While you eat your Christmas Eve pudding by the crackling fire, singing carols and wrapping those last few gifts…way up North the polar bears are happy and fat, celebrating their favorite time of year out on the ice.
Tonight’s Free Quilt Pattern takes us to a magical winter wonderland with embellished Polar Bears enjoying a frosty Arctic Eve under twinkling stars.
To make this 58″ x 69″ quilt design, start by pressing the 24″ x 44″ panel, glistening with Pearlescent accents. You will build the border with more embellished swirls, coordinating blenders, and the alternating Penguin and Polar Bear frame.
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.
Whether you are celebrating Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah or Solstice this time of year…it is a time for family gatherings and prayers for Peace. As I have continued my mother’s genealogy research and discovered a long line of Quakers who came to the US in the 17th Century, my deep thirst for peace and compassion for those in need, has become more clear. We don’t need a reason to crave peace though, especially this time of year.
My friend Herma de Ruiter in the Netherlands, makes a stitch meditation every single day. (Using these Eleganza Perle Threads) These days she is making a stitch meditation with a Dove, as a prayer for peace. I do believe that when we make a quilt for a new baby, for a couple getting married, or for someone with a health challenge….every stitch is a prayer for a blessing on the recipient.
In these turbulent times, I urge all of you to Stitch for Peace over this holiday week. We can only hope that the power of thousands and millions of prayers for Peace and Healing will bring some resolution to the pain and suffering around the world. In the meantime the eQuilter charity program continues to send out thousands of dollars every month to our carefully chosen list of non-profits. When you place an order, any order, 2% of your purchase goes to help those in need, save the planet, and bring comfort.
This is the time of year to give (and receive!) eQuilter Gift Certificates. If you order now, you can have instant gratification with an emailed Gift Certificate. If you are on the receiving end of an eQuilter Gift Certificate (because you are an expert at dropping hints), now is the time to start planning your next couple projects for the post-holiday Winter Sewing Season.
Wishing you a holiday table full of Love and Light.
sharing your love for fabric, Luana and Paul
Travel/Quilt Dates: Feb 21-24, 2024 – QuiltCon in Raleigh, NC – eQuilter is a GOLD Sponsor. March 6 – Canadian Quilters Association – Zoom Lecture “Intl Quilt Trends”
This light and fun Free Quilt Pattern is just perfect for that little one who’s learning the names of wild animals … I bet you know just the child who would enjoy these happy zoo animals.
Make this 48″ x 58″ quilt as a Crib Quilt, or for the most fantastic Play Mat! Your favorite little person will find an Elephant, Giraffe, Rhino, Monkey, Tiger, and Crocodile to capture their attention on each ‘page’ of this Soft Book which has been cleverly turned into a child’s play quilt!
Start with the wild animal frames from the main panel, then mix in the fun zoo animal allover coordinate, and finish it off with the coordinating multi-color dot print. We know this will bring a big smile to the lucky kid who receives this baby animal themed quilt.
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.
Today I had lunch with the founder of Engineers Without Borders (just returned from Uganda), and the recently retired president of the Wild Foundation, who has just returned from COP28. (The United Nations Climate Change Conference that just took place in Dubai.) If these 2 organizations sound familiar, it is because they are 2 of our 7 charities listed on the checkout page when you place an order with eQuilter. Both of these leaders have supported my activist artwork, and it is always inspiring to share a conversation with them.
Today I also received the current newsletter for Mission of Love (another one of our non-profits) and Kathy Price has very kindly featured an article about eQuilter and a full color image of my artwork, just inside the front page. If you have donated directly to MOL, perhaps you received one of these in the mail also. I am trying to get extra copies for our customers in the near future. It is so uplifting to read about all they have accomplished this year…and Kathy is always an inspiration to me.
I rescued a dog today. I was driving home and I saw a Basset Hound on the curb of the main street that goes from our neighborhood to our warehouse. I parked and jumped out, and engaged the pup until the owner came running out of the house around the corner. At one point 3 more Basset Hounds came running out into the street so that was me and her trying to catch 4 Basset Hounds in the street. You can just imagine. As they all galloped around, it was a lot of flopping ears and bobbling bellies. Thank goodness she got all of them back inside safely!
