Our hearts go out to those Ukrainians whose lives and homes have been ripped away by the ongoing war. We have ordered a new collection of Ukrainian-themed designs for those of you supporting the Ukraine diaspora scattered from Donbas to the US, and many countries in between. As always, we send 2% of sales to the charity of your choice….Doctors Without Borders and Mission of Love are working to help Ukraine refugees now.
This exclusive Free Quilt Pattern is a celebration of Ukrainian culture in more peaceful times, with a Sunflower border in the colors of the Ukraine flag.
To make this 48″ x 62″ quilt design, you will start by cutting up the 4 large blocks in the 29″ x 44″ panel. Cut 4 corner blocks from a 2nd block panel, then piece the Sunflower corner blocks, and the Blue and Yellow borders. Finish with a Sunflower print binding.
PLUS – you’ll receive Free USA / 50% off INTL shipping when you order the fabrics for this wonderful 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.
I have just returned from a long weekend in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It is a 7-8 hour drive from Boulder. (except when you take a side trip to Taos, or get caught in a monsoon rainstorm in the mountains, as we did…) The colors, the light, and the Southwest art were all a creative palate-cleanser. We were fortunate to have a dramatic mind-blowing sunset every night we were there. Sophie was my sidekick and we had fun meeting friends to visit the “All Terrain” exhibit in the Roundhouse – the New Mexico State Capitol building. Thanks to Betty Busby and Gail Garber for giving us a private quilt show in Betty’s home in Albuquerque!
On the way home Monday afternoon, after stopping to visit Terrie Mangat’s Taos mountain home and art studio, we drove through the San Luis Valley, and were delighted to see a small band of mustangs on the side of the road in open range. This has been a dream of mine since I was a little girl – to actually see mustangs running free on the open range. Back then (early 70s) there were thousands roaming the Western wild lands.
The Wild Horse Mesa covers about 75 square miles, a few miles south of San Luis, near New Mexico. This area is home to about 150 wild horses. They are descendants of horses used by Spanish explorers (conquistadors), brought to America in the 1500’s. Spaniards began bringing horses to North America starting in 1493, after Columbus landed in 1492.
Local indigenous tribes acquired horses in the 1600’s. According to tribal historians, the Ute Indians acquired Spanish horses in 1580. Tribal history states that captive Utes escaped with horses from Santa Fe in 1637, making the Utes the first Native Americans to introduce horses into their culture.
You may have heard about the BLM rounding up wild horses and storing them in pens, and selling them at auction, often destined for the same final fate as cattle. The herds have been reduced to a tiny fraction of their original numbers over the last 50 years. As time goes on we are less likely to see mustangs running free, if this practice continues. Mustangs are a part of our Western heritage, and the majority of Americans would like the wild horses to be left on the land. We can only hope that the herds will be allowed to exist at their current numbers, and not reduced/removed further. It is an absolute thrill to spot a group of wild horses running free across a wild Western landscape.
A little piece of my own history – as a teenager I rode a pinto Quarter Horse in the barrel racing competitions at the Boulder County Fairs. When my parents divorced we couldn’t afford to keep him, which broke my heart. I loved to draw horses as a child, which you may have seen in my previous fabric collections I designed. I read every horsey book by Marguerite Henry at least 5 times!
We are still running a comfort quilt drive for Uvalde, Texas. You can read the details here. There is a still a need to comfort and support this traumatized community.
Thanks for telling your friends about our family-owned business. We appreciate you!
Sharing your love of fabric, Luana and Paul
p.s. The photo collage above is a group of images photographed by Luana in the last week in Santa Fe.
Quilt/Travel/Sponsor Calendar: July 19 – Quilting Arts TV July 21-27 – 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
‘The Kiss’ is surrounded by Klimt coordinates, including Geometrics and Venetian Glass, richly ornamented with gold accents and gold spatter. These iconic design elements will forever say ‘Klimt’ to art lovers, and the rich red lacquer coordinates signify passion and love.
The Gustav Klimt collection portrays an opulent look that rivals the gold-leaf laden paintings of the Viennese painter.
PLUS – you’ll receive Free USA / 50% off INTL shipping when you order the fabrics for this wonderful quilt pattern (orders $100 and over, no coupon needed).
This weekend I am writing to you from Santa Fe, New Mexico. I promised Sophie Quinn that we’d come down to see the opera this summer, so we are having a mother-and-daughter break. Of course we had to include some Quilty activities so we joined friends to see the All Terrain fiber art exhibit in the “Roundhouse” (New Mexico Capitol Building) yesterday. We are seeing Barber of Seville and Carmen at the beautiful outdoor opera theater. It is monsoon season so the sunsets have been spectacular!
