More Houston Videos, Comfort Quilts for Gatlinburg & Nepal

Posted on December 12, 2016 by Luana

This weekend we have more videos from Houston Quilt Festival:

* Linda Pumphrey tells about the 9/11 memorial quilt display, from the Intl Quilt Study Center & Museum.

* Artists talk about their work in the touring exhibits of Quilt National.

* Portrait Quilts from the Houston quilt exhibits.

Many thanks to our videographer Bonnie McCaffery!

Earlier this week I was at BERNINA USA, with the other Bernina Ambassadors. We had so much fun playing on longarms, sergers and the amazing 880. They fed us well, taught us how to do lots of spine-tingling tricks on those machines, and we all shed a little tear when it was time to say good-bye. Many thanks to the awesome staff who took such good care of us!

On Friday afternoon our friends from the CU Boulder chapter of Engineers Without Borders, came to pick up a pile of your donated comfort quilts which will now travel to a mountaintop in Nepal…hand-carried by these amazing college students who are going to help with further disaster relief for earthquake victims. Many thanks to Noah and all the EWB team!

All last week Kathy Price and Mission of Love were in Guatemala, finding homeless children and giving them a home, visiting the orphanage, delivering food to remote villages who are starving, and the medical team gave the miracle of cleft lip and palate surgeries. We are so proud to be supporting the efforts of this truly amazing organization, led by Kathy who is literally a miracle worker. She and her merry band of volunteers load up a military cargo plane, and fly through the air like ten thousand magic reindeer, to help the poorest of the poor with compassion and dignity. If you ever want to have a life-changing experience, volunteer on one of their trips!

Our next project to distribute comfort quilts for disaster relief, will be for the fire victims of Gatlinburg Tenn.

If you wish to make and donate a quilt, drop off at eQuilter’s office by Jan 5, or ship *directly* to Mission of Love, to be received by Jan 15th 2017:
Mission of Love / Kathleen Price
2054 Hemlock Court
Youngstown, Ohio 44515

If you have questions, please contact Dana at eQuilter Customer Service.

Mission of Love does not have a staff to acknowledge receipt of quilts, so please send with a tracking number to confirm delivery. They will be too busy prepping and packing aid for fire victims!

Click Here for an article about this project.

sharing your Passion for Fabric…
Luana

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Free Pattern – Who’s in My Barn?

Posted on December 9, 2016 by Luana

whos-in-my-barn

This week’s Exclusive Free Pattern features Kaufman’s adorable ‘Down on the Farm’ animals, peeking out of their barn windows between Amish-style star sashing.

This lovable 59″ x 65″ design makes a wonderful ‘I Spy’ quilt for children learning their animals, a picnic blanket or even a cherished lap quilt for adults.

Snuggly and sunny, your ‘Who’s in my Barn?’ quilt will keep you smiling while the delightful farm animals warm your heart with their inviting poses.

… ‘Down on the Farm’ is a cheerfully detailed Farm Animal print by Cheri Wollenberg of Sagebrush Fine Art for Robert Kaufman 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 – Wisteria Maiden

Posted on December 7, 2016 by Luana

wisteria

Tonight I am writing to you from the Chicago area, where I am attending the BERNINA Ambassador Reunion. Every year this very special group of teachers and artists gather to network and play/learn on our favorite sewing machines. I always come home totally jazzed about getting into my studio!

I am uploading photos from the Houston Quilt Festival, and as I went through my files, this quilt by Kyoko Nokina caught my eye. It is a lovely combination of traditional fabrics and techniques, with a hot trend in machine stitching. I just love when I see these unique juxtapositions of old and new.

(This is a detail of Kyoko’s quilt “Wisteria Maiden” in the upper right corner, with a collage of some eQuilter Japanese fabrics on the left, and bottom border.) How many different techniques can you find in this quilt?

