Crazy for COLOR

Posted on January 9, 2017 by Luana

Last month Pantone announced their 2017 Color of the Year – a rich mid-tone called “Greenery“.

Last week Robert Kaufman Fabrics announced their 2017 Color of the Year – Pink Flamingo. What fun!

Can you guess what these Tropical Mid-tone colors remind me of? Cuba!

If you read my posts and newsletters, you know that I am bullish on Cuba being a major color trend driver going forward. This is why I’ve gone to Cuba 3 times in the last 2 years, (and led 2 tour groups there)…because this whole MidCentury Tropical color vibe is just a force of Color Nature!

Other factors in this larger color trend – are the ever-escalating popularity of Retro Florida, Retro Southern California, Retro Southwest, and Retro Latin design trends.

The Kaufman Color of the Year is added to their palette of Kona Solids for one year only, so if you love Flamingo Pink as much as I do, stock up now! It goes very nicely with the Pantone “Greenery” which is a plus. They are decidedly happy colors, and with the state of the world today, I think we could all use some *HAPPY* to work with, don’t you?

The Kaufman Kona Solids have the largest variety of colors, (over 300!) and we stock every single color that is offered. We are committed to stocking solid yardage and pre-cuts, just in case you didn’t know…

We also stock TWO versions of the whole color card…
the Kona Cotton Color Card (actual fabric swatches) and the Digital Color Palette Panel.

Why? Because we know that sometimes you just have to have the Exact right color, and that means you have to choose from the largest range of colors to get it right.

ALSO – for all you fellow color-obsessed artists and designers – we stock the entire range of Hoffman 1895 Solid/Blender Hand-Dyes. (Over 250 colors!) When their new colors come out every year, we immediately stock every single color. (And the Digital 1895 Swatch Panel) You’re welcome! *smile*

I’ve been in the Color Marketing Group long enough that they are letting me put their logo, and the title “chairholder” on my business cards. I am really psyched about that, because it is an honor to be part of the CMG Color Tribe. I will continue to share my passion for Color with all of you, throughout 2017!

sharing your Passion for Fabric…
Luana

 

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Free Pattern – Dreamscapes

Posted on January 6, 2017 by Luana

capture

This week’s exclusive Free eQuilter Pattern is a quick and easy quilt, with one of the most stunning digital panels we have ever seen! This fabric design was one of Luana’s favorite things at Quilt Market, because of the exquisite detail and beautiful colors of these atmospheric landscapes.

Using a faux windowpane design, this 50″ x 64″ quilt design can be hung on a wall where you *wish* you had a view out to the ocean, and the ancient twisted tree gives the image so much character. The pointillist artwork also has a Van Gogh “Starry Night” feel…very ethereal and dreamlike.

‘Dreamscapes’ is an exceptional Digital printed landscape fabric,
from the ‘Artisan Spirit Dreamscapes’ collection by Ira Kennedy 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.

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 – Mont-Blanc Beauty

Posted on January 4, 2017 by Luana

montblancbeauty

As I plan my travel for 2017, I have been reviewing my photos from 2016. One of my favorite trips last year was my week in Geneva Switzerland, and my daytrip to Chamonix and Mont-Blanc in the nearby French Alps.

I was also reviewing photos of quilts from various quilt festivals, and this quilt by Kimberley Follington (“New York Beauty” at the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham UK) really caught my eye. (Details from this striking quilt are in the photo collage above.)

There is a really fun trend happening not only in quilting, but also in fashion and home dec, where black and white prints are mixed with jeweltone brights, pastels or shades of gray. In this quilt, Kimberley mixes different black and white and gray prints, using them as different values.

It is inspired by the classic New York Beauty quilt design, but it actually reminded me of the snowy curves and jagged dark rocks of Mont-Blanc. Does it remind you of a New York skyline, or snow-bound rocky peaks?

