eQuilter Blog

After my weeklong stay in Birmingham UK at the Festival of Quilts, I traveled down to Oxfordshire and stayed in a hotel built in the 15th century, in Henley on Thames. In the early mornings I watched the river flow past my window, as it has for hundreds, indeed thousands of years. But during the day I visited with naturalist and quilter Linda Seward and entered her magical world of wild mushrooms, flowers, birds and insects.

Part of my time in Oxfordshire was at her home, and I was amazed that she would call to the Red Kites, and they would come and circle over her garden. She would whistle to the sky, and in response we would hear their characteristic whistling ‘peee eooo eooo’ call.

Red Kites are one of the UK’s best recovery success stories. In just a few decades, they’ve gone from being on the brink of extinction to around 6,000 pairs in the UK.

On this trip my longtime friend came up from London with her beau, and I was the fly on the wall with Linda and this pair of avid birders. We had lunch in the 600 year old inn, and I just sat back and listened to them share stories about birding in the UK.

So the quilt I am sharing tonight is by Lynn Kinsey, from Powys in the U.K.

Artist Statement:
“High as a Kite” with the freedom to soar on the thermals. I am privileged to be able to sit on the deck in Mid Wales to observe this magnificent bird glide with such ease and change direction with the slightest movement of the wing or tail. As the sun catches it from below, the colours come alive.
Pieced background, raw edge applique, hand-dye & batik fabric, machine stitched.

Sharing our passion for fabric,
Luana & Paul

Subscribe to my artist website.
www.luanarubin.com

Travel/Lecture Dates:
Oct 9-12 – Houston Quilt Festival – Soul Stories
Nov 2-6 – Art Quilt Tahoe – Independent Study
Nov 7-10 – Sacred Threads – Indianapolis – Art & Activism lecture
Nov 21-23 – Taiwan Quilt Festival – Taipei

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.

The news cycle is so totally bonkers. I am deeply grateful for the quilting community, and the sanctuary of my creative space, to keep my sanity. My B790 machine had a ‘spa day’ while I was in the UK, and my Q20 has been cleaned and oiled as well, so it is time to put the pedal to the metal.

Rosie our 2 year old pup has been wearing a cotton jersey jacket (recovery suit) for almost 2 weeks, instead of the cone of shame. It has been a reminder of the cottage industries out there, many of whom are our customers, who solve day-to-day problems with fabric and a sewing machine.

We have a beautiful new issue of Quilting Arts Magazine, with the theme of COLOR. One of my favorite topics! I have recently sent in an article for QA magazine about our new group of artists who will have a premier in Houston in October….just around the corner now! That article will come out in the next issue in early November.

In the meantime if you follow us on Facebook, I have just posted the article about Soul Stories that came out yesterday in the International Quilt Festival e-zine.

sharing your love for fabric,
Luana and Paul

Subscribe to my artist blog here.

Travel/Lecture Dates:
Oct 9-12 – Houston Quilt Festival – Soul Stories
Nov 2-6 – Art Quilt Tahoe – Independent Study
Nov 7-10 – Sacred Threads – Indianapolis – Art & Activism lecture
Nov 21-23 – Taiwan Quilt Festival – Taipei

Visit eQuilter’s Instagram, Pinterest or TikTok 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.

Our of all the beautiful creative quilts that I saw at the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham UK, this group quilt is one that sticks in my mind. It is simple, charming, you might say it is an example of folk art, but the message is very powerful.

This is the “Climate and Nature Quilt” by the Somerset Crafty Quilters, designed by Kate Spooner, with 22 people who designed and made all the blocks.

The quilt states:
Together we can reduce climate change and restore nature.

In the bottom border:
Small changes make a difference.

Artist statement:
The climate and nature crisis can often feel overwhelming and something that only governments and big business can fix. We hope that this quilt will inspire individuals to do more, and recognize that together we can have a positive impact.

Every block has a different action that we can take to fight climate change, waste, and pollution. At the moment, the UK is ahead of the US on this topic. I didn’t encounter a single piece of single-use plastic while I was there, which just seemed miraculous….and inspirational.

