eQuilter Blog

Summer Solstice – Home from Hawaii

Posted on June 18, 2011 by Luana

Tuesday June 21st is the Summer Solstice – the longest day and shortest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. We know that our friends Down Under will be happy to get through their Winter Solstice on the same day!

It is hard to believe that June 21st is the first official day of Summer, and even harder to explain to our daughter who is turning 9 in a week. (Can you believe it?! – Nine years old!) School gets out in late May here, and starts up August 15th which personally I think is a crime. At least this year the school system finally had the great wisdom to have the high schools start at 8 am instead of 7 or 7:30 am. Teenagers catching the bus at 6:20 am? What were they thinking? Anyway, I digress….

I am actually writing this in the Los Angeles airport on a layover coming home from Hawaii. This year it was just Sophie and I…we tried to do all the "girlie" things that the boys never want to do. We went to Queen Emma's Summer Palace, the Botanical Gardens, and walked through about 25 art galleries in the last week. In particular I really enjoyed seeing the historic handmade Hawaiian applique quilts in the Summer Palace museum. We took the tour and learned about Emma's friendship with Queen Victoria of England, and the sad story of how Emma lost her young son, and then her husband.

Of course I always have my eye open for any quilts that I encounter in my travels. I snapped photos on my iPhone and posted on Facebook in some cases – like the Hawaiian quilt with several big blocks (all different) at the entrance of the Maui Ocean Center.

We went to a luau on our last night there, and I just spent the whole time enjoying all the fabric designs! Literally everyone who came to the luau had on a printed tropical fabric, and the variety was astonishing. Young and old, large families in matching flower prints, newlyweds in skimpy dresses and Midwest tourists in XL Aloha shirts…. it was all there. Toward the end they sang the classic Hawaiian wedding song and all the newlyweds, about-to-be-weds, and those celebrating anniversaries went up front to have a special couples dance. Very sweet.

Two of our suppliers specialize in Hawaiian and tropical designs – Kona Bay and Trans-Pacific Fabrics. (They also specialize in Asian theme fabrics) In case you didn't notice, we've put our "Island" category on sale this week so you could enjoy a little Hawaiiana while I was traveling.

I'll be at the closing of the Sacred Threads exhibit July 3, at the Long Beach Quilt Festival on Sat July 30, and I'll be giving an award at the Quilt Festival in Birmingham UK on August 11. Hope to see some of you at one of these shows! Aloha!

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The Golden Hour

Posted on June 18, 2011 by Luana

The first and last hour of the day, when the sun hangs low and washes the landscape with soft glowing light, is known as The Golden Hour. Artists and photographers wait for this moment, to capture an image full of long cool shadows, and warm diffused light. When the sky is full of colors from the sunrise or the sunset, then you have a full chromatic range of hues. Reflect all of that across water and you have… Magic.

Here in the islands, in the hour before sunset people quietly come out and find a spot to watch the sun go down. Everyone is very peaceful, and you see people holding hands or sitting with arms around each other. It is as if everyone is holding their breath, waiting to see what magic will spread across the sea and up into the sky tonight. It is like a whole congregation of people silently walking in to a church to meditate on one perfect rose.

As the sun drops lower the golden light begins to sparkle across the tops of the waves, and it reflects off the wet rocks at water's edge. Even the children know it is The Golden Hour, and they quietly look for shells and rocks while the adults gaze out across the water. The waves dance upon the shore as they have every night – for millions and billions of sunsets – but somehow you know this one's just for you.

The sun drops below the horizon, and the water quickly turns an inky-purple. In the twilight you might see a sea turtle in the shallow water, or in the winter perhaps the silhouette of a whale breaching the surface. Several years ago, standing in this same spot where I took this photo tonight, there were 2 mother whales and 2 babies just off the shore…the babies playing and jumping out of the water over and over again. Pure Magic.

How do we capture those perfectly magical moments and bring it back into our lives, to inspire us in our creative endeavors, and to comfort us when things seem dark? We do it with colors, with images, and stitch it into a pattern that somehow whispers to us of the Magic Hour. When we have our quiet moments, we can listen to the rhythm of the waves in our hearts, as we look for that inner sparkle of reflected Golden Light.

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Summertime…and the Livin’ is Easy…..

