Creative Nudge – Purple & Orange

Posted on October 26, 2016 by Luana

nudge

I’ve just uploaded another big batch of photos from the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham UK, and as I browsed through the images, this quilt by Oksana Mader (Kaleidoscope of Life and Love) really caught my eye…particularly the central star of Purple and Orange!

Tis the season for Purple People and Orange Lovers, because it is Halloween and Harvest Time. So I am featuring the central detail of Oksana’s lovely quilt, with a seasonal collage of purple and orange prints.

How do Purple People satisfy their Amethyst Urges?

They travel to walk through fields of Lavender.
They plant rows of Lilacs and Hydrangeas.
They pause to admire the Mauve of Twilight.
They drink Blackberry Milkshakes.
They watch The Color Purple, and listen to Prince.
They can’t decide between the 2014 and 2015 Color of the Year.

How do Orange Addicts satisfy their thirst for Tangerine?

They hang out in pumpkin patches.
They collect Autumn leaves.
They spread marmalade on their toast.
They adopt ginger cats.
They wonder… is Orange really the new Black?
They still can’t believe Tangerine was the 2012 Color of the Year!

Enjoy the delights of the season, and give yourself permission to try some crazy color combinations.
You just might find out that you are a Color Genius!

sharing your Passion for Fabric…
Luana

********
2016 Travel Calendar:
Oct 28 – Nov 4 – Houston Quilt Market & Festival
Nov 11-13 – Color Marketing Group – Albuquerque
Nov 15-20 – Luana’s Polar Bear Tour – Churchill Canada
Dec 5-7 – Bernina Ambassador Reunion

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Free Pattern – Dazzling Dragonflies

Posted on October 25, 2016 by Luana

dazzling-dragonflies

Enter into a magical world, full of crystalline dragonfly wings,
in this week’s Free Quilt Pattern.

Mysterious dragonflies buzz over a Lily Pond, with gold metallic starbursts
shimmering and swirling…reflected on still waters.

This 54″ x 71″ quilt pattern uses the the dragonfly collection coordinates
to make pieced blocks, set on point.

We’re offering 2 versions of this enchanting quilt – in Blue or Lilac Colorways:

Dazzling Dragonflies Blue – features Dragonfly design.

Dazzling Dragonflies Lilac – features Lily Pond design.

… from the ‘Dance of the Dragonfly’ collection by Kanvas Studio for Benartex.

You may order the pattern as configured, or customize it to your liking with any of our over 20,000 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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Women Who Inspire Us

Posted on October 24, 2016 by Luana

Throughout my life, I have been inspired by many female mentors who have made a huge difference in my life.

Tonight at the Association for Sewing and Design Professionals Conference in Vancouver BC, my teacher and mentor Connie Crawford is receiving a Lifetime Achievement award. We will be posting a video related to this, later tonight or tomorrow.

Connie was my tough pattern-making and draping teacher at FIDM (Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising) and I was her A student. Without her support and guidance, I don’t know where I’d be today.

More recently I had a new mentor, Meg Hansson, who at 94 years old had known every single president since Roosevelt. She was one of the early women to shatter the glass ceiling in the 70s and 80s, and was an inspiring combination of visionary businesswoman and philanthropist.

Meg died this week, but she was able to finally vote for a woman for president the day before she left us. She hung on until she got her ballot. She voted…and moved on. I met her when our daughter was poisoned in school, and it seemed like nobody wanted to hear our story. She listened, and as we got to know each other, she told me her stories. I am so lucky to have known her.

So no matter what your preference in this election, I urge you to celebrate the right to vote by filling out your ballot, for all those who came before us, who fought to give us this right ….including the 19th Amendment. (Please no political comments.) I filled out my early ballot, dropped it off, and with all my travels to countries around the world… with varying states of democracy (or not!)….it is still a right I cherish.

Today Sophie and my mom and I went to World Singing Day in Boulder. We joined a group of several hundred people, basically a huge karaoke jam on the lawn of the courthouse on Pearl St. We finished with “Imagine” and “Wonderful World”. We danced, we cried, we sang “Na Na Na” (Hey Jude), we played air guitar, we embarrassed our kids. It was great. Look it up for next year…find or start a chapter in your community.