Quilts, just like musical instruments, have a life of their own that continues after we move on. My mother would be so happy that her piano was delivered to its new home today. It has gone to a friend of the family who is studying piano, and is thrilled to have his own piano in his home now. 50 years of memories vibrate in that instrument, including the years that Mom accompanied me performing cello sonatas and concertos. It was a gift from my grandparents….my grandma played piano too. For awhile there we had 4 pianos in the family and now we are down to 2. Sophie Quinn is studying piano for her Music Ed degree, and she has the electric piano in her apartment. The piano that belonged to Paul’s mom is in our house. So many memories, and so much more music to be made…
The Winter Solstice is on Thursday evening here. It is the longest night and the shortest day of the year, here in the Northern Hemisphere. (Those of you in the Southern Hemisphere….our friends in Australia, New Zealand, South America and Africa…are entering the Summer season.) We seek the peace, the deep hibernation of these long nights, to cocoon and dream of the butterfly we will become, knowing that it is from this place of quiet darkness that a new seed will sprout for the New Year. Wishing you Sweet Dreams and a long Winter’s nap.
Thank you for supporting our family-owned business in 2023 – The year we topped $2 million raised for charity – with YOUR help.
Travel/Quilt Dates: Feb 21-24, 2024 – QuiltCon in Raleigh, NC – eQuilter is a GOLD Sponsor. March 6 – Canadian Quilters Association – Zoom Lecture “Intl Quilt Trends”
This evening’s Free Quilt Pattern captures a sweet Christmas scene of a beloved African American Santa sharing joy and cheer among the children.
To make this 60″ x 54″ quilt design, you will start with the exquisitely detailed 36″ x 44″ central panel. The inset starry and snowflake blocks are set on point with a white textured print.
This charming quilt may remind you of Christmas past, but will definitely be an heirloom for future holidays as well!
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.
This time of year many of us are ordering online and receiving packages. I had my own mailorder customer experience this week that drive me bonkers – and it reminded me why we start this business in the first place! Because we own a mailorder business and I have this funny idea that when a package is prepared and shipped it should be done in a way that shows you care about the value of the product and the value of the customer.
I just want to remind all of you that we are a family-run business employing 25 people, many of whom are moms with kids, and we all are very focused on how important each package is for the person who ordered. If you ever have a question about an order, we have real live people who pick up the phone during our Monday-Friday business hours. You can also interact with us on Live Chat, and sometimes your email questions on the weekend might even be picked up by Paul.
This time of year our warehouse is transformed and everyone is wearing an invisible Christmas Elf hat, except for the day when we have our Ugly Christmas Sweater Contest and Party which is later this week. On Thursday many of us will come to work with our Santa hats and reindeer headbands! We’ll be sure to post photos on our eQuilter Facebook page! Our awesome warehouse staff is working overtime to get your packages out, and we hope when you receive the box or envelope, and untie the ribbons, you will gasp with delight because…the fabric always looks even better in person!
This is the time of year to give (and receive!) eQuilter Gift Certificates. If you order now, we will drop them in the mail Monday, or you can have instant gratification with an emailed Gift Certificate. Don’t forget about our other specialty Gift items like Artisan Chocolates, Tea Towels, and the ever-popular Laurel Burch Socks….all in the Christmas Gift page.
If you are on the receiving end of an eQuilter Gift Certificate (because you are an expert at dropping hints), now is the time to start planning your next couple projects for the post-holiday Winter Sewing Season. I have 3 quilt projects dancing like Sugar-Plums in my head, living there rent-free until I can get through the holidays and get back into the studio. With every cookie I bake, and every gift I wrap, I am dreaming of stitching on my beloved Bernina and discovering new heights of creativity in 2024.
sharing your love for fabric, Luana and Paul
Travel/Quilt Dates: Feb 21-24, 2024 – QuiltCon in Raleigh, NC – eQuilter is a GOLD Sponsor. March 6 – Canadian Quilters Association – Zoom Lecture “Intl Quilt Trends”
This adorable Baby Animal collection continues to sell out, and we managed to find the very last remaining yardage from the manufacturer. So don’t miss out!
“Sweet” – is the word that comes to mind with this Baby Animal artwork by South African designer Clint Eagar. This exclusive Free Quilt Pattern uses 7 fabrics from his “Baby Safari Animals” collection, to create this 56″ x 67″ quilt design.
We love the soft colors of sand, sky and water….but the expressions on the young animals’ faces are just precious. Gently wrap your favorite little person in this charming wildlife quilt for sweet dreams and quiet playtime.
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.
“The Tea” by Mary Cassatt – Boston Museum of Fine Arts
We just received several hundred copies of the Schmetz “ABC Pocket Guide – Home Sewing Machine Needles” booklet, a 30-page 5″x7″ publication that helps you to match the right needle with your thread size and sewing task. With every purchase of an Aurifil Large Cone, Collection or Set (All 20% off through the end of the month) we will include a free Schmetz Needle Guide. (One per customer please.) You can see our current stock of Schmetz Needles here.
