Free Pattern – Think Positive Animal Wishes

Posted on September 1, 2015 by Luana

Think_Positive

One of our specialties here at eQuilter is a large selection of Baby and Kid Panels,and
this fun FREE quilt pattern is a great use of a wild animal panel with happy friendly creatures. Each block has a cheerful encouraging message for your little one.

Lions, Elephants, Giraffes, Parrots, Monkeys and Zebras share sweet messages like ‘Always be You’, ‘Have Courage – Dream Big!’, and ‘Never Forget how Much You are Loved’ … sure to brighten baby or child’s room.

Twinkly stars, painted stripes, and tossed Alphabet letters form the sashing and border for this 42″ x 52″ wallhanging or crib quilt.

…from the ‘Think Positive’ collection by Jennifer Nilsson 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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Practice Makes Perfect

Posted on August 31, 2015 by Luana

This week on Sept 2nd I will be giving a power point lecture at the Dairy Barn in Athens Ohio. If you haven’t seen the Quilt National exhibit yet, please join me and stay for the exhibit before it closes on Labor Day.

I am writing to you this week from a church lobby (with wifi!) where Sophie is auditioning for the Boulder Youth Orchestra. A young man is practicing on the grand piano in the sanctuary. As parents and their musical kids arrive, I am saying hi to families we know from summer music camps. What a lovely ambiance! The organization’s director has just returned from Japan. His mother-in-law is a quilter there. What a small world! Of course I told him I’ll be going to Japan in January for the Tokyo Quilt Festival.

Sophie has been practicing like mad for this audition, but it really started this summer when she went to a high level (intense!) music camp up in the mountains for 2 weeks. She came back a new young lady! There is something about immersing yourself in a focused intensive with like-minded people, that can really awaken a passion and motivation. Sam is going through the same thing in his first week as a music performance major at CU Boulder. It is very exciting to see them waking up to their potential.

The reason I share this is because it reminds me so much of what we do as quilters and creative people. We go to a retreat and “play” with an inspiring teacher and enthusiastic peers. Then maybe we aspire to entering in a show that is at a higher level than what we’ve done before. After we achieve that stepping stone, we begin to dream that we should shoot for the stars. We start to imagine the excitement of winning an award, having our work published or in a gallery, maybe someday having a piece in a museum, then speaking in public about our work, writing a book, teaching other enthusiastic students.

What is the next step for you? Dream big!

Once Sophie gets into the orchestra, next she will have a month to prepare for the seat placement audition. No matter how that goes, I know it will lead to the next step on the rung of her expressive ladder. Whether we express ourselves visually, musically, through writing or dance, every accomplishment leads to new levels of curiosity, discovery and wonder.

May your journey be wondrous!

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Free Pattern – A Horse Breed Apart

Posted on August 28, 2015 by Luana

A Horse Breed Apart

This week’s exclusive eQuilter Free Pattern is a very special theme – with gorgeous detailed Horses set in portrait vignettes – for the Horse Lover in your life!

Equestrians of all levels will be delighted by this panel featuring eight horse breeds and their notable traits. Realistically illustrated with fine attention to detail, this panel is a real show stopper. The allover Horse design (used in the border) features prancing, trotting, rearing, galloping, and quietly gazing horses.

…from the ‘Horse Breeds’ collection by Barbara Keith and Tom Chapman 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 – Snowshill Collection

Posted on August 26, 2015 by Luana

Nudge-1Quilters love to collect – not just fabric – but also threads, buttons, thimbles, scissors, cats, teacups, magazines, and… well, you know what I mean!

Often a lifelong art collector will donate their collection to an art museum.

Sometimes a celebrity’s house itself (think Elvis) will become the museum, with every room and every tchotchke preserved in its original state.

After the quilt festival in Birmingham UK, I spent a couple days in the Cotswolds, where I encountered the Ultimate Collection. It was the estate of Snowshill Manor, where Charles Wade collected art and objects from around the world, filling every room, until he decided to live in the Priest’s House behind the Manor House. Have you ever felt like your collection might take over your home and force you to move out? Mr. Wade delighted in having guests stay inside the collection, and they would dress up in his Costume Collection, play with his Toy Collection or Mask Collection, or perhaps the Samurai Armor Collection. His passion for craftsmanship, colour and design is reflected in his collection, which is preserved, filling the house, as was his wish.