Sharing our passion for fabric,
Luana & Paul

Subscribe to my artist website.
www.luanarubin.com

Travel/Lecture Dates:
Sept 12 – SAQA “Camouflage” reception – Arizona Sonora Desert Museum – Tucson AZ
Oct 9-12 – Houston Quilt Festival – Soul Stories
Nov 2-6 – Art Quilt Tahoe – Independent Study
Nov 7-10 – Sacred Threads – Indianapolis – Art & Activism lecture
Nov 21-23 – Taiwan Quilt Festival – Taipei

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.

Returning from the UK, I had a bit of a rough landing. Our beloved 2 year old pup Rosie had emergency surgery the night before I flew home, I had to jump through hoops with my quilt at Heathrow security, and then our backup freezer failed in the 100 degree heat and I had to throw out all the contents. Sheesh!

However, I had such a beautiful trip (and gorgeous weather!), and spent time with so many wonderful people, and photographed so many amazing quilts…that warm glow is going to stay with me for a long time. I am working on editing photos and will have those to share with you soon. I hope all of you had the chance to attend a quilt event this summer, to inspire your autumn quilt-making.

Next week when I am back in the studio, I have 2 quilts I am finishing, and then I am starting 2 new quilts. I’ve decided to work on 2 or 3 quilts at a time, so I have continuity in my projects. I have one up on the design wall while I am stitching on another. Maybe another on my paint table at the same time. Do you like to work on one project at a time, or do you move back and forth between projects?

I want to give you a challenge for the Fall season. Find someone who has less experience than you, and offer to teach them a technique. We have a lot of new quilters who have discovered our world of stitching since the pandemic. Give them a hand up and share something you love. Your enthusiasm is a spark of inspiration that you can pass on to someone else!

Even though we’ve had some 100 degree days here, I know the students are coming back to the university here in a week, and maybe your kids or grandkids are headed back to school soon. Start planning for some ‘me’ time with your sewing machine in the next few weeks! Do you need new needles, thread, batting, books or magazines? We are stocked up and ready to serve your needs.

sharing your love for fabric,
Luana and Paul

Subscribe to my artist blog here.

Travel/Lecture Dates:
Sept 12 – SAQA “Camouflage” reception – Arizona Sonora Desert Museum – Tuscon AZ
Oct 9-12 – Houston Quilt Festival – Soul Stories
Nov 2-6 – Art Quilt Tahoe – Independent Study
Nov 7-10 – Sacred Threads – Indianapolis – Art & Activism lecture
Nov 21-23 – Taiwan Quilt Festival – Taipei

Visit eQuilter’s Instagram, Pinterest or TikTok 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.

Just a quick hello from the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham UK, where the quilt exhibit is wrapping up Sunday afternoon. I have photographed the show and will be sharing photos after I fly home on Wednesday.

I am returning full of creative juice, after viewing all different types of quilts, seeing so many kinds of textile techniques, and sharing coffee or meals with a variety of quilting geniuses. I especially like coming to this show because one sees quilts that are so different from what is happening in the US.

The star of the show was the huge textile mural “Cossack Mamay” by the Ukrainian Quilts Association. This huge piece is in several panels, and full of symbolic details. It expresses hope for a peaceful future. The topic of war weighs heavy on those attending the event, and wherever mothers and grandmothers gathered, a desire to end the wars and in particularly the suffering of children, was a constant topic of conversation.

There was a Pakistani wedding tonight in the ballroom of our hotel. We sat in the lobby bar and watched all the dazzling ladies come in, wearing layers of silk, beads, embroidery and sequins. The parade of lavish textiles was the perfect wrap-up of a week full of art, design, and beauty.

sharing your love for fabric,
Luana and Paul

Subscribe to my artist blog here.

Travel/Lecture Dates:
Sept 12 – SAQA “Camouflage” reception – Arizona Sonora Desert Museum – Tuscon AZ
Oct 9-12 – Houston Quilt Festival – Soul Stories
Nov 2-6 – Art Quilt Tahoe – Independent Study
Nov 7-10 – Sacred Threads – Indianapolis – Art & Activism lecture
Nov 21-23 – Taiwan Quilt Festival – Taipei

Visit eQuilter’s Instagram, Pinterest or TikTok 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.