Many of you are preparing for a Thanksgiving like no other, here in the US. Our oldest son has gone into quarantine and got a Covid test yesterday, just to make 100% sure that he will not bring the bug to our house on Thanksgiving. We will celebrate 2 birthdays and Thanksgiving all on the same day. I am trying to get my mom moved to another room in her nursing home, so I can come visit her at her window. We are making adjustments in a matter-of-fact way, because the bottom line is to get through the next few months without becoming contagious or ill. We are just taking it a week at a time, as I know you are.
In an effort to keep my brain cells from melting during the pandemic, I’ve been rescheduling my 2020 quilt festival lectures so I can share creative inspiration with all of you via online talks. Right now I have 4 in the works and the next one will be for the First Friday presentation with the International Quilt Museum on December 4th. More details coming next week!
Now that we are past the initial push for sewing face masks for healthcare workers this last Spring, the new trend is to have multiple facemasks to match every outfit! Multicolor bright prints for fashionable face masks is the big sewing trend for Christmas. We have stocked these Adjustable Drawstring Elastic Cords now so you can finish sewing fun face masks for holiday gifts, to help get loved ones get over the finish line in 2021. However I predict that even after the vaccines are universally available, there will be an ongoing culture of wearing facemasks here, as there has been in Asia for decades. It is the gift that keeps on giving!
We have joined with the Colorado Quilt Council (CQC) and the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum (RMQM) in an effort to collect and distribute quilts to the 300 families who lost their homes in our terrible wildfires last month. We have donation bins at the front door to drop off donated quilts. Please call us or email if you have questions.
Re our ‘Curbside’ Retail Pickup – Only available if you bring a *working* cell phone to call us when you arrive, then we will place your package just outside the front door. Thank you for respecting our efforts to keep everyone here safe, i.e. no face-to-face contact at the door for drop-off or pickup.
with Hope for the Future, Luana and Paul
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The central panel will cut up into 9 blocks, featuring vignettes of various ocean creatures. The artist has used lots of juicy wet brushwork to give the impression of water, and the coordinates are splashes of saturated color.
We’ve shown this quilt design pieced with a ‘starry sky’ digital print, but you can play around with our customized quilt design program, to make your own unique color story. With such a rainbow of colors, anything goes!
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 traveling through space together on this beautiful blue marble – Spaceship Earth. All of us except the astronauts now on the International Space Station. Unless you’ve been living under a rock (which is possible during this pandemic) you probably heard that a civilian-made spaceship took 4 astronauts up to the ISS in a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, which docked Monday night. This crew included the first black man to stay and live on the space station. It seems impossible that it took this long, but now it has finally happened.
As it turns out, I have met this astronaut, thanks to the eQuilter charity program and our support of the Johnson Space Center/NASA chapter of Engineers Without Borders. In fact in 2015 Victor Glover was our tour guide when I visited the ISS Mission Control in Houston. I share this with you, because you are part of this connection.
Your support of eQuilter and the 2% of sales donated to nonprofit organizations, allowed me to also meet ISS astronaut Ron Garan 10 years ago. eQuilter’s comfort quilt relief project following the Japan tsunami was actually discussed between Mission Control and the ISS, while Ron was on his extended mission up there. True story! Working with Mission of Love, we collected and MOL distributed 2500 of your comfort quilts to earthquake victims just 4 months after the tsunami. Amazing.
Did you know there are apps that will tell you when the ISS is flying overhead, so you can run outside and track the station gliding across the sky? Many years ago I was having dinner in Houston with EWB friends, when suddenly the rocket scientists jumped up and ran out to the parking lot. The app told us when and where the ISS would appear, and sure enough, it showed up right on time and moved like a bright star in a steady trace across the dark sky.
When I was in South Africa with Carolyn Mazloomi’s guild, we visited a rural township, a shantytown out in the countryside. We spent an afternoon at an after-school program for AIDS orphans. They asked if I would speak to the older children. There were about 150 teenagers in their matching blue and white school uniforms, who gathered in a circle to hear me speak. What could I possibly say to them?
