Fabrics, Flowers, and Portraits

Posted on December 11, 2024 by Luana

Tonight I am writing to you from Venice, after spending 6 days in Florence. Our textile/costume tour group has been immersed in historic fabrics, and in this image we are focused on a detail of a portrait of Teresa Gavaruzzi by Clemente Alberi, featuring lots of pink silk damask, silver lace, and a complementary flower arrangement. It is amazing how much information you can get from portrait paintings. This one is dated 1836, and hangs at the Pitti Palazzo in Florence, which houses an impressive costume exhibit.

Tomorrow we are renting (and wearing!) historic reproduction costumes, and going out to take photos in front of typical Venetian architecture. It is chilly, so we also have capes to go with our gowns. How much fun can a group of women have together? The last time I was in Venice, it was during George and Amal Clooney’s wedding. There were paparazzi piled into speedboats, chasing larger boats with women in sequined gowns and men in tuxes. There is something about Venice that makes you want to dress up.

I’ll be sharing photos from our textile tour after I return December 16. We hope your holiday preparations are progressing, and you have some time to relax, sew, and make ‘quilty’ plans for the New Year.

Sharing your love of fabric…
Luana and Paul

Travel/Lecture Dates:
December 3-16 – Italy Textile & Costume Tour – Alpine Xmas Markets.
Jan 9 – Fraser Valley Modern Guild – Art & Activism Zoom Lecture
Jan 21 – Visions Museum Zoom Lecture
Feb 25 – Mar 5 – Kyoto Quilt Festival

Visit eQuilter’s Instagram, Pinterest or TikTok pages for Color and Design ideas.

See Luana’s Flickr Photo Pages for travel images, comment on our blog, or follow us on Facebook.

Check out our Video pages for interviews and show reviews.

Share Post:
Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin
Posted in Creativity, Design, Travel | Comments Off on Fabrics, Flowers, and Portraits

Hello from Florence

Posted on December 7, 2024 by Luana

Tonight I am writing to you from Florence Italy, where our Textile & Costume Tour has commenced. Our first few days have been full of museums, costumes, fabrics, art and the camaraderie that comes with hanging out with The Tribe. Today the 2025 Pantone Color of the Year was announced: “Mocha Mousse”, a mid-tone Cocoa color. Also the Kona Color of the Year was announced – “Nocturne” is a deep Amethyst. I’ve been tracking a color that is halfway in between these two – an earthy Mauve color. There is something for everyone in these colors.

It is chilly and rainy here, and the sparkling Christmas lights strung overhead on these ancient streets, are glistening and reflecting off the wet cobblestones. This is my favorite time to visit Europe these days, to avoid the heat and tourist crowds of summer. Next week we’ll travel to Venice, and I’ll be sharing photos in the near future.

I hope your holiday preparations are bringing you joy. Take time for yourself, to plan your quilting and sewing projects for 2025.

sharing your love for fabric,
Luana and Paul

Travel/Lecture Dates:
December 3-16 – Italy Textile & Costume Tour – Alpine Xmas Markets.
Jan 9 – Fraser Valley Modern Guild – Art & Activism Zoom Lecture
Jan 21 – Visions Museum Zoom Lecture
Feb 25 – Mar 5 – Kyoto Quilt Festival

Visit eQuilter’s Instagram, Pinterest or TikTok pages for Color and Design ideas.

See Luana’s Flickr Photo Pages for travel images, comment on our blog, or follow us on Facebook.

Check out our Video pages for interviews and show reviews.

Share Post:
Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin
Posted in Creativity, Design, Travel | Comments Off on Hello from Florence

Free Quilt Pattern – Enchanted Forest

Posted on December 5, 2024 by Luana

Tonight’s Free eQuilter Pattern features our best selling Enchanted Forest panel.

Our Free Quilt Pattern embraces the wild spirit of these woodland animals, beginning with the stylish central 36″ x 44″ panel. Add the coordinating engineered border stripe and allover tossed portraits for the border, along with a deep blue Hoffman Hand Dye for the sashing to complete the quick-and-easy border on this evocative quilt design.

From Alaska and Canada, to Montana and Wyoming, down the Rocky Mountains into Colorado,
these are the precious wildlife that define ‘freedom’ as they roam the woods, the peaks, and the tundra.

…from the ‘Enchanted Forest’ collection by Dan Morris for Quilting Treasures.

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.

Click Here for a Video Tutorial of the Free Pattern Designer.
Download Instructions for the pattern at the bottom of the pattern designer page.

Sharing your passion for fabric and color,
Luana and Paul Rubin

Share Post:
Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin
Posted in Free Quilt Patterns, Quilt Pattern | Comments Off on Free Quilt Pattern – Enchanted Forest

Free Quilt Pattern – Fabric Felines

Posted on December 1, 2024 by Luana

Everything is better with Kittens in the Sewing Room!

These adorable kitties pose proudly on their sewing table, surrounded by vibrant heirloom quilts. Our eQuilter Free Quilt Pattern features this exclusive ‘Fabric Felines’ panel, displaying an ensemble of cozy kitties just waiting for you to take them into your sewing studio.

