both positive and negative. When they aren’t working together, John likes fly fishing, fly tying, and biking.

Kate, who has been married since August, 2003 to graphic designer Kevin Nichols, enjoys reading, rockhounding, gardening and watching either Animal Planet, the History Channel or the Discovery Channel. What are their favorite tips for quilters? From Kate: “Relax and be forgiving with yourself. You are a human, not a machine and your projects should reflect your humanity!” John adds, “Accuracy, accuracy, accuracy. It is easier to take your time and do it right the first time rather than rush through and do it over and over.” There is still limited space in both of their classes. You can learn more about this dynamic father-daughter quilting duo on their website: www.flynnquilt.com ]]>

Tags: Flynn Quilt Frame Company, Quilt Classes, Road to California
Posted in Faculty | 1 Comment »