One of the rooms was his musical instrument collection. He certainly could not play all of the instruments, but can you imagine being a guest and being invited to come take the instrument of one’s choice to play with other guests?

Now don’t you feel better about your Fabric Stash and collection of sewing and quilting supplies? *grin*

The collage above features a photo in the Music Collection Room of Snowshill Manor, plus several music-themed fabrics in stock at eQuilter.com now.

Thanks for your support of family-owned eQuilter.com – we continue to sponsor quilt exhibits and events around the US and across the globe.

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Free Pattern – Mandalay Elegance

Posted on August 25, 2015 by Luana

Mandalay_Elegance

What is it about Asian Florals that captures our imagination, and makes us reach out to touch the fabric? These Japanese designs, inspired by vintage kimonos, whisper from a fragrant garden of manicured elegance.

In this free 44″ x 60″ wallhanging pattern, a lovely syncopation of visual harmony dances across a detailed panel, with the artistic curves of spider mums, and a hanging sprig of cherry blossoms.

Peonies ground this floral ballet, on a backdrop of Japanese geometrics in diagonal swathes of ombre colors and gold metallics. The striking diamond border with lush chrysanthemums, sets off this masterpiece of asymmetry.

Available in 2 color combinations – which is *your* favorite?

Mandalay Elegance in ‘Blue’
or
Mandalay Elegance in ‘Black’

PLUS – you’ll receive free USA / 50% off INTL shipping when you order the fabrics for this gorgeous quilt pattern! (orders $35 and over with Coupon Code: DAHLIA thru Aug 25th Only)

…from the Mandalay collection by Kathy Hall for Andover 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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Creative Genius

Posted on August 24, 2015 by Luana

I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. My kids are back in school! Sam has an audition tomorrow, and Sophie has an audition in a week, but otherwise we are headed back to a school year routine. Whew!

This week I’ve been thinking about the generosity of quilters, and how much I appreciated that quality when I found my way to the quilting world, after leaving 7th Avenue and the garment industry.

Making a quilt is a way of sharing oneself. We make bed quilts for newlyweds, crib quilts for new babies, lovey quilts for those facing a health challenge or a great loss. We as a community donate thousands of quilts to those who have lost everything…and we give a piece of our heart with each donated quilt.

As artists, we express some of our deepest emotions, and bare a piece of our soul in our work. We aspire to have our work hang in public places, so we can share these intimate & cherished parts of ourselves, with others.

Even if we are machine quilters, we have our hands on the project all along the creative process. That tactile experience pulls us out of our head and back into our bodies… it grounds us. If we are hand-stitchers or Slow Stitchers, we put mindfulness into every dip and pull of the needle.

It is our meditation, our self-healing time, our way to make sense of the world as we create a thing of beauty, or an expression of our most unique thoughts. It is our joy, our quiet place, our time to process the thoughts and feelings of the day and transform them into our brilliant combination of artistry and craftwork. It is where we find our Inner Genius.

When we get together and share all of the joy and creativity and bursting enthusiasm, isn’t it just the best? *smile*

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Free Pattern – Holiday Flourish

Posted on August 21, 2015 by Luana

Holiday_Flurish

This week’s exclusive eQuilter Free Pattern features an opulent holiday wreath in shades of Cranberry Red, Snowy White, Pewter Gray and Silver Metallic.

Poinsettias, Holly Berries and draped Strings of Pearls give the focus wreath an elegant look, surrounded by Snowflake Kaleidoscope blocks, a Red background with Pearls and Silver Stars, and a clever ZigZag border. Delightful!

PLUS – you’ll receive free USA / 50% off INTL shipping when you order the fabrics for this gorgeous quilt pattern! (orders $100 and over)

…from the Holiday Flourish 8 collection by Robert Kaufman 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.

Many thanks to Toby Lischko for this exquisite quilt 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.

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Creative Nudge – Turtle Bay

Posted on August 19, 2015 by Luana

Untitled-1

This week I am sharing with you the beautiful work of Claudia Pfeil, whose piece “Turtle Bay” won Best Pictorial Quilt at the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham UK. If you went to the AQS show last week, you may have also seen her “Fern Rising” which won the Best Original Design Award. Claudia is on a roll!

