Purple Sunday

Posted on November 30, 2014 by Luana

FQSAQA18

EXCITING BIG NEWS! – We just received the SAQA fundraiser collection "Urban Textures" from Andover – based on the fabulous work of 6 artists, and curated by Luana Rubin.

The other big news is that we are bringing in Aurifil Threads, due to popular demand. See the first batch of Solid and Variegated threads online now, with a yummy assortment of colors.

You may not have noticed, but while your Inbox was barraged with multiple blaring Black Friday emails, you did not receive one from eQuilter. *smile*

Paul and I are not the type to do something because it is what everyone else is doing, and we also appreciate our customers' refined sense of taste.

We really appreciate the idea of Small Business Saturday, to bring attention to locally-owned and family-owned businesses (like ours!), but we don't want to get lumped in with the giant Mega-Sites that fight over Black Friday scraps on Cyber Monday.

So hey! We are going to have eQuilter's Purple Sunday instead! Purple is a color of unity, creativity and spirituality…so it fits our business model better than Black Friday, etc. As usual, we are wrapping up our Thanksgiving Week Sale today….Purple Sunday...so I hope you enjoy a relaxing cup of tea or coffee…and have fun checking out the year-end bargains we offer annually. (And you don't have to stand in line or camp out overnight to get these deals – ha!)

I am very honored to be part of the BERNINA Ambassador program, and next week I am also honored to attend their Ambassador Reunion at their US headquarters in Aurora, Illinois. Hopefully the weather gods will allow me to arrive and depart through infamous O'Hare Airport without a hitch. Fingers crossed!

Word from New Zealand is that I have over 300 attendees so far, for my "International Quilt Trends" presentation Jan 16 at the Quilt Symposium in Manawatu. We are also a sponsor of the event, and I am going to hang out in Sue Benner's workshop for 4 days too. Can't wait to meet all our NZ customers at the festival!!!

I am still putting together my 2015 travel calendar, but it looks like I will be speaking at the quilt festival in Mexico City the end of February as well.

In case you missed it, we now have a fun new video of the Animal/Wildlife themed quilts from Houston Quilt Fest, which features our dog Ruby and my new (birthday present from Paul) puppy Alfie! Tonight Paul uploaded "Luana's Favorites" which includes award winners and fantasy-themed quilts.

This is now a total of 4 videos from Houston…Red & White Quilts, Luana's Favorites, SAQA Exhibit, and Pet/Wildlife Quilts. Enjoy!

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Free Quilt Pattern – Embracing Horses – Laurel Burch

Posted on November 30, 2014 by Luana

EmbracingHorses

Welcome to the colorful world of Laurel Burch, in this week's exclusive eQuilter Free Pattern!

If you love horses, you'll be mesmerized by the colors and rich gold metallic of this "Embracing Horses" collection. Note that there are 3 color stories for this collection – Multicolor (as shown), Teal, and Earthtones.

Animal Lovers – want some more inspiration for your quilting projects? Check out our brand new video featuring Animal-themed quilts from the Houston Quilt Festival!

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 Horse 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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Happy Thanksgiving!

Posted on November 27, 2014 by Luana

RenaissanceZenaThorpe_550

from the Nov 26 eQuilter newsletter:

This gorgeous quilt "Renaissance" by Zena Thorpe richly illustrates the celebration of abundance and gratitude that we feel at Thanksgiving time.

Quilters seem to have a special sense of appreciation… they share their abundance with others throughout the year, in the form of quilts, food, and love. That feeling of gratitude at Thanksgiving is passed down through our families, as we share traditions of a certain tablecloth, a certain centerpiece, a certain way of preparing a special dish. When Grandma can't make the green beans and the yams anymore, someone else takes on the tradition.

I'd like to express my gratitude all the quilters who have generously donated quilts to those in need through eQuilter over the years. With the help of Mission of Love, we've collected and distributed over 10,000 quilts for disaster relief and comfort, around the world.

Our charity program continues to channel 2% of sales to our list of relief/research/environmental organizations, so I also wish to express gratitude to those organizations who are on the ground working, especially Doctors Without Borders who are on the front lines in Africa, and Mission of Love who are preparing for another trip to Guatemala. All of our customers are part of the success of this program, and we are truly grateful for your support and friendship.

From everyone at eQuilter, we wish you a joyful Thanksgiving full of warmth and precious memories.

sharing your Passion for Fabric…
Luana

* The collage above features "Renaissance" by Zena Thorpe, photographed at the Houston IQA 2014 exhibit. Fabric images on the right and bottom are available at eQuilter.com

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The Gift of Time

Posted on November 27, 2014 by Luana

from the Nov 22 eQuilter newsletter:

Every year I am shocked when the holidays are upon us. How is it possible that we've arrived at Thanksgiving Week again? It is a constant reminder that the years slip by faster and faster, and the most important thing is to make the most of Today.

