As some of you may know, Road 2 CA is “The Best in the West”!
After I heard that, there was no doubt that I was going to be attending that quilt show/ quilters conference in Ontario!!

Before I get into my exciting Road 2 CA blogpost, I want to officially announce that I am working for Eleanor Burns and Quilt in a Day.
Many of you witnessed my beginning journey into the quilting world in August 2013.
At that time, I was uber excited to meet everyone and see everything that quilting has to offer. I am now even more so excited to learn and blog about my discoveries in the quilting world!

My title at Quilt in a Day is Social Media Coordinator, and no, that doesn’t mean I “play” on Facebook all day. Lol
I am responsible for gathering and compiling content to share on our social media outlets, research new blogs and channels for relevance. As well as developing and managing viral marketing campaigns, creating and supervising high-profile channels and accounts.
It is no easy task, but considering that when I started to learn how to quilt/ blog, I was already doing massive research on quilting and patterns. And now I am basically getting paid for doing what I love to do: quilting and blogging!

With that said, my first assignment of the year was to go to Road, take classes, meet vendors, follow Eleanor around to take pictures, and assist wherever Quilt in a Day needed me.
What an assignment, huh? 🙂
I jumped in with both feet and got myself booked everyday of the show.

Starting with Eleanor's Hole in the Wall class, to volunteering in the quilt hanging and “white glove” department, I was embracing my job in its entirety!

I was able to enjoy the Quilt Preview Night after volunteering, it was a lot of fun meeting new people. I chatted the night away with both beginner and advanced quilters about why they enjoy attending Road and what what them into quilting.
As if I didn’t do enough on my first day, I went to my hotel room and worked on my very first paper-piecing hexagons!!! I’m officially hooked on this quilting and sewing craft!

I woke up bright and early and spent the following day in the Quilt in a Day booth alongside El.
I continue to be astounded as to how much energy Eleanor has during these shows! She taught a class on Wednesday ,stayed out late talking to students and attending the quilt preview, was in the QIAD booth doing demos all Thursday, AND had such an energetic lecture Thursday night!
I don’t know how she does it!
But I DO know that her and Sue travel with AT LEAST two coffee makers! Lol
I know this because I made sure to book a room with a coffee maker, except they don’t tell you that it’s an individual cup coffee maker, and I had brought filters for a 4-8 cup coffee maker. I mentioned that to Eleanor one morning while waiting in line for coffee, and she said she had an extra coffee maker she could lend me in exchange of a handful of coffee filters. She forgot her coffee filters, so we exchanged filters for a coffee maker that night.
ANYWHO- I DON’T KNOW WHERE EL GETS HER ENERGY FROM! Lol

As I mentioned earlier, Eleanor had a lecture Thursday night, in which I was asked to help out in. It was a lot of fun!! I had never attended one of her “Quilts from El’s kitchen” lectures before, and as you can see, I had no trouble fitting it Eleanor’s agenda. 🙂
Have you been to one of Eleanor’s classes or lectures?
Isn’t she just a hoot??

Friday started off with a wee-bit more volunteering as a “white glove” assistant in the quilt display section. I really enjoyed being the mediator between the attendees and an up close and personal look at the beautiful quilts that were on display! It’s something about just being around quilters and others who appreciate quilts as much as I do that made me feel nice and tingly inside!
Does anyone else volunteer at quilt shows when they can? Isn’t it so rewarding?? 🙂
I love it!

After my volunteering, I was able to peruse the booths and meet vendors and other quilting “celebrities”, per say.
Alex Anderson is so nice! I was a bit shy and worried about introducing myself as QIAD’s new Social Media Coordinator, I wasn’t sure as to what kind of response that would get. But Alex was so excited and welcoming to me about joining Eleanor and the quilting world.

After my meet and greet with some vendors and quilters, I ran off to a few lectures.
I attended the “Stashbashers” and “Baffled by Batting” lectures before going to the “Constellations” by Jodi Barrows.

