Free Pattern – Queen of We’en

Posted on May 23, 2017 by Luana

Your unique and eccentric taste has led you on a journey, seeking a Halloween project that no one in your neighborhood or quilt guild has ever seen…

This enchanting Halloween wallhanging will make a fantastic door-panel, because the clever swags will blow in the breeze, and flap every time you open the door for little Trick-or-Treaters. Perfect! Includes fabric for both the 3-patch mini-swag (shown) plus a bonus seven-patch swag.

Start on your Queen of Halloween celebration today, with this festive 42″ x 63″ creation!

…from the ‘Queen of We’en collection by Janet J. Wecker Frisch for Quilting Treasures.

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

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.

EQ7 is the leading quilt design software, which is available here at eQuilter.

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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Quilt Market Preview – Part I

Posted on May 22, 2017 by Luana

Hello from Quilt Market in Saint Louis.
Ready or not, here come the DIGITAL PRINTS!
We are seeing an explosion of creativity and technical achievement in digital prints, particularly in wildlife panels, exquisite florals, and incredible landscapes.

The market is saturated with simple, flat artwork, so we are focusing on what our customers like best: gorgeous artwork and high quality illustrations, with lots of detail and beautiful colors. Digital prints allow us to see the brush-strokes of the artist from the original painting. Digital prints allow us to see an almost infinite range of textures and shading.

Gold and silvery metallics are prevalent, with a beautiful high quality we have not seen before now…there is a new benchmark for metallic pigment and subtle pearlescents that gleam with elegance and a luxe sophistication.

Here are some of the designer collections we have loved (and ordered!) so far at Quilt Market. They will be shipping over the next several months. Watch our newsletters for their arrivals!

Color Flow by Caryl Bryer Fallert
Kaffe Artisan & Kaffe Collective
Bella Vita Batiks by McKenna Ryan
Hatters Tea Party by Janet Wecker Frisch
Lucy & Ollie by Valori Wells
Marilyn Monroe Digital Prints
Ajisai by Jason Yenter
Poppy Perfection by Jane Shasky
Picture This digital panoramic scenes
Dream Big photo realistic floral panels
Heavenly Hydrangeas by Sue Zipkin
La Belle Provence by Heidi Pridemore
Home Sweet Home, Motorin’ & 5 Alarm by Dan Morris
Birds of a Feather
Covered Bridges
Artisan Spirit Water Garden by Ira Kennedy
Destinations by Deborah Edwards (Travel theme)
Mrs. Bobbins
All a Twitter
Bark Cloth – Retro Tropical & MidCentury Modern
‘Caturday’ feline friends
Text Me Back – Emojis, Hashtags, Text Bubbles
Wildflower Meadow by Jackie Robinson
Here Comes the Sun
Unicorn Kisses
Flannels – Mammoth & Highlander
DIGITAL PRINTED QUILT BACKINGS!

Trends to Watch: Batiks with Metallic Screen Printing, Unicorns, Hedgehogs, Sloths, Llamas, Cactus & Succulents, Printed and Natural Linen, Chambray in Blue & Metallics.

sharing your Passion for Fabric…
Luana

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Free Pattern – Nature’s Angel

Posted on May 19, 2017 by Luana

Enter the enchanted forest of this spectacular Nature’s Angel in this week’s Free exclusive Quilt Pattern. Foxes, fawns, squirrels, deer, raccoons and more forest woodland creatures gather, drawn to her gentle, blessed spirit.

Start with a lovely central panel, beautifully detailed in this digital printed scene. Then add multicolor ribbons of nature with neutral hand dye twists for the pieced border.

This 47″ x 55″ quilt could be a nap quilt, a lap quilt, or a magical wallhanging in a special room. The glowing colors evoke a mystical aura; you can almost hear the woodland whispers of the cherished forest.

…from the ‘Artworks’ collection by Liz Dillon for Quilting Treasures.

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.

EQ7 is the leading quilt design software, which is available here at eQuilter.

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

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Creative Nudge – Cosmic Kismet

Posted on May 17, 2017 by Luana

One of our most popular fabric designers is Paula Nadelstern, whose kaleidoscope-inspired mandalas are prized by textile collectors around the world. Over the years I think we have carried 14 different collections designed by Paula, and we’ve sold thousands and thousands of yards of her entire collections. We stock her old collections as long as possible, because we know they will just sell and sell to her old and new fans.

After I left the New York garment industry and moved back to Colorado, I was looking for a new art form to play with fabric and color. I stumbled across a quilt magazine at the grocery store, and I just knew this was what I’d been looking for. (1990) I found my way to our state guild, and the very first time I went to a meeting of CQC, the guest speaker was Paula! I had recently moved from New York City, so as Paul talked about living in the City, and making quilts on the kitchen table in her NYC apartment, I felt a kinship with her.

