Road To California

Although my quick picture does not do it justice, each flower petal is made up of one or more pieces of fabric.










Road to California 2008 is one of the largest quilt shows in the country and it rolled into the Ontario Convention Center on Jan 17th. Known in the quilting world as simply "Road" it is an extravaganza of competition quilts, and display quilts and vendors. All with the primary focus of feeding the obsession of many women, and more than a few men, for whom quilting is their past time.

This year the show was dedicated to Eleanor Burns, a powerhouse of a woman in quilt land, our leader, our guru. Eleanor has turned her quilting abilities into a multi-media, multi-million dollar enterprise. This started thirty some years ago when, after working to put him through law school, her husband left her and their two sons. To supplement her income Eleanor starting teaching others how to make quilts with class supplies obtained by "dumpster diving" with her two boys behind large fabric stores because she had no money to purchase the fabric that she needed for classes. As we were leaving the show on Saturday we saw Eleanor on her way back to her booth wearing a backpack, pulling a small ice chest on wheels, and responding to all who greeted her. She is most famous for her "Quilt in a Day" designs. The website; http://www.quiltinaday.com/, and she still maintains her original quilt shop in San Marcos, CA.