I started quilting in 1991, after leaving the fashion industry. When I look at the fabrics from my 90's stash, it is obvious that the quality of our beautiful quilting fabrics has gone WAY up! I don't feel so bad about donating my older fabrics to charity quilt organizations, as I continue to collect the stunning textiles that are being produced by the industry today. Back then, things like panels and border prints, ombres and fine metallics were almost non-existent. Batiks were scarce and all similar in scale and color. The few licensed character fabrics were printed on horrible quality, and the overall color palette was dark and muddy, or pale and washed out.

There were only a handful of truly gifted designers, and you had to go to a lot of quilt shops to see a full representation of their talent. As you know, that is no longer the case!

So if you are bemoaning the passage of time and the approach of the holidays again, here is something to be thankful for: the fabrics available to us now are light years beyond what we had 20-30 years ago!

Our thoughts and prayers go out to those of you dealing with Lake Effect Snow and the Arctic Blast. You've been hurled into the deep end of Winter this last week!

Our oldest son Mason turns 25 today, so that is another reason to ponder the passage of time. We wish Mason a Happy Quarter Century Birthday!

My 1st two videos from the Houston Quilt Festival are up on our video page: the SAQA exhibit, and the Red and White "Ruby Jubilee" exhibit.

Check out our 127 videos from international quilt festivals, Quilting Arts TV and Quilters Newsletter TV on our eQuilter Video Page.

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Free Quilt Pattern – Dynasty Medallion

Posted on November 27, 2014 by Luana

DynastyDetail

This Exclusive eQuilter Free Pattern features a cool jeweltone palette with rich gold metallic, from the opulent 'Dynasty' collection by designer Chong-a Hwang.

The ornate detail shown above is a small part of this exquisite quilt pattern:

DynastyMedallion

The pattern requires 31 sheets of foundation paper, and Carol Doak's Foundation Paper may be purchased here.

Also handy is the Add-A-Quarter 6" Template Ruler.

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 Dynasty 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 – Salsa Rainbow

Posted on November 27, 2014 by Luana

LatinoCollage_550

from Nov 19 eQuilter newsletter:

This weekend while at the Color Marketing Group's international conference in Orlando, I was enjoying the colorful Cuban, Mexican, and other Latino influences… the colors, the food and the music!

If you like to watch trends, you may have noticed how South-of-the-Border culture has been spicing up colors and design trends in the US. Certainly if you go to Houston for Quilt Festival, you are aware of the Latin flavors in and around the show.

This year there was a great exhibit of quilts from Mexico, including this figurative quilt depicting a Mariachi musician. You can see that there are so many possible motifs that could be brought into a Latino-themed quilt project, including music, food, drink, travel, Frida, and more!

One thing's for sure: these bright happy Salsa colors are setting the pace for this beautiful fabric trend!

The quilt in the center of the above collage:
'Sones de Mariachi' (Mariachi Tunes)
by Elizabeth Rising de Segura
Col Ninos Heroes, Mexico

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Once Upon a Color

Posted on November 27, 2014 by Luana

From Nov 15 eQuilter Newsletter:

This weekend I am writing to you from the Color Marketing Group's international conference in Orlando.

After leaving the zero degree weather in Boulder, my first flight was canceled, then I flew to Washington DC, then went standby from DC to Orlando and arrived at midnight. My bag arrived an hour after me, having been routed through Houston. Ah, the joys of travel!

I gave a short presentation from my photos of the Climate Change March in NYC, and today I was a facilitator for a color workshop. Tonight I'm having dinner with a friend from BERNINA USA, and tomorrow I drive to Sarasota to visit old friends from Hong Kong. (my ex-roommate who was Oscar de La Renta's patternmaker.)

Whenever people hear that I am in the Color Marketing Group, they always ask "What's the color of the year?!"

For once, my opinion overlaps with the 2014 Pantone Color of the Year – Radiant Orchid. I say 'overlap' because I think Purples in general are the big color story of 2014. Radiant Orchid is just one part of that story. Hey, it is not just my opinion! You guys are buying Purple like there is no tomorrow! We can barely keep it in stock!

Well guess what? Purple is my fav color too. Has been since I was in middle school. Also, you don't have to wear a color, for it to be your favorite color. I feel like my favorite color is more an expression of who I am on a soul level – and it expresses my creativity and spirituality. When I am with Purple, I am Happy.

Favorite colors can change from year to year, even from day to day. The colors we are drawn to in our homes, our apparel, and our sewing projects, are an expression of how we are feeling, and what we are craving. If this piques your interest, do some more study into the Psychology of Colors. It is a fascinating topic.

When I tell people about our business, I tell them that I sell Art and Color on fabric. You already know what 'quilters cottons' are, which is why we can sell it to you over the internet. What you are really buying from us is beautiful artwork, stunning textile designs, and a rainbow of colors. Every week we curate a selection of amazing fabrics, and share them with fabric-lovers around the world. We stroke and admire the fabric before we pack it up and ship it off to you… knowing the delight you will also feel when you open that package.

