To make this 49″ x 62″ quilt design, you will start with the fabulous pointillist scenic panel, featuring a shimmering Hummingbird sipping the nectar of Morning Glories, and a pulsing Sun-filled sky in the background. Add a blue stone texture and the coordinating Bubble Stripe for the border.
Order the pattern as configured, or customize it to your liking with any of our thousands of fabrics. Just place your desired fabrics in your Wish List, and these fabrics will appear in the Fabric Selector below the pattern.
Here in the US we are somewhat hesitantly venturing out into a new world…a new normal…taking off our masks and for many of us, nervously putting them back on again.
I have spent the last few days thinking about the beginning of the pandemic when the army of sewing volunteers rose to the challenge to sew millions of facemasks, when there was a PPE shortage. I also remember the day when my brother in Washington DC said to me, “I learned a new term today – Social Distancing”. Remember the first time we heard the phrase “Mask up”? I am not being nostalgic about the traumatic and jolting start of the pandemic. I am just reviewing and writing down these things because in 50 years will our grandkids have forgotten what happened? Or will they still retain the hard-won wisdom that the human race has obtained in the last 14 months?
Many of us have found solace in Nature, and as our forests grow lush and Spring-green, our streams overflow with the melting snowpack, and the first few bees are venturing out to our gardens…spending a warm sunshine-filled day outdoors has us heaving a collective sigh.
Here in Colorado since we are such an athletic outdoorsy bunch, the mountain trails have been over-crowded through the whole pandemic, but there are still ways to have a private moment with Mother Nature. Camping, hiking at dawn, and backwoods wilderness trekking, are a popular secret among those who long to commune with Gaia. Meditating with only the sound of the birds, the water and the wind, is deeply healing to the soul.
As quilters, we collect the fabrics that remind us of these soulful moments…the dewdrops in the grass, the magical encounters with wildlife, the scent of a pine forest…and we put these memories into quilts to remind us of these things when it is time to come back indoors. And maybe we put a Flannel backing on that quilt so we can snuggle by a fire when the snow is flying.
We stitch the wisdom of the forest and the whispers of the wind into our quilts when we are sewing on vacation, and those stitches will speak their own kind of poetry long after we’ve gifted those quilts to our beloved family and friends.
…sharing your love of fabric, Luana and Paul
Quilt Calendar: (fingers crossed!)
June 13 – Zoom Lecture “Intl Quilt Trends” – Quilt National/Dairy Barn
July 29 – Aug 1 – Festival of Quilts in Birmingham UK “For the Love of Gaia” quilt gallery
Aug 7 – Zoom lecture “Intl Quilt Trends” for Birmingham Festival of Quilts
This striking image captures the moment that you spot a leopard in a tree, and you lock eyes with this gorgeous beast. Our Free Quilt Pattern is a showcase for the power and intense beauty of this Big Cat…the kind of experience you would have on a photo safari looking through a telephoto lense!
To make this 48″ x 62″ quilt design, you will start with the 31″ x 44″ digital panel from Hoffman. We’ve combined a digital Leopard skin print from Kaufman, a Hoffman Hand-Dye, and 3 stone textures, for the pieced border.
Perhaps you know someone who still dreams of a past photo safari, or hopes to have an experience like this one day in the future. Having experienced this exact moment a few years ago – I can tell you it is a moment you will never forget!
Or perhaps the Leopard is your Spirit Animal? In that case – *ROWWWRRR!*
Order the pattern as configured, or customize it to your liking with any of our thousands of fabrics. Just place your desired fabrics in your Wish List, and these fabrics will appear in the Fabric Selector below the pattern.
This weekend I am distributing your donated comfort quilts to those affected by our King Soopers mass shooting in March. Many thanks to those of you who rushed quilts to us for this event – we received over 160 quilts in time for this weekend! I am attending a community support event at the CU Events Center, and several hundred families are expected to attend. For those of you who made and sent a comfort quilt – I promise to express your love and care to each and every person who receives your gifts.
We are still working with the Boulder Emergency Taskforce to reach those families and individuals who are dealing with PTS and loss. Our goal is go distribute a total of 500 quilts, so if you are still working on a quilt, yes we will make sure they are personally presented to someone who suffered a loss or trauma. Thank you.
My studio/classroom has sat empty for over a year now, and we have made the decision to downsize this space. We had someone begging us to lease half the space, and decided that is right thing to do at this time. So our classroom will be divided in half for my studio. It is going from 2000 sq ft to 1000 sq ft, and I am keeping the half with the giant stainless steel sink, and the kitchen! A girl’s got to have her priorities! I don’t know if we will have enough space to host smaller classes, until we get through the construction in August and I set up the new space. I will probably have a better idea in September, but for now we are not booking classes in there…yet.
