Happy Birthday to eQuilter!…and Daylight Savings Time

Posted on March 8, 2025 by Luana

Don’t forget to move your clock forward an hour tonight for the start of Daylight Savings, unless you live in Hawaii, Arizona, or the rest of the world.

This week we are celebrating our 26th anniversary, since we opened up in the basement of our house. All of our kids have been raised in the business, and we are still having fun with fabrics. In the summer of 2019 we moved into our own warehouse which we designed and built. We live just one mile away down the road, so coming to work is just like coming to our other living room. We live eat breath sleep quilt fabrics and aren’t we lucky to be able to share our passion with all of you?!

I returned home from the Kyoto Quilt Festival on Wednesday night, and this weekend I am sharing the same quilt exhibit in my Open Studio. If you are in the Boulder area, you can still come see the quilts today (Sunday) from 1-5 pm. I’ll be shipping quilts back to their exhibits and museums in the next few days, but it has been a pleasure to share a body of my artwork with friends and fans.

Many thanks to the Arapahoe County Quilt Guild, who just dropped off a big batch of donated comfort quilts for Hurricane Helene victims in North Carolina. We’ll be shipping those out this week also.

With the demise of Joann’s, we are aware that many of you wonder where you will find some of your basic sewing supplies. Please call or email to let us know the kind of fabrics and notions you want us to stock for you. We are always open to your requests. If you can’t find it on our website, be sure to check with us first in case it is ‘hiding’….today we had a tour group of quilters and they were amazed to learn about all the products that we stock in our warehouse. We are here for YOU!

In fact, the idea for eQuilter came because I had visited 40 quilt shops over several years, and could not find what I wanted. We started eQuilter as a SERVICE to fellow creative sewing enthusiasts.

We just got a giant shipment of new Rubin Design Studio fabrics – our exclusive line of specialty digital-printed panels and yardage. We are introducing many of them this week so be sure to have a look at our current Rubin Design stock!

sharing your love for fabric,
Luana and Paul

Travel/Lecture Dates:
March 9 – Public Open Studio – 1-5 pm @ eQuilter
Apr 3-6 – SAQA Conference – St Pete, Florida
April 23-26 – Washington DC
April 27- May 3 – Alegre Retreat

Visit eQuilter’s Instagram, Pinterest or TikTok pages for Color and Design ideas.

See Luana’s Artist Blog, Flickr Photo Pages for travel images, comment on our blog, or follow us on Facebook.

Check out our Video pages for interviews and show reviews.

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Your Free Quilt Pattern – Kitties in the Flower Garden

Posted on March 6, 2025 by Luana

Tonight’s Free eQuilter Pattern feature our adorable Hide and Seek kitties panel. These kitties are nestled in a gorgeous, multi-color flower garden.

Use the Coupon Code: GOLDEN on the checkout page to receive $10 off your purchase of $50 or more, through March 8th only! (This gift coupon cannot be combined with other Promotions or Gift Certificates.)

To make this 49″ x 63″ quilt design, start with the 24″ x 44″ kitties panel, frame with the dappled sky blue tonal, then add the coordinating kitty stripe and pieced floral blocks.

Hang this quilt on the wall, and you’ll be enchanted by these delightful felines. The quilt also makes a great gift for those who love their adventurous kitties.

…the ‘Hide and Seek’ 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.

Sharing your passion for fabric and color,
Luana and Paul Rubin

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Happy Hinamatsuri

Posted on March 5, 2025 by Luana

March 3rd is Hinamatsuri, also called Doll’s Day or Girls’ Day, and is an annual festival in Japan. Multi-tiered platforms covered with a red fabric are used to display a set of ornamental dolls representing the Emperor, Empress, attendants, guardians and musicians in traditional court dress of the Heian period. My friend Naomi (previously editor of Patchwork Tsushin) spent a very special day with me. First we went to the Thousand Buddha Temple – the Sanjusangen-do Buddhist temple – to participate in the Girls Day festivities. I was there many years ago with the tour I led to the Tokyo Quilt Festival, and it was on the Seijin-no-Ho which is the Coming of Age Day here. (and a national holiday) Over 1000 young people dressed up in their best traditional kimonos and archer’s historic garb, and there was a huge archery contest behind the temple. Both holiday visits, I walked through the long temple which literally houses 1000 Golden Buddhas and their guardians. What an experience!