If you are in Colorado, there are still openings for our Feb 9-11 Sewapalooza which will inaugurate our new classroom with a bevy of Bernina sewing machines during this 3 day event. I will give 2 presentations: a trunk show with my quilts and wearable art, and my power point lecture “International Quilt Trends” which will include photos from the Tokyo Quilt Festival. Heck, you don’t have to be from Colorado… you can stay at the new Hampton Inn one block from here if you come from out of town. Plus…we will have cookies. *smile*

Also, we have Very Limited openings for the Tanzania New Years “Great Migration” Tour one year from now, and we are receiving registrations now, so if you want to snag a seat on this once-in-a-lifetime trip, please call to make your reservation today!

sharing your Passion for Fabric…
Luana

********

2017 Travel Calendar:
Jan 18-22 – Tokyo Quilt Festival
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 – Radiance Confetti

Posted on January 3, 2017 by Luana

radiance

This week’s Free Quilt Pattern is a unique take on how to use a huge floral panel. Following current trends in fashion and home dec, the central panel featuring one large artistic blossom, has been divided into sections like a kaleidoscope. You can see the artist’s big wet paint strokes – it is like being right in the painter’s studio!

Coordinates from this painterly collection are used in the sashing and borders, including smaller blossoms, juicy rainbow stripes, and a confetti-like paint splatter.

This 53″ x 64″ quilt will make a fantastic wall-hanging, or a brilliant lap quilt. Add to the borders to make a bed quilt. What a fun way to start the New Year!

… from the ‘Radiance’ 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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Happy New Year!

Posted on January 3, 2017 by Luana

I don’t know about you, but I am absolutely thrilled that we finally have
a new collection of Harry Potter fabrics…and they are fabulous digital prints as well!

Do you remember the old original screen printed HP fabrics from 2003? They were kind of cartoonish, but we loved them. I stocked up and stashed them away, including the iconic fabric panel, and now they are collector’s items. And no… I will not sell mine…

Our oldest son Mason who is now 27, grew up with Harry Potter. He was 10 years old when the first Harry Potter book came out, with the hero as a 10 year old. Mason grew up with Harry Potter, read every book and listened to the Jim Dale HP books-on-CD countless times. We saw every HP movie as it opened, and pounced on every new book as they came out. What wonderfully rich anticipation we felt in those years! Now they are classics, but we witnessed the birth of the legend.

For years I have been begging our vendors to get the HP license and come out with a new collection. Well, it only took 13 years! And this year we got the Magical Beasts movie, so we are ready to play with the new HP fabrics in 2017. Many thanks to Camelot for pursuing this license, and the Star Wars and Star Trek licenses. (We have all in stock…because we are nerds.)

Sophie and I finally got out to see the new Star Wars movie last night. After this week’s loss of Carrie Fisher/Princess Leia, we felt we couldn’t wait any longer. How bittersweet. We had some tearful hugs at the end of the movie. Now we understand the Rogue One fabrics and we’ll have to put some of those fabrics in our collector stash! The two panels are like movie posters, which means they can just be pinned on the wall like we used to put up fan posters in the old days.

With the recent Outlander digital panels, and new Harry Potter and Star Wars panels inspired by movie posters, this opens up a whole new genre of collecting and displaying fabrics. Fans and nerds alike are scooping up these fabric ‘posters’, and it is so fun to see what you are doing with these panels.

It is time to say goodbye to 2016, and welcome 2017. We don’t know what the new year will bring, but eQuilter will continue to introduce over 1000 new products every month, to delight and inspire our friends and customers. We will continue to support important charitable causes, and quilt art exhibitions, in the US and around the world.

We look forward to seeing more of you in person in 2017, in our classes and creative retreats, and on my overseas tours. Make your reservation to spend New Years with me in Tanzania one year from now – very limited availability!

Warm wishes and Happy New Year hugs to you all!

sharing your Passion for Fabric…
Luana

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Free Pattern – Rose Melody

Posted on December 30, 2016 by Luana

rose-melody

This week’s Free Quilt Pattern is a 63″ x 79″ visual symphony of delightful roses, with stunning detail and color. This Rose Garden stretches to the horizon, with Blue Skies beyond…

Digital printed florals are some of our most popular fabrics, so we wanted to close out the year with this joyful quilt pattern that makes us want to sing a happy tune!

From all of us at eQuilter.com – we wish you a most wonderful Happy New Year!

‘Garden Roses’ is an exceptional Digital printed Floral Collection by Elizabeth’s Studio.

And don’t miss today’s Bonus ‘Tulips on Parade’ free pattern.

tulips

The center panel is printed to look like a pieced wall hanging, so
this bright, sunny 44″ x 54″ quilt is super easy to make!