Next Saturday I will be writing to you from Quilt Market in Houston. I have 2 quilts on exhibit this year, and I will be making videos again at Quilt Festival. I hope to see many of you at the award ceremony Tues Nov 1!

sharing your Passion for Fabric…
Luana

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Free Pattern – Rhapsody in Blue

Posted on October 21, 2016 by Luana

peacocks

With Art Nouveau elegance and symmetrical grace, this week’s Free Exclusive pattern features Peacocks with gilded feathers, accented with curling ferns, and alternating with blocks of tumbling peacock feathers.

This generous 62″ x 77″ quilt combines the rich artistry of Maria Kalinowski‘s Rhapsody peacocks with the design brilliance of Chong-A Hwang‘s elegant Plume coordinates.

Don’t miss out! Order your ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ quilt today for a dazzling display of graceful peacocks and intricate classic beauty.

… from the ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ collection by Maria Kalinowski of Kanvas Studio for Benartex, and from the ‘Enchanted Plume’ collection by Chong-A Hwang for Timeless Treasures.

You may order the pattern as configured, or customize it to your liking with any of our over 20,000 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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Creative Nudge – Angels & Ombres

Posted on October 19, 2016 by Luana

angels

I don’t know about you, but I am pretty tired of the news lately. Tonight I wanted to give you something peaceful and uplifting, so I picked two of my favorite kinds of fabrics: Angels and Ombres!

The central photo is from the main cathedral in Seville Spain, where I visited this summer. The painted and gilded angels amidst the Baroque flourishes and Spanish tiles, gives a sense of opulence, like a perfectly embellished soprano voice rising above a breathless crowd.

Around this photo, you’ll see a collage of Angel fabrics, and Ombre prints. We just adore our collection of Ombres, because they give such a sense of dimensional Light in a piece. If you make sashing and borders with Ombres, it will give a luminous quality to the piece.

This week I’ve been previewing Christmas 2017 collections that will ship next Spring, which is really strange! We haven’t even had this year’s Christmas yet, but it seems to be looming just past Election Day. If you are still thinking about making a holiday quilt for someone special, try some Angels and Ombres for a very special and unique gift! Stir in some exquisitely detailed Roses or Gold Metallic prints for your own Angelic/Baroque/Floral masterpiece.

I hope that made you smile, with the pleasant distraction of lovely fabrics!

sharing your Passion for Fabric…
Luana

********
2016 Travel Calendar:
Oct 13-15 – Filming for “Fresh Quilting” MQG on PBS
Oct 28 – Nov 4 – Houston Quilt Market & Festival
Nov 11-13 – Color Marketing Group – Albuquerque
Nov 15-20 – Luana’s Polar Bear Tour – Churchill Canada
Dec 5-7 – Bernina Ambassador Reunion

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Free Pattern – Spirit of the Buffalo

Posted on October 18, 2016 by Luana

spirit-of-the-buffalo

This very special Free Quilt Pattern honors Native Americans and their Totems or Spirit Animals, featured in the central panel.

Kokopelli dances in the large pieced blocks that make up the large border around the panel, along with distinctive Powwow dancers, and other Native Icons.

We love the rich colors in this 70″ x 90″ full/double size bed quilt, with rich Terracotta Red, bright Turquoise, and a dark Charcoal as a neutral.

You might consider backing this with Flannel, or one of our Quiltbacking prints. This is sure to be a beloved snuggly quilt!

… from the ‘Spirit of the Buffalo’ collection by Western Denim & Dirt for Blank Textiles.

You may order the pattern as configured, or customize it to your liking with any of our over 20,000 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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A New Quilt TV Show!

Posted on October 17, 2016 by Luana

Surprise!
There is a new quilting TV show coming early next year on PBS, featuring the work of Modern Quilters, and it is called “Fresh Quilting”!

And….this week I was on a trip to the TV studio as corporate sponsor and guest on the show, so you will see me in 2 segments with Heather Grant, early next year when “Fresh Quilting” airs on PBS and online.

We are sponsoring modern quilter Jacquie Gering on the show, and I enjoyed spending more time with Jacquie and learning more about her role as a ‘founding mother’ of the MQG.

eQuilter will also be a sponsor for QuiltCon in Savannah GA, and I will be hosting a cocktail party there on the evening of Friday Feb 24…if you are coming to QuiltCon, please plan to come to the party!

