Creative Nudge – Tokyo Florals

Posted on January 25, 2017 by Luana

Yes! I am back from the Tokyo Quilt Festival!

Wow, things have really changed over the years that I’ve been traveling to photograph this show. In the beginning there was so much Indigo and Taupe, and it launched a trend in the US of appreciating and using these traditional colors.

There were always some bright quilts (using recycled silk kimonos – cut up, pieced and hand-stitched into eye-popping quilts) but now I see that Japanese quilters are really breaking away from tradition and exploring the wild and wonderful use of contemporary colors. Bravo!

If you have seen the Japanese quilts in the Houston Quilt Festival (and the many award-winning quilts from the land of the Rising Sun) you know that Japan is known for it’s fine and incredibly intricate handwork.

However it is obvious that more and more Japanese quilters are exploring the adventures of machine stitching, which is opening up so many possibilities. I still appreciate the fine handwork, but it is exciting to see that Japanese aesthetic applied to machine work now.

Speaking of bright colors, here is one of my favorites from the show. (I have so many!) This gorgeous floral quilt features strips of bright silk prints on a more linear pieced background. The name was only available in kanji characters so I can’t give you the romaji spelling of the quiltmaker’s name, but I have placed the image of the name card in the lower left hand corner of the quilt.

I’ve created a collaged frame around the quilt, with some favorite Asian designs that we have in stock now. When we started our business in the basement of our house almost 18 years ago, we started with Asian fabrics and Batiks…and they are still my favorites.
A reminder that we have Very Limited openings for the Tanzania New Years ‘Great Migration’ Safari one year from now, and Feb 1 is the deadline to guarantee your spot with me…please call to make your reservation today!

sharing your Passion for Fabric…
Luana

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2017 Travel Calendar:
Jan 26 – NASA Space for Art – opening reception
Feb 9-11 – Bernina Sewapalooza By Blakeman Sewing at eQuilter Classroom!
Feb 17-20 – Venice Photo Conference
Feb 24 – eQuilter Sponsored Cocktail Party at QuiltCon
Dec 29 2017 – Jan 5 2018 – Tanzania Great Migration – New Years in Africa – Taking Reservations NOW!

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Free Pattern – Deer Mountain

Posted on January 24, 2017 by Luana

Enjoy the thrill of a wilderness wildlife sighting, with this week’s Free Quilt Pattern.

The 48″ x 64″ quilt design is centered around a detailed scenic panel, with a magnificent stag and his doe, pausing to survey his kingdom from a lichen-covered outcropping of stone.

The pine forest backdrop gives this a North Woods feeling. You can almost smell the pine needles and hear them crunch under your feet.

Thoughtful coordinates pull together the colors of the deer, the stone, trees and sky…to create a pieced inner border. The Deer Scenic in the outer border ties it all together, with breathtaking beauty.

… from the ‘Deer Mountain’ collection by Hautman Brothers 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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Hello from Tokyo

Posted on January 23, 2017 by Luana

Tonight I am writing you from Tokyo, before I fly home tomorrow. I’ve had a short trip here, to photograph the Quilt Festival at the Tokyo Dome.

I have continued to visit this show every year, because the Japanese quilts are so different from what we see in the US, and that difference is so intriguing to me. These quilts are often made with vintage de-constructed kimono fabrics – cotton indigo and printed silk – and they have a special patina of history.

Japanese quilts have changed over the years, and this year I am seeing more bright colors and more machine stitching. In the past we saw exquisite handwork, taupe quilts, silk quilts, and traditional indigo fabrics. Now we see more Japanese quilters exploring the possibilities of machine stitching.

Every year there are more Westerners coming to the Tokyo Quilt Festival, and this year there were groups not only from the US, but also places like Spain and Australia.

About 250,000 people come to this show over the course of a week, which is about 35 to 40K per day. On the first day there are over 5000 people waiting when the doors open in the morning. It is not for the faint of heart, especially if you have a phobia of crowds! The crowds are respectful and well mannered. There is no pushing on the way in or out. But if you think the aisles in Houston are crowded, this would blow your mind!

Before I start posting photos from the show, I want to make sure that I have the quiltermakers’ names on all the quilt images. A lot of Westerners come here and take photos, but don’t attach names to the images. Please be patient so I can make sure the artists get credit where it is due!

I’ll be home for a couple days, then attending a private opening reception at NASA in Houston on Thursday. My astronaut quilt for Fly Me To The Moon was invited to be part of a space-themed exhibit. I’ll be visiting with our friends at the NASA chapter of Engineers Without Borders, to discuss the school and home recently built for street children in Kenya, with help from eQuilter’s charity program.

Did you see the 2 new digital prints with Cuban colorful cars? Those are from the photos I’ve taken in Havana last year. You can see my other photos from Cuba on my photo pages.

