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

nudge

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
*
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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Mexican Quilts

Posted on March 2, 2015 by Luana

Tonight I am writing to you from Mexico City (flying home Sunday) after spending a lovely few days with our friends at the Mexican Quilt conference. It is a small but growing quilt festival, with an exhibit of Mexican, Argentine and Brazilian quilts. I love seeing the colors and Latin American motifs that inspire these quilts!

After giving my power-point presentations on "International Quilt Trends" and "What is Wearable Art?", I was a judge for the fashion show and was delighted to help choose the winner of a new Bernina sewing machine! (photos to follow)

My new friends insisted on taking me to see the canals of Xochimilco, and we spent a lazy morning drifting on these Pre-Hispanic waterways on a colorful boat, serenaded by Mariachis on one boat, and Mexican Marimba players on another boat.

Then we went to the Dolores Olmedo Museum, which is an historic estate on spacious grounds. We saw the descendants of Frida Kahlo's hairless black dogs (Xoloitzcuintli), and a collection of paintings and artifacts collected by Frida and her husband Diego Rivera.

As this newsletter is sent out, I'll be on another daytrip to see Frida's house, the studios of Frida and Diego, and Diego's famous murals. Hopefully a flower market and a couple other photo-worthy markets.

Tuesday night before I left on this trip, I spoke at the school board again about the toxic gas at Sophie's ex-school. It has been reported on TV and there is yet another article in the paper, but the superintendent still insists the school is safe, although many teachers and students are ill. I wonder how long it will take for the truth to come out, so those kids will be safe.

On another note…sadness at our house at the passing of a sci-fi and pop culture icon…Leonard Nimoy was Spock on the original Star Trek. For the first 10 years of our marriage we had a 6 foot cardboard cutout of Spock in our dining room. (don't ask!)

Hey it's March! Spring is just around the corner!
(Even though there is a foot of snow in our yard at home.)

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Free Quilt Pattern – Portraits in the Wild

Posted on February 27, 2015 by Luana

Portraits_in_the_wild

Take a walk on the Wild Side with this week's exclusive eQuilter Free Pattern….. a Safari wallhanging quilt design featuring large scale portraits of Tigers, Elephants, Leopards and Zebras.

Our weekly eQuilter Free Pattern features the "The Wild Side" collection by Group Four Design for 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 Larene Smith for this Wild Animal themed 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 – Modern Sunset

Posted on February 25, 2015 by Luana

Nudge

This week I am editing and posting lots of quilt photos from the New Zealand Quilt Conference last month, and from QuiltCon in Austin Texas last weekend. As I prepare to fly to Mexico City tomorrow, I want to be sure to share these images with you before sharing the Colors and Quilts of Mexico!

This beautiful sunset-themed quilt was made by Emily & Miriam Coffey, and they have a great sense of color, don't you think? I have made a collage with 3 of our ombre fabrics, to frame this fantastic piecework. This quilt "For Tanya" was part of the exhibit at QuiltCon, and it was made for Emily's best friend who lost her battle to cancer. It won a Judges Choice Award for Improv.

If you are in Mexico City for the quiltfest, please do come to one or both of my lectures! Weds at 6 pm is my power point "International Quilt Trends", and Thursday at 6 pm I'll be doing a presentation on Wearable Art, then judging a fashion show there at 7 pm. Hope to see some of you there!

Our daughter Sophie has been in a new school for a week, and the symptoms she had from the toxic gas at Casey Middle School are subsiding. She had very mixed feelings about switching schools midyear, but at the end of the first day she was thrilled because she had "no headaches, no dizziness, no sick feeling" and she said it was so great "to be able to breathe in a school building." Tonight there was a school board meeting, and we can only hope they will take immediate action for those kids and teachers still in the building. Thanks to those of you who have enquired about this awful situation. I went and spoke at the meeting tonight, (again!) for those who were afraid to speak in public.

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24 Hours at QuiltCon

Posted on February 23, 2015 by Luana

I just returned home from Austin Texas, before the blizzard hit here in Colorado, and gosh I am so glad I bumped up my flight from afternoon to early morning! I got home just as the big snow and wind started to whip up. They predicted 1"-2" of snow per hour and that is exactly what's happening outside right now.

Yesterday (Friday) I walked the QuiltCon quilt exhibits, and went to a few power point lectures. I had dinner with an Austin quilter who is an old friend of Libby Lehman (and used to go to Libby's mother's quilt shop!) and we toasted our dear friend who is making some huge strides in her recovery from the stroke.

I heard art-quilt-superstar Luke Haynes lecture about his development as a contemporary artist. I saw a presentation by Bill Volckening about his vintage quilt collection. Lots of eQuilter customers found me and came to say hello, have a chat and a hug. You guys are great!

The consensus among those who came to QuiltCon 2 years ago, and now, is that the workmanship of the quilts was at a much higher level. The quilt exhibit attracted another whole (higher) echelon of creative quilters, who obviously had a lot of fun exploring what it is to make a Modern Quilt! Well-known art quilter Kathy York took the Best of Show with her "i-Quilt" and she was just tickled pink! (She is a local Austin quilter.)

I am adding some more quilts from the New Zealand show, and then will be uploading images from QuiltCon on my Flickr Album pages this weekend. There is a lot of creative whimsy, and exploration of unusual colors in the QuiltCon exhibit. Clearly the Modern Quilt Guild is growing up – growing beyond some of the perceived restrictions of the Modern theme – and expanding into the inevitable variations on a theme that come when artists are attracted to a new design movement.

Next week I am at the quilt festival in Mexico City! I am so excited! I started out giving my "International Quilt Trends" presentation, then was asked to judge the Fashion Show, and now I am also giving a power point on Wearable Art to help kickstart this category for those who are curious about how to apply creative techniques to fashion and costume sewing.

I am thinking that it is about time for Wearable Art sewing to make a comeback. What do you think? We sure miss the Fairfield Fashion Show and Bernina Fashion Show. Wouldn't it be great if we could restart this category in the next couple years?

My other big news is that I'll be giving my "International Quilt Trends" presentation at the Birmingham UK Festival of Quilts in August! So I hope to see our European friends at this show in 6 months. I am bringing Sophie, and we'll be attending the Shakespeare outing to Avon, so perhaps we can enjoy an evening of theater together also.

We have removed Sophie from the toxic Casey Middle School and now people are finally starting to wake up to the severity of the situation. Feel free to pass on the link to this guest opinion article that came out today.

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