Today after we finished filming, I met my dear friend Kathy Price, the founder and director of Mission of Love. She is busy planning her next airlift to bring medical supplies and food to the indigenous people of Guatemala. She was telling me that the hospitals in Guatemala don’t even have simple things like gauze, for surgeries. Their next airlift will bring supplies for 40 hospitals in Guatemala.

This last airlift brought wheelchairs and walkers to children and adults, allowing many to walk for the first time. With the money many of you sent, in addition to the donation from eQuilter, she was able to buy many tons of rice, beans and corn for communities in deepest poverty. Kathy and I humbly thank you for your support.

Our newsletter tonight reflects a trend in our customers’ buying habits: You are buying more and more Nature-themed fabrics, especially those that are realistic (digital), representing wildlife and natural beauty. Amid the chaos of modern life (not to mention the election year) we hope that you find moments of peace working with these beautiful fabrics.

sharing your Passion for Fabric…
Luana

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Free Pattern – Nature Studies

Posted on October 14, 2016 by Luana

nature-studies

Your eQuilter exclusive pattern this week features elegantly framed wild animals set in majestic natural landscapes, creating a powerful collection of mighty wildlife.

The realistic detail of these magnificent panels transports you to the secret, magical world of elephants, zebras, giraffes, leopards, lions, and rhinos.

This easy to construct 53″ x 60-1/2″ quilt or wall hanging will dazzle your favorite nature lovers, and can double as a cherished ‘I Spy’ quilt for kids!

… from the ‘Nature Studies” collection by David Stribbling for Robert Kaufman Fabrics.

You may order the pattern as configured, or customize it to your liking with any of our over 20,000 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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Creative Nudge – Mastery, Momentum, and Modernity

Posted on October 12, 2016 by Luana

momentum

This week I want to continue the conversation about what I saw at the Dairy Barn last week. The “Mastery: Sustaining Momentum” is a powerful exhibit curated by Nancy Crow, which takes a bold stand somewhere between Contemporary Quilting and Modern Quilting.

* The group of 3 quilts at the top of this image are by Colleen Kole, from Grand Rapids, Michigan.

* The bottom left corner features the hand-dyes of its maker: Heidi Stoll-Weber, who lives in Frankfurt Germany.

* The bottom right corner quilt, with bold swooping shapes in solid colors, is by Marina Kamenskaya, from Wauconda, Illinois.

Bear in mind these are very LARGE quilts, and they were made in sets of 3 for this show!

I believe that this exhibit demonstrates a sea-change, a metamorphosis that is occurring in the quilting world. The spare, clean, modern design aesthetic espoused by the Modern Quilters, is now influencing contemporary quilting and creating a fascinating mutation.

Modern quilters have been inspired by Nancy Crow, and now she has gathered a group of fellow quilters who seem to be inspired by *both* Nancy and Modern Quilting…consciously or unconsciously?…and here is the result.

I urge you to see this show before it closes November 27. If you can’t make it to the show, pick up a book and try to imagine the huge gallery full of groups of 3 by each artist. It makes a huge statement about where we’ve been, and where we are going. I can see a museum or corporate collector snapping up these groups of 3, so this powerful visual statement can be enjoyed by the general public.

I’ve been posting more photos from the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham UK… Enjoy!

sharing your Passion for Fabric…
Luana

********
2016 Travel Calendar:
Oct 13-15 – Mystery Trip – TBA
Oct 28 – Nov 4 – Houston Quilt Market & Festival
Nov 11-13 – Color Marketing Group – Albuquerque
Nov 15-20 – Luana’s Polar Bear Tour – Churchill Canada

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Free Pattern – Ambrosia

Posted on October 11, 2016 by Luana

ambrosia

This week’s Free Quilt Pattern will help you to get over any fear of cutting up gorgeous large-scale florals… just look at these beautiful results!

The central theme is a large-scale painterly flower print, with juicy watercolor blossoms on a layered etheric background. Slice up that garden view and alternate it with a White-on-White Butterfly print, and you’ll be looking through an abstract white picket fence at the luscious private garden beyond.

Use the coordinates for sashing and border as shown, or use our exclusive eQuilter Color Picker to choose your favorite hues from the multicolor floral, and personalize with your favorite colors.

This 47″ x 67″ quilt is Light and Bright, and will bring illumination and cheer to any room where it is displayed.

… from the ‘Ambrosia’ collection by Chong-A Hwang for Timeless Treasures.

You may order the pattern as configured, or customize it to your liking with any of our over 20,000 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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