Whale Watching

Posted on August 3, 2022 by Luana

This week I want to share one of the quilts at Sacred Threads that really captured my imagination. This Orca Whale portrait (above, on the left) is a snapshot of the moment when the whale is breaching the water, but shows the whole whale above and below the water. It is by artist Suzette Coppage. No photo can do justice to her beautiful machine stitching, but I hope you will get an idea from this photo.

From the NOAA website page on fisheries:

Orcas are also known as Killer Whales, and they are the top predators in the ocean. Overfishing and habitat loss have decreased the amount of prey available to some killer whales. Without enough prey, killer whales can experience decreased reproductive rates and increased mortality rates.

Toxins enter ocean waters and sediments from many sources, such as wastewater treatment plants, sewer outfalls, and pesticide application. Once in the environment, these contaminants move up the food web and accumulate in top predators, such as killer whales because of their long lifespan. These contaminants can harm killer whales’ immune and reproductive systems. Oil spills can also have an indirect impact on killer whales by affecting the abundance of prey species.

There has been a sustained effort to free captive Orcas that were held for our entertainment. Remember the movie “Free Willy”? I think most people now understand that a creature this big should not be held captive. I hope some day to see Orcas in the wild. Over the years I have seen other whales, dolphins and porpoises off the coasts of Hawaii, Washington State, and Canada. It is always a thrill to see these beautiful intelligent sea mammals coming up for air and then diving again.

Are you coming to the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham UK? Register now for my power point lecture “International Quilt Trends” on Friday at 10 am, lecture code #512. You will be inspired!

Sharing your love of fabric,
Luana and Paul

** The photo collage above features the Orca quilt by Suzette Coppage, photographed at Sacred Threads exhibit.

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

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

Quilt/Travel/Sponsor Calendar:
Aug 17-20 – Festival of Quilts – Birmingham UK – Quilt Trends Lecture & SAQA Forced to Flee
(Register for Luana’s trend lecture – Friday 10 am.)
Sept 21-24 – SAQA Conference – San Diego CA
October 2022 – Luana’s Polar Bear Tour – Churchill Manitoba Canada

Share Post:
Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin
Posted in Animals | Comments Off on Whale Watching

Free Quilt Pattern – Fantastic Foxes

Posted on August 2, 2022 by Luana

Your Free Quilt Pattern – Fantastic Foxes – Free Shipping

Happy August!
Kids will soon be going back to school, in a few weeks you’ll feel that first chill in the air, and the glorious colors of Autumn can’t be too far behind….

This week’s exclusive eQuilter Free Quilt Pattern features the beautiful artwork of one of our favorite artists – Kayomi Harai who is known for her sensitive animal portraits. These beautiful foxes are surrounded by fiery maple leaves, set in a complementary color story of Blue/Orange and Red/Green.

To make this 64″ x 64″ quilt design, you will start with the central 24″ x 44″ panel, then cut up and piece the block panels to make the side sections. Finish the border with the Fox Stripe and coordinates from the collection.

Do you know what a bunch of fox cubs are called? A Skulk of Kits! This Mama Fox has tenderness in her eyes, as she is surrounded by her own skulk of adorable kits. This is a great gift for the Fox Lovers among us, including those who say Foxes are their spirit animal. We have a beautiful fox who lives behind the eQuilter building, who comes out at dusk….so we are fans!

…from the ‘Auburn Fox’ collection by Kayomi Harai for Studio E Fabrics.

PLUS – you’ll receive Free USA / 50% off INTL shipping
when you order the fabrics for this rather eccentric quilt pattern
(orders $100 and over, no coupon needed).

Don’t miss the ‘Sun and Sea‘ and ‘Midnight Run‘ quilt patterns!

Your Free Quilt Pattern – Fantastic Foxes – Free Shipping
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.

Luana and Paul Rubin
Share Post:
Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin
Posted in Animals, Free Quilt Patterns | Comments Off on Free Quilt Pattern – Fantastic Foxes

Free Quilt Pattern – Midnight Run

Posted on August 2, 2022 by Luana

Wild horses gallop in the surf at sunset, in this spectacular Free Quilt Pattern. White horses splash through gleaming waves, reflecting the colors in the sky.