Wherever I travel I run into quilters, sometimes in the funniest places. Today we decided to go bra shopping which is not a lot of fun but since we hadn’t done that since well before the pandemic, and our local Macy’s is being torn down, we decided to head to a local department store here. Wouldn’t you know it – I overheard a woman discussing quilt fabric with the saleslady at the cash register. We started chatting because – you know – we are part of this worldwide tribe and we can always strike up a conversation about fabric, sewing machines, etc.
Fortunately Sophie enjoys all my quilter friends. Tomorrow we are joining them in Albuquerque, and Monday we’ll drive back through Taos to stop and see another fiber artist friend, on the way home to Colorado.
Friday night was a little surprising at the opera. The giant elevator/lift that brings the sets from the basement to the stage, had broken down and due to supply chain issues, they could not get it fixed before the performance. So instead they used the mostly-finished set from the future production of Falstaff, and the cast had 3 hours to rehearse on the new setup. Just goes to show…the repercussions of the pandemic and supply chain issues are going to be with us for awhile. The best thing to do is to smile and go with the flow. We are leaving in a few minutes to see the sunset from the opera house, and then ‘Carmen’ on stage. Hopefully they got the lift fixed and we’ll see the Carmen sets, instead of the Falstaff set for a 2nd night. I had to cancel my Carmen tickets in Denver earlier this year, (due to a pandemic spike) so it is nice to have another chance to see one of our favorite operas.
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
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Your Free Quilt Pattern – Truckin’ – Free Shipping
Celebrate our big rig truck drivers with today’s Free eQuilter Pattern! This exquisite quilt design features realistic and dynamic ‘Road Trains’ zooming down the highways.
PLUS – you’ll receive Free USA / 50% off INTL shipping when you order the fabrics for this wonderful quilt pattern (orders $100 and over, no coupon needed).
Your Free Quilt Pattern – Truckin’ – 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.
I must start by sending our deepest sympathies to the community of Highland Park. From our mass shooting in Boulder 15 months ago, to Uvalde, and now this…when it has happened in your own community you feel the pain very personally.
This week I would like to share the work of an extraordinary Canadian quilt artist. I finally met Faiza Elmayergi a few weeks ago, and discovered that we have a mutual admiration club. Faiza buys much of her fabric from eQuilter. I am delighted to show you this quilt – “My Garden Gate” – which I photographed in Vancouver at Quilt Canada. And her other quilt “Majestic” won 1st place in the Traditional category.
Several years ago I was at the award ceremony when Faiza won her very first award. Her intricate applique work is inspired by Islamic architecture and Mosaic design from previous centuries. So her work has a timeless quality and beautiful symmetry. You can see this and her other quilt on my photo pages.
This quilt in the above collage (left side) features machine applique using one piece of rainbow ombre fabric (see category link below) for the filigree gate design. Hand embroidery, crystals and beads add embellishment. It was quilted by Barbara Bettles.
When Faiza stepped up to the microphone several years ago, to receive her first award, she told the story of entering her quilt for the very first time. She didn’t think her work was worthy, but friends insisted that she fill out the application and send in the registration. Not only did she get in, but she won a big award her very first time! I have seen this happen many times over the years, so the moral of the story is….do you best work and then enter it in a show or contest. You never know what might happen!
On Thursday Sophie and I are driving down to Santa Fe, and we’ll be meeting up with some quilt artist friends there…and going to the opera. We’ll be visiting art exhibits and museums, and the International Folk Art Market. I’ll share some photos with you when I return next week!
Thanks for telling your friends about our family-owned business. We appreciate you!
Quilt/Travel/Sponsor Calendar: July 7-11 – Santa Fe 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
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Due to popular demand, we have restocked this collection by author/curator/historian Sandra Sider, which is on the topic of Women’s Voting Rights. Timely, yes? We don’t know if Benartex will follow our suggestion to reprint this group, so for now if you want to snag some of these historic and collectible prints (originally designed for the 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment – for Women’s Right to Vote)…we do have limited stock in house for immediate shipment.
To make this 50″ x 69″ quilt design, you will start with the central 24″ x 44″ digital-printed panel which has 28 blocks. Quotes from suffragettes such as Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth, and Amelia Bloomer are written among vintage photographs and posters.
Fussy cut the Newspaper Collage print to make the corners, then piece together with 4 more collection coordinates. With upcoming elections on the horizon, this might be an inspiring piece for those who are now working to protect voting rights in your community.
