Guatemalan Textile School

Here is another quilt from QuiltCon, with a weaving technique and colors that remind me of Guatemalan yarn-dyed fabrics. The quiltmaker Kyona Nason explains in her artist statement for “Afterglow” that she is exploring Lorie Cranor’s interweaving techniques, merging two panels to create an entirely new pattern. (I’ve added a strip of succulent prints on either side, which we have in stock now.)

I’ve been thinking about Guatemalan textiles since I heard from Kathy Price, that her next project includes supporting the opening of a textile school to keep traditional weaving alive among the indigenous Mayan young people.

Here is a letter she received this week. Perhaps you might want to volunteer on the next Mission of Love trip to Guatemala?

************************

Distinguished Kathleen Price
Director General Mission of Love

We send a cordial greeting wishing you all kinds of blessings and success in your daily work for the benefit of our dear Tecpán Guatemala.

We are a group of women weavers of textile art with waist cloth, we are Mayan kaqchiqueles (traditional weavers) fighting to protect, save our textiles that for us is an ancestral inheritance that we have inherited from generation to generation.

Since we are proud to maintain our guipiles (embroidered blouses) that carry history & knowledge, we see that girls & young women no longer cut their own clothes and we are losing our native costumes.

So we started a school of fabrics and we want to continue transmitting knowledge inherited from our grandparents.

Our dream is to have a school, shop and a museum linked together to help rural women and sell their products.

Therefore, we kindly request your help for this project.

Sincerely yours
Rukú´x Kem Iximche
María Florencia Rodríguez.

************************

You might enjoy the photos I took on a trip to Guatemala several years ago, when we gifted comfort quilts to children receiving cleft lip/palate surgeries in a hospital equipped by Mission of Love. This is part of where our 2% donation goes when you make a purchase at eQuilter. Feel free to donate directly to Mission of Love, to support their relief efforts in the US and Central America. (or the textile school!)

Sadly, my trip to India this month for the Wilderness conference has been postponed due to the coronavirus.

sharing your Passion for Fabric…
Luana and Paul


eQuilter Classroom:
March 6-8 – MJ Kinman – “Unicorn Rainbow” & “Elizabeth DiamondGemstone 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
2021 – Jacqueline de Jonge

Luana’s Travel Calendar:
June 19 – Quilt Canada – “Intl Quilt Trends” presentation
June 26 – Intl Quilt Museum – Lincoln NE – Opening Reception & Lecture “For the Love of Gaia”
July 29 – Aug 2 – “Love Your Mother” Gallery in Birmingham UK (Lecture 8/1)
Oct 16-17 – Visions Art Museum – San Diego (Lecture 10/16)

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Free eQuilter Pattern – Artful Snowflake

Paula Nadelstern’s shimmering Snowflake collection is the focus of this week’s Free Quilt Pattern, featuring her giant crystalline snowflakes.

This 50″ x 50″ quilt design uses her large snowflakes in a panel, with Deep Blues (the 2020 Pantone Color of the Year) and shimmering Silver Metallic.

Featuring the ‘Artful Snowflake’ collection by Paula Nadelstern for Benartex.

Don’t miss the popular ‘Backyard Songbirds‘ and ‘Hot Air Balloons‘ quilt patterns!


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.

Click Here for a Video Tutorial of the Free Pattern Designer.
Download Instructions for the pattern at the bottom of the pattern designer page.

Luana and Paul Rubin

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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

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

Visit Pinterest, eQuilter’s Instagramor Twitter for more Color and Design ideas.

Check out our Video pages for interviews and show reviews.

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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Free eQuilter Pattern – White Tiger of Eden

Deep in the mists of a jungle far away, lives a mystical White Tiger resting among the wild orchids by a tropical waterfall. This week’s exclusive eQuilter Free Quilt Pattern features this stunning portrait of a legendary Big Cat, set in the richness of the rain forest.

To make this 58″ x 65″ quilt design, you’ll start with our exclusive 34″ x 44″ digital panel, then add a jeweltone palm frond print and 3 Hoffman Hand-Dyes. Bring the majestic presence of this gorgeous Tiger into your home with this easy-to-make wildlife quilt!

Featuring the ‘Wild Animals’ collection by the Rubin Design Studio, designed exclusively for eQuilter.

Don’t miss the popular ‘Backyard Songbirds‘ and ‘Hot Air Balloons‘ quilt patterns!

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.