Here in the US we just got the news that those who are fully vaccinated can remove their masks in most settings, but many people are saying they will still wear masks in public until the vaccination rate is higher. So it is difficult to make plans for the future now, even as we embrace this huge step which feels like progress but is also a bit scary. We are all in this together, and we are all going to find out how it goes…together. We all have to make our own decisions about what feels right. We are a major sponsor for Houston Quilt Festival, and I booked my hotel long ago, but I have not booked my flight…so that tells you where I am at! Hopeful, cautiously optimistic, but prepared for things to go either way.
As you know our charity program has raised almost $1.8 million for those in need, after 22 years of donating 2% of sales. Right now Doctors Without Borders is on the ground helping with the terrible situations in India and Gaza. All 7 of our charities are carefully chosen and each one has a story. I keep in touch with these non-profits because I want to know that our donations are being used directly for those in need. A couple weeks ago I learned that yet another friend in the quilt industry was diagnosed with Breast Cancer, so this month’s contribution will be in her honor. Every check we sign and mail off is a prayer…indeed it is all of our prayers that together we can make a difference. We are so grateful for your support which allows us to keep going….we’ve got our sights on that $2 million goal in a couple years. That accomplishment belongs to all of us…to all of you…who choose to support our efforts. We appreciate your love and your friendship over the years…even more so after this last year!
Paul and I celebrated our 26th wedding anniversary this week. 22 of those years have been running eQuilter together. We love our ‘Mom and Pop’ business and we know that we are blessed.
with hope for the future, Luana and Paul
Calendar:
July 29 – Aug 1 – Festival of Quilts in Birmingham UK “For the Love of Gaia” quilt gallery
To make this 57″ x 64″ quilt design, you will start with the 36″ x 44″ Zoo Snacks Block Panel. Then just add the coordinate prints for the borders, to make this FAST and EASY quilt!
You will not need to cut up and piece the central panel, but if you stitch around the blocks to give it a ‘cheater quilt’ treatment, it will look like a pieced quilt. Great for a quick gift idea for a new baby!
Order the pattern as configured, or customize it to your liking with any of our thousands of fabrics. Just place your desired fabrics in your Wish List, and these fabrics will appear in the Fabric Selector below the pattern.
This week I’ve had the tune “My Favorite Things” stuck in my head, and I’ve been thinking about the things from my childhood that still bring me comfort and joy…like cats curled up in the sunlight, the fragrance of my grandmother’s rose garden, the buzzing of bees in the summertime, and an afternoon with nothing to do but read a good book.
These days I have more favorite things. The frozen crunch of the first snow under my feet. My dogs‘ deep dreaming slumber at my bedside…at night in a quiet house. The thrill of picking warm ripe tomatoes from the garden. The shower of crab apple blossoms when a spring breeze blows. The coral-pink clouds against the twilight-blue sky just after the sun drops behind our Rocky Mountains. And the list goes on…
You have your list too. But do you write down those things, for future reference, for those darker days when you want to remember the small simple things that bring us the most joy? The smell of a baby’s soft head. A song’s lyric or harmony that brings a bittersweet lump to the throat. A basket of fresh-baked goods, left on a doorstep. Someone humming in the kitchen. The feel of clean cool sheets and the sound of crickets on a summer’s evening.
You may write these Favorite Things in a journal, or you may collect photos and fabrics that remind you of these things. You may talk over these feelings and memories over a cup of tea, or while stitching with friends, because these are the things that make a life, and fill our hearts.
I feature Barbara Beasley’s portrait* of her dog Drew, as he took in the sun and smiled in the way that only a happy doggy can smile. I’ve added some images of some of my favorite things too, and invite you to make your own list of things that make you smile.
I wish you many smiles and contented sighs this week….
…with hope for the future, Luana and Paul
* From the exhibit “Walk on the Wild Side” currently at the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum.
To make this 55″ x 67″ quilt design, you will cut up a 24″ x 44″ block panel, then piece 3 collection coordinates, and 3 Hoffman Hand-Dyes, to make this charming Avian-themed quilt. Do you know someone who loves to feed migrating hummers? This might be the perfect gift for that special Ornithophile.
Order the pattern as configured, or customize it to your liking with any of our thousands of fabrics. Just place your desired fabrics in your Wish List, and these fabrics will appear in the Fabric Selector below the pattern.
I hope that you can spend today with your mom, or your kids, or grandkids, or doing a motherly thing like make a quilt for someone special. So many of us learned to sew from our moms or grandmas…it is a special day for so many quilters to honor the creative matriarchs in our family tree.
This last week I finally came up for air, which meant that I was able to attack that flaming pile of Things To Do! Are you familiar with this feeling? The lilacs are coming into bloom so that makes every day special this time of year. Just breathing in that fragrance makes my heart sing. So that is my aromatherapy each morning before I jump on the Flaming Pile…go out and do some deep breathing on the front porch.
Last year my curated exhibit “For the Love of Gaia” was beautifully exhibited at the International Quilt Museum in Lincoln Nebraska. None of the artists were able to view the exhibit in person, which was very sad, although we did have a wonderful virtual opening event.