If you are thinking of joining me for New Years on the Serengeti, please call soon to save your place in this once-in-a-lifetime trip – spaces are very limited. Feb 1 is the final day to register and guarantee a spot with our group. I am only doing this trip once!

sharing your Passion for Fabric…
Luana

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Free Pattern – Glamour Petals

Posted on January 20, 2017 by Luana

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with our exclusive new ‘Glamour Petals’ pattern, displaying exquisitely detailed Rose bouquets set against a dramatic black background.

Capture the allure of roses with this dazzling 80″ x 80″ quilt. The pattern features large, scarlet rose blocks, surrounded by a trellis of dynamic garden paths.

Nothing says ‘I Love You’ like Roses, and this vibrant and richly hued Roses collection is sure to be cherished and adored. Don’t wait – order your ‘Rose Bouquet’ pattern today!

… from the ‘Glamour’ collection by Chong-A Hwang for Timeless 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 – Spanish Tiles & Kaleidoscopes

Posted on January 18, 2017 by Luana

When you read this newsletter, I will have just landed at Narita Airport outside of Tokyo, and will probably be on the long bus ride into town. I am on my way to the Tokyo Quilt Festival, and yes, I will hand carry a precious batch of show books back to the US on Sunday.

I am sharing this image with you as a sort of a visual puzzler. Take a look closely before you read further, and see if you can decipher what is happening in the collage above.

One of the reasons I love to travel, is so I can take photos of all kinds of things that might relate to color, design and trends. Sometimes I take a photo of something that has potential, but I have to think about it for awhile.

This was originally a photo of a tile wall in the old walled city of Seville. The tiles were white with red, blue and green colors. I have been looking at the original photo for a long time, and last night I started playing around with it in Photoshop. Now it looks like a quilt! Then I matched it up with some of my favorite paisley fabrics that we have in stock now, and I find that this is a creative inspiration for me…. Maybe you too?

Part of creativity is opening the mind and letting alternate possibilities flow… removing the rules, the limitations, even the fears…and then seeing what happens.

The reason I go to Tokyo year after year is because it is a tremendous creative stimulation for me. I will share photos from the show, so you can be stimulated to open up to new possibilities also. I also share ideas from Houston Quilt Festival and the Birmingham Festival of Quilts, and the other shows I attend throughout the year.

Last year I interviewed Danny Amazonas and we showcased his work in a video. I never know what will happen in Tokyo – the best part is sharing it with you!

A reminder that we have Very Limited openings for the Tanzania New Years ‘Great Migration’ Safari one year from now, and we are taking registrations now…please call to make your reservation today!

sharing your Passion for Fabric…
Luana

********

2017 Travel Calendar:
Jan 18-22 – Tokyo Quilt Festival
Jan 26 – NASA Space for Art – opening reception
Feb 9-11 – Bernina Sewapalooza By Blakeman Sewing at eQuilter Classroom!
Feb 17-20 – Venice Photo Conference
Feb 24 – eQuilter Sponsored Cocktail Party at QuiltCon
Dec 29 2017 – Jan 5 2018 – Tanzania Great Migration – New Years in Africa – Taking Reservations NOW!

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Free Pattern – Quilting B’s

Posted on January 17, 2017 by Luana

This week’s Free Quilt Pattern is a inspired by the vintage-style unique illustrations of Janet Frisch. The 66″ x 66″ quilt uses 2 panels, that are cut up and pieced with the coordinates from her ‘Quilting B’s’ collection.

Combining baby doll clothes, butterflies, and the occasional Bible verse, Janet Wecker Frisch has designed this collection around things starting with the letter ‘B’. From Bumblebees to Blackbirds, this collection is colored in soft pastels and vintage parchment tones.

…from the ‘Quilting B’s’ collection by J. Wecker Frisch 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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Fire Quilts & Sewapalooza

Posted on January 16, 2017 by Luana

Many thanks to those of you who sent quilts for the victims of the Gatlinburg Tenn fires. I’ve posted some photos of the 60 donated quilts here, and I wanted to share a letter from Kathy at Mission of Love:

Dear Luana,

Once again I want to thank you and your customers for responding to our request for comfort quilts for the fire victims of Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

As of today sixty unbelievable pieces of art have been sent to our Mission of Love address. Sixty comfort quilts that are made with unconditional love and empathy for those in need of comfort in Gatlinburg.

We will set a date next week as to when we will hand deliver the comfort quilts and start the process of building homes for those who have lost theirs due to the fire. I thank you Luana for your trust, believe and continual support in our Mission of Love.

With sincere appreciation and love,

Kathy Price
Director, Mission of Love

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Last week I was delighted to see my dear friend Beth Hayes, who is enjoying her well-deserved retirement after years at the helm of McCalls Quilting Magazine. For those of you who know and love Beth, just wanted to let you know she is happy and loving life.

