Happy Mother’s Day!

Posted on May 13, 2023 by Luana

This is a special weekend – with graduations happening all over the country – and tomorrow we celebrate Mothers Day. Congratulations to all of the families celebrating a graduation this week!

If you need to drop a hint for a Mothers Day gift – our eQuilter Gift Certificates can be immediately emailed just in time for the holiday.

You can now view my long chatty interview with Paula Nadelstern Part 2.

Both Part 1 & 2 are now on this page. Part 1 (posted in April) is about Paula’s career as a quiltmaker and textile designer. Part 2 is a little more…gossipy. When we get together for dinner we have so many things to talk about, and then we thought…we should record this conversation! So we did. Enjoy!

As you know, Paul is my husband and business partner. Today is also our wedding anniversary. We’ve been married for 28 years, and eQuilter is 24 years old. Running this business together with all the ups and downs, has been the major part of our marriage so far. All 3 of our kids have been raised in the business. All 3 have worked here at some point in their young lives. Sophie Quinn has traveled with me to many quilt festivals so many of you have met her over the years. She is turning 21 next month! I know many of our longterm customers have followed her story since we adopted her in April 2003. Amazing how the years fly by, hmm?

Many of us are also caring for our own aging mothers, and that has become a big part of my life the last 10 years. My mother was a pianist, a real estate broker, and the president of the local chapter of ABWA – the American Business Womens Association. My mom accompanied me when I performed on my cello, and she introduced me to all of her business women friends in the 70s and 80s. Because of her, I was supported in my explorations of having a career in the arts. Because of her I could also see myself as a future business owner and entrepreneur. She took care of me, and now I am taking care of her.

For all of you who are caretakers, on top of everything else in your lives, I just want to acknowledge that Mothers Day has extra meaning for us. To you, I send a very heartfelt Mothers Day greeting.

sharing your love for fabric,
Luana and Paul

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.

Travel/Quilt Calendar:
May 27 – Dairy Barn, Athens OH – Quilt National – Art & Activism Lecture
June 8-10 – Quilt Canada – Halifax, Nova Scotia
August 18-24 – Bear Camp in Alaska

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Free Quilt Pattern – Fox Family Love

Posted on May 12, 2023 by Luana

Is the Fox your Medicine Animal?
Have you ever had foxes gamboling in your back yard?
Are you a fan of fox rescue videos with the laughing foxes?
We have a resident fox that trots through the back lot of our eQuilter warehouse, so we kind of consider the Fox as our mascot.

This week’s Free Quilt Pattern features our exclusive digital panel, capturing a tender moment between a Mama, Papa and baby fox. With a misty sunrise in the background, and dewdrops in the grassy foreground, there is a feeling of capturing that moment when the world begins to awake, and a birdsong is heard in the distance.

To make this 57″ x 57″ quilt design, you will start with the central 36″ x 44″ wildlife portrait panel. You will use 2 Hoffman Hand-Dyes and 2 digital fur prints to create the 4 Fox Paw corner blocks, and the coordinating border.

This exclusive pattern captures the sweet wonder and joy of a new baby, and would make a great gift for a new family!

…from the ‘Animal Wonder’ 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).

Don’t miss the ‘Queen of Halloween‘ and ‘Art Journal‘ 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

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Sleeping Beauty Castle – Le Chateau d’Usse

Posted on May 10, 2023 by Luana

Last week I shared photos from my few days in Amsterdam, and posted photos for you on my photo pages. This week I am working on photos from the Nantes quilt festival, and my brief foray into the Loire River Valley from Nantes in France. I was able to tour some of the Loire Valley Chateaus for a couple days, and it was a treasure hunt of historic tapestries and other embroidery and textile delights. While I work on editing these photos this week, I wanted to share my day at the Sleeping Beauty Castle – Le Chateau d’Usse.

