Having a raucous round of fun with the California Girls!
El Camino Real is Spanish for "The Royal Road" and in California is the name for the 700 mile historic California Mission Trail that connects 21 missions, 4 presidios (military forts) and several pueblos (towns) from Mission San Diego de Alcala in the south to Mission San Francisco Solano in Northern California.
Growing up in San Jose, so much of everything was “How far off El Camino is it?” when referring to places we were headed.
700 miles is a fair distance!
And even though this section of El Camino is one I’ve never never travelled before – there is a heart-string connecting me to the El Camino of my childhood – making it feel familiar somehow.
Our lodgings – and our “retreat” building beyond!
Yes, the sky is this beautiful at 8:30 in the morning – and that pool so inviting! Click to Play:
These women are the FEARLESS!
There are more than 1,000 small triangles in this quilt –
But easy strip cutting and the use of my Essential Triangle Tool had everyone gathering a great variety in no time – let’s face it. Small triangles mean short seams, so it doesn’t take as long to make a decent quantity as you would think!
And oh the scraps and color plans that were going into these beautiful blocks!
Beautiful aqua -
The California sand, sea, and sky!
Golden yellow to orange -
California poppies!
Reds and Pinks of Oleander, bougainvillea, and bottle brush!
Oh - beautiful midnight hibiscus!
Lunch was an amazing affair!
Catered by a local Greek place – oh so yummy!
Stringing the afternoon away!
I loved our very relaxed atmosphere – and the fact that we didn’t need to book out of there at 4pm – I stayed till past 5 – some folks stayed much later! Sew on, girls – sew on!
You’ll find the rest of our day’s Emerald City fun in the video below. Click to Play:
The evening cooled down to a lovely walkable temperature and I soon headed off toward downtown Atascadero to stretch my legs.
Beautiful pink and yellow roses along my way.
Pink and white oleander – abundant!
The City Hall “Rotunda.”
Original construction of the Historic Atascadero City Hall began in 1914 and was completed in 1918. In 2003, the building sustained significant damage in the San Simeon Earthquake. After being closed for 10 years, and undergoing extensive renovations and retrofitting, the building re-opened in August 2013.
(I wanted to get inside, but it was 7pm by this time!)
What a beautiful park – and a lovely place to spend the end of the day!
And we have four more days of quilty fun ahead!
Cathedral stars is up on deck today – and I understand that we are full-up at 35 quilters – the max our space can hold comfortably. I’m ready to rock and roll the scraps!
Quiltville Quote of the Day -
Vintage quilt found in North Carolina.
Be a better YOU today than you were yesterday!
Have a great Tuesday!
Bonnie, yesterday was so much fun and I learned so much! Between the work the guild leaders did to pick and prepare such a wonderful venue AND your amazing skills and inspiration the day just couldn't have gotten any better. I waited so long for a day to meet and learn from you. It was well worth it! You are truly a great teacher! It was so sweet to meet all those other quilters working on Emerald City. And though I am wishing I was heading to the El Camino again today! I am thrilled that I get to go again Friday. Yay! Have a wonderful time today.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to make Cathedral Stars after we did Celtic Solstice. I put those fabrics somewhere, lol. Glad to read about the memories from your California childhood.
ReplyDeleteI’m not too fond of green, but the pinks and black one . . . WOW! I just might have to make that colorway!
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned a source for thread produced in USA at the MN seminar but I didn't write it down, can you share that here again? Thank you.
ReplyDeleteWell that looks like tons of fun and the place is gorgeous!! I'm definitely jealous of you girls having all that quilty fun, food and pool time!
ReplyDeleteMy home town!
ReplyDeleteSo glad to see you are enjoying my home town! (now I live up the El Camino Real near San Jose!) Fun Fact: The name "Atascadero" means swamp or bog in Spanish, derived from the verb "atascar" - (check Google!)
ReplyDeleteThe weather is usually pretty hot by this time - happy to see that it's cooler than usual for June. If you get a chance to go inside the City Hall building, please do! At various times in its history the building has been a library, a museum, and a police station. Even went to several dances/ formals under the "rotunda" on the top floor - beautiful! Wish I could have been there to do Emerald City -looks like fun for all!
OMG, another person from Atascadero posted while I was composing my comment!
ReplyDeleteLooks like an amazing place that pool does look so inviting. The block and colourways are gorgeous what lovely quilts these will make.
ReplyDeleteHave a very enjoyable week
Love and quilty hugs
Anne xxx
I'm so glad you're enjoying your visit to the central coast. We are so pleased that we finally got you here! Emerald City was a fun, relaxing day with you.
ReplyDelete