Being able to choose those colors for you is indeed a privilege, and my annual CMG conference helps me to foresee all the upcoming color trends so when you suddenly realize you need and want that color, it will already by waiting for you in our giant fabric warehouse. My pleasure!

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Free Quilt Pattern – Poppy Poetry

Posted on November 13, 2014 by Luana

PoppyPoetry

This stylish quilt design has Red Poppies, Asters and Bluebells on a Black and White geometric and striped background design… from the 'Poppy Panache' collection designed by Ann Laner for Benartex.

It reminds us of Audrey Hepburn's fantastic hat and dress in the Ascot scene of My Fair Lady! Cecil Beaton designed this costume and it is one of the most famous dresses designed for a movie. Bring a little bit of the Ascot Gardens home with this quilt pattern, and you'll be humming the Ascot Gavotte!

The quilt measures 54" x 73", and if you'd like a larger, twin size 73" x 92" quilt, we have scaled it up for you: The Poppy Poetry Twin Pattern.

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 Poppy 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 – Gratitude and Color

Posted on November 11, 2014 by Luana

ForestCottage_550

This time of year in the US, most of us are making plans for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. For many of us, this holiday has transformed from a story about Pilgrims and Native Americans, to a day of Gratitude.

Often we make plans to travel to gather with family and friends, sometimes in a special home with a connection to Nature. Those of us who have traveled to Grandma's cottage on a lake, or a cabin in the forest or mountains, have fond memories each year, as we try to recreate that special feeling of love and simple pleasures.

This beautiful little quilt by Lynn Welsch depicts a "House on Lake Coeur d'Alene". It was at the Houston Quilt Festival as part of the Tactile Architecture exhibit. Doesn't it look like a cozy retreat where one might want to spend a holiday?

Around the quilt image I've added some fabrics that might contribute to an architectural/landscape quilt project, plus the gorgeous door panel on the left which is perfect for Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is always extra special at our house because we have 2 birthdays, so there is always a candle to blow out, on top of a pumpkin pie. Because we are vegetarian, we make a special veggie lasagna for Thanksgiving. The table is laden with the gifts of the Harvest, and we count our many blessings.

Thursday I leave for the Color Marketing Group conference in Orlando Florida. It is a working conference where international color forecasters from all different industries gather, to hammer out a color palette for 2016 and beyond. This enables all the participating companies (including eQuilter) to be industry leaders in color trends. I am a CMG chairholder and workshop facilitator, and I'm giving a little video presentation the first day too. Nothing like immersing myself in COLOR with my CMG peers for a long weekend!

Next I come home and start stocking up on the hot new colors for next year! You'll see the results of our color forecasting as we head into 2015.

Yes, the woman who chooses the Pantone Color of the Year will be there. As soon as it is announced in December, we'll be sure to bring you the whole range of new color trends.

In the meantime, please enjoy our collection of the 2014 Pantone Color of the Year – Radiant Orchid.

PLEASE NOTE:
My Quilting Arts TV clip about the SAQA fundraiser collection with Andover is available now, plus 2 African Fabric videos with samples from my trip to South Africa.

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Quilt Market Preview – Part 2

Posted on November 11, 2014 by Luana

As promised, I am following up with the second part of our Quilt Market Preview – to let you know more of our favorite collections at Quilt Market – which you will see arriving here in the next several months.

(Quilt Market Preview – Part 1 – was in the Oct 25 newsletter)

I figure I look at 150,000 fabrics per year, and pick out about 14,000 for our discerning eQuilter customers. We do not buy entire collections sight unseen, but rather, we cherry-pick the fabrics that are fresh and beautiful, trendy or just plain bodacious, so you can just click through the newsletter every week to see our curated offerings.

Real shibori-style tie-dye – Indigo and White
Packmates – colorful Llamas & Alpacas
Night at the Opera by Maria Kalinowski
Ex Libris by Alison Glass – includes printed chambray
Downton Abbey Christmas & Downton Abbey Egyptian
Natural History by Lizzy House
Moonlight Peacock – Hoffman
Gothic Glam by Greta Lynn
Poppy Passion by Elaine Quaehl
New Aboriginal fabric designs imported from Australia
Black & White by Marcia Derce
Vincent Van Gogh from Robert Kaufman
Root & Fly Digitally printed collection by Flora Bowley
Star Trek – The Next Generation
Tea Time by Mary Engelbreit
Family Life by Julia Cairns (African theme)
Church Ladies by Loralie Designs
New Jinny Beyer Palette Colors from RJR Fabric
New Colors of American Made Solids from Clothworks

New and beautiful holiday collections:
Winter Elegance by Jason Yenter
Spellbound and Tinsel from Cotton & Steel
Shades of Autumn and Holly Jolly by Dan Morris
Trimming the Tree by Mary Engelbreit
More How The Grinch Stole Christmas
Holiday Flourish 8 by Peggy Toole

Favorite upcoming trends: Gingham, and Typewriter Keys!

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