Travels with Auntie M: April 2015

Held by the Orange County Quilters Guild and displayed at Zion Lutheran Church on N. East Street in Anaheim, this was an impressive display.

Family of Hexagons - Kat Benne

The first room held two challenge competitions. In the Crayon Quilt Challenge, contestants picked two crayons out of a bag and then had to use the colors as inspiration for their piece. Here were some of my favorites:

In the President's Challenge, each quilter was given a different set of instructions (based on their skill level). The 6 block challenge was doled out a month at a time, where the quilters had to present their previous block to get further instructions. Joan was challenged to design a unique layout for a table runner that could also be reversible with a different design on the back.

Everything is Coming up Cherries
- Joan Lebsack -

Beth was given different pattern each month and had to add to her small collection of Downton Abbey fat quarters to create this beauty:

Downton Abbey - Beth Ferguson

Becky used her Australian fabrics for this creation:

Dancing Kola... - Becky Sporal

The main exhibit was held in the school gymnasium, with vendor booths around the outside and rows of quilts covering the entire floor. Here's a sampling:

Festive Stars - Carolyn Erratt

Amalie's Log Cabin - Loretta Davis

Oriental Log Cabin - Joan McMurry

Red Checks - Pam Gayle

Bali Star - Mary Lou Ripper

Swin Like a Fish - Linda DeCoux


Disappearing 4 Patch - Marilyn Fredrickson

Pledge of Allegiance - Patti Pane

The show was titled, "Echoes of the Past" yet there were many modern quilts:

Dolly Quilt - Carol Gray

Growing Attic Windows - Lisa Scaglione

Children of Lir - Stacy Hurt

Chipsticks - Marilyn Leatherwood

Bunches of Batiks - Jean Ebert

Scary Monsters - Julie McCluney

Lava Lamps - Carol Harter

They also had some workshops:

This vendor has an excellent product that allows you to use a laser jet printer to put an image on any one of a variety of fabrics. She carries all types of fabrics, in different sizes, mounted with a backing to work in any printer. Plus, she has a custom spray that will stabilize any ink to make it permanent.

She offers the easiest way to create a fabric image of any photo and then use it in quilting or any other art project. Here's a link to her website:

Bettys Photos on Fabric

A five hour drive north, along the coast from Los Angeles, is the quaint, historic town of Cayucos. Self-proclaimed as the "Last of California Beach Towns," it has managed to keep its small town charm.

Once a year it get flooded with tourist and jewelry artisans as it hosts a Sea Glass Festival. Sea Glass, as the name suggests, are bits of bottles and jars that have been worn smooth b the ocean. Considered a reverse gen,instead of man refining a piece of nature (traditional gems), nature has refined a piece of man-made material.

As with any gem, there are grades of quality:

A - Extremely worn and rounded (no blemishes or chips)
B - Extremely worn with soft edges (one or two minor blemishes or chips)
C - Fairly worn with at least one hard, straight edge (some blemishes)
D - A barely worn piece (several blemishes or hard edges/corners)

The pricing reflects their rarity, half a dozen pieces, each smaller than a dime can run $30. There were no cameras allowed in the festival. This is the one item I purchased, a book mark:

This year also had a "Mermaid March" throughout the town.

And TW found other objects for poising:

Went into this historic saloon for a beer and got a history lesson from a friendly patron.

Cayucos was a cowboy town, as the original 900 foot pier could load cargo ships bound for San Francisco or Los Angeles, supporting local ranchers and farmers.