Creative Nudge – Acres of Flowers

Posted on March 25, 2015 by Luana

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When I travel, there are so many special moments that I try to capture with my heart, and my camera. Today I want to share one of those moments with you.

During my recent visit to Mexico City, I took a day to tour through the city with friends. We started our day visiting the giant wholesale flower market – Mercado Jamaica.

We parked on the street, in front of a huge mural that stretches 2 blocks long and is about 20 feet high. It is huge! I stood among the parked cars, trying to capture images of the people walking by in front of the mural, with armloads of flowers.

Mexico City is a city of murals, with Diego Rivera’s work everywhere you go, in old and new buildings across the sprawling metropolis.

There is a new breed of muralists who see themselves as Street Artists, or Graffiti Artists. The painters who created this monster mural are part of a collective called Germen, cofounded by Jonathan Ulsis Mendez and Luis Enrique Gómez Guzmán.

As Graffiti and Tagging have evolved into Street Art as a respected art form, it has cleared the way for many young artists’ work to be shared with the public. The urge to fill a wall with color and design inspires quilters and street artists alike, and occasionally we see a quilt that is big enough to be a mural. When a quilt takes on the role of Public Art, it allows a message to be broadcast to passers by, giving a visual exclamation mark with no words spoken.

I’ve added a few of our flower fabrics to give you the feeling of the flower market – surrounded by baskets and buckets of fragrance and color for acres and acres!

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Modern Trends on National Quilting Day

Posted on March 24, 2015 by Luana

Now that I am back from my recent trips to Mexico and Santa Fe, I’ve had a chance to edit and upload photos from QuiltCon which was in Austin Texas last month.

It was a lot of fun to see how Modern Quilting has grown and changed in the 2 years since the first QuiltCon. I also appreciated hearing artist Luke Haynes and collector Bill Volckening speak about quilts from very different perspectives.

Modern Quilting is about a clean design aesthetic, but also the local chapters make the MQG very welcoming to beginners who want to get started and enjoy the process of making a quilt. As the movement has grown, it has also expanded into a more competitive format where workmanship and creativity are very important for a public show. I heard many people comment on how the quality of the quilts had gone way up with this show, although the modern design aesthetic still makes this genre of quilting very accessible.

Today is National Quilting Day, so we wish you a Happy Quilting Day today, tomorrow, and all the other days of the year that we all celebrate by making quilts and sharing our love of quilting with others.

…and now…back to my current quilt project!

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Free Pattern – Spirit Guides

Posted on March 20, 2015 by Luana

Spirit_Guides2

This week’s eQuilter Exclusive Free Pattern features haunting images of Native American prayers by firelight, with the spirits of totem animals glowing in the wisps of smoke.

These blocks are taken from a detailed panel in the ‘Tucson’ collection by Elizabeth’s Studio, and then a larger pieced block is created to evoke the weavings and artwork of Navajo and other tribes.

Two possible color stories are shown above, and you can switch the border fabric between amethyst and sky blue to match your own color scheme.

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 Sue Harvey and Sandy Boobar 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 – Golden Hours and Cricket Song

Posted on March 20, 2015 by Luana

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The first official day of Spring will mark our calendars on Friday. Spring’s arrival is unpredictable but greatly anticipated, like a traveler from a faroff land who travels long, and arrives with a knapsack full of flowers and poetry.

Tonight I went outside, hoping to see the solar storm and Northern Lights. Instead, under heavy cloudy skies, I smelled the rain that is coming, and I also smelled the Earth waking up and releasing the fragrance of green and brown and purple and pink…waking up and pushing toward the morning sun.

Because we are part of the tribe of artists and makers, we remember when we smell the waking Earth, and we begin to collect the colors that remind us of Spring and Summer, of love and abundance, of golden hours and cricket song.

In that first breath of Spring’s awakening, we remember all that can be created in the season of rebirth, and we remember the Child Within whose creativity is as natural as taking a breath and speaking our truth out loud.

