Dates and Reminders

Posted on October 22, 2018 by Luana

Just a reminder about a few things that are coming up on our calendar:

All of our donated charity quilts have been distributed, so we will be starting on a new batch at our very first Charity Sewing Day in our new classroom – Oct 27. We only have a couple seats left so RSVP or call to get on the waiting list.

November 8th I will be awarding the winners of the Love Your Mother quilt challenge, and BERNINA will be awarding the top prize of a B 570 QE machine, at the Teachers Luncheon at Quilt Festival in Houston. We will be at a table up front, but if you are there please come and say hello to me and the Love Your Mother artists!

Victoria Findlay Wolfe is teaching in our new classroom on Sunday Dec 2, and there are still spots available through CQC – Colorado Quilting Council. Victoria’s Modern Quilts are currently on exhibit at Liberty House in London, and we congratulate her on her successes. Register for this one day workshop on the CQC website.

We are having a Holiday Open House and Charity Sewing Day on Sat Dec 8, for our customers, suppliers and eQuilter staff. Stay tuned for details and keep that Saturday afternoon open if you can join us.

Tonight my National Parks Bobcat quilt is being auctioned off at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, at a fundraiser for the Wild Animal Sanctuary. I hope to see some of you there…lots of beautiful donated wildlife artwork available at all different prices for a great cause.

sharing your Passion for Fabric…
Luana and Paul

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eQuilter Classroom & Event Calendar:
Oct 27 – Charity Sewing Day in our NEW CLASSROOM – RSVP
Dec 2 – Victoria Findlay Wolfe CQC workshop @ eQuilter
Dec 8 – Holiday Sewing Day – RSVP

Luana’s Travel Calendar:
Oct 20 – Wild Animal Sanctuary ART Fundraiser – Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Nov 2-8 – Houston Quilt Market/Festival
(Nov 8 – Love Your Mother Awards @ Teachers Luncheon)
Nov 13-19, 2018 – POLAR BEAR Tour
Dec 23 – Jan 4 – China

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Free Pattern – Prism Stars

Posted on October 19, 2018 by Luana

This mesmerizing bed-sized quilt has eye-popping stars that give a 3-dimensional feel, set on a solid Black background, with a Gradient Rainbow Border.

For those of you looking for a larger quilt to cover up a special person on a cold winter night, this 83″ x 83″ exclusive design will make a striking impression on someone’s bed!

Use our suggested backing, or browse our large variety of 108″ wide backings to pick out just the right match for the Flip Side.

Browse our variety of wool, silk, organic cotton, and other battings to match a special cozy batting with this shimmering starry quilt!

… from the ‘Mandalas and Medallions’ collection by the Rubin Design Studio, designed exclusively for eQuilter.

And don’t miss the wonderful ‘Paisley Cats‘ and ‘Grizzly Bear Family‘ 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.

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Creative Nudge – Quilts = Peace

Posted on October 17, 2018 by Luana

I am having a brief visit with my Bobcat quilt which has been traveling 3 years with the National Parks exhibit. I made the quilt from a photo of a bobcat resident of the Wild Animal Sanctuary, and this Saturday the quilt will be auctioned off to raise money for this sanctuary. If you live in Colorado and can make it to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, please RSVP (scroll down to the fundraiser event link on their Facebook page) and we’ll be enjoying food/drink/music together at this big Art Fundraiser in a few days!

eQuilter is a sponsor of the new Connections exhibit at the Visions Art Museum in San Diego. The opening reception was this last weekend, and I am sorry I could not attend in person. As a sponsor, we are there in spirit! The exhibit is on through Jan 6 2019, so I hope if you are in the area, you can visit the museum.

The San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles is hosting an amazing project –
The Gun Buy-Back: Cash & Quilts for Guns.

Kudos to all the quilters who have donated quilts for this effort! The museum is joining forces with the San Jose Police Department and Police Foundation to facilitate a unique gun buy-back where individuals will receive cash AND a beautiful quilt in exchange for turning in weapons, no questions asked. The event will take place on December 1, 2018. The police dept collected 690 guns during 2016’s gun buy-back. They hope to beat that record in 2018! They are requesting cash donations to support the buy-back part of the event.

We all know that quilts bring comfort and healing (to the maker, and the recipient) but in this case quilts can also bring Peace…a worthy goal with the holiday season approaching.

sharing your Passion for Fabric…
Luana and Paul

The collage above features digital printed fabrics from our exclusive collection of Rubin Studio Designs.

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eQuilter Classroom & Event Calendar:
Oct 27 – Charity Sewing Day in our NEW CLASSROOM
Dec 2 – Victoria Findlay Wolfe CQC workshop @ eQuilter
Dec 8 – Holiday Sewing Day – RSVP

Luana’s Travel Calendar:
Oct 20 – Wild Animal Sanctuary ART Fundraiser – Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Nov 2-8 – Houston Quilt Market/Festival
(Nov 8 – Love Your Mother Awards @ Teachers Luncheon)
Nov 13-19, 2018 – POLAR BEAR Tour
Dec 23 – Jan 4 – China

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Free Pattern – Three Kings

Posted on October 16, 2018 by Luana

Three Kings come bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, in this week’s Free Quilt Pattern.

