Fall Quilt Market – Part 2

Posted on November 5, 2017 by Luana

Here are some more collections we ordered at Market, which we think are going to be HOT products when they arrive in the next few months:

When Sparks Fly by Libs Elliott
Thomas Kinkade Digital Scenics
Autumn Leaves & Lilacs by Jackie Robinson
Midnight Poppy by Ann Lauer
Under the Australian Sun by Leesa Chandler
Bohemian Blues by Judy and Judel Niemeyer
Kelmscott & Merton by Morris & Co
Folk Tales by Jane Sassaman
Night Music by Amy Butler
All Stars by Tula Pink
Kaffe Fassett Collective Spring 2018
New Frida & Halloween from Alex Henry
Precious Metals – Black Metallic
Llama Llama Bo Bama
Hoffman Digital & Christmas
Elegantly Frightful – Halloween with silver glitter
Northern Solitude – Polar Bear digital by Jay Kemp
Festival of Lights Hanukkah
Farmers Market & Swedish Christmas by Deborah Edwards
Joy to the world by Linda Ludovico
Stonehenge Maplewood by Helene Knott

Expanding Trends:
Sloth, Llamas, Swans
Horses – realistic and detailed
Australian collections – 2 new designers
Doll/animal panels – cut, sew and stuff
Cactus/Succulents and now Houseplants
New higher quality metallics that glisten and shine!

There has been an over-saturation of simple childlike designs and flat artwork, and we are finding that true paintings and illustrations made by talented artists are what is really selling. There is a resurgence and appreciation for hand-painted artwork and we look forward to the pendulum swinging back toward this type of artwork on quilt fabrics. Artists are pushing the boundaries on what is possible with digital printed fabrics, and we were blown away by the huge leap of innovation taking place in this category. The more wildly creative, the better!

We see a trend away from 5″ charms, leaning towards 10″ charms, as quilters realize that it is hard to piece together lots of little pieces, instead of joining and then cutting apart larger pieces.

Similarly we are welcoming Moda’s new strip product “Dessert Rolls” which have doubled the width of a Jelly Roll strip – i.e. each strip is 5″ x 44″ which gives the quilter a lot more options for piecing and cutting. Yes!

sharing your Passion for Fabric…
Luana and Paul

*****
Check out our 170 videos from international quilt festivals, PBS TV, artist and curator interviews on our eQuilter Video Page. Subscribe and catch the latest videos on our eQuilter YouTube Channel.

********
Travel Calendar:
Nov 9-12 – Color Marketing Group – Portland OR
Dec 29 2017 – Jan 5 2018 – Tanzania Africa Wildlife Migration Tour
Feb 22-25, 2018 – QuiltCon – Pasadena, California
Nov 14-20, 2018 – POLAR BEAR Tour – Join me in Churchill!

Share Post:
Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin
Posted in Design, Travel, Trends | Comments Off on Fall Quilt Market – Part 2

Free Pattern – Space Pets

Posted on November 3, 2017 by Luana

Enjoy the wonders of space with your ‘Space Pets’ eQuilter Exclusive free pattern, featuring three brave pets exploring the vast space frontier! Two adventurous cats and a courageous dog show us that space exploration isn’t just for humans.

Three eQuilter Exclusive panels (Space Pets, Moonlight Double Border and Mandala Planets) are combined and pieced together into a hexagon center, and surrounded by a starry background and colorful paw prints.

This 59″ x 59″ design makes a fun wall hanging or lap quilt for both pet lovers and astronomy buffs. Your Space Pets quilt will bring you years of pleasure and amusement!

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

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.

Share Post:
Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin
Posted in Animals, Free Quilt Patterns, Pets, Quilt Pattern, Quilts | Comments Off on Free Pattern – Space Pets

Creative Nudge – Old Trucks Are a Thing

Posted on November 1, 2017 by Luana

Hello from Houston!

Tonight was the IQA award ceremony, and $96K was given away in cash prizes to a very international group of quilters. Part of that was the Group Quilts award sponsored by eQuilter. Congratulations to all the big winners!

I have not photographed all the quilts in the show yet, but I have noticed one trend. Old vintage trucks are a Thing…especially if they are rusty and broken down in a field. I’ve compiled this collage of four Old Truck quilts (top left corner of this collage) plus some popular truck fabrics we have in stock now.

The quilts featured above are:
(clockwise from top left)
Seasoned With Time by Karlyn Lohrenz
Amber Waves by Dawn Allen
The Kiss by Margery Hedges
Dad’s Blue Truck by Tonya Littman

It has been 2 months since Hurricane Harvey hit Houston, and the downtown area is back to normal. If you are thinking about attending Quilt Festival, I urge you to come on down and see the quilts, which were carefully protected during the storm, and are now hanging as if nothing ever happened here.

sharing your Passion for Fabric…
Luana

********

Travel Calendar:
Oct 27 – Nov 2 – Quilt Market & Festival – Houston
Nov 8-13 – Color Marketing Group – Portland OR
Dec 29 2017 – Jan 5 2018 – Tanzania Africa Wildlife Migration Tour
Feb 22-25, 2018 – QuiltCon – Pasadena, California
Nov 14-20, 2018 – POLAR BEAR Tour – Join me in Churchill

Share Post:
Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin
Posted in Quilts, Travel, Trends | Comments Off on Creative Nudge – Old Trucks Are a Thing

Free Pattern – Walkabout II

Posted on October 31, 2017 by Luana

Today’s Free Quilt Pattern takes us to the land Down Under, with the distinctive style and colors of Australia’s aboriginal artists.