To make this 48″ x 67″ quilt design, you will start with the 24″ x 44″ scenic panel, then piece Solid Kona Black with Purple Leaves and Turquoise Marbled Waves to create the jewel-like border. This eQuilter exclusive pattern captures the amethyst and blue topaz hues of luminous water, and the free spirit of these majestic creatures.

…from the ‘Midnight Run’ collection by Chong-A Hwang for Timeless Treasures.

Don’t miss the ‘Sun and Sea‘ and ‘Spirit Animals‘ quilt patterns!

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.

Luana and Paul Rubin

Share Post:
Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin
Posted in Animals, Free Quilt Patterns | Comments Off on Free Quilt Pattern – Midnight Run

New Quilting Treasures, 3 Wishes, Oasis

Posted on August 2, 2022 by Luana

Don’t miss our new Designer Fabric Clearance.
Over 285 Premium Clearance products at 40% Off!

Sunday’s our last chance Animal & Bird Clearance, 45% off.

* This Week’s Hot Picks *

Australian ‘Pannotia’ features butterflies & dragonflies in vibrant color.

‘Power of the Elements‘ depicts Mother Nature’s vital spirit.

‘Wolf Song‘ is a celebration of wolves with Dreamcatchers.

Bear cubs grace the Autumn Forest in ‘Nature Walk’.

Horses gallop through the ‘Snowfall On The Range‘.

Graffiti artists spray paint pup portraits in ‘Dogs in the City‘.

Australian artist De Gillett Cox illustrates brilliant cockatoos.

African themed prints celebrate with bright color & geometrics.

Don’t miss New Halloween prints: Carving Pumpkins & Ghostly Greetings.

Plus Christmas selections continue to pour into the eQuilter warehouse!

Enjoy 26 bright new Batiks from Island Batik,
and 22 fabulous new Precuts, from Celebrate Fall to Winter Sparkle.

Check out this week’s *Rubin Design Studio* Digital Exclusives!

Yes You Can Make a Difference
Today was International Friendship Day, and I’ve been thinking about how lucky I was to find my way to the quilting community in 1992. As you probably know, when we join this community and call ourselves Quilters, we join a worldwide tribe of makers and stitchers, who are some of the most generous and compassionate people I have ever known. I assume that is why our charity program has resonated with loyal customers for over 20 years, as we have raised (together!) over $1.9 million to help those whose voices are not being heard.

Among those voices are the wildlife with whom we share this planet. We have a special relationship with our non-profit partners, and when I travel, I meet with them whenever possible. In the midweek newsletter I told you about my meeting with Ocean Conservancy while in Washington DC. I would also like to share with you my meeting with Leda Huta, the executive director of the Endangered Species Coalition. We met with her before heading to the airport on Wednesday.

My inbox is full of emails from non-profits asking for help. However, in my personal life as well as in our business, I am extremely careful about choosing where I may donate funds. I want to know that the money is going directly to where it is most needed, and not into the pockets of a fatcat CEO of a non-profit. This is more common than you can imagine. This is why before you donate, you should always meet those running the organization in person, or vet the recipients on a watchdog site like Charity Navigator.

For many years I felt like these non-profits were competing with each other. I would meet with them and encourage them to band together so their combined voices and efforts would be more powerful. When it comes to issues like endangered species, poisoned waters, and climate change…we just can’t waste any more time.

The Endangered Species Coalition is an umbrella organization that does just what I dreamed about. The ESC is one of several non-profits to whom we are giving monthly donations, in addition to the 7 charities you see when you check out with an eQuilter order.

In my lunch meeting with Leda, we discussed a joint project on Art and Activism. Lately I’ve been asked to write and speak on this topic more and more, as it is a huge trend that is connecting the art world with the nonprofit world. How can you as an artist make a difference in the world? Stay tuned!

If you are going to the Long Beach Quilt Festival next weekend, be sure to check out the “Celebration of Color” contest exhibit – sponsored by eQuilter.com!

Sharing your love of fabric,
Luana

Visit eQuilter’s Instagram, Pinterest or Twitter 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.

Quilt/Travel/Sponsor Calendar:
Aug 17-20 – Festival of Quilts – Birmingham UK – Quilt Trends Lecture & SAQA Forced to Flee
Sept 21-24 – SAQA Conference – San Diego CA
October 2022 – Luana’s Polar Bear Tour – Churchill Manitoba Canada


Share Post:
Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin
Posted in Charity | Comments Off on New Quilting Treasures, 3 Wishes, Oasis

Free Quilt Pattern – Spirit Animals

Posted on July 29, 2022 by Luana

There’s nothing like a Winter Wildlife scene, to get through a Summer heatwave!