The market is over-saturated with adult coloring books, which sprang from the Zentangle trend. We saw this expand into a creative quilting trend, first with contrasting machine stitching. We saw black thread on solid white backgrounds, then white thread on solid black backgrounds, and then multicolored threads on both black and white solid backgrounds!

One thing is for sure – quilters like to doodle! Whether they are Zentangling, or freemotion quilting, we love to make images with lines, that become complex drawings and designs.

In case you missed it – our last two videos from Houston are interviews with artists Susan Carlson and Hollis Chatelain. More videos from Houston Quilt Festival on the way this week!

sharing your Passion for Fabric…
Luana

********

Travel Calendar:
Dec 5-7 – Bernina Ambassador Reunion
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

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Free Pattern – Silent Trail’s End

Posted on December 6, 2016 by Luana

silent-trails-end

Your Free Quilt Pattern captures a pristine winter landscape that evokes the silence of the forest after a snowfall. The cool blues and grays are dusted with silver metallic, bringing a soft shimmer to your holiday season.

This generous 62″ x 78″ design is perfect for a twin size bed or nap quilt, and will have you snuggling under its cozy warmth on those enchanted winter nights. Silent Trail’s End is just the ticket for your home this winter – make one for your family and friends!

… from the ‘Sound of the Woods’ collection by Kathrine Lovell for Robert Kaufman 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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Crocodile Smiles

Posted on December 5, 2016 by Luana

Tonight we have our 2nd video from the Houston Quilt Festival – an interview with
Susan Carlson – whose giant crocodile quilt was the talk of the show!

In fact Susan had a whole exhibit showcasing her collage art quilts of animals, and I was delighted to talk to her about her work and her techniques. Susan works on a BERNINA sewing machine at home, so we had an off-camera conversation about our love for these workhorse machines.

This coming week I will be at BERNINA USA headquarters in the Chicago area, with my fellow BERNINA Ambassadors at the reunion. It is always a treat to spend a few days with such talented people, sewing together and having our Inspiration Sessions in this hive of creativity.

Please drop off your donated quilts for Nepal by Dec 9, as our EWB contact will pick them up Dec 10. Thanks!

For those of you who have called in and talked to Hallie in customer service, we wanted to let you know that Hallie is moving on to another opportunity, and her last day here is Friday. I am sure she would love to say good-bye to those of you who have worked so closely with her. We will miss you Hallie!

sharing your Passion for Fabric…
Luana

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Free Pattern – Cosmic Odyssey

Posted on December 2, 2016 by Luana

cosmic

We are so excited to bring you this week’s exclusive eQuilter Free Quilt Pattern – featuring one of the most luscious pieces of artwork that we’ve ever seen!

This quilt starts with a digital panel that is *twelve* works of art in one fantastic panel! The constellation vignettes are then pieced into a stunning design, with clouds, stars, and stardust galaxies…the stuff dreams are made of!

Digital prints are remarkable in that there is no limit to the colors that can be used, and we love detailed illustrations such as this one, that really push the limits of opulent COLOR, and dazzle us with genius design.

‘Cosmic Odyssey’ is an exceptional Celestial Fabric, designed by Josephine Wall and Digitally Printed by Hoffman 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 – Native Inspiration

Posted on November 30, 2016 by Luana

native

I am still thinking about my visit 2 weeks ago, to the Navajo Pueblo on the reservation outside of Albuquerque, where I saw a huge festival and ceremonial dance.

Tonight I want to share with you two gorgeous Native American portrait quilts from the Houston Quilt Festival.

On the left is “Dancing at the Pow-Wow” by Marty Boles. This piece was inspired by a photo taken at the Great Mohican Pow-Wow in Loudenville, Ohio.

On the right is “Jefe Indio” (Indian Chief) by Adriana Briones Calleja of Spain. Her goal was to show the greatness, strength and magnificence of the Native American culture.

Both pieces have such incredible detail, but also a very powerful presence because of the adept use of color and value.

I have included a collage of 4 of our in-stock fabrics, inspired by Native geometrics and artwork.

