eQuilter Blog

We are a family of readers, sci-fi geeks, and fantasy nerds. Thankfully all 3 of our kids grew up to be readers (and writers) as well. We love Star Wars and Star Trek, Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. Dragons, Magic Trees, and the music of John Williams…stretching across so many genres! My alarm that wakes me up in the morning is the theme song from Indiana Jones. I personally love having adventures abroad, to visit medieval castles, historic sites, and rainforests dripping with moss. Fairies and elves live there.

I’ve been going to ComicCon and Starfest for 20 years, photographing costume contests before it was named ‘cosplay’ and became cool. My favorite experience was the Klingon costume workshop: the teacher was a 6′ 6″ guy in full Klingon attire (wig, prosthetics, armor, and platform boots) hunched over a tiny sewing machine. Our kids all have fantasy costumes and I have some period costumes purchased at the Renaissance Faire long ago. And there are some fairy-floral-antler headpieces and a tiara or two. I started sewing my own costumes as a teenager, and our kids all grew up with costume options at Halloween and beyond.

For many years I was the keynote trend speaker at the Las Vegas textile show. Back then there was a Star Trek Experience at the original “Elvis” Hilton Hotel. I have a buddy from the fabric industry who is also a Trekkie, and we would always go to this Trek museum, and then have dinner at Quark’s Cafe. Ah, those were the days….

So for those of you who also love to escape from reality at times….in a book, a movie, or on a trip…I’d like to share this new exclusive design…the Stonehenge Dragon. Isn’t he gorgeous?

Sharing your passion for fabric…
Luana & Paul

Subscribe to my artist website and blog!
www.luanarubin.com

Travel/Lecture Dates:
Apr 26 – May 1 – Alegre Retreat, Gateway CO
May 16 – New England Quilt Museum, Soul Stories Artist Reception
May 18-26 – Montpellier, France
June 5 – Featured Speaker – World Environment Day – Houston
July 28 – Aug 2 – Festival of Quilts – Birmingham UK
Nov 12-15 – Intl Quilt Festival – Houston

Visit eQuilter’s Instagram, Pinterest or TikTok pages for Color and Design ideas.

See Luana’s Flickr Photo Pages for travel images, comment on our blog, or follow us on Facebook.

Check out our Video pages for interviews and show reviews.

This weekend I am finishing the hand-stitching on the binding of a quilt that is being sent out to a show. Every quilt I make, I learn something new. In fact I try to try a new technique in each subsequent piece, so I am always learning and growing in my work. I like to challenge myself.

However the hand-stitching is a meditation, that brings me back to the basics. It is grounding, calming, and centering. I always think of my grandmother when I sit to do hand-finishing work. The simplicity of pulling a needle and thread brings quiet joy.

Tonight as this e-newsletter goes out, I will be enjoying a front row seat as LangLang performs with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. Our daughter Sophie Quinn is still finishing her degree in music education, but she also has a full time manager position in Patron Services at CSO. If you don’t know who LangLang is….he is a piano prodigy from China who conquered the world with his brilliant performances as a young man. He inspired Sophie when she was a little girl, knowing they were both born in China. Perhaps she will meet her hero tonight.

Whose brilliant talent in the quilting world is inspiring YOU these days?

Sharing your passion for fabrics….
Luana and Paul

Subscribe to my artist blog here.

Travel/Lecture Dates:
Apr 26 – May 1 – Alegre Retreat, Gateway CO
May 16 – New England Quilt Museum, Soul Stories Artist Reception
May 18-26 – Montpellier, France
June 4-5 – Featured Speaker – World Environment Day – Houston
July 28 – Aug 2 – Festival of Quilts – Birmingham UK
Nov 12-15 – Intl Quilt Festival – Houston



Visit eQuilter’s Instagram and Pinterest pages for Color and Design ideas.

See Luana’s Artist Blog, Flickr Photo Pages for travel images, comment on our blog, or follow us on Facebook.

Check out our Video pages for interviews and show reviews.

Last week I shared with you a beautiful portrait that was voted Viewers Choice at QuiltCon, featuring hand piecing and quilting.

This week I’d like to share another fantastic portrait – a bold figure that was machine pieced and machine quilted on a longarm frame.

“Nyota” by Brooke Veale

Artist Statement:
Nyota, whose name means ‘star’ in Swahili, is an embodiment of female empowerment. She was designed to inspire strength and unwavering grace. The star emblazoned on her chest serves as a nod to her name and symbolizes hope and resilience. It’s a representation of the battles fought and the victories earned, both seen and unseen. Nyota shines as a tribute to strength, courage and the brilliance within every woman who dares to rise.
(Original design, paper pieced)

Every time I walked past this portrait quilt, there was a crowd of admirers. In fact I ran into an old friend (Barb Vlack) one of those times.

Thank you Brooke for giving us this inspirational, powerful image!

