Konnichiwa!

Posted on January 25, 2016 by Luana

I am back tonight from my whirlwind visit to the Tokyo Quilt Festival!….just arrived home from the airport a few hours ago.

Watch for my Creative Nudge newsletter on Weds morning. I have photos of some absolutely breathtaking quilts, plus we are going to have a surprise video in a week or so.

My friends commented on how many other Asian quilters came to the show this time – not just Japanese quilters but also Mainland Chinese, Taiwanese, Filipino, and Thai! We noticed there are a lot of Chinese students coming to work in Tokyo as well….working in restaurants. Tokyo is a melting pot, like most big cities, and the pot is being stirred!

Even though it was a very fast trip, I was busy with meetings the whole time, with old and new friends. As you may know, I moved to Hong Kong in 1982, and later after I moved to NYC to work on 7th Ave, I traveled to 10 Asian countries as an import designer. So whenever I get the chance to travel to Asia it feels like going home…on top of the fact that Sophie is from China!

When I first went to Japan in 1983, it was a man’s world. Some of my Japanese women friends say that it is still that way for them, which is frustrating in the quilting world. With the Yokohama quilt show having come to an end, more changes are coming…led by the ladies of the Japanese quilting world…and I can’t wait to see what they will do next!

Give me a day or two to catch my breath, and I’ll start posting some photos on my Flickr pages. I hand-carried 10 copies each of the 2 show books, and those will go online Monday. If you want first crack at them, send an email to Customer Service and they’ll send you a link once they are online.

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Free Pattern – Butterfly Garden

Posted on January 22, 2016 by Luana

ButterflyGarden

This week’s Exclusive Free Pattern features breathtaking butterfly and floral pairings, framed by an exquisite, white tonal butterfly print and set against delicate amethyst hand dyes.

The sunny, sun-drenched colors of spring come to life in this 52″ square pattern, highlighting the natural beauty of these magical, winged creatures. Enjoy this light and uplifting design!

…featuring fabrics from the ‘Butterfly Garden’ collection by Marylin Barkhouse for Elizabeth’s Studio.

You may order the pattern as configured, (click through here to see the specifics!) 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 – Bunny Smiles

Posted on January 20, 2016 by Luana

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Tonight I am writing to you from Tokyo, as I prepare to attend the Quilt Festival here. Today I went to a Kabuki performance, then wandered around the Ginza shopping area, looking for trends and design inspiration.

One thing that hits you immediately in Japan is the amount of CUTE images, logos and products….everywhere! Not just Hello Kitty but also cute Bunnies are everywhere, and this is a photo I took of a ceramic Bunny topping an ornate tassel, at Mitsukoshi Department Store in Ginza.

We have of course stocked up on cute Bunny fabrics because Spring and Easter are just around the corner, and Bunnies make me smile….so I am sending you a smile from Tokyo!

Be sure to watch for my newsletters in the next week. I’ll be at the show Thursday and Friday, flying home on Saturday. I’ll be sharing photos of some of my favorite quilts from the show.

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Free Pattern – Akahana Cranes

Posted on January 19, 2016 by Luana

ROAKA

This Bonus Free Pattern features a panel with a pair of elegant Tsuru cranes flying over luscious peonies and mums, in sophisticated shades of coral and lacquer red, willow green and ivory, against a tonal graphite black background.

Swirling ribbons and spring bouquets add to the richness and detail of this Asian panel wallhanging, perfect to hang in an entry way or elegant room.

…featuring fabrics from the ‘Akahana’ collection by Red Rooster Fabrics.

You may order the pattern as configured, (click through here to see the specifics!) 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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Wanderlust

Posted on January 18, 2016 by Luana

I have been saving up my United miles all year so I could get a free ticket to Tokyo, and I am so tickled that I got a seat on a direct Dreamliner flight from Denver to Narita. I am leaving midday Sunday, and will arrive Monday night in Tokyo. I’ll be at the show Thursday and Friday, and will post photos over the following week.

If you would like to travel along with me over the next week, you might want to snap up a copy of QuiltMania’s “My Little Japan” which has gorgeous detailed photos of quilts from last year’s Tokyo Quilt Festival.

You can also look over my photos from previous trips to Japan, to get an idea of why I am always so excited to take this trip! If you’ve followed my travel to Tokyo in the past, you may also be aware that I hand carry several copies of the two show books, to share with collectors here. I return on Jan 23 so those will be available the following week.

