APRIL 2011
We started April driving a new Toyota Prius...
...taking our first trip to Daffodil Hill...
...then we visiting a famous quilter at the Quilt Show in Auburn:
Lana LaPlante
Lana Laplante began quilting 31 years ago after her first class in King City. It didn't take long before she was hooked! Quilting didn't become a "passion" though, until she took an appliqué class from one of the FQG [Foothill Quilt Guild] members, Tece Markel. Now she can't imagine an evening without 2-3 hours of appliqué while watching favorite TV shows with her husband, Bill.
As a child, Lana sewed doll clothes, progressed to sewing her own clothes as a high school student and then making clothes for her children. These efforts, though fundamental to development of her sewing skills, did not approach the satisfaction of creating a quilt. Lana has belonged to guilds in Redding, Stockton, Lodi, Galt, and Rocklin in addition to her 10 years membership with Foothill Guild. She has assisted with opportunity quilts for the Stockton Tuleburg Guild, the Pioneer Guild in Roseville, and with the current Foothill Opportunity Guild Quilt.
Lana's talents as an appliqué artist have been recognized many times in recent years. She was awarded Foothill Quilt Guild's "Best of Show" for 3 of the last 5 years for her remarkable quilts. All of the winning quilts were constructed with wool, which Lana particularly enjoys because, she says, "it's like stitching through whipping cream." About her awards, Lana remarks, "It is very humbling and incredible to receive the recognition from my very talented peers." She has also entered quilts at the Pacific International Quilt Festival, the Monterey Country Fair, and in other guild shows, there she has won numerous blue ribbons and awards.
Lana has recently retired from a 16 year long-arm quilting business. Bill, a former High School Superintendent, has also retired and the couple enjoys traveling. Among other trips, Lana and Bill enjoy going to new quilt shows for the first time. Lana says that Bill is "getting quite good at critiquing" quilts. Their adventures also include trips to other countries and visiting with their four grown children and their families. Lana lost her mom, her "biggest fan", last October.
Some of Lana's quilts on display:
JEFF'S BIRTHDAY
We headed to Chico to help with logistics after Jeff broke his leg playing with Mikayla and Tori.
Soon we were taking trips to Jeff's office and driving Mikayla and her friend, Chloe, to violin lessons...
...watching Shane with Tori and Mikalya putting icing on the cake...
...and checking out the presents and birthday cake...
BEALE AIR SHOW
