Road to California/Eleanor Burns

We had a great time in California. If you have ever thought you might want to go to a big show like this, do go. I found the whole thing a bit overwhelming and will plan things out a little better next time, but it was wonderful.

The vendors are wonderful, just about any thing you would want is right there, you just have to find it! That will, however, take some doing unless it is a very specific thing like a longarm machine or sewing machine. It was amazing the variety of quilting things that the vendor's had to offer. It made you realize what big business quilting has become. Just watching those ladies with their plastic in hand, lugging large shopping bags tells you that in the quilting community, our economy is well and good. President Bush should give quilter's a tax rebate, we would spend it faster than you can rip a stitch and give the whole country a boost!

I didn't buy much. For one thing, I was awed by it all and so busy looking that I didn't stop to buy and too, I am trying, in all aspects of my life to just buy what I need now. (and I sure don't need anything quilty!) I did find bobbins for Julia's Christmas sewing machine at the Janome booth and we bought a beautiful wooden quilt hanger for the living room. I bought some fabric with tools on it for Colin.

I missed Judy L but she has a great post about the show. We were at Ginger's booth a little after 12 on Sat. and her red jacket was on the back of the chair but no Judy. Think it was lunch time. We didn't hang around. The great white hunter was being such a great guy there in the middle of all those women that I decided to keep on shopping! LOL

Then there were the quilts. This was in a lot of ways, the Tucson show only magnified about ten times. It should be a "quilted art show". There were fab wall hangings that were quilted, that most of us could never even dream up, never mind make. Beautiful, yes, wonderful, amazing workmanship, yes............and that is all I will say on that subject. I did see a few traditional quilts that were amazing. There was some applique that was to die for as well as hand quilting. I saw a couple of Lone Star quilts that I really liked.

Vicky and Judy both had quilts in the show. I am sure I saw them but after it was all said and done, everything ran together and I don't remember them. Go to Vicky's blog for a picture and read what the judges said about her wonderful quilt. Yes, quilters, they said that about her beautiful quilt. Personal opinions but believe me, one to make you want to never show your work again.

I have admired Eleanor Burns forever.........at least as long as I have had this quilting bug. I saw her on Simply Quilts a long time ago and that is when I decided that I wanted quilt. I love her laid back approach to the whole thing. I greatly admire how she started her patterns from home, then took it to become a major company yet, it still has the feel of easy does it. The honesty that she has shown in telling her story is something else I love about her. Her husband walked out on her and two sons right after the first Quilt in a Day book took off. She kept going so she could support herself and her two sons. Today, they are part of her company.

I knew that she was a big part of this show but was thrilled to death when I walked in the front door and saw this display. This was one of the first quilts from Quilt in a Day. It was in great 70's fabric's, well loved and often washed. It seemed like something you would remember from your childhood. In the display was a strip of the brown fabric, very obviously torn rather than cut, something she did with her first quilts.





Here are more of her quilts hanging at the entrance. My great white hunter said I was standing there with my mouth open. I believe it, I was thrilled.



So, would I go again? Ask me in late Nov. of 2008. After the Tucson show and this one, I have been there and done that enough for a while.