Peggy’s Cove

Posted on July 17, 2024 by Luana

Last year when I attended Quilt Canada in Halifax, I spent a day touring the historic Nova Scotia seashore. One of our stops was this scenic cove on the eastern shore of St. Margarets Bay. This fishing village was founded as Peggy’s Cove in 1811. Little did I imagine that a year later, I would see a miniature quilt at Quilt Canada in Edmonton, capturing this exact same vista!

Above, you see the photo I took in Peggy’s Cove, and underneath is the quilt by Carol Russell of the same view. When I saw this quilt last month, I gasped!..because I had lingered quite a long while enjoying this quiet coastal landscape. I remember saying to a fellow traveler that if I stayed longer, I would enjoy painting the scene. Carol has painted the image, then added applique, to complete this lovely textile artwork.

When you travel, do you take photos for future quilt reference? It is so fun to put our vacation memories into our quilts. You can create an artwork like this one, or you can collect fabrics to capture the details of a trip. A patchwork quilt inspired by a seaside holiday might include prints with Lighthouses, Beaches, Boats, and a Red and White Picnic Check. Other memories might include ocean waves, fish, dolphins, whales or turtles.

Whether your summer vacation takes you to the North Woods, a National Park, or Paris…we have the fabrics to capture that memory. I hope you have a wonderful adventure this summer, and enjoy saving those memories in your own Vacay Quilt. Don’t forget your camera!

Sharing your love of fabric…
Luana and Paul

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/Quilt Dates:
July 29 – Aug 5 – Festival of Quilts, Birmingham UK
Sept 4-8 – AQSG Seminar, Tarrytown NY
Oct 31 – Nov 3 – Houston Quilt Festival
December 5-13 – Textile & Costume Italy Tour. Alpine Xmas Market Extension Dec 13-15.

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Stay Cool & Keep Sewing!

Posted on July 13, 2024 by Luana

This week I started on a new quilt project, which always makes me very happy. It also keeps me sane and focused when the world outside is burning. We’ve had several record-breaking days over 100 degrees, plus a few fires in the area already. For our friends in Houston and elsewhere still without power post-hurricane….you probably won’t see this, but we are thinking of you!

Our baby girl, Little Miss Rosie, turned 1 year old last weekend, and had her spay surgery yesterday. In case you don’t know, that is our beloved pup. She is sedated today, and we are taking turns sitting with her. These days they just remove the ovaries, not the uterus, through a very small incision. When you see our dog and puppy-themed Rubin Design Studio fabrics, that is an expression of our love for our dogs. Same thing for our cat panels – we love our 3 rescue kitties!

I’ve had some more inquiries about my Textile & Costume Italy Tour in early December, and yes we do still have a few spots open. Let us know if you need more information. I am working with the tour operator to create some very special experiences on this trip.

In the last couple days I’ve heard about 2 of our well-known quilt artist teachers being knocked down by Covid, so I am going to get a booster before I go to the UK in a couple weeks. (For the Festival of Quilts) Y’all be careful out there!

This is a good time of year to move your sewing setup into the basement to stay cool and keep sewing. Tonight I am going up in the mountains to cool off, and hear a Swedish Folk Fiddle concert at a ‘Tiny Deck Concert’ in the forest. Smiling and toe-tapping for a couple hours always fills up my Creative Juice reservoir.

sharing your love for fabric,
Luana and Paul

Travel/Quilt Dates:
July 29 – Aug 5 – Festival of Quilts, Birmingham UK
Sept 4-8 – AQSG Seminar, Tarrytown NY
Oct 31 – Nov 3 – Houston Quilt Festival
December 5-13 – Textile & Costume Tour – Italy. Alpine Xmas Market Extension Dec 13-15.

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.

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Free Quilt Pattern – Mystic Owl

Posted on July 11, 2024 by Luana

Our best-selling all-knowing Cosmic Owl panel is back in stock for this week’s Free Quilt Pattern. The powerful image captures the magic and wisdom of this nocturnal raptor, in vivid kaleidoscopic colors and ornate embellishments.