I told them about the International Space Station. I described to them how they could identify the ISS moving across the night sky. They had never heard about the station. They could hardly believe that humans had been living in space for so many years. You could have heard a pin drop. I encouraged them to make their education their first priority, and to dream big. When I finished they clustered around me, their big eyes moist with emotion. My eyes were pretty wet too. It was hard to say goodbye. As I left, I made a donation to the student center, on behalf of eQuilter. Wherever I go, you are always with me, and together we can make a difference. Thank you for supporting our family-owned company, our charity program, and our efforts to help those in need.
with hope for the future… Luana and Paul
p.s. The Dragon rocketship blasted off with a Baby Yoda tethered to the dashboard, as the ‘zero gravity indicator’. Baby Yoda is now floating around the ISS, orbiting the Earth at 15,500 mph.
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If you have driven through the Canyonlands of the Southwest at sunrise or sunset, you recognize the incredible colors in this eQuilter Exclusive landscape quilt. From the Golden Hour to Twilight, these rich hues of purple, gold and coral are intensified in the red rocks of Arizona, Utah, New Mexico and Colorado.
To make this 64″ x 71″ quilt design, you will use 2 stunning gradient prints and 2 coordinates from this Northcott collection, plus 2 Hoffman Hand-Dyes and a Solid Black to set off the intense colors. Honestly, we think the main scenic print would make awesome curtains too!
You might consider using some metallic threads in these shades of purple, coral and gold, to add that shimmer that we see at sunset in the red rock canyons.
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 know most of us are breathing a sigh of relief now that the election season is (almost) over. The virus is spiking around the US so we are all taking extra precautions, and planning a quiet holiday season to keep our loved ones safe. Our Thanksgiving meals will be perhaps simpler, and the silver lining is the opportunity to reflect on our blessings with true gratitude. Sometimes we have to lose something of value (like our usual holiday celebrations) to see what is most important in our lives.
We have joined with the Colorado Quilt Council (CQC) and the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum (RMQM) in an effort to collect and distribute quilts to the 300 families who lost their homes in our terrible wildfires last month.
New and never-used quilts can be shipped to, or dropped off at eQuilter. We request that you give Twin, Double or Queen size bed quilts for these families who are starting over. Be sure to put a label with your name, and perhaps a message of encouragement,on the back of the quilt if possible.
We have donation bins at the front door to drop off donated quilts. We will not receive face-to-face, to protect our staff. Please call us or email if you have questions.
Re our ‘Curbside’ Pickup – Only available if you bring a working cell phone to call us when you arrive, then we will place your package just outside the front door. Thank you for respecting our efforts to keep everyone here safe, i.e. no face-to-face contact for drop-off or pickup.
with Hope for the Future, Luana and Paul
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To make this 69″ x 69″ canine quilt design, you will start with a 24″ x 44″ central panel, then cut up another panel with puppy vignette blocks. Add in a couple coordinates plus the Puppy Stripe for the border, and you have the ultimate Cute quilt that will invite viewers to gasp “Awwww!” and will bring big happy puppy smiles.
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 the virus is spiking again, which means quilters and crafty people everywhere are hunkering down with their fabrics and art supplies, anticipating a long winter Safer At Home. I was raised by a mother who was a natural optimist, so I learned an important truth as a young girl: Be happy with what you have today, because there are others who have it worse, and we never know what tomorrow will bring. Of course that made me really wonder about those poor souls who had it worse, which I suppose eventually led to our charity program. But I digress….
You may have heard that all the puppies and kittens have been adopted from rescue centers during the pandemic, so now more people who are stuck at home, are considering adopting older pets. Hooray! All of our cats are rescues, and I like to adopt adult cats because you can see their personality and there are not as many surprises when you bring them home. But lets face it – little squeaky fluffballs are a lot of fun.
Two of our three kids are living at home during this pandemic, and they have expressed that our pets have probably kept them from going off the deep end. At the very least, our pets give us comfort when we are stressed or sad. All 3 of our cats came from terrible situations before they came to live with us, so we have mutally-comforting relationships with our kitties.
So I am looking on the bright side as things get worse out there, and I am psyching myself up for several months of dog-walking, kitty cuddling, comfort baking, and experimenting with curries in the Instant Pot. I think we’ve all grown tired of making sourdough bread, Zooming has lost its magical glow, and I heard there was a run on toilet paper last week.