Click Here for a Video Tutorial of the Free Pattern Designer.
Download Instructions for the pattern at the bottom of the pattern designer page.

Luana and Paul Rubin

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Free eQuilter Pattern – Birds in the Garden

Experience the joy of a colorful summer garden in full bloom, as the ultimate Songbird Habitat, in this week’s exclusive eQuilter Free Quilt Pattern.

Bluebirds, Goldfinches, Hummingbirds and Cardinals are the themes of this cheerful collection, with a backdrop of Dahlias and Hydrangea Blossoms.

This 66″ x 58″ quilt design is a quick and easy project, with 3 digital bird/floral prints (including a panel), 3 Hoffman Hand-Dyes, and a Stonehenge Gradient textured blender. Bird-lovers and Gardeners alike will enjoy this bright display of feathers and petals in the garden.

Featuring the ‘Birds & Flowers’ collection by David Textiles.

Don’t miss the popular ‘Backyard Songbirds‘ and ‘Dragon Fire‘ quilt patterns!

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.

Click Here for a Video Tutorial of the Free Pattern Designer.
Download Instructions for the pattern at the bottom of the pattern designer page.

Luana and Paul Rubin

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QuiltCon Review

Having just returned from QuiltCon in Austin TX, I wanted to tell you about the show and give you a taste of the quilts we saw. Here is a detail shot of Terry S. Peart’s quilt “Seasons”. She wrote “In Nature, the color of light changes from morning to night, and it changes from season to season. The colors of each new season inspire us and affect our moods. Our lives are not unlike the seasons…”

I was so impressed with the show this year. There was a clear overarching theme that started with the Guild Charity quilts and extended throughout the show. The Charity challenge was to use Black-Gray-White fabrics, and to use text to create a design. Many of these quilts were absolutely stunning.

The theme of words and text has been growing for several years now, so we also saw this throughout the whole show. There were so many quilts that had a message about what is happening in the world now, and those messages were often literally spelled out. Also there were several other Black and White quilts made by individuals that were just stunning.

You can see an overview of the show on my photo page now, and I am working to edit photos of individual quilts to add in as well. I particularly enjoy seeing the color combinations that Modern Quilters come up with in these exhibits! Modern quilts are not just made from solid fabrics, but I have to say that there was such a smorgasbord of colors and techniques used with the solid quilts, that made them really sing.

My only concern is that some of the entries are made of Beige/Natural fabrics, sometimes Natural Linen, and they just disappear into the light beige drapes that are used to hang the show. I will post a few photos of these beige quilts on the light beige background and you will see what I mean. If you are designing a Beige quilt to hang in this show, you might consider putting a contrasting border on your quilt so it doesn’t disappear into the drapery. I noticed those quilts tended to be overlooked by the passers-by.

MJ Kinman is always a blast and we are so excited to have her returning to our eQuilter classroom to teach her Elizabeth Diamond Class one week from now. We are cutting kits for either the eQuilter exclusive Rainbow Unicorn version, or the Classic Blue Diamond. We still have room so sign up and join us for some fun…because you know Diamonds are a Girls Best Friends, especially when they are made from fabric!

sharing your Passion for Fabric…
Luana and Paul

eQuilter Classroom:
March 6-8 – MJ Kinman – “Unicorn Rainbow” & “Elizabeth DiamondGemstone 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:
Mar 18-27 – Wilderness Congress – Jaipur India
June 19 – Quilt Canada – “Intl Quilt Trends” presentation
June 26 – Intl Quilt Museum – Lincoln NE –
Opening Reception & Lecture “For the Love of Gaia”
July 29 – Aug 2 – “Love Your Mother” Gallery in Birmingham UK
Oct 16-17 – Visions Art Museum – San Diego (Lecture 10/16)

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Free eQuilter Pattern – Cotton Tales

Spring is really just around the corner, and this week’s Free Quilt Pattern will help you pass the time with adorable wild bunnies and delicate Spring flowers … until the snow melts and those daffodils make their first appearance in your garden.

This sweet 52″ x 62″ quilt design features vignettes of one or two bunnies sniffing a warm breeze and sweet blossoms, in a grassy meadow full of colorful wildflowers. Bunny blocks are set in Diamond shapes made of up Floral Mid-tones (Pink, Purple and Green) with Irish Chain little blocks between connecting Windmill stars. The crisp White-on-White Butterfly background sets off the fresh colors in this Happy-Hoppy quilt.