This week’s exclusive Free Quilt Pattern features 4 enigmatic animal portraits set in a chilly wintertime backdrop. A beautiful Snow Leopard, Red Fox, Snowy Owl and Wolf are all featured in detailed vignettes.

To make this 65″ x 65″ quilt design, you will start with two panels (each have 2 large portrait blocks), then piece together and make the pieced border with 2 Hoffman Hand-Dyes and 2 Stonehenge textures, in soft neutral colors of Stone and Wood.

…from the ‘Spirit Animals’ collection by Collin Bogle for P&B Textiles.

PLUS – you’ll receive Free USA / 50% off INTL shipping
when you order the fabrics for this rather eccentric quilt pattern
(orders $100 and over, no coupon needed).

Don’t miss the ‘Sun and Sea‘ and ‘Neon Nature‘ quilt patterns!


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.

Luana and Paul Rubin

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

African Design Prints

Posted on July 28, 2022 by Luana

eQuilter – 45% OFF Animal and Birds Fabric Clearance

I am writing to you from Washington DC tonight, after spending a few days in Herndon Virginia for the Sacred Threads exhibit. Sophie Quinn is with me so I am letting her interests guide our museum time here. Monday we spent at the African American Museum, avoiding the sweltering heat, humidity and a monsoon squall later in the day. Today we spent at the National Art Gallery and the American Indian Museum. I have lots of photos from Sacred Threads and Wash DC that I’ll be sharing in the next couple weeks.

My brother is a Washington DC architect and his firm has worked on several high profile projects. They were involved in some of the display fabrication at the NMAAHC, which makes it even more interesting to visit. It is the hot ticket in DC now. (The hot ticket used to be the Holocaust Museum.) You need to subscribe to their newsletter and/or be a member, to grab the timed tickets that are released a month in advance. It is a very somber journey, as you travel back in time to the 3rd basement level, to the beginning of the story of slavery from West Africa.

This time, as last time, I witnessed a heartbreaking scene as a young boy asked about a brutal image and his father tried to explain to him what it meant. It is experiences such as this, and the visit to the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg, that strengthen my resolve to stand up and speak out against racism. When I attended the quilt festival in Nantes France (April 2019) I also visited the Musée d’histoire de Nantes located in the castle of the Dukes of Brittany, and housing displays about the history of slavery in Europe.

As we ran out of time at the NMAAHC, we found ourselves alone in a gallery of contemporary art, and to my delight and surprise I found a large art quilt by Bisa Butler which was recently acquired by the museum. It is a colorful portrait of Harriet Tubman, based on the carte-de-visite photograph portrait of Tubman by Benjamin F. Powelson, made with imported West African printed cotton, silk and velvet. I was thrilled to finally see one of Bisa’s works in person!

You can read more about her beautiful textile art here:
“I Go to Prepare a Place for You”, 2021 by Bisa Butler

My other priority while here is to visit with our non-profit partners and curator friends. Today I met with a staffer from the Ocean Conservancy (one of our 7 main charities) and we discovered a serendipitous connection. She mentioned she has a relative who is a quilter. Well that is not uncommon. But as we chatted I discovered it is the talented wildlife artist Sophie Standing, who is moving from Kenya to the UK soon. A further connection? Susan de Vanny – Australian artist who made the Gorilla portrait in my “For the Love of Gaia” exhibit – just finished a fiber art portrait of Sophie Standing’s two young sons. Sometimes it is just crazy how small our quilting world is, when we start comparing notes!

Tomorrow I am meeting with Leda Huta, executive director of the Endangered Species Coalition. Then we fly home!

Sharing your love of fabric,
Luana and Paul

** The photo collage above includes a detail photo of Bisa Butler’s quilt in the Smithsonian, and similar African-design prints carried by eQuilter.