Posted on June 14, 2011 by Luana

This weekend I packed up my camera and took off for another photo-friendly location. I hate to leave my mounds of peonies that are in full bloom now, but I'm hoping for some more colorful photo subjects over the next week…stay tuned for my midweek Creative Nudge!

I am also nailing down the details for brief visits to 3 quilt shows this summer – the Long Beach Quilt Festival in California – Sacred Threads in Washington DC – and the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham, UK. eQuilter is a sponsor for all of these shows, and I am going to pop in to each of these shows for a day. Hope you can get out to some of the fantastic quilt shows going on around the country, and around the world this summer! Unfortunately I can't do it all – so I won't be making it to the Australian show end June – maybe next year?

If you've been on the fence about Facebook, I have to tell you that I've been having a great time meeting quilters from all over the world through my own Facebook page, and our eQuilter page. I've even had some new Facebook friends who chose me as their very first Friend! How cool is that?

So if you are thinking about hopping on Facebook, I will tell you that part of the way I stay on top of trends is to voraciously read everything I can get my hands and eyeballs on, and then I figure I might as well share it with you all! On our eQuilter page we post sneak peeks at new collections, and we are starting to post links to free patterns that match up with new collections. Watch for more fun inspiration and info on our 2 Facebook pages!

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Quilts for Japan

Posted on June 8, 2011 by Luana

I love when things come Full Circle.

I love when the punchline finally hits, after a joke has gone on for months or even years. I really love when the second half of a story clicks into place, and if I’m paying attention, I say “Aha! So THAT’S why that happened a year ago…”

This image is, you might say, the final page of a story I’ve been reading for a couple years. I went on a beautiful river cruise in France 2 years ago, with a small group of quilters and Jim West. (from Sew Many Places – who are organizing my June 2012 tour of Ireland) One of our days on the Seine included a day trip to Claude Monet’s home and gardens in Giverny.

It was a very magical day, as we saw the irises and lily ponds that Monet so famously painted. To tour his home and see the bright blues and yellows used in the house, was a revelation. His huge studio where he painted the monumental lily pond paintings, was just profound. I had studied and admired those paintings since I was a girl, in books, and eventually in museums, and to stand where he had painted those pieces was like visiting a great cathedral or sacred spot.

So two years later (last month) I was walking through the galleries in the Metropolitan Art Museum, when I stopped dead in my tracks. There before me was one of the large lily pond paintings. I took a photo of the whole thing, then I came up close, and took this photo of his painted signature. I thought about the moment that he completed the piece, and then carefully added the script in the lower right hand corner. The grand golden frame lifted his work to a higher realm, but still his signature captured a single and very personal moment in his life. I could literally hear a small “Click” in my head, as I felt the story coming full circle, and I was able to imagine him standing in the cavernous studio as he picked up a very small brush to make his mark.

***********
Tonight another story came full circle. For years, actually for decades, I’ve enjoyed the wisdom shared by Deepak Chopra, and tonight he spoke here in Boulder with his son Gotham, who co-authored a new book “7 Spiritual Secrets of Superheroes.” It is kind of like Star Wars – taking the archetypal heroes and super beings from different cultures and beliefs – and telling a story of inspiration and creative energy. Deepak spoke a lot about creativity tonight, which I found very interesting. He has written 55 books, many of which have been on the NY Times bestseller list. Talk about prolific creativity!

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The latest news on our Quilts for Japan project:

The 2155 quilts and disaster relief supplies are now in Japan! The paperwork is being worked on right now and the shipment will be released for delivery shortly. It is being sent to a devastated area that has not received hardly any aid so far, so I am very excited about this development. We have requested photos from the distribution, so you can be sure we will share those photos as soon as they come back to us. So many thanks to Kathy at Mission of Love, and the military base commander who agreed to take on our project and help us with the shipping and distribution.

In the meantime Mission of Love is taking donations of quilts, and funds for relief supplies, to help the victims of recent flooding and tornadoes in the US. You can ship quilts directly to Mission of Love in Ohio, or drop off *IN PERSON* at the eQuilter warehouse.

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The Emerald Isle – My Irish Tour!

