A simple appreciation tonight, for this quilt that was in the Cherrywood “Poppies” challenge exhibit in Houston this last Fall.
“Ode to the Unknown Soldier” by Karen Coates of Highland California
Thinking of all of you affected by snow and frigid temps in the Midwest and East, and especially those of you near the fire in California. We empathize, having had a tragic fire fed by high winds here in Boulder, just 3 years ago. Stay safe!
We’ve had snow and black ice and several days of sub-freezing weather, but we are still getting those packages out to you! Good news also that Canada’s postal system has worked out its strike and packages are flowing again from the US to Canada.
Sharing our passion for fabric….. Luana and Paul
Travel/Lecture Dates: www.luanarubin.com Jan 9 – Fraser Valley Modern Guild – Art & Activism Zoom Lecture Jan 21 – Visions Museum Zoom Lecture Feb 25 – Mar 5 – Kyoto Quilt Festival Apr 3-6 – SAQA Conference – St Pete, Florida April 27- May 3 – Alegre Retreat
Our best-selling Masked Mysterious Kitty fabric is featured in tonight’s Free eQuilter pattern! Behold the all seeing eyes of this mystical kitty; her masked, mesmerizing portrait captures the intensity of this cosmic cat’s gaze, surrounded by opulent embellishments.
To make this 54″ wide x 57″ high quilt design, you will start with our exclusive 28″ x 44″ digital-printed panel. Then piece the borders with our coordinating Jungle Floral, together with solid black to accentuate the kitty’s bright colors.
As a wall hanging, this is a real conversation piece for the kitty enthusiast. Or use this as a Nap quilt or small bed coverlet for fantastical feline dreams.
Order the pattern as configured, or customize it to your liking with any of our thousands of fabrics. Just place your desired fabrics in your Wish List, and these fabrics will appear in the Fabric Selector below the pattern.
How are you spending your first weekend of 2025? For those of you being hit by the Polar Vortex, this is a great time to stay indoors and work on your quilting and sewing projects…as long as your power stays on! Hope you are keeping warm and keeping busy.
I’ve had several New Year phone calls this week, and when I am asked ‘how are you?’ my answer is …up to my eyeballs and hair-on-fire-busy!…Getting ready for my solo gallery in Kyoto March 1st. In addition to finishing 2 quilts before I leave Feb 25, I’ve been gathering quilts for this exhibit, including borrowing some back from other traveling exhibits.
In addition, I am planning to have a Studio Open House the weekend after my return home, for friends and fellow artists who would like to see the Kyoto exhibit in my studio. Right now I am planning on Sunday afternoon March 9, which coincides with our 26th eQuilter anniversary. If you are in the Boulder/Front Range area, save the date! I can also schedule a group or guild visit that Friday or Saturday afternoon, Mar 7-8. (I return home March 5) On Monday March 10 I have to start shipping several quilts back to their current exhibit venues. More details as the date approaches.
For those of you who have been asking about another Polar Bear trip to Churchill, well I should never say never. I am negotiating with NatHab now for the dates of a trip this Fall to bring another group of you wildlife-lovers up to the edge of the Arctic Circle to see these charismatic mega-fauna in their dwindling habitat.
For those of you who are also exploring the use of digital cutters such as the Silhouette Cameo, I want to point out that we carry specialty products like Gentle-Fuse and Terial Magic for this fusible applique / digital cutting method that is growing in popularity thanks to artists like Betty Busby and Kestrel Michaud.
sharing your love for fabric, Luana and Paul
Travel/Lecture Dates: www.luanarubin.com Jan 9 – Fraser Valley Modern Guild – Art & Activism Zoom Lecture Jan 21 – Visions Museum Zoom Lecture Feb 25 – Mar 5 – Kyoto Quilt Festival Apr 3-6 – SAQA Conference – St Pete, Florida April 27- May 3 – Alegre Retreat
Our hearts and prayers are with Southern California now. Although there have been some early queries about donating comfort quilts to fire victims, please understand that what they need now are the basics of existence. We are donating to World Central Kitchen, who are bringing meals to those displaced. I always give to trusted/known non-profits, and local relief organizations on the ground and on-site. This will be a long recovery for those who have lost homes, but right now we can support them by donating to trusted organizations that are preferably locally or community-based.
