eQuilter Blog

Wherever I travel, my eye is always drawn to the work of artisans and designers. Having been involved in the production end of design for so many years, I can't help but think about the person who dreamed up a hotel lobby's beautiful design, the craftsmen/women who brought it into being, and then I think about where the money comes from to create monumental works of art and design.

In prior eras, it was royalty that commissioned artwork and were patrons to brilliantly talented artists. Then as the industrial age grew, there was a new kind of "royalty" – the industrial barons who amassed great wealth, and then commissioned or collected great art.

This week as I spent yet another business trip in Vegas (this time with several thousand designers and photographers at Photoshop World) I really thought about who is employing the artists of our day. Vegas is a very surreal place and it is hard to spend more than a few days on the Strip, but you can't ignore the monumental art and architecture that has been built there.

Our convention was held at Mandalay Bay, which has a lot of tropical themed art throughout the property. Because the convention lasted a few days, I had a chance to really take a good look. When I say "art", I am including the inlaid marble floors and intricate cornices in the lobby, the realistic elephant head sculptures that form an outdoor fountain, the large scale banana leaf wallpaper, the stained glass/crystal chandeliers, the gigantic headless statue of Lenin outside the Russian restaurant… you get the picture.

I am not a gambler, but in this case I couldn't fail to notice that this is Art for the People, paid for (albeit indirectly) by the People. Yes there are ultra wealthy people who own these monuments to gambling wealth, but you and I can walk through the lobby and the public areas in and around the property (don't forget the amazing gardens and waterfalls out front!) and enjoy the designers' and artisans' work for free. With the water issues, who knows what Vegas will be in a hundred years? – but if you keep your eyes on the surroundings instead of the slot machines – you just might find an inspiration there for your next project! (see photos on my photo page)

Hope you are enjoying your long holiday weekend!

I am writing to you from the 34th floor of my hotel on the Vegas strip, where I am attending the Photoshop World conference. I don't have a tripod, but I couldn't resist trying to capture the flashing madness of the Strip down below…and then play around in Photoshop with the results.

That is exactly what Creativity is about ….
PLAY.

If I thought about someone judging me while I was playing around with my photos, then I'd get intimidated and maybe just post a link to
some Vegas themed fabric.

http://www.equilter.com/cgi-bin/webc.cgi/st_main.html?catid=43

Fortunately when I write my Creative Nudges, I try not to think about our big list of subscribers. Instead I think about the individual quilters and fiber artists I've met over the years, and I think…. "what a cool image to share with my fabric friends!"

On the flight over here today, I took several photos out the window, of the
colorful desert landscape. The gentleman next to me commented "what a great shot" and then as we began to chat, it turned out his wife across the aisle was a quilter, and they were on their way to the same conference!

Quilters are everywhere. We collect fabric, colors and friends. Aren't we lucky?

I am posting some photos from the flight on my photo page too. The abstract patterns are fascinating!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/luanarubin/

sharing your Passion for Fabric…
Luana

People around the world are slowly realizing the magnitude of the floods in Pakistan. This week when you check out at eQuilter be sure to choose Doctors Without Borders and your charity dollars will go to an organization that is putting an immense relief effort into this devastated country.

If Angela's story in our midweek Creative Nudge touched your heart, you can support this week's cleft lip/palate surgery trip by choosing Mission of Love at checkout. (or donate directly to MOL)

http://www.missionoflove.org/

This week I'll be at Photoshop World in Las Vegas, and at least one evening I am going to check out the Pure Spanish Horse show to take photos and admire those gorgeous animals.

http://www.missionoflove.org/

I'm also working on my keynote Trend presentation for the International Textile Expo on Sept 13 at Bally's in Vegas. This not open to the public – wholesale trade only – but if you are going to be at the show please come to my trend report at 9 am Monday!

http://www.textileshows.com/ballys2010/

I decided that Sophie should take some sewing classes from someone besides me, so today she took her first sewing class at a local Bernina shop. She spent this morning picking out a really cute Ice Cream themed flannel print, then went to class and made a pair of flannel pajama pants! She was absolutely thrilled and of course now she wants to sew on my big Bernina, which is what she used in their classroom. That little Bernette she used in her Quilting Arts TV segment is super cute, but I can see already she's got her eye on those embroidery stitches…

http://www.youtube.com/user/quiltfairy#p/a/u/2/kog9JrdXQ74

Something very special is happening this week – thanks to eQuilter customers who contribute to Mission of Love. (One of the 7 charity choices on our checkout page)

Right now in Guatemala, 2 plastic surgeons have donated their time to fly down and do 25 cleft lip and palate surgeries for children who otherwise would not have access to this procedure.

You may have noticed that in the last few weeks, our total given to charity has topped $800K.

http://www.equilter.com/cgi-bin/webc.cgi/Charity.html

One of our major recipients is Mission of Love,

http://www.missionoflove.org/

… and this week we are supporting their medical trip to help the children at the orphanage Casa Guatemala and from the surrounding villages.