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Creative Nudge – The Feisty Princess

Posted on December 28, 2016 by Luana

untitled-1

Today we lost a funny brave soul who played a feisty princess and became an icon to Sci-Fi fans. I started the day thinking about writing an essay about creativity for the New Year, but then we heard that we’d lost Carrie Fisher.

Recently Sophie and I went to see the Star Wars Costume exhibit at the Denver Art Museum, and one of the displays that drew the most crowds, was the famous metal bikini worn by Princess Leia when she disposes of Jabba the Hutt. Carrie hated wearing that costume, but it made for a memorable scene! (See the photo above, from the exhibit)

Rebel, Jedi, Princess, Queen: Star Wars and the Power of Costume was developed by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service in partnership with the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art and Lucasfilm Ltd., and will be at the Denver Art Museum through April 2, 2017.

Remember when The Power of Myth and Joseph Campbell were on PBS, and the word “iconic” took on deeper meanings, especially around the story of Star Wars? We were searching for female heroes then, and Carrie’s ‘Leia’ gave us a new kind of hero.

As we prepare for the start of a new year, may we carry the spirit of brave Princess Leia with us…and May the Force Be With You.

sharing your Passion for Fabric…
Luana

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2017 Travel Calendar:
Jan 18-22 – Tokyo Quilt Festival
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 – Walkabout

Posted on December 27, 2016 by Luana

goanna-walkabout

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 Australian animals (or Sea Turtles, in the 2nd version) which are set in blocks made with black and white dots, and Sandscapes swirling textures.

This has been one of our most popular fabric collections recently, so we are excited to offer you a pair of quilt patterns to showcase these eye-catching designs!
(check out the main fabric design – it will make you smile.)

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

And you won’t want to miss the fabulous ‘Sea Turtles’ version of this 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.

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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JOY

Posted on December 27, 2016 by Luana

Dear Friends and Customers,

Tonight as Sophie and I finish wrapping gifts for our Christmas Morning family gathering, the two things I am thinking about are JOY… and Gratitude.

JOY …..it is the mission of our company to bring you Joy (among other things).

Gratitude ….that we can make a living, bringing you Joy!

Through our business, with your help, we have raised $1.4 million for our list of charities, and the many arts non-profits that we are able to support.

We are an international company, spreading joy throughout the world with our charity work, and by sponsoring quilt festivals and quilt exhibits in the US, and in many other countries.

We are honored that you choose to read our weekly newsletters, and that you buy your fabric and quilting/sewing supplies from us, so we love to spread the joy and bring smiles to faces around the globe.

The best part about our business is our wonderful customers, because you share our feelings about giving back to those in need. With the help of Mission of Love, and the thousands of quilters and guilds who have contributed to our quilt drives for disaster relief, orphans, and children living in poverty…together you have donated and we have distributed over 12,000 comfort quilts. That is truly mind-boggling and we are humbled by your generosity.

What it all comes down to, is LOVE. That is the foundation of the holiday season, and we feel so fortunate to be part of an industry that is so often about expressing love to our family, our friends, and sometimes to a stranger we will never meet.

We make quilts, we put love into every stitch, and we give them away.

Those stitches full of love may last longer than we do, but they will still express our love and speak for us to future generations. The love of creating and giving, that came from my great-grandmothers, and my grandmothers, is still speaking through me, as I share that love of creating with all of you. What a blessing….thank you.

Many thanks to our eQuilter staff who share our mission to spread Joy and Love around the world, one package at a time.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and we wish you the happiest of holiday seasons to you and your loved ones.

sharing your Passion for Fabric…
Luana and Paul

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Free Pattern – Wild Safari

Posted on December 23, 2016 by Luana

wild-safari

Travel to the grasslands of Africa and India with this week’s Free Quilt Pattern, featuring a finely detailed wildlife panel and coordinates.

Elephants, Giraffes, Zebras, Tigers, Leopards and Hippos are set in beautifully framed vignettes, with a vintage map background.

Pieced blocks combine animal portraits with earth-tone coordinates, and a Hoffman Hand-dye.

This 53″ x 68″ quilt makes a lap or youth quilt, or hang it on the wall to bring a Safari ambiance to any room.

… from the ‘Out of Africa’ collection by Tina Higgins 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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