To make this 63″ x 63″ quilt design, you will start with the central 43″ x 44″ panel. Add paw-print blocks from our Mysterious Forest Leaves and borders from two coordinating Hoffman Hand Dyes.

Your kitty-loving family and friends will adore this delightful celebration of cats and quilts!

And don’t miss our Fantastic Quilt Backing Sale at 25% off!

…from the ‘Fabulous Pets’ collection by the Rubin Design Studio, designed exclusively for eQuilter.

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.

Click Here for a Video Tutorial of the Free Pattern Designer.
Download Instructions for the pattern at the bottom of the pattern designer page.

Sharing your passion for fabric and color,
Luana and Paul Rubin

Share Post:
Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin
Posted in Free Quilt Patterns, Quilt Pattern | Comments Off on Free Quilt Pattern – Fabric Felines

Gifts, Comfort Quilts, and Packing for a Textile Adventure

Posted on November 30, 2024 by Luana

I am sure many of you are thinking about the holiday season this weekend – making and purchasing gifts for friends and family. Be sure to check out our selection of fun socks, tea towels, and the new Inspiration Deck this week. Of course an eQuilter Gift Certificate for you or your quilting friends, is always the perfect gift, and can be sent via email at the last minute!

Kelly in North Carolina sends her most sincere thanks to those of you who have donated comfort quilts for those who lost their homes in Hurricane Helene. They were able to distribute over 300 quilts before Thanksgiving.

She writes:
“Multiple people said they were living crammed in extended family members homes after their personal homes were lost (for one family, 20 people in a 3 bedroom house) or living in tents. One man broke down in tears and said it was a reminder that people are still thinking about them and care. He said he was living out of his car since the Hurricane. A mother came through and her children left with smaller kids quilts. They had Spider Man and Wonder Woman wrapped around them when they left. They had huge smiles on their faces.”

They hope to distribute another 500-700 quilts for Christmas, so keep them coming! Either ship direct to Kelly, or drop off in person at eQuilter.

Please ship your donated comfort quilts directly to:
KPC Buddhist Relief
c/o Kelly Zarcone
155 Buckner Rd.
Black Mountain, NC 28711

This weekend I am preparing for my Textile & Costume Tour in Italy. We have a savvy group of 15 ladies who will be traveling around Italy visiting textile and costume museums. I’ll be posting on my personal Facebook page during the group, and more on my photo pages later.

sharing your love for fabric,
Luana and Paul

Travel/Lecture Dates:
December 3-16 – Italy Textile & Costume Tour – Alpine Xmas Markets.
Jan 9 – Fraser Valley Modern Guild – Art & Activism Zoom Lecture
Jan 21 – Visions Museum Zoom Lecture
Feb 25 – Mar 5 – Kyoto Quilt Festival

Visit eQuilter’s Instagram, Pinterest or TikTok pages for Color and Design ideas.

See Luana’s Flickr Photo Pages for travel images, comment on our blog, or follow us on Facebook.

Check out our Video pages for interviews and show reviews.

Share Post:
Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin
Posted in Creativity, Design | Comments Off on Gifts, Comfort Quilts, and Packing for a Textile Adventure

Free Quilt Pattern – Mysterious Deer Vista

Posted on November 28, 2024 by Luana

Our mythical Deer in the magical forest panel has returned as the centerpiece for this lush quilt design. This week’s Free Quilt Pattern captures the mesmerizing gaze of a legendary creature, full of ornamental details and colorful embellishments.

To make this 52″ x 52″ quilt design, you will start with the 29″ x 44″ scenic portrait panel. We’ve combined a Hoffman Hand-Dye and two Dan Morris ‘Patina’ blenders to piece the top and bottom panels, and finish the border.

Whether you love fantasia or forests, this stunning piece of artwork will capture your imagination as a wall hanging, or lead you to dreamland as a Lap/Nap quilt.

…from the ‘Inspirational’ collection by the Rubin Design Studio, designed exclusively for eQuilter.

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.

Click Here for a Video Tutorial of the Free Pattern Designer.
Download Instructions for the pattern at the bottom of the pattern designer page.

Sharing your passion for fabric and color,
Luana and Paul Rubin

Share Post:
Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin
Posted in Free Quilt Patterns, Quilt Pattern | Comments Off on Free Quilt Pattern – Mysterious Deer Vista

Violet Tango

Posted on November 27, 2024 by Luana

Today I am featuring another favorite quilt from the Houston Quilt Festival. This piece was kind of hidden in the back of the exhibit hall, but it deserves to be seen. The artist has a stunning use of value and gesture to render the 2 dancing figure in shades of Violet, Mauve, Lavender and Cream.

Michelle Jackson is the quilt maker, and she titles this piece “May I Have This Dance”. When I look at this piece I hear the tango music of Argentinian composer Astor Piazzolla – specifically his classic “Libertango“.

Michelle says she used raw-edge applique, partial tulle overlay, and machine quilting. Her artist statement reads:
“I love all forms of dance. I also love it when light seems to emerge from the darkness. The words in the background all have something to do with dance and movement.”

Photos from this gallery, and other inspiring quilts from Houston are now up on my photo pages.