Fussy cut Kangaroos are set in blocks made with black and white dots, and Sandscapes swirling textures. The ‘River Walk’ outer border captures the spirit of the vast Australian outback.

Our Walkabout fabrics are eQuilter favorites, and you’ll enjoy making this 54″ x 72″ quilt that’s worthy of these extraordinarily vibrant works of art.

… from the ‘Walkabout II’ collection by Fabri-Quilt.

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.

Share Post:
Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin
Posted in Free Quilt Patterns, Quilt Pattern, Quilts | Comments Off on Free Pattern – Walkabout II

Fall Quilt Market

Posted on October 30, 2017 by Luana

It’s our first day here at Quilt Market, and I wanted to share some of the exciting things we have ordered! These will be shipping over the next several months, so watch the newsletter for when they arrive in our warehouse!

Gustav Klimt – The Kiss, Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer, The Tree of Life
Marilyn Monroe – 4 new designs
Sunshine Garden by Darlene Zimmerman
Musings by Valori Wells – Lino block print styled birds
Picture This – Digital panels with Tigers, Elephants & Pegasus
Supernova Seasons – Fourth of July & New Years digital panels
Hoffman – digital printed wide Quilt Backing
Out of this World – Digital outer space collection
Flamingos – Your favorites are back.
Spellbound by Dan Morris – Wizards, owls, and skulls
Artworks – Retro Marquee, Retro Diner, Sea Turtles, Under the Sea Dolphins, Travel posters
Splendid Swans – Elegant framed and glowing Swans
Seamless by Dan Morris – Whimsical sewing machine, notions, and dress forms
Southwestern Soul by Dan Morris – Southwest horses and Kokopelli motif
Purr-suasion by Dan Morris – Colorful stylized cats with paisleys
Little Explorers – Animals around the world
Air Show by Boeing – Airplanes vintage and modern
Rejoice – Easter Lilies
Stonehenge: A Stitch in Time – New colorways – sewing machines, spools, buttons and quilt labels
Artisan Spirit Floral Fantasy
Resting Point – Wolf digital panel and coordinate
Loon Lake by James Megar – Loons digital panel and coordinate
Friends of the Forest by Kevin Daniel – Squirrels, Bunnies, Raccoons and Chipmunks digital panel
Unicorn Magic – Unicorns with silver glitter accents
Sleepy Sloth – Playful collection proudly supports Quilt for Kids organization
Graffiti – Digital-printed Street Art
Alaska Scenic by Alaska’s Artist Jon Van Zyle – Alaska landscapes, Puffins, Whales and Sled Dogs
Neko – Asian cats with gold metallic blossom accents
Dreamscapes II by Jason Yenter- Digital bright and colorful butterflies and flowers
Autumn Album by Color Principle – Beautiful fall leaves, sunflowers, pumpkins, and corn

sharing your Passion for Fabric…
Luana

Share Post:
Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin
Posted in Trends | Comments Off on Fall Quilt Market

Free Pattern – Full Bloom Poppies

Posted on October 27, 2017 by Luana

Every once in awhile we get a Floral collection that is so gorgeous, so eye-popping, that we just have to put it in our weekly Free Quilt Pattern lineup….and this is one of our favorites!

The perfect delicate full bloom of a field of Poppies is captured in this quilt, with alternating black and white backgrounds, which set off the flower illustrations like jewels in the perfect setting.

Start with a panel of Poppy blocks, and build this 70″ x 70″ quilt from there…you’ll be proud to feature this quilt in one of your bedrooms…or present it as a gift to someone who spends a lot of time in their flower garden.

… from the ‘Full Bloom’ collection by Deborah Edwards for Northcott Fabrics.

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.

Share Post:
Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin
Posted in Free Quilt Patterns, Quilt Pattern, Quilts | Comments Off on Free Pattern – Full Bloom Poppies

Creative Nudge – Mummy Needs COFFEE!

Posted on October 25, 2017 by Luana

I love quilts that tell a story, don’t you?

This quilt by Mathea Daunheimer in New Zealand (“Mummy Without Coffee”) tells a story, and it gives me a good excuse to put 2 of my favorite topics into one fabric collage – Dragons and Coffee!

Do you ever wake up growling and spitting fire because you haven’t had that first cup of coffee yet? Mathea’s quilt captures that moment that we coffee-drinkers know so well. Her story-telling elicits snorts and giggles because she helps us to laugh at ourselves.

I’ve added a border of Dragon and Coffee fabrics that we have in stock, because …no, we don’t have a pattern for this dragon quilt…but you can still make your own Dragon & Coffee quilt.