This 54″ x 62″ quilt depicts the Gifts of the Magi on Christmas Eve, with a stunning detailed panel as the focal point. Coordinates with gold metallic and starry skies are pieced with Hoffman Hand-Dyes to finish off this devotional holiday wall hanging.

… from the ‘Three Kings’ collection by Whistler Studios for Windham Fabrics.

And don’t miss the wonderful ‘Paisley Cats‘ and ‘Maplewood Ombre‘ 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.

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$300K for Breast Cancer

Posted on October 16, 2018 by Luana

It is a gorgeous Colorado Fall day here in Boulder today. The Autumn colors are at their peak, and the sky is a brilliant blue. Tomorrow we have snow coming and a low of 17 degrees, so we all out enjoying the colors of the season before Winter spreads her silvery cloak.

A lot of people ask me about how color trends work – how color forecasters can ‘predict’ future colors. There is even suspicion that we are the Color Mafia – that color trends happen because we pronounce a Color Edict and the world follows.

Not so. The signs of color trends are all around us, if we pay attention. It is there in the daily news, in pop culture, in the latest couture fashion shows in Europe and New York. It is in the art galleries, in the displays in funky downtown boutiques, in the most popular exhibits at the largest art museums. It is there in the conversations we have over lunch with our best friends, and the conversations we overhear at the coffee house. It grows out of the Mass Consciousness, and where we are all headed together on this beautiful planet.

Our business is entering a new chapter – moving into our OWN gorgeous large building – and our 20th anniversary coming up in March. I am also approaching a big timestamp on the Path of Life – turning 60 next month. We have always run our business as a service. For those who don’t have a local quilt shop, or who need specialty items not available elsewhere, we aim to carry products and inspire you with brand new trends that will help you to grow in your evolution as a quilter, an artist, a creative human being.

The other important part of us being a service organization is our charity work. This week we hit a landmark with much personal meaning: we now have raised $300,000 for Breast Cancer Research. As you may know, my mother is a survivor, and my mother-in-law had this scourge also. So I want to personally thank all of you who have helped us to get to this milestone. We all have friends and often relatives who have fought and won (or lost) this battle, and together we will continue to educate, support, and search for the answer. Special hugs and love going out to all of you who are fighting BC now.

What can eQuilter do, and what can I do, to support you as a Creative Human Being in the next year? Please write to me at [email protected] and let me know your ideas. I look forward to hearing from you.

sharing your Passion for Fabric…
Luana and Paul

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eQuilter Classroom & Event Calendar:
Oct 27 – Charity Sewing Day in our NEW CLASSROOM
Dec 2 – Victoria Findlay Wolfe CQC workshop @ eQuilter
Dec 8 – Holiday Sewing Day – RSVP

Luana’s Travel Calendar:
Oct 20 – Wild Animal Sanctuary ART Fundraiser – Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Nov 2-8 – Houston Quilt Market/Festival
(Nov 8 – Love Your Mother Awards @ Teachers Luncheon)
Nov 13-19, 2018 – POLAR BEAR Tour
Dec 23 – Jan 4 – China

 

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Free Pattern – Grizzly Bear Family

Posted on October 12, 2018 by Luana

Thrill at the gaze of a Mother Grizzly Bear, in this week’s Exclusive Free Quilt Pattern. That icon of maternal protection makes a statement on your wall, couch or small bed. Don’t mess with Mama!

This 66″ x 75″ quilt features a digital printed central panel, with a clever pieced border combining Stonehenge textures and Hoffman Hand-Dyes, to create Mama and Baby Bear Tracks across the quilt.

… from the ‘Call of the Wild’ collection by Hoffman Fabrics.

And don’t miss the wonderful ‘Reverie Garden‘ and ‘Maplewood Ombre‘ 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.

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Creative Nudge – Animal Lovers

Posted on October 10, 2018 by Luana

You may be aware that I am an animal lover. I am a longtime vegetarian, with 2 dogs and 2 cats. I’ve traveled around the world to photograph animals in the wild. I’ve had an affinity for animals since I was a kid. Somehow I managed to convince my parents to let me have dogs, cats, and a horse.

That love of animals has led me out to the Wild Animal Sanctuary for many years, where 600 large carnivores are living on large pieces of land, after being rescued from terrible conditions and cramped captivity.

One of my non-quilting projects has been to photograph and help catalog hundreds of pieces of donated art at the sanctuary. In a couple weeks I am helping them to run a silent auction at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, to benefit the sanctuary. My quilt that has been traveling in the National Parks exhibit (from a photo of one of their bobcats) will be auctioned off at this fundraiser event.

The week after Quilt Festival I’ll be flying back up to the edge of the Arctic Circle in Canada to photograph the polar bears again. Every time I go up there, I can see the deterioration in the landscape and water and the bears, due to climate change. I’ve made an art quilt with a polar bear that will be traveling in the Endangered Species exhibit next year, from a close encounter I had with an inquisitive bear. I use my art to speak for the wildlife, who have no voice.

