Road to California Quilter’s Conference and Showcase has a lot to offer, especially when it comes to encouraging young quilters.
Angela is 12 years old and came to Road 2019 with her mom, Laurie, and her two grandmothers, Levonne and Stella. This family is all about encouraging young quilters as they each support and guide Angela with her quilt making. The first quilt Angela made, she entered it in Road’s young quilters contest at the show. Named “Rainbows over Clouds,” Angela made it from scratch, taking over 6 months to make.
Each month, she would go to her grandmother Levonne’s house to work on it. Laurie said that Angela enjoyed “every facet of the process” and was so dedicated. “It all came from her.” Stella was “very impressed” with the “patience” her granddaughter showed for being so young. Levonne shared that it was ‘thrilling” for her to pass on the love of quilting to Angela as she becomes her family’s fourth generation quilter. Angela is looking forward to trying paper piecing and applique for her next project. She also wants to try longarm quilting.
Makayla, age 17, has already been quilting for 10 years!! Road to California 2019 was her first time at the show and she was “amazed” at seeing firsthand how Road is encouraging young quilters. She attended the show with her grandmother, Ruthanna, from Fresno, California. Ruthanna started Mikayla sewing by helping her make doll clothes. She noticed that Mikayla had a lot of “talent” with sewing and knew she needed to “keep her focused” by introducing her to quilting. They enjoyed getting new inspiration at the show.
Trinity (17) and Tyanna (13) are sisters who have a famous quilting cousin, Latifah Saafar. They credit Latifah for inspiring them to start sewing.
The girls came to Road 2019 to see Latifah’s booth and quickly saw how “everyone is so nice and welcoming” at the show, encouraging young quilters.
Ava (11) and Melanie (13) come from a quilting family. Their mom, Julie, made her first quilt along with her mom (the girl’s grandma), Claudia. Julie said she hand quilted that entire quilt. Melanie is currently working on a quilt, a kit she got from one of Road’s vendors, Pineapple Fabrics. Ava said that she has been coming to Road since her mom was pregnant with her!!! She was looking to start her first quilt and appreciated all the ideas and encouragement she found at the show.
Do you have a young quilter you can bring to Road to California 2020? The 25th Anniversary Show is the perfect venue for encouraging young quilters.