Posted on June 3, 2011 by Luana

The Emerald Isle
June 5 – 15, 2012

http://sewmanyplaces.com/tours/iqfoi_luana_0612.html

Travel with owner of eQuilter.com, Luana Rubin on this 11-day tour of Ireland visiting Galway, Dublin, Cobh, Killarney, the Dingle Peninsula, Adare, and we will be spending 3-days in the Galway area for the festivities that surround the very first International Quilt Festival of Ireland!

Package Includes:

Round-trip airfare from Newark
Deluxe hotel accommodations
Private motor coach & driver
All taxes and transfers
Most Meals

3-Day Pass to the International Quilt Festival of Ireland
Special Events and Gifts
Sightseeing as listed in the itinerary

Itinerary:

Tuesday, June 5th

We begin our 11-day tour of the Emerald Isle with an overnight flight from NEWARK to IRELAND. Dinner will be served onboard the plane. D

Wednesday, June 6th

This morning before our arrival, we will be served a breakfast snack onboard the airplane. Upon our arrival at the Shannon Airport, we will be met by our driver/guide and brought to our private coach. As we drive to GALWAY, we will make a few stops along the way. Our first stop is one of the most photographed areas of Ireland, the spectacular Cliffs of Moher. There will be time for photographs and to visit the museum before we continue our drive north, through the remarkable BURREN. As we arrive into the city, we will stop at the Irish Crystal Factory for a brief tour and shopping. Following this, we will check into our hotel and relax for the afternoon. Tonight, we will all gather for a special ?welcome dinner,? and learn more about the exciting tour that lies ahead. B, D

Thursday, June 7th

Following breakfast this morning, for those who might be interested, we are offering an ?optional tour? to a Connemara Marble Factory and a visit to the KYLEMORE ABBEY & GARDENS. Otherwise, your day is free in Galway to enjoy at your leisure. Tonight, for those who have signed up to participate, the INTERNATIONAL QUILT FESTIVAL OF IRELAND launches with a very special Grand Reception. This special event consists of a Champaign reception, a welcome presentation by festival director and Sew Many Places founder, Jim West, a keynote address by quilt legend Jinny Beyer, followed by a delicious formal dinner, and a one-hour Riverdance review show by Trad on the Prom! Space is limited for this Grand Reception and cost is 125 Euros per person. Reserving your space early is highly recommended as this will sell out with no uncertainty! B

Friday, June 8th

This morning after a delicious breakfast, you will have an opportunity to enjoy the first annual INTERNATIONAL QUILT FESTIVAL OF IRELAND, located at the Quilter?s Village in Galway. Admission into the festival is included with your tour. Tonight, for those who are interested, we are offering an ?optional? dinner to BUNRATTY CASTLE for a medieval banquet and show. B

Saturday, June 9th

This morning after a delicious breakfast, you will have another opportunity to enjoy the festival (admission cost included) You may opt to visit the Galway City Museum, and enjoy an exhibit on Antique Quilts of Ireland. Or you can participate in dozens of on-location workshops or tours that will enhance your day. Whatever you decide to do, you will undoubtedly have a very special day! B

Sunday, June 10th

Today is your final day to enjoy the festival (admission is included) and all it has to offer. Later this afternoon, we will say goodbye to Galway and drive south to beautiful KILLARNEY. Along the way, we will stop in one of Ireland?s prettiest villages, ADARE, famous for its thatched roof boutique shops. Following our visit, we will continue onto KILLARNEY and check into our hotel where we will settle in and enjoy dinner at our hotel. B, D

Monday, June 11th

This morning, after our full Irish breakfast, we depart on a tour of the rugged DINGLE PENINSULA. Film goers will be reminded of scenes from the movie, ?Ryan?s Daughter,? which was shot in this area, as we drive past little harbors and wide stretches of sandy beach, leading southward to Slea Head. This is the most westerly point in Europe, also known as ?the next parish to America.? Vistas of the Blasket Islands and Dingle Bay delight the eye and Gallarus Oratory, a little beehive stone structure, more than 1,000 years old, conjures up visions of monks in early Christian times in this ?land of saints and scholars. We will return to Killarney later in the afternoon and the evening is free to enjoy at your leisure. B