Over the years Paula and I have become friends, and we even met in Canada a couple years ago, when she was teaching a class in Winnipeg, and I was leading a group on a Polar Bear tour. One of our most popular videos has been my interview with Paula at her American Folk Art Museum exhibit. (Part I and Part II)

Paula’s kaleidoscope quilts and fabric designs remind me of the swirling graphics of Doctor Who and other Sci-Fi/Space films, like giant quilted nebulae floating in a vast textile universe.

Indeed, Paula has created her own quilted universe, where we can go and play with her spinning mandalas…so much better than coloring books!

The collage above combines a Solar System Panel by Heidi Pridemore, with Paula Nadelstern’s “Kismet” panels and coordinates.

I am leaving Thursday to travel to Quilt Market in Saint Louis, where there is an 80% chance of thunderstorms and rain all 3 days. Watch for my Quilt Market review in Saturday’s newsletter!

sharing your Passion for Fabric…
Luana and Paul

Enjoy artist interviews, tutorials, and quilt festival tours, on our eQuilter Video Page.

********

Travel Calendar:
May 18 – 24 – Saint Louis (Quilt Market) & NYC
June 12-15 – Quilt Canada Festival in Toronto
June 19-21 – Cleveland – Fresh Quilting
July 14-16 – Sacred Threads & Not Fade Away
July 30 – Intl Quilt Trends lecture at San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles
Aug 12 – Festival of Quilts, Birmingham UK
Sept 16 – Quilters Take Manhattan
Oct 1-11 – Intl Quilt Trends lecture at New Zealand Quilt Festival – Christchurch
Dec 29 2017 – Jan 5 2018 – Tanzania Africa Wildlife Migration Tour – Limited Spaces
Feb 22-25, 2018 – QuiltCon – Pasadena, California

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Free Pattern – Bountiful

Posted on May 16, 2017 by Luana

Travel back in time to the era of the family farm, in this week’s Free Quilt Pattern. Cows, horses, chickens, goats, ducks and pigs fill this Country-themed quilt, with a lovely textured illustrative style that is the hallmark of artist Dan Morris.

Large animal portrait blocks alternate with pieced blocks, using coordinates from Dan’s collection. This 63″ x 73″ quilt design would make a small bed quilt, a large lap/couch quilt, or a wallhanging for a farmhouse kitchen.

…from the ‘Bountiful’ collection by Dan Morris for Quilting Treasures.

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.

EQ7 is the leading quilt design software, which is available here at eQuilter.

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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Happy Mothers Day

Posted on May 15, 2017 by Luana

All of us at eQuilter wish you a wonderful Mothers Day weekend, and we hope you are able to spend this time with your mother, your children, or all of the above.

I’ve spent most of my career as a mother, working at this company…18 out of 27 years. I started quilting when Mason was one year old, so I’ve been quilting for 26 of those 27 years. My life as a quilter is measured against my years as a mother.

When I was a young mother, I sought out older mothers to give me a reality check as I navigated milestones like Kindergarten, Puberty, and Graduation. Now that the last of my 3 kids is in high school (almost done with her Freshman year!) I am on the other end of the scale.

Today Sophie and I took my mom to an annual tradition – the Mothers Day Tea at a local Victorian mansion owned by the Longmont historical society. We wore fancy hats, we munched on cucumber sandwiches, and waved our pinkies in the air as we sipped from antique teacups painted with flowers.

This is the first year we’ve been to the tea since our dear friend Eleanor left us at the age of 100. They have her portrait hanging in the hallway, and her fancy hat was on the bed, as if she just took it off and went into the adjoining room. We drank from the teacups she donated to the historic home, and we toasted her as someone who was like a mother and grandmother to us.

The love we give, the meals we prepare, the quilts we make, the sage advice we give…all of these things are kept in the memory of our children and those we mentor. I feel lucky to have had so many wonderful women mentors in my life, and that I have a chance to pass that on now to younger women who are mothers and businesswomen.

I am also thankful for my husband and business partner of 22 years. Today Paul and I celebrate our 22nd wedding anniversary. We feel so fortunate that we’ve been able to share this journey and make so many people happy with our business!

If you need a last minute Mothers Day gift, our eQuilter Gift e-Certificates are sent via email for an instant gift. The only thing better than chocolate or flowers on Mothers Day is…instant gratification!

sharing your Passion for Fabric…
Luana

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Free Pattern – Scrabble Cabin

Posted on May 12, 2017 by Luana

Scrabble enthusiasts unite!
This week’s Exclusive eQuilter pattern is a colorful celebration of the
cherished, world-famous word game: Scrabble.

Jewel-tone hand dyes are set in log cabin blocks amid a medley of wonderfully detailed Scrabble tiles. This fabulous 60″ x 84″ Scrabble quilt is sure to warm the hearts of your favorite word crafters.

Don’t miss this opportunity to make your own ‘Scrabble Cabin’ quilt.
Friends and family will want one for their next Scrabble match.

This versatile Scrabble panel includes 98 tiles detailing all the letters of the alphabet,
from Quilting Treasures.

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.