I am sure California quilt guilds are already gearing up to help in the aftermath, but the priority now is to put out the fires, get people to safety, get them fed and safely housed. Having seen our community go through a similar fire 3 years ago, we know what comes next. (Marshall Fire, 12-30-21)
It has been a rough start to 2025 so far, but I am finding my sanity and focus with needle and thread. I am actually in the studio daily now, prepping for my show in Kyoto, but also as a meditation to clear my head and process the news. I hope that you also find solace and clarity in Mindful Making, Slow Stitch, or whatever creative activity is speaking to you now. Every stitch is a prayer….for comfort, healing, and peace.
My mom was born in So Cal, I lived there as a child, and returned to get my degree in downtown LA while I lived in West Hollywood. Now I have a brother and so many quilter and industry friends who live in So Cal. When I look at the maps of burnt neighborhoods, I know those streets, so I empathize with the incomprehensible loss. Sending love and hugs to all of you affected. We are thinking of you.
sharing your love for fabric, Luana and Paul
Travel/Lecture Dates: www.luanarubin.com Jan 21 – Visions Museum Zoom Lecture Feb 25 – Mar 5 – Kyoto Quilt Festival Apr 3-6 – SAQA Conference – St Pete, Florida April 27- May 3 – Alegre Retreat
Our Mystical Elephant panel is the feature of this week’s Free Quilt Pattern. This mesmerizing portrait captures the wisdom, loyalty & intensity of the elephant’s gaze, emerging from a wild, mysterious forest.
To make this 47″ x 47″ quilt design, you will start with our exclusive, magical 29″ x 44″ elephant panel. Piece the borders with our rich and vibrant canopy curls coordinate, then finish with solid black, which makes the quilt colors really pop. A deep jade hand dye provides a spirited accent binding.
As a wall hanging, this is a real conversation piece for the true wildlife lover. Or use this as a Nap quilt for powerful and prosperous dreams.
Order the pattern as configured, or customize it to your liking with any of our thousands of fabrics. Just place your desired fabrics in your Wish List, and these fabrics will appear in the Fabric Selector below the pattern.
Every new beginning gives us the opportunity to review the past and make new goals for the future. This is something I have done every New Year since I was a little girl. I make a list of the things I must do in the coming year, the things I want to do, and the things I hope to do. Within those 3 levels of priority, I make sure I accomplish at least one thing from each category. Do you have a system of goal setting also?
This coming year I want to be more mindful about doing things with intention. I don’t want to spend time just distracting myself from other things. I want to spend time focused with my attention on the process. This includes my time in the studio but also my time on the computer, on my phone, with my friends and family, and my time doing research for future projects. (I still need to go see the Maurice Sendak exhibit at the Denver Art Museum!)
So I give you this idea to chew on, for New Years Day:
Am I distracting myself during my creative time, procrastinating or avoiding other foundational tasks? I think of the Zen Buddhist concept of “Chop Wood Carry Water” or maybe even the parable of the Little Red Hen. When it is time to clean our sewing machine, re-organize our stash, and tidy up our work space…we can be focused on the task and make it a layer of mental and creative prep time…it is like sweeping the mind free of clutter.
Notice how the guts of your machine work while you clean and oil between sewing sessions. Give your machine a new needle for a new project so you have one less thing to worry about if your thread is breaking. Audition gutsy new color combos while you review your stash. (Don’t worry – that scary hue can just be an accent color!) Contemplate different techniques and using new media in unique ways, while you clean your working area. I often find when I do these basic tasks, I move things around to accommodate and discover new efficiencies in my workflow. Right now I am re-learning to use my Silhouette Cameo digital cutting machine, and I plan to set up a Marbling station in the Spring. It is good to have something to look forward to!