Tuesday, June 12th

This morning following breakfast, we will check out of our hotel and drive northeast drive to the
nearby port town of COBH. One of the major transatlantic Irish ports, Cobh was the departure point for 2.5 million of the six million Irish people who emigrated to North America between 1848 and 1950. On April 11, 1912, Cobh was the final port of call for the RMS Titanic as she set out across the Atlantic Ocean. We will continue our drive north until we reach our next stop, the ROCK OF CASHEL. There will be time for photographs and restroom break before continuing onto our hotel in GLENDALOUGH. We will check in and enjoy the remainder of the evening on our own to relax. B

Wednesday, June 13th

This morning following breakfast, we will visit the little village of AVOCA, where we will have an opporutnity to see a textile mill and a weaving demonstration. There will be time for lunch on our own and some shopping before we travel to St. Kevin?s Monastic Settlement. Here we will see a video of ancient Irish times and take a guided tour of the grounds. We will arrive at our hotel in the later part of the afternoon and relax for rest of the evening. B

Thursday, June 14th

Today, following breakfast, we will drive to DUBLIN, where we will enjoy a PANORAMIC TOUR of the city. Although Dublin has blossomed into a modern, bustling city, it still retains the graceful, charmed atmosphere of an earlier time. The Georgian squares, terraces, and the walk along River Liffey are evidence of this. There will be plenty of time to enjoy the city of Dublin on our own. There will be time to enjoy Dublin all day at our leisure. You may opt to visit St. Patrick?s Cathedral and marvel at the beautiful quilt patterned floors. Maybe you will visit the famous Trinity College to view the Book of Kells. The Guinness Brewery will be calling some of you, as will the special boutique shops, art galleries and restaurants. It is a wonderful city that will provide all kinds of entertainment and fun. Our coach will drive everyone back to our hotel later in the day where we will enjoy a special ?farewell dinner? as we bring our time in Ireland to a close. B, D

Friday, June 15th

This morning, following breakfast, we will say goodbye to the enchanting Emerald Isle and drive to the DUBLIN AIRPORT for our flight back to NEWARK. Lunch and a snack will be served onboard the airplane. B, L, Snack

*Please note that depending on weather conditions and circumstances beyond our control, the itinerary, pricing and escorts are subject to change. We will make every attempt to adhere to the program, but we ask that you be flexible if alternative choices are made to enhance the schedule. Space is limited to 40 people and on a first come-first served basis. Terms and Conditions apply once first deposit is made and can be found on our website www.SewManyPlaces.com. Gratuities, optional tour costs, on location workshops, hands on quilting classes, grand reception on Thursday evening are not included in this price and must be paid with final payment. Insurance is available and highly recommended. Single rates are available upon request and not as expensive as you may think. We are also very available to helping single travelers find a roommate, so please let us know if we can assist with that request.

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Horses and Childhood

Posted on June 1, 2011 by Luana

Sophie and I visited a horse farm this afternoon, with several foals born in the last few weeks. There is nothing like a farm full of baby animals to get you in the mood for summer. I snapped these 2 cuties in the pasture as it hit 80 degrees for the first time this season.

One of my first creative inspirations as a kid was… horses. I used to draw horses every spare minute of the day. I collected horse models and drew them. I read every horse book about 10 times, and copied the illustrations. I checked out books with horse photos and drew those too. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was training my eye to draw proportion and detail, preparing for my future work in portrait painting, illustration and design. Over the years I’ve managed to sneak in a horse design in many of my fabric collections, much to the delight of my fellow horse lovers.

What were your childhood creative inspirations? Not just to sew and quilt, but to appreciate color, to pursue creative expression, and to identify yourself as a quilter, an artist, a crafter or ….?

Summer is a great time to revisit those childhood inspirations. For me, it is walking through the pasture and breathing in the smell of the horses. I must admit that tonight I’ve been watching the lineup of several old horse movies on Turner Classic Movies, which is reminding me of the artistic obsession of my youth. In fact, as I type this, “The Palomino” is just starting on TCM.

Maybe the aroma of baking pies with your grandma reminds you of your first patchwork lessons? Maybe the fragrance of your mother’s cologne reminds you of sewing your first special garment? Maybe the smell of fresh cut grass, or the chlorine from the summer swimming pool, or the smell of rain…remind you of a time when you were free to create without limitation or inhibition?

For me, it is the scent of sweaty horses and grass and manure.

