2022 Road to California (2 of 2)

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Convention Center's eatery area has a great view of palm trees 
with white capped mountains in the distance,- classic Southern CA

Road to California takes over the entire Ontario Convention Center. The first large convention hall contained the bulk of the quilt show which spilled over to the second hall with more exhibits, including the highest award winners, and vendors. Lectures and workshops were conducted in various conference rooms, making the center a hive of activity.

Vendors' section

The Social Justice Sewing Academy was given several rows to display their moving, thought provoking, Remembrance Project. (Check here for more details on this important project: https://www.sjsacademy.org/remembrance-project-in-depth )


There were several galleries of "challenge" collections, where quilters were given the opportunity to create pieces with a specific theme. For instance, Hoffman Fabrics challenged quilters to use 6 of their digital fabrics for the "Garden State of Mind" traveling show. 

 And the River Flows by Sharon Schlotshauer won 1st Place in the Modern Category

There was a Black & White Challenge from Quilts on the Wall:
What I love about challenges is that everyone participating receives the same guidelines and specifications, but they are free to put their personal spin on the assignment. Above, the curators chose to display five black and white interpretations of flowers side by side, and they are all so different.

Cherrywood Fabric Challenge
Color: pink & white, Subject: Diana, Princess of Whales

There were also special exhibits for the work of several individuals. 
It was cool to see a collection of Jean Impey's portraits (https://sewjean.com/ ):


And exciting to see quilting cross over to fashion in Rachel Clark's work (https://www.rdkc.com/):


Marty Ornish takes a different approach, choosing to upcycle old quilts in her wearable art:


Though I've been to this show a couple of times, for some reason this trip I really appreciated its overall presentation. Maybe I was just sensitive to presentation after gaining more quilting experience and attending earlier shows. 

Or perhaps it was the more relaxed atmosphere of a less crowded venue. Crowds may add excitement, but they can also be overwhelming. The open spaces allowed for unobstructed viewing and a leisurely pace to take it all in. 

As always, the white gloved attendants were informative, friendly, and open to extended conversations as they pointed out the unique features of a quilt.

Attendant shows the backing on the Marie White Masterpiece Award winner,  
Merry Christmas II, by Aki Sakai 

As you night expect, several conversations began with our fellow masked attendees. We marveled before some really beautiful quilts, proving that the community of quilters are a warm and appreciative bunch!

Best in Show: Harlequinade 
made by Rebecca Prior, quilted by Jackie Brown



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