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

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

Quilt/Travel/Sponsor Calendar:
August 4 – Long Beach Quilt Festival – Awards “Celebration of Color”
Aug 17-20 – Festival of Quilts – Birmingham UK – Quilt Trends Lecture & SAQA Forced to Flee
(Register for Luana’s trend lecture – Friday 10 am.)
Sept 21-24 – SAQA Conference – San Diego CA
October 2022 – Luana’s Polar Bear Tour – Churchill Manitoba Canada
Share Post:
Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin
Posted in Art, Travel | Comments Off on African Design Prints

Free Quilt Pattern – Sun and Sea

Posted on July 26, 2022 by Luana

Your Free Quilt Pattern – Sun and Sea – Free Shipping

The extraordinary artwork of David Galchutt comes alive in today’s Free eQuilter Pattern. An elegant Sun peaks into the ocean, watching sea creatures swim beneath the surface.

The main ‘Sun and Sea’ panel is surrounded by Sun face frames and coordinating Celestial Chevron Stripes. Rich tonal prism and petal flowers in yellow and teal complete the borders.

This easy to make 53″ x 53″ sunshine inspired quilt is the perfect gift for summer sunshine and seashore lovers.

…from the ‘Sun & Sea’ collection by David Galchutt for Quilting Treasures.

PLUS – you’ll receive Free USA / 50% off INTL shipping
when you order the fabrics for this rather eccentric quilt pattern
(orders $100 and over, no coupon needed).

Don’t miss the ‘Steampunk Christmas‘ and ‘Neon Nature‘ quilt patterns!

Your Free Quilt Pattern – Sun and Sea – Free Shipping
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.

Luana and Paul Rubin
Share Post:
Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin
Posted in Free Quilt Patterns | Comments Off on Free Quilt Pattern – Sun and Sea

Free Quilt Pattern – Neon Nature

Posted on July 25, 2022 by Luana

Today’s Free eQuilter pattern features the rich and vibrant hues of ‘Neon Nature’ by Timeless Treasures.

The central Leaf Mandala panel provides the rainbow-colored foundation, while the coordinating Luminescent Flora prints are pieced to provide dramatic accents. The delicate, whisper purple hand dye and amethyst purple tonal complete the background and outer borders.

Make this marvelous 63″ x 71″ quilt to add pizazz and brighten up your day!

…from the ‘Neon Nature’ collection by Timeless Treasures.

PLUS – you’ll receive Free USA / 50% off INTL shipping
when you order the fabrics for this rather eccentric quilt pattern
(orders $100 and over, no coupon needed).

Don’t miss the ‘Steampunk Christmas‘ and ‘Halloween Countdown‘ quilt patterns!
Your Free Quilt Pattern – Neon Nature – Free Shipping

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.

Luana and Paul Rubin
Share Post:
Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin
Posted in Quilt Pattern | Comments Off on Free Quilt Pattern – Neon Nature

New Northcott, Timeless, Alexander Henry

Posted on July 25, 2022 by Luana

Save big on our Animals, Birds & Bugs Fabric Clearance.
Shop over 280 Premium Clearance products at 45% Off!

And Sunday’s the last day of 45% off Clearance Floral & Botanic.

The Northern Lights come alive with ‘Aurora Borealis from Northcott.

Healing Waters by Mark Anthony Jacobson shine with Loons & Salmon.

Esperanza illustrates Frida Kahlo portraits & florals.

Belinda’s Brownstone is filled whimsical witches, potions & spells.

Sugar Skulls & Las Elegantes are top Day of the Dead features.

Queen Bees rule over their precious honeycombs & sunflowers.

Timeless Cherry Pies are tasty desserts for your kitchen.

‘Life Happens Wine Helps‘ will satisfy your vineyard appetite.

Canine & Kitty Christmas are dressed up for the Holidays
while Santa makes his journey Around the World.
Tomten’s Village is filled with Christmas Gnomes & Santa Claus,
and Mistletoe Magic captures the Holiday Spirit.

Plus ‘Midnight Run‘ by Chong-a Hwang and
‘Neon Nature‘ explode with dramatic color.

Don’t miss this week’s *Rubin Design Studio* Digital Exclusives!

Sacred Threads exhibition
It has been a busy week, and we are full of lots of happy hugs from friends in the quilting community here at Sacred Threads in Herndon Virginia. There is quite an overlap with SAQA artists here too, so we are enjoying the buzz of being around fellow creative quilters. I had a wonderful surprise when I arrived at the Sacred Threads venue. The first quilt I spied through the entrance was my own quilt – “Stardust Mothers” – which will be traveling to England on Monday for the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham UK. I am so honored to have my work placed at the entrance to the show. I have photographed the show which ends this weekend, and will share those images with you in the next couple weeks.