Sharing your passion for fabric…
Luana & Paul

Subscribe to my artist website and blog!
www.luanarubin.com

Travel/Lecture Dates:
Mar 12 – La Plata Quilt Guild – Intl Quilt Trends Lecture
Apr 26 – May 1 – Alegre Retreat, Gateway CO
May 16 – New England Quilt Museum, Soul Stories Artist Reception
May 18-26 – Montpellier, France
June 4-5 – Featured Speaker – World Environment Day – Houston
July 28 – Aug 2 – Festival of Quilts – Birmingham UK
Nov 12-15 – Intl Quilt Festival – Houston

Visit eQuilter’s Instagram, Pinterest or TikTok pages for Color and Design ideas.

See Luana’s Flickr Photo Pages for travel images, comment on our blog, or follow us on Facebook.

Check out our Video pages for interviews and show reviews.

If you don’t already subscribe to Quilting Arts Magazine, I encourage you to check out the brand new issue. My article “Asia Rising” is about Taiwanese and Chinese quilters, and one of them was featured on the cover! This article comes after my trips to Kyoto and Taiwan last year, as a featured artist in those quilt festivals.

Houston and Birmingham have both sent out their Calls for Entry for this summer and fall. I encourage you to enter your work – you never know what will happen!

This week I was delighted to receive an email informing me that my Papa Bear quilt is in the Hoffman Challenge, and I should mail it to them for the judging process. You will be surprised what I did with this year’s “Amethyst” purple and pink challenge batiks!

If you are a SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Associates) member, look for the email sent out on March 4th. The second item is about the new Juried Artist online showcase, which I curated.
“Heart and Soul – the Human Journey”

If you are NOT a member, and you are interested in learning more about art quilts and textile arts, I urge you to join us!

In case you missed the Wednesday morning email, here is my tribute to my friend and mentor, Harvey Kaufman.

I hear British Columbia just voted to do away with Daylight Savings. I wish we could do that here too. But if you live in a US state that participates in this biannual circadian rhythm disturbance (sigh…) remember to set your clocks FORWARD one hour tonight when you go to bed.

Sharing your passion for fabrics….
Luana and Paul

Subscribe to my artist blog here.

Travel/Lecture Dates:
Apr 26 – May 1 – Alegre Retreat, Gateway CO
May 16 – New England Quilt Museum, Soul Stories Artist Reception
May 18-26 – Montpellier, France
June 4-5 – Featured Speaker – World Environment Day – Houston
July 28 – Aug 2 – Festival of Quilts – Birmingham UK
Nov 12-15 – Intl Quilt Festival – Houston



Visit eQuilter’s Instagram and Pinterest pages for Color and Design ideas.

See Luana’s Artist Blog, Flickr Photo Pages for travel images, comment on our blog, or follow us on Facebook.

Check out our Video pages for interviews and show reviews.

Once again, I must share the loss of a great friend, mentor, and longtime industry leader. Harvey Kaufman left us on February 23, and I’d like to share what was on the Robert Kaufman social media pages about the man I called “Uncle Harvey”:

Harvey was the youngest of the Robert Kaufman children and joined his brothers, Saul and Alvin, in building what would become Robert Kaufman Co., Inc. For more than six decades, he poured himself into the company – not simply into growing a business, but into building relationships. He was a natural salesman in the fullest sense of the word: he celebrated the highs, steadied himself and others through the lows, and never lost his belief in people.

He built our sales force across the United States and around the world. He was the driving force behind the creation and expansion of Kona Cotton. But if you asked Harvey what mattered most, it would not have been a product line or a milestone – it would have been the people around the table.

He mentored the Kaufman generation that followed his and guided countless employees and sales professionals over the years. Many careers were shaped by his encouragement, his candor, and his faith in what others could achieve.

At his retirement celebration in December 2024, he said words that now feel like a blessing to all of us:

“It’s been a wonderful journey for me and I’m so filled with gratitude because of who you are, what I have contributed to each one of you, and more importantly what you have contributed to me. You can work for over 60 years to build something, but the building of it isn’t so much; it is truly what’s sitting at the table tonight. I love all of you and I wish you nothing but continued success.”

Sharing your passion for fabric…
Luana & Paul

* The photo in the lower right is from Quilt Market in November 2003, when Sophie was still a baby.

Subscribe to my artist website and blog!
www.luanarubin.com

Travel/Lecture Dates:
Apr 26 – May 1 – Alegre Retreat, Gateway CO
May 16 – New England Quilt Museum, Soul Stories Artist Reception
May 18-26 – Montpellier, France
June 4-5 – Featured Speaker – World Environment Day – Houston
July 28 – Aug 2 – Festival of Quilts – Birmingham UK
Nov 12-15 – Intl Quilt Festival – Houston

Visit eQuilter’s Instagram, Pinterest or TikTok pages for Color and Design ideas.

See Luana’s Flickr Photo Pages for travel images, comment on our blog, or follow us on Facebook.

Check out our Video pages for interviews and show reviews.