May Spring’s awakening find you, and reveal the depths of your Creative Heart.

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Variations on a Latin Theme

Posted on March 17, 2015 by Luana

It just so happens that I am soaking in a spicy bubbling salsa of Latin/Spanish/Mexican inspirations for another week. I didn’t plan it that way… it just happened!

While I am still excited by my visit to Mexico City (the Quilt Convention, Frida Kahlo’s house and studio, etc.) and this weekend I am in Santa Fe with some musical friends. Today I am going to the International Folk Art Museum, and yesterday I visited the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum. All of this book-ended by more fabulous Mexican cuisine which is a favorite of mine. Sophie is with me and she really enjoyed the Docent Tour at the O’Keeffe Museum yesterday.

When you walk around the Plaza in Santa Fe, you are exposed to such a heady mix of colors, textile embellishments, jewelry and fashion. Some of the stores are obviously geared toward the super-wealthy clientele that jet in from California and Texas, and I took photos of some of the yummy inspirations around town:
Fancy tri-colored cowgirl boots with swirling motifs and contrasting top-stitching.
Over-dyed giant silk Hermes scarves.
Kantha quilts from India, refashioned into casual jackets and coats.
Hand-dyed and block printed Silk Dupioni in shimmering Indigo and Terra Cotta/Red/Pink/Coral color stories.
Oversized gold metallic crocodile motif hand-screenprinted across the front of a coral linen sweater.

It used to be that I would come to Santa Fe and see my Guadalupe panel print design from Kaufman made up into products in shop windows all over town. It hasn’t been reprinted in awhile so now I see knockoffs of my Guadalupe panel all over town. Oh well…

Sunday at 4 pm we are going to see our friend conduct the Santa Fe Symphony at the Lensic Theater. In the meantime we are hanging out with his wife and daughter, our buddies who also play violin and cello. (she’s a professional musician)

Unfortunately Katie Pasquini Masopust is out of town teaching this weekend, so we won’t be able to visit her studio. Perhaps some of you have attended her Alegre Retreats?

Pam Holland is a few hours south of here, doing her fundraiser quilt festival in Alamogordo, New Mexico. My grandpa lived there as a boy so I hope to get down there some day.

Check out local Boulder quilter Lea McComas’ new book on Thread-Painted Portraits. You’ve probably seen photos of her award-winning quilts, including Bike Boys which won a prize in Houston.

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Free Pattern – Royal Belize Beauty

Posted on March 13, 2015 by Luana

Royal_Belize_Beauty

This absolutely luscious quilt design is this week’s exclusive eQuilter Free Pattern, showcasing a swirling Paisley, Feather & Floral panel with inventive borders on the selvedge.

Engineered stripes and rich jeweltones of Sapphire, Cobalt Blue, Teal, Aqua, Violet & Lilac give this a cool but regal feel.

… featuring the ‘Belize’ 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.

Many thanks to Larene Smith for this exquisite Belize quilt 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 – For the Children

Posted on March 11, 2015 by Luana

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Most of you know the story of how Paul and I started eQuilter in the basement of our house. Within 60 days we had exceeded our 3 year business plan, moving to 4000 sq ft, then 11,000 sq ft, and finally expanding to our current 15,000 sq ft.

Our reputation in the industry comes from many things, but part of it is that we use our company as a way to help others.

Starting with 9/11, we have collected and distributed over 10,000 of your donated quilts.

We have donated a percentage of sales to charity from our first year of business, and the total distributed is over $1.2 million.

Last summer I was invited to meet Pres. Jimmy Carter because of our charity work, at a retreat for their Carter Center which has a worldwide mission to bring peace, justice and medical relief to developing countries.