I’ve been reading that Creatives are consciously determined to be more productive during the second wave. The first wave we were pretty freaked out about the whole thing, but now we know what to expect, and we know we’ll be staying Safe at Home for awhile longer…and it is a great time to really set goals and step up our Maker Game. Can you relate?
Like many of you, I’ve been tackling that stack of books by my bed, drinking more tea…and more wine…and self-medicating with one small square of really awesome chocolate each night with that cup of tea. You guys have really responded to our new Pandemic Therapy which will only last through the Winter, but I’m making the most of it by bringing in some new Norwegian chocolates later this week, to go with the Icelandic chocolates.
So stock up on your cats and dogs, fabric and chocolate, and you’ll be all set for the coming Winter at home. There’s light at the end of the tunnel now…hang in there.
We are part of a large community of families who have adopted children from China over the years, and this collection has a special stamp of approval by our daughter Sophie!
This delightful Free Quilt Pattern features adorable Mama and Baby Pandas, with rambunctious cubs frolicking amongst the bamboo groves and plum blossoms.
To make this 64″ x 64″ quilt design, you will use a digital-printed central panel, and a block panel. Then combine with flower and leaf coordinates, add a Hoffman Hand-Dye, and finish with the Baby Panda stripe to construct the border. Did we mention this collection is CUTENESS OVERLOAD? Someone special will be absolutely delighted to receive this as a gift.
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.
Many of you have contacted us, wanting to donate quilts to Colorado Fire Victims. We have just joined with the Colorado Quilt Council (CQC) and the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum (RMQM) in an effort to collect and distribute quilts to the 300 families who lost their homes in our terrible wildfires.
New and never-used quilts can be dropped off at the museum in Golden, eQuilter in Boulder and Ruth’s Stitchery in Colorado Springs. Having led a quilt drive in the past for fire victims, flood and hurricane victims, I would humbly request that you give Twin, Double or Queen size bed quilts for these families.
We will place our 2 donation bins at the front door where you can drop off 1-5 quilts at a time. Please understand that during the current Covid spike, we will NOT be opening the front door to receive the quilts face-to-face. The bins are regularly disinfected, and quilts will be brought inside as you depart.
Please drop off in our bins during business hours Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm. If you need to schedule a night or weekend drop-off, please contact me directly to make arrangements. You can ship quilts to us, or to the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum in Golden.
If you or your guild wish to drop off a larger number at eQuilter, contact me directly for bulk drop-off at my studio back door.
This week our local Niwot/Gunbarrel community newspaper ran this lovely article about our Face Mask collaboration with local sewing volunteers. MANY THANKS to all of you who received our donated fabrics, and brought back or donated Face Masks earlier this year. We are so grateful to be able to partner with all of you who stepped up to the challenge.
Re our ‘Curbside’ Pickup –
Due to Covid, and especially during the current spike, please understand that we will not be communicating face-to-face through our front door when you come to pick up orders. BRING YOUR CELL PHONE and call the number posted on our front door, and we will place your package just outside the door, then you can approach and pick up your package *after* the door closes. We want to keep our staff safe so we can remain open as an essential business, and everybody here can continue to receive a paycheck. Thank you for understanding.
with Hope for the Future, Luana and Paul
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On March 5, 2020, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s public health laboratory confirmed the first presumptive positive COVID-19 test result in Colorado.
What followed is well known to Coloradans, but looking back to March, there are some behind-the-scenes heroes from the early months of the pandemic who deserve some added thanks, namely the volunteers and organizations who helped support early mask-making endeavors in local communities.
When COVID-19 cases were first on the rise, demand quickly outran supply for masks and other PPE, especially for healthcare workers, first responders and essential front line workers.
Later that month, the Volunteer Engagement and Donations management staff under the Boulder County Emergency Operations started the Boulder County Mask Project to meet the rising need for masks.
Boulder County Community Services estimates that since the project began, volunteers have donated more than 6,000 hours totaling $188,500 in contributions. A huge part of the program’s success can be attributed to Gunbarrel business, eQuilter, owned and operated by Luana and Paul Rubin.
The Rubins are no stranger to charitable work. Since eQuilter’s inception in 1999, it has contributed to charitable organizations around the world, donating 2% of all sales. To date, they have raised over $1.7 million for charity.