Claudia’s enthusiasm and positive spirit are infectious, and she is so generous in sharing her love of creative quilting. This quilt is inspired by her scuba diving experiences, and her stitching, painting and embellishment really make the underwater scene POP!

I’ve been thinking about turtles today, because they’ve been in the news. Loggerhead turtles are dying in gillnets, and fortunately the US is finally taking action. Over the 20 years that I’ve traveled to Hawaii to visit Paul’s family, I’ve had some amazing encounters snorkeling with the sea turtles there. It is no wonder that so many cultures around the world have myths and legends about these gentle creatures.

When we first started our business in the basement of our home, I would always buy fabric when going to visit the in-laws on Oahu. I would go to fabric warehouses and pick out rolls of Hawaiian and tropical fabrics, and have them shipped back to Colorado. Generally quilt shops in Colorado don’t carry Hawaiian fabrics! However because we sell to quilters all over the world, many who have had memorable vacations to the islands, it became one of our popular categories.

Paul’s aunt and uncle went snorkeling every Friday at dawn, in the Nature Preserve of Hanauma Bay. They were part of a group of octogenarians who went snorkeling every week, and were even written up in the newspaper in Honolulu. Hanauma Bay gets very crowded during the day, but if you go early before the crowds scare away the fish, you just might have your own sea turtle encounter…like Claudia!

Thanks for your support of family-owned eQuilter.com – we continue to sponsor quilt exhibits and events around the US and across the globe.

* The collage above features “Turtle Bay” by Claudia Pfeil, photographed at the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham UK, plus a selection of sealife fabrics now in stock at eQuilter.com

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Free Pattern – Summer Beach Party

Posted on August 18, 2015 by Luana

Summer_Beach_Party

Summer may be coming to an end, but you can hang onto the beach memories forever with
this free quilt pattern, featuring scenes from a coastal vacation.

Bright beach umbrellas, old-fashioned changing huts, colorful kites, footprints in the sand, pebbles and sea glass make up this patchwork quilt that is sure to bring a smile to the lucky recipient! The 44.5″ square quilt makes a fun wallhanging or playmat, or maybe a beach mat for baby.

…from the ‘Beach Vista‘ collection by Paul Brent 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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Quilts and Creative Kids

Posted on August 17, 2015 by Luana

I arrived home from England a few days ago, and I am still working through my 2000+ photos from the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham.

So far I’ve posted photos from Sacred Threads and my short visit to the village of Broadway in the Cotswolds, but I’ll be uploading the Birmingham photos over the weekend so check out my photostream for those photos of the fabulous quilts!

One of the things that really delights me about the Festival of Quilts (and the Tokyo Quilt Festival) is that children are strongly encouraged to participate in our wonderful world of quilting, because of several kids’ categories, and many prizes awarded to kids. There are many different age categories, plus there are categories for schools to compete with their group quilts. It is absolutely fantastic!

You may recall that 4 years ago I interviewed a 9 year old winner (Lily) telling us about how she made her winning quilt. Her grandma Penny admitted that Lily got some help from the home team, and honestly, how else do these kids get started? Diving into Grandma’s stash was undoubtedly the best part!

This year at the Festival of Quilts award ceremony, several boys won prizes for their quilts, and the ladies around me were all atwitter about “so many boys” making winning quilts. We all thought that was just brilliant! Every year there is a new theme, and this year’s theme was Magic. There were some Harry Potter inspired quilts by the kids, but many other fun and creative explorations.

Many thanks to all the gracious quilters and international friends who welcomed me as a sponsor and speaker during the festival. It is always so exciting to see the unique talent and stunning creativity of the UK and European quilters, when I come to Birmingham.

Our son Sam moves into the college dorms on Tuesday, and Sophie starts 8th grade on Friday, and it will be the first year I don’t have to drive kids to school every day. Yay! I have several quilts in the works in my new studio, and can’t wait to dive in.

My next trip is a lecture and tea at the Dairy Barn in Athens Ohio, as a fundraiser for the organization. Come to see Quilt National before it closes Labor Day!

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