Because of the eQuilter charity program, I’ve met ambassadors from the UN, US, Canada and Ghana. I’ve hung out with surgeons and photographed cleft lip/palate surgeries. I’ve had dinner with NASA rocket scientists and astronauts. All because of YOU, so I share all of those moments with you, with humble gratitude.

In addition to our formal charity program, I try to add in charitable giving when I travel to developing countries, often in partnership with our charity program partners like Mission of Love.

It has been an amazing journey, and for those of you who have been friends and customers over the years, I hope you have felt like you were included in these adventures, as I have personally gifted many of your beautiful donated quilts to those so deeply in need. That’s how I got the nickname “Quilt Fairy”.

Here is a scrapbook collage of many of those trips, which would not have been possible without the support of my husband and partner Paul, my patient kids and our stellar staff, and most importantly all of you who have supported eQuilter and our charity program over the years. THANK YOU!

Photo clockwise from top left:
School for street children in India with Pam Holland, Cleft Lip/Palate surgery trip in Guatemala City, Guatemalan orphan, Sophie’s quilt for Haiti earthquake victims, TecPan Orphanage in Guatemala, Beijing orphanage.

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eQuilter 16th ANNIVERSARY SALE

Posted on March 7, 2015 by Luana

Our annual eQuilter ANNIVERSARY SALE starts NOW!
Over 1700 products from 45% to 70% Off

This week’s BLOCKBUSTER collection is “Passport” from Moda – retro/modern era city maps of NYC, London and Tokyo. Already blowing out the door!

WELCOME SPRING (and Daylight Savings) with our March celebration of the season – our annual department of Spring Flowers, Baby Animals, and Easter fabrics, plus gorgeous Tropical Orchids!

Our last digital printed collection from Hoffman just BLEW out of the warehouse (not reorderable…boo hoo) so be sure to order Rock Ridge now if you want it in your stash.

Asian textile collectors will enjoy the “Indigo Faux Shibori” collection – also in Teal and Charcoal/Black.

Mix them up with yummy slubbed yarn-dyes in the Manchester Chambray – 9 colors for an Asian color palette – a HOT quilting trend.

Graceful Japanese themes have inspired Greeting the Moon and Cherry Blossom collections.

If you love London quality Lawn but hate the high prices, check out the 3rd collection of London Calling by Kaufman. You’ll fall in love with these dainty florals all over again…at an irresistible price.

What’s Black and White and Red allover, with Scottie Dogs?
“Best in Show” from Greta Lynn of course!

If you are into collecting every single color possible in 5″ Charm squares, (and if you LOVE gold metallic) jump on this one-time purchase of EVERY COLOR COLLECTION of Northcott’s Artisan Spirit Sandscapes! Snap up the Artisan Strips for more piecing projects.

If you are a WICKED or Wizard of Oz fan, or if you’ve enjoyed the WICKED quilt challenge that was on display in the show’s Broadway NYC Theater, you’ll want to own a copy of the exhibit’s catalog with ALL 114 Gravity-Defying quilts.

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16 Years of Hugs and Kisses
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Don’t forget to “Spring Forward” and turn your clocks forward an hour tonight, for Daylight Savings. (unless you live in Arizona, Hawaii, or outside the US)

This week the Spring Robins showed up in a flock in our neighborhood, clearly confused by several weeks worth of snowstorms still covering the ground.

I kind of cheated because I went to balmy Mexico City for several days over last weekend – I hope you got the newsletters I’ve sent from Mexico over the last week. (If not, head on over to our new eQuilter blog where all my travel essays and free pattern newsletters are posted for your review)

Many thanks to Eduardo and Lourdes for hosting my visit to Mexico City, and also to Sonia and Robert for touring the city with me as friends and translators. It was great to see the exhibits of Mexican and Brazilian quilts, and to see what many of you are doing with our eQuilter fabrics!

Very special thanks to the wonderful quilters and fashion sewing fans who came to my lectures and gave me lots of Mexican hugs and kisses! You made me feel so welcome and appreciated – it was a very special visit because of you all.

