Road Trip Report

Road To California!

Not as bad as I thought it would be.

Lin didn't mind my driving skills (at least not to my knowledge!) Luckily we were driving in to Ontario opposite rush hour traffic flow. Our accommodations were a stone's throw from the Ontario Convention Center and could not have been more convenient!
And now.....THE SHOW!

You may be disappointed.  I have very few pictures to share.  Tomorrow morning my blog friend Linda will post lots of pictures, so make sure you check here.
 We opted to do the vendors first and you know the rules there...

no photos and no sketching!

Can you blame them?

Primitive Gatherings was our first stop and believe me, I blew my budget all in one place. 

A kit, several patterns, some wool, little 2 1/2" sample packets, and a few spools of Valdani and I had a smile from ear to ear.  Yes, I did pick up the littlest 'twister' ruler known to man!

By midday, I had toyed with purchasing John Flynn's machine quilting contraption and Lin had her eye on a stunning built-in sewing center. 

Stopped by Debbie Busby's booth and picked up a few patterns and YLI hand quilting thread. It is what she uses to stab stitch on her wool. Her patterns can be found at Wooden Spool Designs.

 

Oh, my gosh!  The quilts!  We must see the quilts.  Credit cards safely secured, we made our way into the center isles so painstakingly adorned with what should have been the center of attraction.

I apologize!  I did not capture many pictures of the quilts.  By this time, my feet ached and I think I had left my enthusiasm back in aisle 100.

This underwater scene intrigued me, being a nut about scuba diving!

Like Houston, the focus of the show was the art quilts and the exquisite machine quilting artists. 

I did love this one for its use of color.

Of course, I loved this sampler and snapped this pic as inspiration on how to set my Farmer's Wife Sampler blocks.

 

Friday we did 4 quilt shops!

My favorite was by far the Quilters Coop in Temecula. 

I'll be returning to Temecula to do some serious antiquing in the future, as well as some wine tasting! 

Loved the sign in the parking lot of The Fat Quarter Shop.  Lots of Cheri Payne's work was on display and I purchased the border fabric for the one pattern I have of hers.

Last stop was Country Loft.  Coffee and baked goods were a welcome sight.  We barely made it before they closed, but I am thankful we did.  I found a putty colored border fabric I had been searching for.

All in all, a great trip.  Just a little exhausted from the driving and all the chores I had to catch up on today to get ready for a very busy week of classes.

Don't forget to check out Linda for pics in the am!