I have just returned from Boston, where I visited the John Singer Sargent exhibits at the MFA, and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Isabella (1840–1924) was the daughter of a man who made his initial fortune importing Irish linen. She grew up in New York, was ‘finished’ in Paris. After she and her husband lost their only child, they traveled throughout Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Later she studied with the Harvard’s first art history professor. She began a lifelong obsession with collecting….rare books & manuscripts, and eventually her grand obsession of collecting fine artwork.
After she lost her husband, she built a Venetian-inspired palatial museum with a music hall and interior courtyard garden. She lived on the top floor and was known as a ‘Millionaire Bohemienne’. Her relationship with Sargent as patron and friend, led to several portraits. The concurrent exhibit at her museum features her full length portrait by Sargent. To see the rest of his stunning life-size portraits of other personalities who inspired “The Gilded Age“, just walk a few blocks to the Museum of Fine Art to see the John Singer Sargent once-in-a-lifetime exhibit, closing January 15, 2024.
Women have struggled to be recognized as artists and patrons, and Mary Cassatt was one of the first painters to break through into a male-dominated art world. Above, you see Cassatt’s painting “The Tea” (photographed at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston) in her signature style, depicting intimate moments of domestic life.
The National Museum of Women in the Arts has just reopened in Washington DC after a long renovation. The NMWA is the first museum in the world solely dedicated to championing women through the arts.
On this theme, I am featuring 3 female artists in the 3 fabric categories shown above. (See original e-newsletter for links.) Of course in the quilting world women are ubiquitous, and men are most welcome, but it is not that long ago that women were barred from participating in the art professions. Now we work for diversity in the textile arts, and for art quilts to be accepted as Fine Art. There is always another barrier to break down in the world of art.
Thank you for supporting our family-owned business in 2023 – the year we topped $2 million raised for charity – with YOUR help.
Travel/Quilt Dates: Feb 21-24, 2024 – QuiltCon in Raleigh, NC – eQuilter is a GOLD Sponsor. March 6 – Canadian Quilters Association – Zoom Lecture “Intl Quilt Trends”
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Tonight’s Free eQuilter Pattern features celebrated artist David Galchutt’s ‘Rooster Meadow’ collection displaying bright sunny colors adorned with floral mandalas.
To make this 49″ x 64″ quilt pattern, you’ll start with the 24″ x 44″ framed panel, and add coordinating rooster stripe, rooster allover and blue vine tonal. This easy to make quilt can be quickly sewn and displayed as a fun, countryside farm scene in your home.
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.
This week we are introducing a new line of DecoBob thread – the 80 weight cottonized poly thread from Wonderfil. This very fine but strong thread disappears into your quilt or applique – the right balance of delicacy and strength. I have been looking at this line at the last 3 quilt festivals I attended, in France, Canada and Houston…and I was very impressed. Be sure you have the right needle for your machine to go with this fine thread. (as noted on the product description page) Toss a spool in your shopping cart and try out this new line! We are stocking the 2187 yard Mini-Cones all 60 colors for your machine stitching and hand applique projects.
Tonight I am writing to you from Boston, where I’ve been taking an Art Break to see the John Singer Sargent exhibit at the MFA, and also enjoying the fabulous Isabella Stewart Gardner museum. If you are a fan of the costume drama “The Gilded Age” then you would love this MFA show featuring the fashions and fabric used by Sargent. One of his lush paintings is of a socialite from that era, wearing a dress that was reproduced for one of the main characters of Gilded Age – Bertha Russell. The Gardner museum has a concurrent special exhibit focusing on Gardner’s portrait by Sargent. These shows are all about luxe draped shimmering textiles – silks, velvets, lustrous satins and beading. I bet you are familiar with Sargent’s famous painting ‘Madame X’ which normally lives in his gallery at the Met in New York, but she has traveled here to Boston to be part of the figurative fireworks at the Museum of Fine Arts…closing January 15.
This is the time of year to give (and receive!) eQuilter Gift Certificates. If you order now, we will drop them in the mail Monday, or you can have instant gratification with an emailed Gift Certificate. Don’t forget about our other specialty Gift items like Artisan Chocolates, Tea Towels, and the ever-popular Laurel Burch Socks….all in the Christmas Gift page.
sharing your love for fabric, Luana and Paul
Travel/Quilt Dates: Dec 8-9 – Boston MA Feb 21-24, 2024 – QuiltCon in Raleigh, NC – eQuilter is a GOLD Sponsor. March 6 – Canadian Quilters Association – Zoom Lecture “Intl Quilt Trends”