My first few trips to Japan were in the early 80’s when I was living in Hong Kong and working as a fashion designer. In those days I traveled mostly to textile manufacturers in Osaka. Later, when I traveled to Japan as a quilter, I ran into a trio of National Geographic photographers while in Kyoto, and after fighting them for the same shots in Nara, I decided to join them in the back of the tour bus. We swapped travel stories and compared camera gear as we bounced from temple to temple, giddy with the joy of photographing beautiful Japan.

Watch for my photos later this week, so you can join in the Joys of Japan with me!

My Cuban Arts Tour is fast approaching, and I know many of you want to see Cuba before it opens up to the US and everything starts to change. This beautiful island nation has been frozen in time for 50 years, but NOW is the time to visit, so I hope you can come along to share the art, colors, music and food …to remember Cuba in its purest expression.

We are so lucky to stay in the famous historic Hotel Nacional which sits on a hill overlooking the seawall and the ocean…where one can walk in the footsteps of Frank Sinatra, Marlene Dietrich and Winston Churchill. Join me on the patio and we’ll have a mojito toast together!

Travel Calendar:
Jan 17-23 – Tokyo Quilt Festival
Feb 5 – Rocky Mtn Quilt Museum, Golden CO – “No Girls Allowed” Opening, 5-8 pm
Feb 18-19 – QuiltCon in Pasadena CA
March 5 – Lecture at BERNINA Presser Foot – Longmont CO
May 8-15 – Luana’s CUBA ARTS TOUR! – Join us!
Nov 15-20 – Luana’s Polar Bear Tour – Details soon

See my Flickr Photo Pages for travel images, too!

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Free Pattern – Magic Carpet

Posted on January 15, 2016 by Luana

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This week’s exclusive eQuilter Free Pattern takes you on an opulent journey full of richly detailed Paisleys and Bohemian Florals.

Luxurious gold metallics highlight the Teal, Blue and Purple color story, with shimmering pearlescent accents. Built around a panel and engineered stripe, this quilt design is a 61″ x 61″ Magic Carpet Ride!

…featuring fabrics from the ‘Mystique’ collection by Chong-a Hwang for Timeless Treasures.

You may order the pattern as configured, (click through here to see the specifics!) 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 – Modern Gestures

Posted on January 13, 2016 by Luana

Nudge

As I am preparing to leave for Tokyo this coming weekend, I am thinking about how Japanese quilts have changed since I started going to the Tokyo Quilt Festival. I see the influence of Modern Quilting and Modern Design in some of the most interesting Japanese quilts, and here is a detail of one of those quilts, set in a collage of fabrics currently in stock at eQuilter.

When I look at this masterful quilt by Yoshiyuki Ishizaki (“Kan Oh Chi Rai” – Prediction By Studying the Past) I see an abstract design that reminds me of the broad gestures we might make when drawing on a very large piece of paper.

Her gestures became shapes, and she filled those spaces with pieced segments that create a movement of light and depth through the use of an ombre progression of piecing. The eye flies back and forth on this quilt, drawn by the swooping gestures of the design, and the ombre movement from light to bright colors.

The best way to train your eye to see these movements of gestural shapes, and value changes (light to dark) is of course to go look at art in as many galleries and museums as possible. Even in paintings and textiles hundreds of years old, you can see how the artist or designer used these visual tricks to draw the eye through the piece.

The great challenge is to look at your own work with this objective eye, and apply what you have learned. When you are feeling too attached to the work you have done, take an afternoon off to view other art, and then come back with a fresh eye.

Yoshiyuki’s worked captured a lot of attention when shown at the Houston Quilt Festival, because it was created with a fresh eye. You can see other Japanese quilts from the Houston show, in this video. Enjoy!

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Ready for 2016

Posted on January 11, 2016 by Luana

Yesterday was a poignant day. As you may have read, we lost our beloved 15 month old dog Alfie on Christmas morning. We all decided that we wanted to get another dog right away to heal our broken hearts, but also because our 2 year old female dog Ruby was just devastated. Things just fell into place and a local breeder our kids have known for a long time, just happened to have a male puppy available. (same breed as our female)

So yesterday, while we were driving back home in the snow, with an adorable golden puffball of sweetness, I got the call that Alfie’s ashes were ready to be picked up. If that call had come any sooner I would have been a mess. Instead, I blinked back some tears and smiled at the irony.

(If you follow my personal page on Facebook or my personal Instagram, you may have seen puppy photos I’ve posted in the last 24 hours.)