We celebrate the 4th of July by supporting the Right to Vote, which is perhaps our most patriotic duty as American citizens.
PLUS – you’ll receive Free USA / 50% off INTL shipping when you order the fabrics for this wonderful 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.
I’ve been working intensely in the studio this last week, and I’ve come out of my current project with this reminder for all of us:
Mistakes are not mistakes. They are opportunities for creativity!
Hopefully in the first few quilt classes you ever took, your teacher mentioned this very important aspect of quilting. When you are confronted with a problem, don’t stop. Start brainstorming about how to solve the problem. It is not ‘cheating’ as the quilt police may have led you to believe. How many times have we covered a ‘mistake’ with a new design element? Then get comfortable with saying “Yeah, I meant to do that!” instead of “Oh I had to cover up a mistake.”
Some of my most creative breakthroughs have come in response to a “mistake”. But in order to make a mistake you have to let yourself go and become a Maker, not just a copier of others’ projects. This is part of how we move from being a beginner to an intermediate quilter. Then we start making courageous leaps, trying lots of new things without knowing if they will work, and after we jump and make mistakes and create solutions several times, then we are on our way to becoming an advanced or expert quilter or even an artist or designer.
One of the first ways you can challenge yourself is to convert a small quilt pattern to a large quilt design. Change the borders! Try something totally crazy and wonderful! You just might surprise yourself. And trust me, you’ll be so proud when you come out on the other end of the learning experience. Make it your own and then OWN IT. You can do it!
Some people say the only way to grow and learn in life is to make mistakes. I don’t totally agree with that either. As we learn to trust our creative instincts, we learn to see problems before they happen, and we start to come up with solutions before we go off a cliff. It is kind of like parenting, right?
If you are planning to attend the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham UK this August, please note that I am giving my power point lecture “International Quilt Trends” on Friday at 10 am. You will need to register in advance – search for Code 512 (or my name) on the class listing page.
Wishing you a happy and peaceful 4th of July, Luana
This endangered Sea Turtle is gliding peacefully through sun-dappled waters, to remind us of how precious clean water is to all living things. #WaterIsLife
If you’ve been lucky enough to have an encounter with one of these gentle creatures, when snorkeling or beach-combing, you know that they have a special presence and seem to emanate an ancient wisdom. Indeed, some indigenous cultures’ creation stories have the world riding on the back of a Sea Turtle.
To make this 69″ x 63″ Nature-themed quilt, you will start with the 35″ x 44″ underwater scenic panel. Use our exclusive “Turtles on the Beach” stripe to create the border. This quilt brings a dreamy vibe to a room, as a wall-hanging. As a Nap/Lap quilt, you’ll be gliding through tropical waters in your sweet dreams as you sleep under this quilt.
PLUS – you’ll receive Free USA / 50% off INTL shipping when you order the fabrics for this wonderful 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.
There is so much going on in the news now, it is easy to be overwhelmed or distracted. I am still thinking of the Ukrainian mothers who are trying to keep their children safe. eQuilter continues to send money to organizations that are helping refugees who have been forced to flee their homes. When you make a purchase, choose Doctors Without Borders or Mission of Love to support this effort with your 2% of purchase.
This week we got in our shipment of Rubin Studio Designs, including an expanded collection of exclusive Ukraine-themed fabrics. My collage this week features highlights from 2 of the Ukraine collection.
I noticed that they are a nice complement to the Canadian quilt I wanted to share with you this week, by Margaret Notar. She calls this vertical banner quilt “A Rose is a Rose is a Rose is an Orange Blossom”. I really appreciate that she chose such a non-typical color for her roses. The details on this piece were just jaw-dropping. She added 800 fused fabric pieces, embellished with beads, crayons and plenty of stitching. (14″ x 42″)
This is a great example of how we can make a unique work of art by doing the unexpected. Her surprising use of color, and her unorthodox proportion, made this piece stand out.
Speaking of Color, today the winners of the “Celebration of Color” judged show were announced. Many of you may have received the email announcing the winners, including the Best of Show going to Caryl Bryer Fallert-Gentry. The cash prizes for this exhibit were sponsored by eQuilter.com, and you can see all these colorful quilts at the Quilt Festival in Salt Lake in July, or Long Beach in August. In fact I will be in Long Beach August 4th to award the cash prizes. Congratulations to all the winners!
Thanks for telling your friends about our family-owned business. We appreciate you!
Quilt/Travel/Sponsor Calendar: July 7-11 – Santa Fe 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
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Posted inTravel|Comments Off on Flowers and Prayers for Ukraine