No matter what your 5th grade art teacher told you, EVERYONE is creative and everyone has the heart of an artist. We all had it as children it is always waiting for us to open the door again. Being creative and crafty is good for our mental and physical health. Making things with our hands helps us to be present in the moment…and it heals our hearts.
May your New Year be filled with courageous creativity and audacious experiments that lead to joy and wonder.
Sharing our passion for fabric….. Luana and Paul
Travel/Lecture Dates: www.luanarubin.com Jan 9 – Fraser Valley Modern Guild – Art & Activism Zoom Lecture Jan 21 – Visions Museum Zoom Lecture Feb 25 – Mar 5 – Kyoto Quilt Festival Apr 3-6 – SAQA Conference – St Pete, Florida April 27- May 3 – Alegre Retreat
The cheerful and brightly hued castle panel makes this 57″ x 71″ quilt design a charming project for that special someone who delights in flower fairies. Magical fairy frames make up the coordinating borders, while the raspberry Hoffman hand dye provides a peaceful & calming outer border. It’s pure loveliness!
PLUS – you’ll receive Free USA / 50% off INTL shipping when you order the fabrics for this exquisite quilt pattern (orders $100 and over, no coupon needed).
Order the pattern as configured, or customize it to your liking with any of our thousands of fabrics. Just place your desired fabrics in your Wish List, and these fabrics will appear in the Fabric Selector below the pattern.
You may or may not be aware that our quilting community is very active on Facebook. Instagram is catching up but I find that more of the people (quilters, textile artists) I want to follow are posting frequently on Facebook. So this week I noticed my quilter friends in the the U.K. are referring to this as the ‘in-between days’ – i.e. between Christmas and New Year. But of course many of you are now celebrating Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. One thing is clear – this is a fertile time for the creative mind.
I am taking this quiet time to learn some new creative software for my 2025 projects. I am still processing all the information and experiences absorbed on my textile & costume tour. I rearranged some furniture in my home office. I am cleaning and organizing in my studio. There is also a new spiral artsy notebook and I am determined to write in it every day in 2025. I have edited and reprinted my Deadline & Travel Schedule (with lots of question marks!) for the coming year, and pinned it up on the wall.
Have you set creative goals for 2025? I suggest that you write them down and pin them up on the wall.
Things to include for the coming year: Choose 3 new colors to include in your palette, that you’ve never used before. Find or start a group of local quilters for creative support and inspiration. Plan to take a class or workshop to learn a new technique or skill – online or in person.
What else would you add to this list? Confidence and an adventurous spirit are assumed, but if those are still issues, put them at the top of the list to be tackled in 2025!
Thank you for sharing this passion for quilting with us. We are sending ‘in-between’ holiday smiles and hugs to all of you.
sharing your love for fabric, Luana and Paul
Travel/Lecture Dates: www.luanarubin.com Jan 9 – Fraser Valley Modern Guild – Art & Activism Zoom Lecture Jan 21 – Visions Museum Zoom Lecture Feb 25 – Mar 5 – Kyoto Quilt Festival Apr 3-6 – SAQA Conference – St Pete, Florida April 27- May 3 – Alegre Retreat
This adorable kitty rests in the nook of a crescent moon, floating in the clouds, and illuminated by the soft, night sky. Tonight’s Free eQuilter Pattern features this exclusive design which will be cherished by your little ones (and grown-ups too!)
To make this 65″ x 52″ quilt design, you will start with the central 31″ x 44″ panel. Then piece the borders with four coordinating blue Solids and Snow White Pearlescent Fairy Frost.
Children will love napping beneath this delightful quilt, which also makes a welcome addition to any bedroom.
PLUS – you’ll receive Free USA / 50% off INTL shipping when you order the fabrics for this exquisite quilt pattern (orders $100 and over, no coupon needed).
Order the pattern as configured, or customize it to your liking with any of our thousands of fabrics. Just place your desired fabrics in your Wish List, and these fabrics will appear in the Fabric Selector below the pattern.
In this season of Hope and Light, we send you our warmest wishes for a holiday full of comfort and joy. It is a time for cherished traditions and precious moments with loved ones…making memories to fill our hearts in the years to come.
