Linda began quilting in 1975 – just because she liked to sew. She began sewing in 4-H when she was ten. She was in 4-H for eight years as a member and two years as a leader. She also raised sheep and took them to the fair. She went to Hayward Adult School, but that class was cancelled so she and her best friend, Linda Long, joined Kathy’s class around 2000.
She was married 30 years but lost her husband three years ago. (She jokes he wasn’t lost – but passed away). They had four children, two boys and two girls and two grandchildren. (One of each)! How lovely! She grew up in Castro Valley on the same street as Ann Rego and Gail Lysett. Linda used a treadle sewing machine for years before getting an electric machine. She still has that old Singer.
Her grandchildren are great Little League players and even get asked for their autographs. You may recall her granddaughter, Heaven, visited us one evening.
She has finished seven quilt tops and has a Gammill long arm machine that she intends to set-up as soon as she retires. One of the finished quilt tops in the sampler from baby biginners and one is a mystery quilt from Kathy’s class. Her most recent quilt was a Turtle Quilt, shaped as a turtle – for her niece’s baby.
A little know fact about Linda is she never sewed for her kids as they work jeans and tee shirts but she was in a Western Reenactment Group and sewed the heavy canvas coats for the cowboys called “dusters.” She made her family’s costumes – shirts for the hubby, prairie dresses for the kids. She and her family were involved in this activity for 20 years. They traveled in California and all the way to Tombstone Arizona for the Western Rendezvous Gunfighter shows. They kept in character all weekend and wouldn’t even walk on the same side of the street as the Earps.
She loves quilting because it doesn't have to fit!
Linda is a really funny lady – but you may not notice because she is so soft-spoken. I remember recently, one of the ladies was signing up for the pot-luck. She asked Linda; “How do you spell hor d’oeuvers?” Linda Blackburn answered, “Bring something you can spell!” I was laughing so hard I almost fell out of my chair.
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