35 cases were identified but the local contact had to make the difficult choice of which 25 children would receive this amazing gift….this time.

As you may guess, our charity program is my favorite part of our business. We raise money for breast cancer research and environmental organizations, but there is a special place in our heart for the organizations on our list that help orphans, families and children affected by disaster, and those living without basic needs like clean water.

Getting involved more personally with these groups has brought a truly precious gift to me – incredible Gratitude for what we have, and our ability to share that with others in need. In fact Gratitude is often what fuels my creativity, especially when I am designing or creating art to benefit others.

I share with you here a photo of Angela, who is receiving this surgery this week. She is 16 months old, and hopefully she will not even remember the pain and stigma of this condition when she grows up.

If you would like to directly support Mission of Love's medical trip to Guatemala this week, be sure to click on them when you finalize your order, or better yet give them a direct donation.

In the meantime, as I work this week, I'll be looking at Angela's picture and dreaming of seeing her healed face and her smile in the coming months.

Our thanks to Dr Abdu and Dr Obeng, and to MOL director Kathy Price for making the trip to Guatemala this week.

Thanks for supporting our eQuilter Charity Program!

Luana

In my nostrils still lives the breath of flowers that perished twenty years ago."
Mark Twain…on Hawaii

"Somehow, the love of the islands, like the love of a woman, just happens. One cannot determine in advance to love a particular woman, nor can one so determine to love Hawaii." -Jack London

" We are the rainbow kids…In each of our hearts beats a rhythm that makes all of us Hawaiians." -Kenny Brown

Last week I was visiting Paul's parents on Oahu, and I'd like to try to
share the colors of Hawaii…for those of you have never been there.

It is hard to separate the colors from the fragrances of Hawaii. When I smell the floral melodies as I walk along the beach or the streets there, I can't help but connect the perfumed air to a particular color.

It is not just the flowers that have color and fragrance – the salty spray and the blue-green waters have a smell that hangs in the air and intermingles with the gardenia and the plumeria.

Then there's the smell of the light orangeish mangoes, the wafting cocoa butter fragrance that evokes a cocoa brown feeling, and crisp white smell of freshly laundered beach clothes.

Layer on the sounds of the waves, the birds, and the happy chatter of those playing at the beach, and it is a total sensory experience. The light is somehow soft and bright at the same time, and one easily slips into the casual dresscode of those mesmerized by the slow passage of Island Time.

Then of course there are the beautiful Rainbow Children, born from an amazing melting pot of cultures…golden children who are a mix of Hawaiian, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, and Haole. (Caucasian) Novelist James Michener's "golden people" of Hawaii live in a racial rainbow.

I posted several photos from my trip last week, and in particular I want to share the COLORS and visual inspiration of this beautiful place. Check out my images on my photo page.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/luanarubin/

Wondering if I bought some tropical themed fabrics while I was there? Well of COURSE I did! *smile* You'll see them over the next few months.

Aloha…

I love secondary colors. Actually, I love weird, indescribable colors. As a painter, when I look at an impossible mix of colors (like in this sunset image) I can't help but think – how would you mix those colors and paint them without making MUD?

Complementary colors ( like purple and gold) vibrate when next to each other, but when you paint those colors and they run into each other… you get a greyish brown mess. (otherwise known as "mud" to painters.)

When your palette is full of rich hues on fabric, you don't have to worry about accidentally making mud. You just put that purple and gold right next to each other, maybe throw in some orange and teal for the WOW factor, then stand back and enjoy the compliments on your complements!

Here is a collage of some photos I took on the Big Island over the weekend. I snapped a stenciled sign on a wall with a vivid golden-orange on an electric purple… then captured incredible sunsets two nights in a row, featuring similar colors!

Different color stories create different moods:
Primary colors (Red, Yellow and Blue) make quite a different statement from secondary colors. (Purple, Orange and Green)

Trendy colors (like Mauve, Grey and Seaglass Green) have a different message from Classic colors. (like Navy Blue, Khaki Tan, and Lobsterhouse Red)

What story will you tell next…with Colors?

Luana

?Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen.?
-John Steinbeck

?Children are happy because they don?t have a file in their minds called ?All the Things That Could Go Wrong.??
-Marianne Williamson

?The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time is now.?
-Marshall Lyautey

photo collage: Luana Rubin
Seaside mural – Cinque Terre
Inlaid marble alter – Rome

Last Saturday my segment on Quilting Arts TV aired on our local PBS station, with my discussion about how to audition coordinating fabrics with those amazing and sometimes perplexing large scale prints!

We've just posted this segment on our video page – so have a look and then share your thoughts and questions about working with large scale prints.

http://www.equilter.com/cgi-bin/webc.cgi/videos.html

Sophie and I had a blast at the Long Beach Quilt Show last weekend, and we shot 2 videos with Bonnie McCaffery which you'll see here in the next few weeks. Sophie and I both did our own video review of some of our favorite pieces – it was a lot of fun!