“Mummy Without Coffee” is an original one-of-a-kind piece. However if you’d like to learn more about her technique you can head on over to her blog at espartafiberarts.com to see how she stitches her drawing, then paints in the colors.

Yes I did have coffee with Mathea in New Zealand, and she has a hilarious self-deprecating sense of humor! You can see her 2 quilts from the New Zealand Quilt Symposium on my photo page.

On Friday I’ll be flying to Quilt Market in Houston, and on next Tuesday evening I’ll be giving out the cash award for Group Quilts at the award ceremony. Hope to see you there …please come say hello!

sharing your Passion for Fabric…
Luana

********

Travel Calendar:
Oct 27 – Nov 2 – Quilt Market & Festival – Houston
Nov 8-13 – Color Marketing Group – Portland OR
Dec 29 2017 – Jan 5 2018 – Tanzania Africa Wildlife Migration Tour
Feb 22-25, 2018 – QuiltCon – Pasadena, California
Nov 14-20, 2018 – POLAR BEAR Tour – Join me in Churchill

Share Post:
Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin
Posted in Creativity, Quilts | Comments Off on Creative Nudge – Mummy Needs COFFEE!

Free Pattern – Tiger Fields of Gold

Posted on October 24, 2017 by Luana

Tigers are an endangered species in the wild, and this week’s Free Quilt Pattern focuses on this iconic Big Cat, with 2 tigers relaxing in their natural habitat.

The central digital-printed Tiger panel is exquisitely detailed, and we’ve added a pieced border with grassy coordinates and a Hoffman hand-dye. This 56″ x 42″ quilt design makes a stunning wallhanging that is sure to be a conversation piece wherever it is displayed.

… from the ‘Naturescapes Fields of Gold’ collection by Phillip Allder for Northcott Fabrics.

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.

Share Post:
Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin
Posted in Animals, Free Quilt Patterns, Quilt Pattern, Quilts | Comments Off on Free Pattern – Tiger Fields of Gold

Our Sewing Group has Grown

Posted on October 23, 2017 by Luana

We had another great Sewing Day in the eQuilter Classroom, making more comfort quilts for hurricane victims. Today we made more tops, started to layer and stitch quilts, and next time we will do some more layering and start the bindings. Several quilts came back from last week, having been quilted and bound and finished. So our pile of comfort quilts is growing.

Every quilt that is made to be donated, will end up in the hands of someone who has suffered terrible losses, so remember that the label is very important for the person who receives the quilt. If you are making a quilt for disaster relief (with eQuilter, or any other group) I encourage you to document your quilt with your name, date, place, and a message of hope and comfort to whoever will receive this gift of love. You can put this on a label on the back, or stitch it into the quilt itself. It will mean so much to the recipient.

Very special thanks to the ladies of the Rocky Mountain Wa Shonaji quilt guild, who came up from Denver. Last week we had 12 quilters, and this week we had 24!

Also thank you to The Presser Foot – BERNINA dealer in Longmont – who provided this week’s machines. Everyone who sat in front of a BERNINA had an extra special experience sewing today.

Our next sewing days will be
Saturday Nov 4 & 18, 9 am to 4 pm.

PLEASE call us (303-527-0856) or email Customer Service, and RSVP so we know how many sewing machines we need, how much coffee to brew, and how many cookies to bring for you!

LONGARM QUILTERS:
If you live in the area and would like to help us quilt these quilt tops, please give us a call. We can provide batting and backing on request. We have several quilt tops piling up so now we need to get them stitched and finished.

Yesterday I had a staff member of the Carter Center visit our offices and my studio. I took her to visit the quilt exhibit at the Dairy Arts Center, which is closing on Sunday. My portrait of Rosalynn Carter will be in the HerStory exhibit in Houston, so she was anxious to see my studio and learn about the process of making the quilt. We discussed eQuilter’s charity program, and the comfort quilt project.

On Friday I’ll be flying to Houston for Quilt Market and Quilt Festival. I’ll be meeting with our NASA Engineers Without Borders group to learn more about their project saving the homeless boys in Maua Kenya. (which we are supporting financially)

sharing your Passion for Fabric…
Luana and Paul

Share Post:
Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin
Posted in Charity, Quilts | Comments Off on Our Sewing Group has Grown

Free Pattern – Crystalline Zodiac

Posted on October 20, 2017 by Luana

This one is for the Astrology fans – our exclusive eQuilter Free Pattern made with our exclusive eQuilter Digital Printed fabrics!

Whether you are a professional astrologer, or a daily horoscope reader,
this gorgeous 73″ x 94″ quilt will illuminate the essence of all 12 signs.

Big enough for a bed quilt…stunning as a wallhanging for an office or living room…this quilt will be a lively conversation piece no matter where it is seen!

… from the ‘Mystical Zodiac’ collection by the Rubin Design Studio, designed exclusively for eQuilter.

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.

Share Post:
Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin
Posted in Free Quilt Patterns, Quilt Pattern, Quilts | Comments Off on Free Pattern – Crystalline Zodiac