In the evening we went to a historic Kyoto restaurant, for a very special Girls’ Day presentation and dining experience. This restaurant is found in a narrow alleyway and overlooks the river. Chimoto was founded in 1718 and on this day they displayed their precious Hinakazari dolls and accessories. There are only 2 of these original ancient doll sets in existence – owned by the restaurant’s generational owners – and the Emperor. So what a special treat, hmm? The 8-course meal was a treasure chest of jewel-like little presentations, like the dolls.

And yesterday my friend Keiko and her husband came to pick me up at my Osaka airport hotel, and drove me up to visit the Osaka Castle, which was used for some scenes in last year’s remake series of Shogun. I have been trying to visit this castle since 1985, when I would come to Osaka on textile-buying trips as a Hong Kong based fashion designer. I guess the castle has been burnt down and destroyed a few times so the current castle has been rebuilt and the inside re-imagined as a museum. Keiko is an upcycling quilter and crafter. She and her husband live in the
‘Eco House’ in Kobe. She has been to quilt festivals around world, including Houston in the 1980s. She teaches classes on turning trash into crafts and accessories. Thank you for hosting me Keiko!

I will be writing more about this after I get home – after my Open Studio this weekend – so be sure to subscribe to my artist website and my photo pages for the updates.

If you are in the Boulder area and would like to see my 12 quilts that were displayed at the Kyoto Quilt Festival, you can visit my Open Studio this Sunday March 9th from 1-5 pm. I’ll be shipping many of them out to their respective museums and exhibits on Monday. I still have some time slots for group visits on Saturday afternoon – by appointment only please.

Time to pack and check out, and fly home.

Sharing our passion for fabric…..
Luana and Paul

Travel/Lecture Dates:
Feb 25 – Mar 5 – Solo Gallery @ Kyoto Quilt Festival Feb 28 – Mar 2
Apr 3-6 – SAQA Conference – St Pete, Florida
April 23-25 – Washington DC
April 27- May 3 – Alegre Retreat

Visit eQuilter’s Instagram, Pinterest or TikTok pages for Color and Design ideas.

See Luana’s Flickr Photo Pages for travel images, comment on our blog, or follow us on Facebook.

Check out our Video pages for interviews and show reviews.

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Free Quilt Pattern – Magic Golden Retriever

Posted on March 2, 2025 by Luana

Our Magic Golden Retriever panel is the feature of this week’s Free Quilt Pattern. This mesmerizing portrait captures the intelligence, loyalty & happiness of the Golden’s gaze, emerging from a wild, magic garden.

Use the Coupon Code: GOLDEN on the checkout page to receive $10 off your purchase of $50 or more, thru March 8th only! (This gift coupon cannot be combined with other Promotions or Gift Certificates.)

To make this 51″ wide x 60″ high quilt design, you will start with our exclusive 29″ x 44″ digital-printed panel. Piece the wild paw-print blocks and borders with our rich and vibrant Sundance stripe against a solid black background. The Dark Indigo Garden and deep hand dye frame the outer border and binding.

…from the ‘Mystical’ 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.

Sharing your passion for fabric and color,
Luana and Paul Rubin

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Hello from Kyoto!

Posted on March 1, 2025 by Luana

Today is the 3rd and last day of the Kyoto Quilt Festival, where I have been showing 12 of my art quilts, and sharing the stories of each of these artworks. Many thanks to friends and customers and industry connections who have come from all over Japan to see me here.

Friday night I attended the party for festival staff and artists. There were quilters from not only Japan, but also Taiwan and Korea. The evening was a mix of languages being spoken – English, Japanese, Mandarin and Korean. Somehow we all communicated … if nothing else … in the common language of quilters. There was a hilarious competition of the Asian version of ‘Rock Paper Scissors’ – competing for a vintage silver spoon from Korea. There was much giggling, shrieking, and general silliness. I still say, if quilters ruled the world, we could solve all the problems and live in peace.