Things are coming together in our new 2000 sq ft eQuilter classroom. We had the electricians in last week to install upgraded circuits so every iron will have its own circuit. If you have ever had an iron blow a circuit in a class, you will know why this is so important! Our new chairs are arriving next week while I am in Tokyo, and we had a great meeting with Chris from Blakeman Sewing, discussing the variety of BERNINA machines that will be in the room for our upcoming 3-Day Sewapalooza Feb 9-11.

Sew like a rock star in this 3 day sewing event, featuring national educator Kathy Shalda! Learn different creative techniques like couching, felting, fabric art, embellishment, machine fabric cutting, in the hoop piecing, monogramming, free motion quilting, binding with a serger and sew much more by creating 3 projects from start to finish.

Blakeman will be giving out over $3K in prizes and gifts. Every attendee will receive a bag full of fun goodies and be entered in drawings for fabulous prizes! I will be giving a Trunk Show, and also my power point lecture “International Quilt Trends” including photos from the Tokyo Quilt Festival.

Class fee is $129.99. Preregister for only $99.99 for all 3 days. Sign up a friend and get ten dollars off….and…we will have lunch and cookies. Get your tickets online now while there are still seats available!

Please come and help us kick off our very first event in our new classroom!

If you are thinking of joining me for New Years on the Serengeti, please call soon to save your place in this once-in-a-lifetime trip – spaces are very limited.

sharing your Passion for Fabric…
Luana

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Free Pattern – Spirit Horses

Posted on January 13, 2017 by Luana

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This week’s exclusive quilt pattern is inspired by the painted ponies of the Southwest, with galloping horse silhouettes, filled with colorful Native American motifs.

The Navajo-inspired geometrics and detailed Dream-Catchers give this a wild and beautiful feel…like a galloping mustang! Brilliant colors of turquoise semiprecious stones, and fiery sunsets, are combined with warm earthtones and neutral stone colors.

This 53″ x 65″ quilt pattern makes a perfect lap quilt around the campfire, or hang it in your teepee to bring the Spirit of the Southwest into your living space.

When you check out, choose Mission of Love as your charity, and 2% of your order will go to help the Lakota community in Pine Ridge SD.

‘Spirit Horses’ is an exceptional Horse themed fabric collection;
‘Southwest Horses’ is from the ‘Southwest’ collection by Timeless Treasures,
and the border stripe coordinate is from the ‘Tucson’ collection by Elizabeth’s Studio.

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 – Window Shopping in Seville

Posted on January 11, 2017 by Luana

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Last summer I visited Andalucia in Spain, and I’d like to share one of my serendipitous photos from that trip. (And a few coordinating eQuilter fabrics in this collage.)

This was taken at a shop window in Seville, and the heavily embroidered shawl is the star of the show! You can also see lace, mosaics, a flamenco dancer, and antiques in this vignette. It is a celebration of their local culture.

Many of us like to collect and photograph beautiful textiles and objects to share on our blogs, or to act as a sort of 3-dimensional Mood Board…an inspiration for future creative projects. Some of us curate and assemble these collections for display in our studios or living spaces…Alters to show our reverence for the Creative Spirit.

You may do this consciously, or unconsciously, but I bet you have a little Creativity Alter going somewhere in your living or working space!

I have several of these creative vignettes around our house. They are travel mementos, small works of art and craft, gifts from artist friends, seashells gathered on the beach, mixed in with postcards, photos, and art made by my kids. My own personal museum. It always makes me smile. Our house is full of art, books, and color. Nobody could really be bored here.

What is your style and how is it reflected in your creative projects? Are you surrounded by inspiration, or is it neatly tucked in a scrapbook or drawer? We all do it differently, but we creative people always have our inspirational treasures close at hand.

A reminder that we have Very Limited openings for the Tanzania New Years “Great Migration” Safari one year from now, and we are taking registrations now…please call to make your reservation today!

sharing your Passion for Fabric…
Luana

********
2017 Travel Calendar:
Jan 18-22 – Tokyo Quilt Festival
Jan 26 – NASA Space for Art – opening reception
Feb 9-11 – Bernina Sewapalooza By Blakeman Sewing at eQuilter Classroom!
Feb 17-20 – Venice Photo Conference
Feb 24 – eQuilter Sponsored Cocktail Party at QuiltCon
Dec 29 2017 – Jan 5 2018 – Tanzania Great Migration – New Years in Africa – Taking Reservations Now!

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Free Pattern – Encore Music

Posted on January 10, 2017 by Luana

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This week’s Free Quilt Pattern is for Music Lovers and their Musician friends, with a gorgeous textured collection of musical instruments by one of our favorite artists!

This 60″ x 76″ quilt is based on 2 panels, which are then pieced into a larger design with matching coordinates. We love the ethereal textures and ombre effects of Dan’s artwork, with a sophisticated color palette that enriches the musical motif.

‘Encore Music’ is an exceptional Music themed fabric collection,
from the ‘Encore’ 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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