On Sunday, Sophie Quinn and I will travel from the Dulles area to Washington DC. Sophie has added an Arts Practices minor to her Music Education major, so we need to go visit some museums while we are there. We are also meeting with some of our non-profit partners, including Ocean Conservancy and Endangered Species Coalition. I was working on some longterm curating projects before the pandemic hit, with some non-profit partners. I am trying to keep those connections fresh so perhaps we can fire up those projects again.

Lisa Ellis, the director of Sacred Threads, is stepping down, and the whole project is going to be looking for a new home and new team. Personally I hope that a quilt museum will take on Sacred Threads and keep the bi-annual exhibit going into the future. If any of you have ideas about a new home and new team to run this project, please contact Lisa or contact me and I will put you in touch. Lisa, Barb and the Sacred Threads team have done an absolutely awesome job running this project in Herndon VA, and I send them my deepest gratitude. eQuilter came on as a sponsor for this show when the founder Vicki Pignatelli was still in charge. I hope that we can see the show transition to a new team and venue, and continue into a strong future.

It used to be that the Holocaust Museum was the hottest (free) timed ticket in DC. Now it is the African American Museum. I am a charter member, so I am able to get tickets, and that’s where Sophie and I will spend Monday…when the heat index is supposed to be 103 degrees! However if you are not a member, you have to get tickets, as they are released one month in advance. They are free timed entry tickets, but they go FAST.

We are also seeing a Shakespeare play at the National Building Museum, put on by the Folger Shakespeare Library. My two Washington-themed quilts will be in the Washington DC exhibit at Houston Quilt Festival this Fall. My two quilts are: the Folger Reading Room, and the White House. I got a sneak peak at the single preview copy of the exhibit’s companion book today. The book will be out later this year and of course we will carry this title at eQuilter.com as soon as it is available. It is a beautiful exhibit and I can’t wait to see the other DC quilts in person this October!

Sharing your love of fabric,
Luana

Visit eQuilter’s Instagram, Pinterest or Twitter 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.

Quilt/Travel/Sponsor Calendar:
July 19 – Quilting Arts TV
July 22-26 – Sacred Threads Weekend, Dulles/Wash DC
August 4 – Long Beach Quilt Festival – Awards “Celebration of Color”
Aug 17-20 – Festival of Quilts – Birmingham UK – Quilt Trends Lecture & SAQA Forced to Flee
Sept 21-24 – SAQA Conference – San Diego CA
October 2022 – Luana’s Polar Bear Tour – Churchill Manitoba Canada


Share Post:
Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin
Posted in Art, Travel | Comments Off on New Northcott, Timeless, Alexander Henry

Free Quilt Pattern – Halloween Nevermore

Posted on July 22, 2022 by Luana

Your Free Quilt Pattern – Halloween Nevermore – Free Shipping

While you are staying indoors, sheltering from the summer heat….you can prepare for cooler weather and Halloween…which is now about 3 months away. This exclusive eQuilter Free Quilt Pattern features creepy Victorian motifs like Ravens, drippy candles on a candelabra, plus elegant tassels and strings of pearls, and embellished pumpkins.

To make this generous-sized 62″ x 80″ quilt design, you will start with the central 24″ x 44″ panel, featuring a curious Raven peering into a dark mirror. You will piece 5 coordinates from this “Candelabra” collection, plus a Kona Solid Black, to make the layered striped border.

What does the Raven see in the mirror? Perhaps the ghost of Edgar Allen Poe?

Consider using a specialty thread to finish this quilt, like a Black Metallic, or a Glow-in-the-Dark thread. Or maybe you just need to pick up an Orange thread for your thread stash, to do some contrasting decorative stitches as a unique finish?

…from the ‘Candelabra’ collection by Cerrito Creek Studio for Northcott Fabrics.

PLUS – you’ll receive Free USA / 50% off INTL shipping
when you order the fabrics for this rather eccentric quilt pattern
(orders $100 and over, no coupon needed).

Don’t miss the ‘Aurora Polaris‘ and ‘Halloween Countdown‘ quilt patterns!

Your Free Quilt Pattern – Halloween Nevermore – Free Shipping
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.

Luana and Paul Rubin
Share Post:
Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin
Posted in Holidays/Events, Quilt Pattern | Comments Off on Free Quilt Pattern – Halloween Nevermore