I gave my power point talk “International Quilt Trends” on Friday, and gave 2 artist gallery talks on Saturday. I also did some sewing demos which I have not done in a long time, but I had so much fun sharing tips on quilting and free-motion stitching. It was gratifying to have the younger women tell me later, that they were deeply moved by my messages about the environment, human rights, and empowerment of women. That makes the whole trip worthwhile.

Many thanks to Reiko-san for inviting me to participate, and for the several interpreters who helped me. That song I learned in Girl Scouts comes to mind:
Make new friends, and keep the old…
One is silver and the other gold!

sharing your love for fabric,
Luana and Paul

Travel/Lecture Dates:
Feb 25 – Mar 5 – Kyoto Quilt Festival – Luana’s Solo Gallery
March 9 – Public Open Studio – 1-5 pm @ eQuilter
(March 8 – group studio visits by appointment)
Apr 3-6 – SAQA Conference – St Pete, Florida
April 23-26 – Washington DC
April 27- May 3 – Alegre Retreat

Visit eQuilter’s Instagram, Pinterest or TikTok pages for Color and Design ideas.

See Luana’s Artist Blog, Flickr Photo Pages for travel images, comment on our blog, or follow us on Facebook.

Check out our Video pages for interviews and show reviews.

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Free Quilt Pattern – Klimt Gilded Plume

Posted on February 27, 2025 by Luana

Capture the opulence of Gustav Klimt’s artwork, with tonight’s exclusive Free Quilt Pattern featuring a Klimt-inspired peacock in richly saturated hues of Cobalt and Sapphire. Klimt’s highly decorative style was compared to the Art Nouveau design movement, and his use of gold leaf in his paintings relates to his father who was a gold engraver.

To make this 48″ x 66″ quilt design, you will start with the central 24″ x 44″ panel, embellished with gold metallic. Construct the pieced border with blue and gold mosaic prints, set on point in a field of golden shapes. The pieced border is layered between inner and outer frames of a two Espresso Brown prints with a dusting of gold.

…from the ‘Gilded Plume’ collection by Chong-A Hwang for Timeless 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.

Click Here for a Video Tutorial of the Free Pattern Designer.
Download Instructions for the pattern at the bottom of the pattern designer page.

Sharing your passion for fabric and color,
Luana and Paul Rubin

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Free Quilt Pattern – Jaguar in the Jungle

Posted on February 23, 2025 by Luana

Tonight’s exclusive eQuilter Free Quilt Pattern features a Jaguar portrait set in the richness of the rain forest, as a companion to our previous White Tiger portrait quilt.

Use the Coupon Code: DOGGIE on the checkout page to receive $10 off your purchase of $50 or more, through 2/25/25 only!
(This gift coupon cannot be combined with other Promotions or Gift Certificates.)

To make this 57″ x 66″ quilt design, you’ll start with our 34″ x 44″ digital panel, then piece the borders with two coordinating green Hoffman Hand Dyes plus a white tone-on-tone fabric. The gold Hoffman Hand Dye binding accents the Jaguar’s eyes.

Bring this majestic Jaguar into your home by making this dynamic wildlife quilt!

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

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.

Click Here for a Video Tutorial of the Free Pattern Designer.
Download Instructions for the pattern at the bottom of the pattern designer page.

Sharing your passion for fabric and color,
Luana and Paul Rubin

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QuiltCon is Awesome!

Posted on February 22, 2025 by Luana

Congratulations to all the winners at QuiltCon this weekend! We congratulate Audrey Esarey for winning the eQuilter Machine Quilting Award for her beautiful quilt ‘Raspberry Roulette’.

Special congratulations to Veruschka Zarate for her Best of Show award, for her quilt “Dignity”. We have always considered her a special talent, and we are happy to carry her patterns, including her award-winning Joan of Arc design.

If you have attended my power point lectures, you have probably seen an image of Veruschka’s large quilt which depicts the Dignity statue made by Dale Lamphere. I have included the image of her quilt top since she posted it on social media….a couple years ago?