Do you use your quilts to make visual statements? Have you thought about being an artist-activist? Have you channeled your frustration by making quilts that search for the Truth?…or speak the Truth? The World needs you now than ever, and you never know how much your art could inspire others.

sharing your Passion for Fabric…
Luana and Paul

********
eQuilter Classroom & Event Calendar:
Oct 27 – Charity Sewing Day in our NEW CLASSROOM
Dec 2 – Victoria Findlay Wolfe CQC workshop @ eQuilter
Dec 8 – Holiday Sewing Day – RSVP

Luana’s Travel Calendar:
Oct 20 – Wild Animal Sanctuary ART Fundraiser – Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Nov 2-8 – Houston Quilt Market/Festival
(Nov 8 – Love Your Mother Awards @ Teachers Luncheon)
Nov 13-19, 2018 – POLAR BEAR Tour
Dec 23 – Jan 4 – China

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Free Pattern – Renoir Window Display

Posted on October 9, 2018 by Luana

Peer through a window at a quartet of Impressionist bouquets, in this week’s Free Quilt Pattern.

You will start with a panel featuring 4 Renoir floral paintings, then piece the windowpane sashing and the inset border with Hoffman Hand-Dyes.

Roses and Chrysanthemums are matched up with Autumn hues and Neutrals that reflect the inspiration of the turning season.

This 43″ x 48″ wall-hanging quilt brings a gentle touch of elegance and romantic colors to any room.

… from the ‘Renoir’ collection by Studio RK for Robert Kaufman Fabrics.

And don’t miss the wonderful ‘Christmas Pets‘ and ‘Maplewood Ombre‘ 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.

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The JOY of Making…Brings Us Together

Posted on October 7, 2018 by Luana

One week ago we were moving the last few boxes into our new headquarters, and we spent the whole week organizing and getting back to business. I had a quick trip to Quilts Inc in Houston, then had a couple more days to work with our fantastic staff to get the new classroom ready for this weekend’s workshop.

And what was I doing at Quilts Inc you may ask? Working with a team of judges, we chose the winners for our Love Your Mother quilt challenge/contest.

Drum roll please…here are the WINNERS!

1st Prize – Elizabeth Budd – We Are All One
2nd Prize – Mirvia Aranda – Aunque se nos fue la mano (Even if it got out of our hands)
3rd Prize – Silke Steuxner – Beautiful Australia
4th Prize – Janice Jones – Say NO to Animal Poaching
Honorable Mentions –
Deborah Snider – Gaia’s Gifts
Sonia Ruiz – Ama a tu Madre

Congratulations to the 6 of you!
Prizes will be awarded at the Teachers Luncheon on Thurs Nov 8.

If you would like to join us at the Teachers Lunchon, use the following information to order the Thursday, November 8 luncheon tickets:
#468 The Adventure – How Did You Get From There to Here?

MOST important is a very big thank you to BERNINA USA for co-sponsoring the Love Your Mother exhibit and contributing an absolutely gorgeous B 579 QE machine for the First Prize winner! I spoke to Elizabeth Budd a couple days ago to give her the good news – she was pretty excited to say the least.

My dear friend Pam Holland is the featured speaker at the luncheon. Many of our artists will be joining me at a reserved Love Your Mother table up front. Please come to see the exhibit, and meet these talented artists. I am honored that they chose to participate in this project, which will travel after the Houston Quilt Festival.

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eQuilter Classroom & Event Calendar:
Oct 27 – Charity Sewing Day in our NEW CLASSROOM – RSVP
Dec 2 – Victoria Findlay Wolfe CQC workshop @ eQuilter
Dec 8 – Holiday Sewing Day – RSVP

Luana’s Travel Calendar:
Oct 20 – Wild Animal Sanctuary ART Fundraiser – Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Nov 2-8 – Houston Quilt Market/Festival
(Nov 8 – Love Your Mother Awards @ Teachers Luncheon)
Nov 13-19, 2018 – POLAR BEAR Tour
Dec 23 – Jan 4 – China

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

Get your Daily Dose of Eye Candy on Pinterest, eQuilter’s Instagram or Twitter for more Color and Design ideas.
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Free Pattern – Sparkling Medallions

Posted on October 5, 2018 by Luana

You will be dazzled by this exclusive eQuilter Free Quilt Pattern, featuring luminous Mandalas and Crystalline Medallions, floating in an abstract starry sky.

This generous 67″ x 88″ quilt fussy-cuts blocks, then pieces them into solid Kaufman Kona Black and a sparkling sky backdrop to create a real “Wow” effect.

… from the ‘Mandalas and Medallions’ collection by the Rubin Design Studio, designed exclusively for eQuilter.

PLUS – you’ll receive Free USA / 50% off INTL shipping
when you order the fabrics for this spectacular quilt pattern,
(orders $100 and over, no coupon needed)

And don’t miss the wonderful ‘Christmas Pets‘ and ‘Maplewood Ombre‘ 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.

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