When the needs for masks in Boulder County increased drastically in the spring, Luana Rubin said they saw a large need in the community that eQuilter was able to fill.
“At the beginning of the pandemic, it was a really crazy time. Everyone was trying to figure out how they were going to respond and how bad the pandemic was going to be,” she said.
Near the start of the pandemic, eQuilter was granted special permission from the governor’s office to stay open as an essential business. During a time when a lot of other fabric stores and quilt stores around the country had completely shut down, eQuilter’s online business became an important source of fabric for people around the nation sewing masks for their communities.
Luana Rubin, eager to find ways to help locally, got in touch with the Boulder Emergency Task Force.
“At the time, we had connected with a Facebook group called the Boulder Mask Makers, and we were giving away tons of fabric every day,” she said.
The eQuilter warehouse set up a secure bin outside the building’s front door and filled it with fabric and elastic every morning. By the end of the day, the bin would be completely empty, taken by volunteers sewing masks for the community.
“So in the midst of that, we did connect with the Boulder County Emergency Task Force, and their project was so big that I said, don’t come to the bin in front, let me just put together boxes of fabric to give to you,” said Rubin. That fabric ultimately helped the volunteers of the Boulder County Mask Project sew over 19,000 masks.
“Our goal is to give as much fabric as possible to those who are making masks. And as long as it’s being done to give away, to help people in need, to help front line workers, not just medical workers, but all those people who are out there having to interact with the public, we’re really thrilled to be able to donate fabric and elastic,” she said.
When asked how many masks she thought had been made from donated fabric, Rubin said, “That’s hard to answer. It’s obviously thousands of yards of fabric and elastic. We didn’t really keep track, we just kept putting it out there as there was such a desperate need in the community.” She was unsure of an exact number, but estimated somewhere in the range of 50,000 masks had been made.
In addition to working with the Boulder Mask Makers and the BCMP, Rubin said eQuilter also helped provide masks to the State Department and to Boulder Community Health.
“The State Department, through the governor’s office, would come and pick up 300 masks each week. I would go over and drop off boxes of several hundred masks, every week, to the hospital,” Rubin said.
Much of the credit goes to the group of volunteers who sewed the masks, who Rubin called the “mask fairies.”
“There are still a few of them whom we haven’t identified. There were people who would come, take fabric, go home, make masks, and then come and leave them in the drop-off bin, and never identify themselves,” she said.
Since March 21, the BCMP alone has delivered 19,320 homemade cloth masks to over 70 local organizations, specifically supporting marginalized, high-risk community members during the pandemic. Over 84 people volunteered their time to create the handmade masks for children, youth, and adults.
For Rubin and the rest of the eQuilter staff, this very important local effort was just one part of a much bigger job to fulfill customer orders around the nation.
“We had customers all over the country who were making surgical gowns and surgical caps, not just the masks. So we had a huge demand. All of this was going on at the same time. It was absolute madness. I was working 75 hours a week. Restocking fabric was really difficult. Our buyers were working overtime. Everybody was working overtime at the warehouse,” said Rubin, who compared the feeling of those months to a war-time effort.
eQuilter normally employs around 24 people, but its staffing to 38 people during the height of the pandemic. There are currently around 34 full-time employees, plus the Rubins.
“That was the other half of what was going on here, keeping our business open so that we could supply all the people who desperately needed these supplies,” said Rubin.
At present, Rubin said the pandemic-related need has slowed although it is still a significant portion of eQuilter’s business. “That part of our business is up for sure, but it’s not as crazy as it was early in the year. Everybody knew that this was a special moment in time, and people needed these supplies, and we were going to do our best to help,” she said.
On a weekend when Rubin would normally be attending the International Quilt Festival in Houston, Texas, an annual event that regularly draws upwards of 60,000 people, she said the important thing this year is that all her employees and their families are safe and well.
“Our staff has just been incredible through all this. We’ve been observing all the safety protocols very strictly since March. We just got slammed with a tsunami wave of people who were buying for the pandemic. Many of our staff gave up their weekends or worked late into the night. We have a great team who stepped up to the challenge,” said Rubin.
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