This 50 foot high sculpture in South Dakota depicts a Lakota woman holding a star quilt. The star quilt held by the woman has more than 100 blue diamond shapes that move in the wind. You can read more about this on Wikipedia.

Early Monday morning I fly to Osaka, arriving Tuesday night in Kyoto. Thursday is the setup day. I am showing 12 of my art quilts. If you are coming to the event at the Mikyako Messe Conference Center, I will be in my artist gallery Fri Feb 28 to Sun March 2. Please make a note of my speaking times:

Friday 2 pm – 20 minute talk on the Artist Panel
Saturday – Artist Talk in my gallery at 10 am and 11 am.

I am planning for an Open Studio here at eQuilter on Sunday March 9, from 1-5 pm, before I send quilts back to their museum and exhibit venues March 10. If you are local, I hope you can come to see all 12 quilts before they are disbursed again. More info on that in upcoming emails.

sharing your love for fabric,
Luana and Paul

Travel/Lecture Dates:
Feb 25 – Mar 5 – Kyoto Quilt Festival – Luana’s Solo Gallery
March 9 – Public Open Studio – 1-5 pm @ eQuilter
(March 8 – group studio visits by appointment)
Apr 3-6 – SAQA Conference – St Pete, Florida
April 23-26 – Washington DC
April 27- May 3 – Alegre Retreat

Visit eQuilter’s Instagram, Pinterest or TikTok pages for Color and Design ideas.

See Luana’s Artist Blog, Flickr Photo Pages for travel images, comment on our blog, or follow us on Facebook.

Check out our Video pages for interviews and show reviews.

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Free Quilt Pattern – Pastoral Pup

Posted on February 20, 2025 by Luana

Tonight’s Free eQuilter Pattern features our exclusive Renaissance Doggie panel, a magnificent pastoral floral fantasy scene with a dramatic cloudy sky.

Use the Coupon Code: DOGGIE on the checkout page to receive $10 off your purchase of $50 or more, through 2/25/25 only!
(This gift coupon cannot be combined with other Promotions or Gift Certificates.)

To make this 65″ x 53″ quilt design, start with our Renaissance Doggie panel, border with our natural hardwood print, then piece the blocks and borders with three Hoffman hand dyes.

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

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.

Click Here for a Video Tutorial of the Free Pattern Designer.
Download Instructions for the pattern at the bottom of the pattern designer page.

Sharing your passion for fabric and color,
Luana and Paul Rubin

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Here Kitty Kitty…..

Posted on February 19, 2025 by Luana

This week I am very busy getting ready for my solo gallery at the Kyoto Quilt Festival. I leave Monday, and the festival is Feb 29 to March 2 at the Miyako Messe Convention Center. I will be speaking for about 20 minutes on a panel on Friday at 2 pm. On Saturday I will give 2 gallery talks with a translator, at 10 am and 11 am. I know several of you are coming to the show and I look forward to seeing you again!

We are sponsoring the Machine Quilting Award at QuiltCon this week. I had to make a last minute decision not to go this year, because it is right before I leave for Japan. Sometimes my eyes are bigger than my stomach, when I think about how much travel I can cram into a month. For those of you going to QuiltCon, enjoy the show and be sure to check out the Machine Quilting winner which will be hanging near the Best of Show.

Right now I am finishing a quilt about the history of American Wilderness Conservation, for a Semi-Quincentennial exhibit next year. That will be coming to Japan with me, along with another new quilt with a Mt Fuji theme, that is a tribute to Itchiku Kubota. I hope you are also having a productive start to 2025. I am keeping my sanity by staying busy in the studio.

Sharing our passion for fabric…..
Luana and Paul

Travel/Lecture Dates:
Feb 25 – Mar 5 – Solo Gallery @ Kyoto Quilt Festival Feb 28 – Mar 2
Apr 3-6 – SAQA Conference – St Pete, Florida
April 23-25 – Washington DC
April 27- May 3 – Alegre Retreat

Visit eQuilter’s Instagram, Pinterest or TikTok pages for Color and Design ideas.

See Luana’s Flickr Photo Pages for travel images, comment on our blog, or follow us on Facebook.

Check out our Video pages for interviews and show reviews.

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