Tomorrow I am supposed to get all the information on my tour of Ireland in June 2012. If you can’t wait til the Saturday newsletter, check my blog or my Facebook page for the link to the info page. I’ll post the info as soon as it is in my cyber hands.

And as the song from “Carousel” goes –
June is Bustin’ Out All Over!

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Musicians in the House

Posted on May 25, 2011 by Luana

As you may have picked up, everyone at our house is a musician. We try to support local live performances because we want to support the arts for our children’s future. It is not only music that is best appreciated in person – quilts are also best experienced in person.

When I think about all the images of beautiful quilts that are available in books, magazines, and over the internet…I also think about how I am really blown away when seeing them in person. No matter how close you get with a camera, and how much you try to photograph the entire quilt, you can never reproduce the experience of standing in front of an amazing quilt.

There are so many ways to appreciate a beautiful quilt at a show. You can stand back and experience the overall design – the use of color and value – and the way the eye wants to move around the piece. Then you can come in a little closer and see the blocks, the construction, and the choice of fabrics. Lastly, you come in very close to check out the stitching, the threads, the embellishments, and other fine details. There are so many layers of creativity to experience when you spend time with a gorgeous quilt!

Summer is a great time to travel around the country to see beautiful quilts. It is also a great time to travel to take quilt classes! From the Long Beach Quilt Festival, to the Quilt Surface Design Symposium, and the eQuilter-sponsored Sacred Threads exhibit in Washington DC, there are many opportunities to be inspired in the next few months – “Live” and in person!

Here is a photo that I took in Bratislava last December. The musician had on a “Captain Jack” pirate hat with dreads and braided locks. So he’s a Bohemian accordion-playing pirate…just in time for the latest Pirates flick!

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Here is the latest update on the Quilts for Japan:

2155 Comfort Quilts will be flown via UPS ( UPS is donating their services ) to Sendai, Japan for the homeless earthquake victims. As you know eQuilter.com and Mission of Love teamed up in the past to send 3000 Comfort Quilts to the victims of 9/11, over 1000 Comfort Quilts to the Katrina Victims and 600 Comfort Quilts to the Orphans of Haiti.

We have received Comfort Quilts from, England, Germany, Indonesia, France, Canada and every state of our United States. These quilts came unconditionally from the quilters of the world. What LOVE and COMPASSION and Faith of knowing that Luana and I would place these works of love into the hands of the people in need.

Know that our Mission of Love and eQuilter.com are collecting quilts for the flood and tornado victims of the United States and will hand distribute them to those in need.

Kathy Price
Mission of Love

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I am anxiously awaiting the last few details to fall into place, so I can officially announce my next international quilt tour in 2012.

The SAQA ( Studio Art Quilt Associates) conference this last weekend was a blast – and I had a great time sharing my keynote vision, my creative inspirations and design career story with the attendees. Thanks SAQA!

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Quilt Market Preview Part 2

Posted on May 21, 2011 by Luana

Quilt Market Preview – Part 2
Here is the second installment of our Quilt Market Preview – watch for these collections to arrive in the next 2-4 months – to be announced in our weekly newsletters!

Organic cotton fabrics:
Stitch by Betz White
Robot Factory by Caleb Gray
Save the World, Dr. Seuss’ Lorax

Adventures with Alice by Darlene Zimmerman
Culture Club Passage to India
La Scala 3 from Robert Kaufman
Animal Spirits – Pacific Northwest/Alaskan group
Marblehead – Stone Textures by Ro Gregg
McKenna Ryan batiks from Hoffman
Coming at You – 3-D fabrics from Hoffman Fabrics Bali Woodprint batiks from Hoffman Fabrics

Mums the Word from Northcott Studios
Rhapsody by Jane Spolar of Quilt Poetry
Girlfriends at Sea by Jody Houghton
Fruit a la Carte, All that Jazz and Alien Friends by Hoodie from Michael Miller
Rivoli from Alexander Henry – Inspired by the Design Museum in Paris

Carousel Dreams (Horses) by Cynthia Coulter
Metropolis from Benartex – City Architecture
Marvel Comics: Batman, Joker and Superman
Etchings by 3 Sisters from Moda Fabrics
Fairy Tale Friends by American Jane – Moda
Dressmaker (Vintage Fashion) by Amy Barickman

Kiev III – Russian Themes from Elizabeth’s Studio
Memories of Provence from Maywood Studios
DC Superfriends – Superman, Batman and
Green Lantern
Indigos, Handwoven Ikats and Japanese-style Dobbies
Kashmir by Jinny Beyer, Sew Heavenly by Dan Morris
School of Rock from 2 Mod Moms

Quilts for Japan:
Here is my latest update from Mission of Love –

Can we still send quilts for Japan to Mission of Love in Ohio? ~ YES – We will see to it that they get to the people in need in Japan. Cannot commit to any given time frame yet.