To make this 71″ wide x 55″ high quilt design, you will start with our exclusive 28″ x 44″ digital-printed panel. We have used 2 complementary colors of Paula Nadelstern’s marbled “Cosette”, combined with Kona Solid Black, to construct the pieced border. A 3rd color of Cosette is used for the binding.

As a wall hanging, this is a real conversation piece for the true Strigiformesphile. (Owl lover) Or use this as a Nap quilt or small bed coverlet for soaring raptor dreams. Did you know the Japanese word for Owl is Fukuro? In Icelandic it is Ugla. Maltese – is Kokka. What will you name your owl?

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

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

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Free Quilt Pattern – Dragon Spirits

Posted on July 7, 2024 by Luana

Tonight’s Free eQuilter Pattern combines our ever-popular dragon icons and monoliths with our brand-new Dragon Spirits panel. Fans of Game of Thrones & House of the Dragon will love this bold mythical theme, in powerful rainbow colors.

To make this magnificent 79″ x 78″ design, you’ll begin with the dramatic 36″ x 44″ panel, and then add the large-scale dragon icon triptych panel, totem dragon icon panel and dragon icon stripes to display a fierce dragon empire! The bright hues are accentuated by the solid black background.

This breathtaking quilt design will have a commanding presence as a wall hanging, or make it into a Lap quilt for an escape into fantasy flying dreams on the back of your own fiery dragon!

…from the Dragons collection by the Rubin Design Studio, designed exclusively for eQuilter.

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

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The Creative Journey

Posted on July 6, 2024 by Luana

As many of you know, I lost my mother in November after her long slow decline. This weekend my brother came to visit and we went through my mother’s and my grandparent’s photos and records. This weekend my brother went up into the mountains with my kids to scatter her ashes. My mother was such a huge part of my creative life, and so we are honoring her in this last chapter of farewells.

My large art quilt “The Children of War” is being shipped out to the Sacred Threads exhibit on Monday, which will premier in Houston this fall, and travel for 3 years. My butterfly quilt “Uncompahgre Fritillary” will also be in Houston, in the SAQA Camouflage exhibit. And I am back in the studio working on my next deadline. That would have made my mother very happy, and proud.

She gave me permission to pursue my artistic talents and goals, as a musician, artist and designer. I was able to follow my heart and that is also what I wish for my children. I hope that you all can at least give yourself permission to follow your creative dreams, and see where they may take you on that long winding Path of Life. Sewing, Quilting, and making art is my solace and my joy. And now, my work is to encourage, inspire and support others in their creative journey. We are all so lucky to be in this place together.

As always, we thank you for supporting our family business.

Hoping you are staying cool and having a creative weekend!

sharing your love for fabric,
Luana and Paul

Travel/Quilt Dates:
July 29 – Aug 5 – Festival of Quilts, Birmingham UK
December 5-13 – Textile & Costume Tour – Italy. Alpine Xmas Market Extension Dec 13-15.

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.

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Free Quilt Pattern – Steampunk Owls

Posted on July 4, 2024 by Luana

Steampunk fans are snapping up these exquisitely detailed owl fabrics like clockwork, so we are offering a Free Quilt Pattern for this exclusive Neo-Victorian design.

To make this 72″ x 72″ quilt design, you will start with the wildly creative 43″ x 44″ central panel, featuring four wise owls dressed in mechanical timepiece gear. Then piece the borders using the coordinating engineered border stripe & allover print, along with an amber Hoffman hand dye, all set against a dramatic Kona Solid black.

The retro-futurist artwork in this quilt will add a dynamic and whimsical character to your home. The quilt design will also make a fabulous gift for Steampunk fans and engineers!

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

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

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Alice’s Butterflies

Posted on July 3, 2024 by Luana

“Happiness is like a butterfly, the more you chase it, the more it will evade you, but if you notice the other things around you, it will gently come and sit on your shoulder.” ? Henry David Thoreau

Sunday I returned from Lincoln Nebraska, where I attended a board event at the International Quilt Museum. The founders Robert and Ardis James were remembered at an evening event, and we also had the opportunity to review the museum’s new acquisitions. There are always several exhibits filling the galleries, and one of those rooms featured Nebraska State Fair quilts.