The other big thing that just happened is that I guess I was a very good girl last year, and thanks to being part of the BERNINA Ambassador program, I got a new B790 machine for Christmas! I have been working on the biggest art quilt that I have ever made, which is destined for a very special exhibit in Switzerland this spring, so it is very appropriate that I could finish this art quilt on this amazing Swiss piece of precision machinery. (Have I mentioned lately how much I love BERNINA sewing machines?!?) Many thanks to the wonderful people at Bernina for giving me the opportunity to upgrade. A new puppy *and* a new B790 – I am ready to take on 2016!

A week from now I’ll be on my way to the Tokyo Quilt Festival again. While I am taking photos and networking with Japanese quilters, our warehouse staff will begin the process of rearranging our space to create a large classroom and event space. Yes it is really happening! I already have one wonderful teacher requesting 2 weeks in June, so we are going to work fast to prepare the space and start making plans for other events.

The brand new Hampton Inn one block away means that we now have the option to host workshops, creative retreats, and other events…and invite teachers and students from out of town…which is very exciting for *everyone* here!

My photo page has surpassed 10 million pageviews which has made me do a little happy dance this week, and so I invite you to have a look at my travel and quilt images before I go to the Tokyo Quilt Festival.

Take a look at the dates and events below – I hope to see YOU in person some time in 2016!

Travel Calendar:
Jan 17-23 – Tokyo Quilt Festival
Feb 5 – Rocky Mtn Quilt Museum, Golden CO –
“No Girls Allowed” Opening, 5-8 pm
Feb 18-19 – QuiltCon in Pasadena CA
March 5 – Lecture at BERNINA Presser Foot – Longmont CO
May 8-15 – Luana’s CUBA ARTS TOUR! – Join us!
Nov 15-20 – Luana’s Polar Bear Tour – Details soon

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Free Pattern – Poppy Grove

Posted on January 8, 2016 by Luana

Poppy_Grove

This week’s exclusive eQuilter Free Pattern showcases the exquisitely detailed Red Poppies by artist Chong-A Hwang, on a dramatic solid black ground.

Three shades of Hoffman Hand-Dyes are used in the pieced sections, to create a 3-D ombre effect. An engineered Poppy Stripe is cleverly used to make the lush garland borders.

The best part is – it is available in Two sizes!

Poppy Grove Lap Quilt – 62″ x 62″

Poppy Grove Full Size – 83″ x 83″

…featuring fabrics from the ‘Poppy Grove’ collection by Chong-A Hwang for Timeless Treasures.

You may order the pattern as configured, (click through here to see the specifics!) 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 – Japanese Textiles

Posted on January 6, 2016 by Luana

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Two weeks from now I will be in Tokyo, headed to the quilt festival at the Tokyo Dome. Every year that I attend this show is a privilege, and greatly anticipated. A quarter million people come to this show (!) and it is an experience just being among the 35K-40K who attend each day. This year I saved up all my miles so I could get a free ticket on a direct flight from Denver. Yippee!

Here are some photos I took at a museum outside of Tokyo on a previous trip. The central panel is a detail of a vintage Boro quilt, and on the right are 3 Sashiko stitching sample details. Over the years we have expanded our Sashiko category, after I fell in love with vintage and contemporary exhibits in Japan. Whether you are stitching Sashiko by hand, or using a special machine embroidery stitch to mimic Sashiko, there is something about a plump white stitch on an indigo background that never fails to catch the eye. Here you also see blue Sashiko threads on a red or white background.

I’ve set these photos of stitch samples, among some indigo and red traditional designs, (fabrics currently in stock here at eQuilter.com) that might give you some inspiration for your next quilt project.

Did you know that the original idea for our business was to stock imported Asian prints and Bali batiks in the basement of our house? I thought I’d have a nice little part time business and stay home with the kids… ha! Obviously our business expanded beyond our original vision, but I always hold a special place in my heart for these beautiful Asian fabrics. This is because in my 20’s I lived in Hong Kong, and then moved to New York and traveled to 10 countries in Asia as an import garment designer. I spent every spare minute visiting museums, galleries, temples and historic buildings during those years, and that formed the foundation of my love for Asian art and de sign. Later that love brought us to adopt a little baby girl from China, but that is another story!

My Flickr page has reached a milestone – over 10 million views! If you have not checked out my quilt and travel albums yet, grab a cup of tea and enjoy the tour. (Or better yet, join me on one of my tours to Cuba or Churchill this year.)

********
Travel Calendar:
Jan 18-23 – Tokyo Quilt Festival
May 8-15 – Luana’s CUBAN ARTS TOUR! – Registration Open NOW
Nov 15-20 – Luana’s Polar Bear Tour – Churchill

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