We are working on 5 (!) videos from the Houston Quilt Festival, so watch for those in the very near future!

In case you missed it – our first video from Houston is an interview with artist Hollis Chatelain.

sharing your Passion for Fabric…
Luana

********

Travel Calendar:
Dec 5-7 – Bernina Ambassador Reunion
Feb 17-20 – Venice Photo Conference
Feb 24 – eQuilter Sponsored Cocktail Party at QuiltCon

 

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Free Pattern – Dakota Wilderness

Posted on November 29, 2016 by Luana

dakota

In this week’s Free Quilt Pattern, a lone wolf peers from the ethereal mists of the northern Dakota landscape, in this finely detailed Digital printed panel.

A tribal geometric pattern decorates the bottom border of this wildlife/landscape panel, and the geometric theme is echoed in the pieced border, made with Hoffman earth-toned hand-dyes.

We are reminded of the faithful wolf from the movie “Dances With Wolves”, in this evocative 40″ x 55″ wall-hanging pattern.

… ‘Dakota’ is an exceptional Digital Print by Red Rooster Studio for Red Rooster 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.

This pattern was designed in EQ7, 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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Black Beans for Cuba

Posted on November 28, 2016 by Luana

We hope that you have had a lovely Thanksgiving holiday with your loved ones. Did you notice we did not bombard you with Black Friday emails? *smile* You’re welcome!

Having traveled to Cuba 3 times in the last year and a half, I know the passing of Fidel Castro is a huge turning point for this island nation, and for relations with the US. I’ve had inquiries about whether I will lead another tour there…but I am waiting to see how things unfold in the next few months.

To mark this event, I thought I’d share my kids’ favorite recipe that I brought back from my visits to Cuba. There are many versions, but this is my own. Instead of sending you Black Friday, I am sending you Black Beans. Enjoy!

Luana’s Working Mom Crock Pot Cuban Black Beans:

1 cup Dried Black Beans – soaked overnight – rinse after 8 hours
4-5 cups filtered water to fill small crock pot
Soak in water overnight, rinse and replace water after 8 hours.
(So your beans will be less musical.)
1 red bell pepper, seeded, chopped into 1/2″ chunks
2 tsp dried garlic flakes, 2 tsp dried onion flakes
(If you have extra time, saute fresh garlic and onion in olive oil before adding to crock pot.)
1 tsp dried oregano or herbs de provence
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1-2 Tb apple cider vinegar
1 Tb Brown Sugar
1 Bay Leaf
1 Tb Vegetable Bouillon Paste (you can substitute bouillon cubes or broth)
2 Tb extra virgin olive oil – stir in just before serving.

Put all ingredients in Crock Pot and simmer on low (all day or all night) for 8 hours or more. If broth is too thin, cook uncovered on high until it thickens.

Mash beans partially, with a potato masher before serving, and cook to thicken. I do this about an hour before it finishes cooking.

Discard Bay Leaf and serve with rice and sweet potatoes. Plantain chips are great with this dish also, if you can get them! Enjoy!

Please drop off your donated quilts for Nepal by Dec 9, as our EWB contact will pick them up Dec 10. Thanks!

sharing your Passion for Fabric…
Luana

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Free Pattern – North American Wildlife

Posted on November 25, 2016 by Luana

wildlife

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at eQuilter!

When the Pilgrims and the Native Americans shared their first Thanksgiving meal together,
North America was a vast and very wild place, full of Nature’s beauty and bountiful wildlife.

This week’s exclusive eQuilter Free Pattern is a celebration of North Woods wildlife, featuring vignettes of Owls, Moose, Bears, Otters, Raccoons, Deer, Swans, Ducks, Loons and Wolves.

Jody’s gorgeous illustrations are always a favorite for us and our customers, so on this day of Gratitude, we share with you the beauty of our land and our wildlife…on this very American holiday.

… from the ‘North American Wildlife’ collection by Jody Bergsma for Robert Kaufman 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.

This pattern was designed in EQ7, 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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