This quilt (above) won Best of Show in 1991!
Alice Torpin made this machine pieced, hand appliqued and hand quilted work.
“Begin With Butterflies”

I have featured a detail from the quilt, so you can appreciate the fine detail of her hand applique.
(The frame is an ombre/border floral print by Michael Miller, from the “Wisteria Lane” collection.)

Tonight when I got home after work, I went out to do a little weeding in my vegetable garden. A small orange butterfly came and landed next to me. We had a little chat. Actually I did all of the talking. It is good to be able to pause, and receive the blessing of a visiting butterfly. Perhaps Alice was inspired by a summer visitor. 33 years later, we can still enjoy her inspiration.

Sharing your love of fabric…
Luana and Paul

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/Quilt Dates:
July 29 – Aug 5 – Festival of Quilts, Birmingham UK
December 5-13 – Textile & Costume Tour – Italy. Alpine Xmas Market Extension Dec 13-15.

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Free Quilt Pattern – Mysterious Tiger Eyes

Posted on June 30, 2024 by Luana

Our Mysterious Tiger Eyes panel is the feature of this week’s Free Quilt Pattern. This mesmerizing portrait captures the courage, wisdom & intensity of the big cat’s gaze, emerging from a wild, mystical forest.

To make this 65″ wide x 52″ high quilt design, you will start with our exclusive 29″ x 44″ digital-printed panel. Piece the wild paw-print blocks and borders with our rich and vibrant forest leaves coordinate and sea-breeze hand dye. Aqua and jade hand dyes frame the outer border and binding.

As a wall hanging, this is a real conversation piece for the true wildlife lover. Or use this as a Nap quilt for fantastical feline dreams.

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

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

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International Quilt Museum arrival

Posted on June 29, 2024 by Luana

Yesterday, after a 4.5 hour delay at the Denver Airport, I flew to Lincoln Nebraska to attend an event at the International Quilt Museum this weekend. One thing that never ceases to amaze me is that when you gather with quilters and start comparing notes, you immediately find so many friends and experiences and quilty interests in common! The sense of community in the quilting world is my favorite part of this creative tribe. In a time of divisive topics in the outer world, our insider world of sewing and making feels safe, familiar and welcoming. I always find my happy place among quilters, and I am so grateful to have found this world 34 years ago.

No matter where I go, my eyes are always open for interesting local textiles. My hotel room has a Cowgirl tapestry pillow on the bed, and barkcloth curtains printed with 14″ corn cobs on floor-to-ceiling cornstalks. A cute rectangle pillow uses blue gingham and red stripes to make an American flag. Those of you who have stayed at The Graduate will recognize this flavor of decor, no doubt! I’ll call it Corny Vintage. It’s a hoot.

Hoping you are staying cool and having a creative weekend!

sharing your love for fabric,
Luana and Paul

Travel/Quilt Dates:
June 27-28 – Intl Quilt Museum, Lincoln NE
July 29 – Aug 5 – Festival of Quilts, Birmingham UK
August 27-31 – Speaker at World Wilderness Congress, Rapid City SD
December 5-13 – Textile & Costume Tour – Italy. Alpine Xmas Market Extension Dec 13-15.

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.

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Free Quilt Pattern – Baby African Animals

Posted on June 27, 2024 by Luana

Here is an exclusive Free Quilt Pattern to delight young and old alike.
Realistic baby animals capture the innocence and…let’s be honest….the adorable cuteness of African baby animals who are gazing right at you and engaging us with their sweet faces.

To make this 60″ x 71″ quilt design, you will start with our own 33″ x 44″ portrait block panel, featuring a tender little leopard cub, elephant, giraffe, zebra, cheetah, chimp, rhino, and hippo. You will finish with the coordinating stripe and 2 safari blenders. The delightful artwork will make somebody squeal with delight and make you a quilting star!

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

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

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