Featuring the ‘Cotton Tales’ collection by Abraham Hunter for P&B Textiles.

Don’t miss the popular ‘Backyard Songbirds‘ and ‘Dragon Fire‘ quilt patterns!

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.

Click Here for a Video Tutorial of the Free Pattern Designer.
Download Instructions for the pattern at the bottom of the pattern designer page.

Luana and Paul Rubin

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QuiltCon Report

This evening I just got home from QuiltCon in Austin Texas, and pretty much went into a quilt-show coma on the couch. I’ve had a super busy last few days at the show, and managed to pack in several meetings that will lead to good things in the next year. Paul had to come wake me up to write a few words so he could send this out.

My thoughts about this year’s QuiltCon? …WOW!

It was an exciting show and I felt the quality of the quilt exhibits took another leap upwards. The Black and White and Gray guild quilts with text were the talk of the show. Victoria Findlay Wolfe’s retrospective was colorful and inspiring. Jacquie Gering had a long line of quilters waiting for her to autograph a new book that literally was hot off the presses for this show. And I would say that the definition of “Modern Quilt” was expanded once again.

eQuilter sponsored the Best Machine Quilting (Frameless) award, which was won by Peter Byrne. You may be seeing his name everywhere from now on, because he also won Best of Show. His 2 winning quilts were hanging side by side at the entrance to the show. Peter started quilting a few years ago and he’s entered our world with a bang.

eQuilter also sponsored the Youth Group category which had 3 prizes – all won by quilts from the Social Justice Sewing Academy. (Look them up on Instagram) I interviewed its young founder Sara Trail who is 25 years old and wise beyond her years. Volunteer Nancy Williams did the quilting on all 3 of these group quilts, and it is obviously a labor of love. The kids make applique panels about social justice topics, and then they are combined into larger group quilts. You can see them on my photo page. I will be posting more photos from Tokyo and Quilt Con throughout this next week.

If you are in Austin and can make the last day of the show tomorrow – I urge you to go!

We will be opening up registration for Paula Nadelstern this week. If you have called to be on the Wait List, we’ll be sending you an email invitation 24 hours before it is announced publicly.

sharing your Passion for Fabric…
Luana and Paul

eQuilter Classroom:
March 6-8 – MJ Kinman – “Unicorn Rainbow” & “Elizabeth Diamond” Gemstone Workshop
April 13-15 2020 – Susan Carlson
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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Free eQuilter Pattern – Hot Air Balloons at Sunrise

This breathtaking view features a hot air balloon launch at dawn, over fields of Lavender in full bloom. Our Free Quilt Pattern invites you to imagine being in one of those jeweltone balloons ascending into a brilliant sunrise, with the lingering scent of the purple blossoms below.

To make this 58″ x 65″ quilt design, you will start with the central 36″ x 44″ digital-printed scenic panel. For the pieced borders, add on a digital gradient blender and 3 Hoffman Hand-Dyes, plus a balloon coordinate for the corner stars. If you’ve dreamed of sailing away on the breeze with the world below…this one’s for you!

Featuring the ‘Hot Air Balloons’ collection by David Textiles.

Don’t miss the popular ‘Backyard Songbirds‘ and ‘Dragon Fire‘ quilt patterns!

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.

Click Here for a Video Tutorial of the Free Pattern Designer.
Download Instructions for the pattern at the bottom of the pattern designer page.

Luana and Paul Rubin

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Free eQuilter Pattern – Mountain Vistas

Enjoy a Southwest Mountain Landscape in this week’s Exclusive Free Quilt Pattern. Northcott’s scenic wilderness panel captures this glorious mountain landscape with exquisite colors and textures.

The focus panel is elegantly surrounded by Northcott’s famous Stonehenge textured coordinates, pieced in delicate diamonds and mountains, and bordered by the coordinating southwest stripe with rich, rainbow hues.

You can use this 58″ x 62″ quilt as a Large Lap quilt, a small Bed Quilt, or a fantastic wall-hanging! This makes a great gift for friends and family who enjoy the rich colors of the Southwest.

Featuring the ‘Mountain Vista Stonehenge’ collection by Linda Ludovico for Northcott Fabrics.

Don’t miss the popular ‘Backyard Songbirds‘ and ‘Dragon Blue Fury‘ quilt patterns!

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.

Click Here for a Video Tutorial of the Free Pattern Designer.
Download Instructions for the pattern at the bottom of the pattern designer page.

Luana and Paul Rubin

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