Leap Thinking

When I was a kid we had a thick clothbound storybook, with one short story per page for every day of the year. I read this beloved book every night before I went to sleep. It followed the life of a family throughout the year. I will never forget the story for Leap Day – one of the kids was born on Feb 29 and he only had a birthday party every four years. No fair!

As a result I have a habit of doing something special on Leap Day, so today I took a calligraphy class. If you are an aspiring quilt teacher or textile artist, I highly recommend taking a class in a non-textile arts class now and then, just to shake loose any ruts one may have fallen into. I’ve got a Creative Buzz going tonight as a result, and looking forward to applying some ideas when we host MJ Kinman’s fabulous Elizabeth Diamond class later this week. (Yes we still have a few seats open if you want to squeeze in!) We have run 2 kits for this class and they are selling fast, both to students in the class, and her fans from afar who can’t make it in person.

In the class today, we talked about how calligraphy is a kind of meditation that can pull us out of the chaos of modern life, and bring us into the moment. Sound familiar? Many find this in the Slow Stitching movement. I find this when I am doing freemotion stitching on my machine. The movement of the fabric under the needle is a lot like calligraphy. You have to be fully present mentally and emotionally when practicing freemotion quilting, I have found, so it is the perfect way to shake off the distraction of the outer world. You know what I mean!

This weekend’s project is preparing a TED-style talk for the World Wilderness Congress in Jaipur India. I’ll be sharing my ideas as an artist and philanthropist business owner, with the delegates who gather. We will have a panel discussion about using Art to inspire preservation of wilderness to save endangered species, and ultimately to preserve humanity. I will be sharing that experience with all of you the last part of this month.

Watch for this Wednesday’s Creative Nudge newsletter – I’ll be sharing information about Mission of Love‘s next projects – a new hospital in Guatemala and a Textile School to preserve the traditional Mayan weaving techniques for the next generation.

sharing your Passion for Fabric…
Luana and Paul

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eQuilter Classroom:
March 6-8 – MJ Kinman – “Unicorn Rainbow” & “Elizabeth Diamond” Gemstone Workshop
April 13-15 2020 – Susan Carlson – Sold Out
June 1-5 2020 – Paula Nadelstern – Kaleidoscopes & Quilts
July 20-23 Betty Busby – Transfer Dyeing
August 6-9 – Cindy Lohbeck Returns

Luana’s Travel Calendar:
Feb 19-22 – QuiltCon in Austin TX
Mar 18-27 – World Wilderness Congress – Jaipur India – Lecture & Panel
June 17-21 – Quilt Canada – Edmonton (Lecture 6/19)
June 26 – Intl Quilt Museum – Lincoln NE – Exhibit Opening & Lecture
July 29 – Aug 2 – “Love Your Mother” in Birmingham UK (Lecture 8/1)
Oct 16-17 – Visions Art Museum – San Diego (Lecture 10/16)

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