Thank you for supporting our family-owned business, now and through the holiday season!

Sharing your love of fabric…
Luana and Paul

*The photo above “May I Have This Dance” was taken by Luana Rubin at the International Quilt Festival in Houston. Collage frame features fabrics currently in stock at eQuilter.com

Visit eQuilter’s Instagram, Pinterest or TikTok pages for Color and Design ideas.

Follow Luana’s Flickr Photo Pages for quilt & travel images, review our blog, or follow us on Facebook.

Check out our Video pages for interviews and show reviews.

Subscribe to Luana’s Artist Website blog for more creative inspiration.

Travel/Lecture Dates:
December 3-16 – Italy Textile & Costume Tour – Alpine Xmas Markets.
Jan 9 – Fraser Valley Modern Guild – Art & Activism Zoom Lecture
Jan 21 – Visions Museum Zoom Lecture
Feb 25 – Mar 5 – Kyoto Quilt Festival

Share Post:
Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin
Posted in Creativity, Design | Comments Off on Violet Tango

Free Quilt Pattern – Stained Glass Birds

Posted on November 24, 2024 by Luana

You’ll be enchanted by this delightful portrayal of colorful Songbirds and florals in illuminated stained-glass style on fabric. These beautiful birds are perched in a garden landscape backdrop, with intricate branches, leaves & flowers.

To make this 54″ x 63″ quilt design, you will start with the magnificent 36″ x 44″ stained glass bird panel, then piece the diamond and square blocks with sunny coordinates, which pop out against the solid black background. A cyan blue Hoffman Hand-Dye frames the panel and provides a brilliant outer border.

…from the ‘Sunlit Birds’ collection by JQ Licensing for Quilting Treasures.

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.

Click Here for a Video Tutorial of the Free Pattern Designer.
Download Instructions for the pattern at the bottom of the pattern designer page.

Sharing your passion for fabric and color,
Luana and Paul Rubin

Share Post:
Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin
Posted in Free Quilt Patterns, Quilt Pattern | Comments Off on Free Quilt Pattern – Stained Glass Birds

Customer Service Earns Their Angel Wings

Posted on November 23, 2024 by Luana

OMG I am having one of those days where I want to scream and pull my hair out so this will be short. I went to my Covid booster appointment and they told me my Medicare coverage had been invalidated. I just spent 3 hours on the phone, and online with Live Chat trying to get it sorted out. And the bottom line is that I will now go back and get the vax tomorrow but I lost my studio time today because you can’t talk to a real person on the phone anymore. (Except when you call eQuilter!)

So I hope you appreciate that we still have a real person who cares about you and your questions, who can answer the phone and emails, and if you are in another country can do Live Chat with you during our business hours. Paul and I both have a pet peeve of having to listen to recorded choices and push buttons with automated or AI ‘customer service’ for other companies, and then you end up not getting what you need and you bang your head against the wall and scream into a pillow. Or a high loft quilt.

Yes I leave on my textile & costume tour in 10 days so I really need to get that booster this weekend. I am always on a deadline with a quilt (I just finished 2 and now I am on to the next deadline) so losing 3 hours in the studio because of somebody else’s mistake and no customer service is something you can probably relate to as being supremely frustrating. (Breath…..)

I finally found somebody who could help me and I told them they had just earned their angel wings.

But Deandra and our customer service staff earn their angel wings Monday through Friday from 8 am to 5 pm Mountain Time. If you have called or emailed us with a question, you know what I mean!

sharing your love for fabric,
Luana and Paul

Travel/Lecture Dates:
December 3-16 – Italy Textile & Costume Tour – Alpine Xmas Markets.
Jan 9 – Fraser Valley Modern Guild – Art & Activism Zoom Lecture
Jan 21 – Visions Museum Zoom Lecture
Feb 25 – Mar 5 – Kyoto Quilt Festival

Visit eQuilter’s Instagram, Pinterest or TikTok pages for Color and Design ideas.

See Luana’s Flickr Photo Pages for travel images, comment on our blog, or follow us on Facebook.

Check out our Video pages for interviews and show reviews.

Share Post:
Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin
Posted in Creativity, Design | Comments Off on Customer Service Earns Their Angel Wings

Free Quilt Pattern – Radiant Reflections

Posted on November 21, 2024 by Luana

Our best-selling Radiant Reflections Pattern has been re-stocked!

This exquisite collection features a luminous stained glass window panel at the
center of our Free Quilt Pattern. This is one of those wildly popular collections that is so gorgeous…it just makes you smile.

To make this 59″ x 70″ quilt design, start with the central panel in a kaleidoscope of glowing hues. Cut up a 2nd Block Panel to make the top and bottom sections. Use the coordinating stripe, and Kona Solid Black to construct the borders. Finish with a rainbow ombre binding.

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.

Click Here for a Video Tutorial of the Free Pattern Designer.
Download Instructions for the pattern at the bottom of the pattern designer page.

Sharing your passion for fabric and color,
Luana and Paul Rubin

Share Post:
Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin
Posted in Free Quilt Patterns, Quilt Pattern | Comments Off on Free Quilt Pattern – Radiant Reflections