Right now I am planning my visit to the Birmingham UK Festival of Quilts. My lecture will be on Saturday Aug 8 at 4 pm. Sophie and I will also be at the Friday night Fashion Show, and the Saturday night Shakespeare outing, so I hope to see many of you there as well! Sophie will be 13 by then (!!!) so if you have kids her age, bring them along too.

I have spent the last 3 months with engineers, scientists, toxicologists, doctors, parents, sick teachers and sick kids, trying to bring transparency to the poison gas issue at Casey Middle School. Yes it is just unbelievable that it is still being denied by the district. I only mention this because so many of you have asked about this.

Tuesday March 10th will be our 16 year anniversary, since we opened with 300 bolts in the basement of our home. Watch for a special anniversary newsletter that will go out late Tuesday night.

In the meantime, enjoy our Anniversary Sale and help us to celebrate over $1.2 million raised for Charity in the last 16 years!

sharing your Passion for Fabric…
Luana and Paul

Review past newsletters and FREE Patterns on the new eQuilter blog.

Check out our 139 videos from international quilt festivals, Quilting Arts TV and Quilters Newsletter TV on our eQuilter Video Page.

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Travel Calendar:
March – (Santa Fe & Hawaii)
Apr 30 – May 3 – SAQA Conference in Portland OR
May 15-17 – Quilt Market
Aug 6-9 – Birmingham UK Festival of Quilts

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Free Quilt Pattern – Baby Animal Parade

Posted on March 6, 2015 by Luana

Baby_Animal_Parade

What is more adorable than Baby Animals?

A cuddly quilt full of Mama and Baby Animals, of course!

Our weekly eQuilter Free Pattern features 'Whose Baby am I' from the 'Animal Friends' collection by John Butler for Elizabeth's Studio…featuring Koalas, Pandas, Elephants, Polar Bears, Owls, Penguins, and more!

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 – Frida Kahlo

Posted on March 4, 2015 by Luana

Nudge

I am home from the Mexico Quilt Expo in Mexico City, and it was such a pleasure to meet so many of our customers who came to the show to hear my lectures! Many new friends were made, and we enjoyed sharing our passion for quiltmaking.

While in Mexico City I managed to squeeze in a day and a half of touring, including a visit to Frida Kahlo's Blue House. (where she grew up, and where she lived with Diego Rivera) I also visited their studio which is 2 buildings connected by a bridge on the 3rd level.

Frida's art supplies and studio are on the 2nd floor of the blue house, with 2 walls of windows that look out over the garden and the fountain, surrounded by the cobalt blue walls. Also in this house is her bed, made famous in the movie "Frida". This is where she made many of her paintings. The embroidered pillow above was on her bed.

Her collections of artistic objects are all over the house. It was a very intimate experience. Her library of books, her pens and brushes on her bed stand, and frog-shaped terra cotta urn that held her ashes on the bedroom dresser…made us feel that she had left the rooms only recently.

The Mexican style kitchen had traditional blue and yellow tiles, and reminded me of Monet's house and studio in Giverny, France.

There is a temporary exhibit there now, sponsored by Mexico Vogue, featuring Frida's garments, corsets, braces and even her prosthetic leg with a bright red flowered shoe. Despite her polio, her streetcar accident, and later amputation, she had a carefully constructed persona and image that was expressed through her clothing made from traditional Mexican textiles.

We met a boatman at Xochimilco who had known both Frida and Diego while they were still alive. He worked for Dolores Olmedo and knew the artistic couple from when they spent time at the Olmedo estate. We asked him to tell us something special about them. He said that no matter who they spoke to, they were always kind and respectful, even if it was a poor uneducated peasant, even though they were great celebrities and very successful in their time.

The collage above features Frida Kahlo themed fabrics by Alexander Henry.

I will let you know when I post photos from Frida's house, and the Quilt Expo.

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