It’s interesting learning and playing different methods of constructing quilts! I sewed a neat little wallhanging using Jodi’s Square in Square method. I was enthusiastic to play with the square in square ruler!

Saturday was full of more meet and greets and the birth of my new segment “Where is Ray?”!! I found a clone of Ray in stuffed-animal form and decided to take pictures of “Ray” with people I’ve met and places I’ve been. I’m very happy that everyone I’ve encountered has been excited to meet “Ray”, my blog is called RAY’s Sew Crafty after all. 🙂

First, meet Jerry Granata, a retired Navy veteran, artist and quilter. An Award Winning Quilter at that!
After retiring from the Navy, he settled down in Palm Springs, CA where quilting became his passion.

Jerry, a renowned quilter and entertainer, sang the National Anthem at Road to California on opening day! Follow him on Facebook here.

Then we have Laura Nownes and Diana McClun, both quilters, teachers, authors and designers!

In 1986 Diana approached Laura Nownes about co-authoring a beginning how-to book. The book was intended to be used just in the shop, however, it was chosen by local publisher Michael Kile of The Quilt Digest Press and shortly thereafter, Quilts! Quilts!! Quilts!!! was born. The huge, immediate success of this book encouraged Diana and Laura to continue writing.

You can find Laura’s website here and Diana’s website here!

I also ran into Julie from JayBird Quilts, and when I say I “ran into her” , I really mean I followed her religiously on Instagram, @jaybirdquilts, and was just itching to meet her and chat as a “young” quilters and sewers. Lol
I did know she would be at Road and made sure I got to her booth before I left. So if you consider that “running into her” and not stalking her, lol then “Ray” and I ran into her!

She has the neatest little rulers, patterns and quilts! You can go to her page here!

I had to pleasure to meet Bob Purcell, President and Co-Founder of Superior Threads! I took his “Thread Therapy with Dr. Bob” seminar and the knowledge I gained made my ENTIRE trip worth it!

Bob will help you resolve any frustration with all types of threads and solve most problems you have experienced with threads!
You can find his very educational videos on Superior Threads website here!

To end the night, I helped Alex set up for her lecture, “An Evening with Alex Anderson”. I learned a lot about how Alex got started in the quilting industry, I encourage you to attend her lecture one day. It’s very personal and quite the intimate look into her life as she talks about her family, her start in quilting and her success.
She talked about her new fabric line,”Flutter“, and gave us all a charm pack to take home!!
I’m still working on what I’m making with her fabric, I will keep you posted on what I do. 🙂

Did I mention that throughout the entire quilt show, the men’s restrooms were turned into women’s restrooms??
😀
Sorry boys, you have no power here!
A huge thank you to the Ontario Convention Center for the amenities!

My last day at Road was short and sweet!
I took an “Introduction to Machine Quilting” class by Jill Schumacher. I actually learned how to sew something other than a straight line!! 🙂
I unfortunately had to leave in the middle of class to make it back to my house and get ready for my little sisters birthday dinner.
But I did learn some neat exercises to better my free-motion quilting!

As I packed and left Road 2 CA, my experience, memories, the people I’d met and the classes and lectures I attended all engraved themselves in my mind. Everything written in this chapter of my life, the beginning and continuation of my quilting journey.

I believe I forgot to mention that I went home with a new Babylock Aria sewing machine…
Did I leave that out?
Lol

With no time to play with my new Aria, edit my pictures or even begin to unpack, I got ready and went out to dinner with my little sister and family.
My little sister turned 18 that Sunday, I STILL can’t believe how fast she’s growing!! I still see her as my little 10 year old sister who needs to be walked to school, and now she’s applying to colleges and universities and becoming her own person!!

Well that’s life, ain’t it? 🙂
It’ll run past you if you aren’t looking!

Remember to spend time with your family, share your crafts and quilting with others and start everyday with a stitch!

Toodles for now,
Diana and Ray