So I am thrilled to report that we have TWO In-Person venues for this exhibit, in the next year. “For the Love of Gaia” is definitely traveling to the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham UK the last week of July 2021. Woo hoo! Then it will return to the US, and will open in January 2022 at the New England Quilt Museum. We are SO excited, and so grateful that our exhibit will be seen in person. I urge you to put these dates on your calendar and if you go to these venues, please do plan to visit this beautiful collection of environmental-themed art quilts.
Regarding our call for donated comfort quilts for families and first responders affected by the King Soopers shooting here: Once again I just have to say how amazing quilters are, when I ask you to open your hearts. We have received 150 quilts so far, for the May 15 community healing event. A very SPECIAL thank you to the Palmer Divide Blanket Brigade of Monument Colorado, who dropped off ONE HUNDRED QUILTS this week. You ladies are awesome!
I am going to the event next weekend to personally distribute your donated quilts to those affected by our local tragedy. We are going to continue this quilt drive because now I am being contacted by other groups who are working to support those dealing with PTSD and other post-trauma mental health challenges after the shooting. I wrote about this in the Wednesday Creative Nudge newsletter – if you missed it you can catch the details on our blog.
Our goal is to collect and distribute 500 quilts to the victims’ families, first responders, 911 dispatchers, and those who survived the event inside the grocery store and the parking lot. Read the details in the blog and we welcome your drop-offs or shipped donations. As you know we take these quilt drives very seriously, and only work with groups who will personally distribute your donated quilts to those most in need. We thank you for your generosity and partnership in this endeavor.
with hope for the future, Luana and Paul
Calendar:
July 29 – Aug 1 – Festival of Quilts in Birmingham UK “For the Love of Gaia” quilt gallery
To make this delightful 52″ x 65″ quilt design, you will use the Unicorn Block Panel, plus 6 collection coordinates, and a Kona Solid White. The Unicorn is appropriately lavished with Gold Metallic, giving the impression of a shimmering magical fantasy world. The Jeweltone color story of Teal and Amethyst adds to the opulent ambiance.
Order the pattern as configured, or customize it to your liking with any of our thousands of fabrics. Just place your desired fabrics in your Wish List, and these fabrics will appear in the Fabric Selector below the pattern.
We are all yearning for a return to “Normal” but in our hearts we know that we are venturing into an unknown New Normal that will be spread out over an unknown amount of time. However as more people are vaccinated and some aspects of life begin to open up again, and as the possibility of activities without masks dangles tantalizingly just around the corner, it is a roller-coaster of conflicting emotions. Fear and hope get all mixed up and I don’t know about you, but I am bouncing back and forth between the two extremes like a ping pong ball.
It looks like our exhibit “For the Love of Gaia” will be traveling IN PERSON to the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham UK the end of July, but I don’t know if I will feel ok about traveling. I’ve reserved a hotel room as an act of faith, but it has a very flexible cancellation policy.
Big hugs and thanks to those of you who have already dropped off or shipped donated comfort quilts for the families and first responders event this weekend, to support those affected by the King Soopers mass shooting on March 22. My contact at the Boulder Emergency Taskforce has assured me that any quilts that arrive after this week will still be distributed to those who have suffered a loss or trauma.
I had a phone call from a quilter today, whose son-in-law is the commander of the 911 department. We had a long talk about the trauma experienced by this other group of first responders, and I agreed to also put out a call for additional quilts for this group. So far I have requests for about 175 quilts and I hope to have 25 by this weekend. I would also like to give to those who were inside the grocery store (115) and in the parking lot (25) when this happened. I assume the 115 who were in the building include the store workers who lost co-workers.
So this could easily add up to several hundred people, and if you send them, I will make sure they are personally distributed to those affected by the trauma of this dark day here in Boulder. My humble gratitude to all of you who feel called to contribute to this effort.
To ship a quilt to us:
eQuilter.com – 6201 Spine Rd. Suite A, Boulder Colo 80301
If you want confirmation that the quilt arrived, please choose a method of shipping with a tracking number. We will not have time to contact you to confirm receipt.
To drop off a quilt to us:
Call us at 303-527-0856 when you arrive. Be sure to bring your cell phone. Our front door is still locked and staff are still wearing masks and social distancing. Our phone number is also posted on the front door. We are open Monday – Friday, 8 am to 5 pm.
Please do share this blog link with anyone (or any group) who might wish to contribute.
I’d also like to remind you that we’d like to present memorial quilts to the community next year on the one year anniversary, listing all 10 victims, including police officer Eric Talley who rushed in first. He was the father of 7 young children. Please contact me if you are interested in making a community memorial quilt wall hanging.
Mothers Day is this Sunday, and I will have a special message for and about Moms, in the Saturday newsletter. Remember to scroll all the way down to the bottom to see my Saturday messages!