My kids start school in 2 1/2 weeks which is kind of depressing but I know it will be a relief when we all get going with our new schedule. Sam was in bed with a high fever last night so we are just staying home, working on getting him better before we fly to Hawaii to see Paul's folks next Friday. Next week I'll be writing to you from Honolulu, and I'll be sure to do a photo essay with some color and image inspirations.

This week I am sneaking in a sale on my fabrics and quilt kits – this is a one time sale including many of my classic collections – all the kits have the instructions included so it is easy to snap up a kit and have a creative inspiration hanging on your wall in a short amount of time.

http://www.equilter.com/cgi-bin/webc.cgi/st_main.html?catid=166

I am writing to you from my hotel in Long Beach, where Sophie and I are
attending the 3rd Long Beach Quilt Festival.

http://quilts.com/newHome/shows/viewer.php?page=SummerFestival

I just love this show – and I
love the view of the Queen Mary from the hotel window!

http://www.queenmary.com/

Last night we arrived, went to the Quilt Art reception, then walked out to the marina across the road to have dinner and look at the boats.

Yesterday Sophie and I got her hair done at Downtown Disney at the Disney
365 salon. This is the first time Sophie has had anything like this done,
and she got a really cute updo somewhere between "princess" and "rock star".
I am posting photos on my photo page! When we went to the quilter party she
was so proud of her new "do", and went around the room chatting to friends
and customers. She visited with her friend Karey Bresenhan (director of
Quilts Inc and the quilt festival) and Pokey Bolton. (host of Quilting Arts
TV) Sophie says she is going to run the business someday, and that is a
distinct possibility!

We snuck into California one day early so we could go to Disneyland. I love
going to D-land so I can experience how Creativity and Customer Service
combine to make a peerless experience for the customers. I always come away
with inspirations about how we can make our little business better for our
site visitors! And of course I love to look at the costumes and tons of art
at D-land. We have sold our fabrics to Disneyland and Universals Studios
for years, and I am always on the lookout for something that might have been
purchased from eQuilter.

When I was a little girl, I lived in Southern California and watched Walt
Disney introduce The Wonderful World of Disney on TV every Sunday night.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Disney_anthology_television_series

I went to Disneyland once as a little girl and I will never forget the feeling
I had afterwards. As an adult I have bought several Walt Disney biographies,

http://www.justdisney.com/walt_disney/biography/long_bio.html

…Disney customer service books, and coffee table books about their early
concept artists who did the original illustrations for Snow White, Bambi,
etc. which eventually became the hand-drawn animations of those early
movies. I feel like Walt is a creative mentor, although I never met him in
person. Whenever I walk through the front gate of the park, I always look up
to the windows over the City Hall where he had his private apartment, and
imagine him peeking through the curtains….

"Who Says?"

Last night I went to the Tuesday night "World Music" concert – part of the summer Colorado Music Festival here in Boulder. I saw a band named Ljova and the Kontraband, which is described as "Eastern-European and Gypsy melodies, Latin rhythms, Jazz-inspired improvisations, and deeply rooted Classical forms given new meanings in original compositions that fearlessly forge a new direction, with a nostalgic gaze towards the past."

http://www.ljova.com/kontraband

Wow! What a MIX! I loved the Klezmer melody over a Cuban beat… the gypsy rhythm with the Russian lyrics… the accordian played by a young guy who looked like Danial Day Lewis in a Trilby hat… Ljova's colorful printed shirt and his wife's large scale printed dress. The songs were in assymetrical 7/8, 13/8 and 15/16 time signatures. At the end of each song, the woman behind me came up with new breathless superlatives, which made the whole thing that much more entertaining.

One of my favorite ways to get my creative juices running, is to play world music CDs in my studio, or to hear live music. In this case it was an indescribable mix of international influences that broke all the rules but at the same time allowed the audience to release all expectations of genre and enjoy the music for what it was… without a label or rules… or without a beat to which you could tap your foot… but it worked!

We quilters often need permission to break the rules, make something that can't be labeled, and invent a new genre of creative quiltmaking that doesn't have a name yet…

Who says we have to make quilts from only cotton?

Who says a patchwork has to be pieced?

Who says florals can't be mixed with plaids?

Who says quilts have to be symmetrical and perfect?

Write down 5 rules that you follow in quilting, then scratch them out one by one, and write down a different approach or perspective for each rule. Then go and brainstorm on each broken rule in your journal, and choose one to inspire a small piece to test out your idea. Don't make it to go in a show, or to please anyone but yourself. Take some time to play… be curious…. allow yourself to be present in the process and not attached to the outcome. You'll be amazed at what happens!

"Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought."

? Albert von Szent-Gyorgy