Orange County Quilt Show - 10 APR 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

Cayucos Sea Glass Festival - 14 MAR 2015

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.
This saloon was notorious for its back room card games that still exist.
Its' slogan is "Liquor in the Front, Poker in the Rear."