EQ7 is the leading quilt design software, which is available here at eQuilter.

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 – Rainbow Ombres

Posted on May 10, 2017 by Luana

During these polarized times when so many people want to define reality in terms of Black and White, we as artists and makers can choose to see the world in shades of colors….and the popularity of Ombre effects suddenly takes on a whole new meaning.

One of the things I have enjoyed the most about being in the Color Marketing Group, is the philosophical discussions about how color and design trends evolve.

The ongoing popularity of Ombre colors in all aspects of design (Textiles, Fashion, Home Dec, HAIR and Makeup!) is telling us something. It is the opposite of stark blocks of Yin and Yang colors. Instead it invites us to explore and contemplate all the shades of color from one end of the spectrum, to the other.

Printed Ombre fabrics and Hand-Dyed Ombres have been slowly but steadily growing in popularity in our industry. Modern quilters are starting to play with the three-dimensional effects of Ombre colors…moving from Cool to Warm and from Light to Dark.

Now with the explosion of Digital Printed fabrics on the market, we are starting to see this new technology used to produce a new kind of Ombre printed design. It is very exciting to watch this trend grow and expand as designers explore the creative options of this new printing technology.

As a photographer, when I think of Ombre images, I think of Sky and Water. In my most recent travels in 2017, I’ve taken Ombre photos in Venice, because the sky is always filled with misty colors, and the reflective water is everywhere.

I hope you will enjoy this collage, combining a twilight photo of the Grand Canal in Venice, with several of our beautiful Ombre fabrics.

sharing your Passion for Fabric…
Luana and Paul

Enjoy artist interviews, tutorials, and quilt festival tours, on our eQuilter Video Page.

********

Travel Calendar:
May 18 – 24 – Saint Louis (Quilt Market) & NYC
June 12-15 – Quilt Canada Festival in Toronto
June 19-21 – Cleveland – Fresh Quilting
July 14-16 – Sacred Threads & Not Fade Away
July 30 – Intl Quilt Trends lecture at San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles
Aug 12 – Festival of Quilts, Birmingham UK
Sept 16 – Quilters Take Manhattan
Oct 1-11 New Zealand Quilt Festival – Wellington & Christchurch
Dec 29 2017 – Jan 5 2018 – Tanzania Africa Wildlife Migration Tour – Limited Spaces
Feb 22-25, 2018 – QuiltCon – Pasadena, California

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Free Pattern – Ocean Oasis

Posted on May 9, 2017 by Luana

This beautiful Free Quilt Pattern is sparkling with the gorgeous illustrations by one of our favorite artists – Dan Morris.

Start with a panel of 8 marine life blocks – then piece them with the coordinates of this stunning aquatic collection. Shimmering diamonds and triangles in the colors of Water and Sand, make a jewel-box setting for these underwater scenes.

Make this 60″ x 73″ quilt as a coverlet for a bed, or hang in a room to give the illusion of a saltwater aquarium on the wall. It makes a great gift for those who love the ambiance of coastal living!

… from the ‘Ocean Oasis’ collection by Dan Morris for Quilting Treasures.

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.

EQ7 is the leading quilt design software, which is available here at eQuilter.

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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Hola from San Antonio

Posted on May 8, 2017 by Luana

I hope you are enjoying this very pleasant time of year. (Except for those of you dealing with the crazy storms and flooding!) I am writing to you from San Antonio in Texas, where I am attending a couple performances of the opera ‘Barber of Seville’. A friend of the family has a lead part, and I have a lovely invite to a reception tonight (including tour of costumes and props) and the cast party tomorrow. San Antonio has such a rich culture of color and art…and music… so I am also just wandering around soaking up the post-Cinco-de-Mayo ambiance and enjoying the Riverwalk. Flying home Monday to get ready for Quilt Market!

Here is a recent report from one of our Charity Program recipients:

Kathy Price, director of Mission of Love writes –
“Thirteen Air Force Pallets of educational, medical and humanitarian aid are staged in Charleston for arrival into Guatemala City any day soon. The Denton office is just waiting for a plane to fly our aid.”

“This past week I have obtained two fire trucks, one ambulance, 15,000 pounds of corn, furnishings for seven classrooms, 4 newborn incubators, 6 heating units for newborns in which will save infant lives for the indigenous Mayan communities.”

Thank you Kathy and MOL volunteers, for making our contributions stretch to help so many in need!

Reminder: the deadline for dropping off quilts to be hand-carried to earthquake victims in Nepal is this Weds May 10. The CU chapter of Engineers Without Borders is leaving May 15 on a 3 month working trip, and they are going to carry those quilts in their backpacks when they hike up to the remote villages that were destroyed by the earthquakes. Amazing young people!

With Mothers Day on the horizon, I’d like to remind you that our eQuilter Gift Certificates are always a great gift for the avid quilter. We can send a lovely color gift card through the mail, or send via email for a last-minute gift.

sharing your Passion for Fabric…
Luana

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