Will we be doing a mission for the tornado victims and/or flood victims? YES ~ Whatever we can do for the tornado victims and flood victims we will.

Somehow, someway we need to continue our Comfort Quilts to Japan. If we have people who want to give, we must see to it that the people of Japan benefit from the generosity of the World quilters and let them know that the world does care and love them via eQuilter Comfort Quilts.

We are now working on transportation and custom clearance for the quilts and other additional paperwork. All is staged and ready for transportation to the Cleveland Airport from our Mission of Love Warehouse. ( 8172 pounds – 2088 Comfort Quilts – Placed on 12 – 4′ by 4′ by 7′ wooden pallets.

Know that WE will take care of the victims of the floods and tornado…..however you would like to start the process, we will make it happen.

Kathy Price – director, Mission of Love

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I will have some exciting news this coming week – but I am giving you a sneak peek before my official announcement:

June 3-11, 2012
I will be leading a 9 day tour of IRELAND
which will include 2 days at the premier
International Quilt Festival of Ireland.

This was announced yesterday when I gave the keynote at the SAQA conference in Denver, and I already have several people who want to sign up, so watch for the official details and sign up early!

SAQA Conference
Yesterday I gave a one hour presentation on “Vision to Reality – Living a Creative Life” to the annual SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Assoc) conference in Denver. One of my Facebook friends came all the way from Taiwan to hear my presentation and attend the conference! It was great to reconnect with so many wonderful quilt artists from around the country – and the world!

Now I have to share another exciting email that I got from my friend Dr Jack Bacon at NASA in Houston. You may remember that last October I had dinner with a bunch of rocket scientists there from the Johnson Space Center chapter of Engineers Without Borders. eQuilter is funding their efforts in Rwanda, and I got to have dinner with an astronaut who is presently on the International Space Station.

I emailed Jack to let him know we got our “Quilts for Japan” project off the ground –

Jack wrote: “What an amazing effort: you continue to be my hero, time after time, and project after project. Ron Garan is up in space at the moment hosting our Endeavour buddies. He launched from Baikonur (Russia) about a month ago. I will relay a “hello” from you. (I can actually do that…) I’ll tell him about the quilts)”

…So you can imagine how excited I was yesterday, knowing that my name and eQuilter’s “Quilts for Japan” was being discussed on the Space Station!

Thanks for all of you who contributed to the 2088 quilts going out in this initial relief shipment. We’ll be announcing more about future shipments/projects for Japan, tornado and flood survivors. I am truly humbled by the amazing outpouring of love and generosity that came with the first 2088 quilts.

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SAQA Conference Denver

Posted on May 17, 2011 by Luana

Saturday I wrote to you from Quilt Market in Salt Lake City, and tonight I am writing to you from New York City. I spent today at a group of wholesale shows at the big convention center here, looking at artwork and licensed design, stationery and paper products, and furniture. I saw several artists whose designs are on fabric in our eQuilter warehouse, and posted photos of them (and their artwork) on my Facebook page.

One of those photos was of Jay Burch – Laurel Burch’s son. I have thought a lot about Laurel during, and since my trip to Bali, because it was one of her favorite places. It is hard to believe she’s been gone over 3 years now, but her joy of life continues to express itself through her art and design.

As you probably know, we’ve received over 2000 quilts donated for Japan’s tsunami/earthquake survivors, and they are being prepared for international shipment at Mission of Love in Ohio this week. One of our other important charity recipients is Doctors Without Borders. This morning before the trade show, I had a meeting at the USA headquarters of DWB here in NYC on 7th Avenue. (Near where I used to work in the fashion industry.) eQuilter is sending about $2000 per month to DWB, and that opened the door for me to have a tour of their offices, and spend time with Alexa, the Senior Development Officer for corporate relations.

I know that many of you have gone on to donate directly to DWB, after donating your 2% of purchases at eQuilter, and so today when I spoke about eQuilter and our customers, I was speaking for all of you. We know that your participation in our charity program, whether it is for DWB or Mission of Love, or our other recipients, is one of the most important reasons to shop with us. I told Alexa about the quilting community, your donations to Japan, and quilters’ sense of community and generosity. She was quite impressed, and sends you all a big THANK YOU! Your donations are helping right now in Libya, Ivory Coast, Bahrain, Japan, Haiti, Sudan, Uganda, and the list goes on.

As the flooding crisis unfolds in the US, we’ll be keeping an eye on the situation to see what we can do to help, through one of our relief organizations.

Tomorrow I’ll be visiting the Alexander McQueen exhibit at the Costume Institute, in the Metropolitan Art Museum. McQueen’s body of work was definitely wearable art, and I am anxious to see these pieces up close and personal.

Creativity comes in many forms and mediums, and the image I am sharing here is from the Stationery Show today. There was a “paper fashion show” displayed on several mannequins, and this is a closeup detail of a ruffled paper “gown” by Celeste Crockett. The mixture of several small scale motifs reminds me of a quilt, and I thought it might inspire you to mix and match some of these types of colors and patterns into your own quilted version.

Friday at lunchtime I’ll be giving the keynote at the SAQA annual conference in Denver, in the Brown Palace Hotel. The theme for the conference is “Vision”, and I’ll be sharing some of my thoughts about creating one’s own Vision. Hope to see some of you there!

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Quilt Market Preview Part 1

Posted on May 15, 2011 by Luana

News from Quilt Market
I am writing to you today from Quilt Market in Salt Lake City, Utah. We’ve had two days to preview the glamorous, gorgeous, humorous and modern collections that are being shown here.

While in Salt Lake City, I received this fantastic news from Kathy at Mission of Love – They now have received and unpacked 2077 quilts sent by our wonderful friends and customers – and there are still more boxes to unpack! Unbelievable!

I’d like to give you a preview of some of the most exciting collections we’ve seen so far at Quilt Market:

Celtic Collection from Fabric Freedom
Knights & Dragons by D. T. Carol from AvLyn
Carousel from Exclusively Quilters
Junior Pilots by Nancy Vasilchir
Music, Music, Music by Dan Morris from RJR
Bowood House by Robyn Pandolph from RJR Fabrics
Dogwood Trail a Collection for a Cause from Moda Fabrics
Urban Camo by Urban Chicks from Moda
Preppy Plaids from Moda Fabrics
Peter Pan licensed by Cathy Rigby (see photo!)
Merlin?s Dragons by Roberta Collier-Morales from VIP
Sunshine Resort by Loralie Designs
Tawny Scrawny Lion ? a Golden Book story
Lucy?s Escapades from Quilting Treasures
A Friend is a Gift by Mary Engelbreit from VIP
Jemima Puddle Duck by Beatrix Potter
Crafty Fairies by Jim Shore
Groove On by Marie Osmond
The Magic of Oz, Paddington Travels & Goodnight Moon
Kitchen Capers by Mary Engelbreit from VIP
Elvis on Tour from VIP
On the Move/Busy Town by Richard Scarry
Off to Neverland from Quilting Treasures
Spice Cats by Loralie Designs
Jim Henson?s Dinosaur Train 123 from VIP
Martindale ? Quest for a Cure ? by Ro Gregg from Northcott
Outfoxed by Lizzie House from Andover
Fight Like a Girl from Windham – Breast Cancer Research
Paper Doll Cowboy, Route 66, Rocky and Bullwinkle from Windham
Soul Blossoms Organic by Amy Butler from Free Spirit
More Maxine by Hallmark Licensing from Robert Kaufman
Heirloom by Joel Dewberry, Taza by Dena Designs from Free Spirit

Watch our newsletter over the coming months, from Summer into Fall, for these exciting collections that will be arriving at eQuilter!

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The Golden Hour

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Musicians in the House

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SAQA Conference Denver

Quilt Market Preview Part 1

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