This castle was considered so beautiful and magical that it was the inspiration Charles Perrault took for his tale of Sleeping Beauty. (“La Belle au Bois Dormant”) The image above combines 2 photos from this chateau. The top is a landscape tapestry hanging inside (I was told it was original to the castle) and also below the lovely herd of cream-colored cows that walked out into a green meadow as I left the grounds. Between the tapestry and the pastoral scene, I could imagine how it might have looked in the 17th century. The castle was filled with 16th and 17th century tapestries from Brussels. In fact I saw many of these historic Belgian tapestries on this part of my trip, which were pointed out by the proud group of Belgians in my tour group.

Charles Perrault (1628-1703) was a leading intellectual and author of his time. Perrault could have not imagined that his reputation for future generations would rest on a slim book published in 1697 containing eight adapted stories, titled “Stories from Times Past – Tales of Mother Goose”. He did not publish under his own name but rather under the name of his son Pierre.

He did not invent these tales — even in his day these folktales were well known — but he gave them literary legitimacy. These stories included Sleeping Beauty, Little Red Riding Hood, Puss in Boots, Cinderella, Bluebeard, and others. The version collected and retold in German by the Brothers Grimm 100 years later were from Perrault.

Watch for my travel and quilt photos this week on my photo pages. I have a fantastic chatty interview (Part 2) with Paula Nadelstern that will also be uploaded to our video pages later this week. Enjoy!

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

Sharing your love of fabric…and color…
Luana and Paul

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

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

Check out our Video pages for interviews and show reviews.

Travel/Quilt Calendar:
May 27 – Dairy Barn, Athens OH – Quilt National – Art & Activism Lecture
June 8-10 – Quilt Canada – Halifax, Nova Scotia
August 18-24 – Bear Camp in Alaska

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Free Pattern – Queen of Halloween

Posted on May 9, 2023 by Luana

This week’s exclusive Free Quilt Pattern is a collection of spooky sassy Victorian ladies, rendered in a pen-and-ink vintage style, by artist J. Wecker Frisch. Inspired by the Gothic horror genre of literature, this type of artwork mimics etchings from the dark side of a prim and proper era.

To make this 56″ x 78″ quilt design, you will start with the central large 24″ x 44″ figure panel (“Sewing Potions”), then cut up 2 different block panels (with small and medium-sized blocks) to make the top and side panels. Sew together with Solid Kona White, and finish with collection coordinates.

…from the ‘Queen Of We’en’ collection by J. Wecker Frisch for Riley Blake Designs.

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).

Don’t miss the ‘Halloween Kitty‘ and ‘Art Journal‘ 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

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Call for Entry – Colorado Artists – Little Creatures

Posted on May 7, 2023 by Luana

As you must know by now, I am passionate about conservation, and I am working on collaborations with the Endangered Species Coalition based in Washington DC. They are sponsoring this exhibit “Little Creatures” which will open at the Boulder Library later this year. I’d like to share this Call for Entry with Colorado-based artists:

https://www.coolboulder.org/littlecreatures

(scroll down and click on the Golden link for submission info)

Deadline for proposals is May 31.

Artists may submit a proposal for new or incomplete artwork, as long as the work is complete by July 2023.

Artwork must be available late July – early October 2023, on display for public viewing at the Boulder Library August – September 2023.

Artist notification: Mid-June 2023

Seeking artists, writers, performers, creatives and educators!

Please SHARE with your Colorado-based artist friends!

Thanks! – Luana

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Free Quilt Pattern – Hydrangea Bliss

Posted on May 7, 2023 by Luana

This is one of the most luscious floral collections we have ever seen – and if you love these cool lavender/sapphire/amethyst hues – this Free Quilt Pattern will be such a pleasure to sew!

To make this 71″ x 71″ quilt design, you will start with the stunning ‘Garden’ single border print, with large Hydrangea clusters in the foreground, fading to a misty atmospheric background. Using 2 Hoffman Hand-Dyes and Kona Solid Black, you will create the window frame. Use the coordinating Hydrangea border and more Solid Black, to make the engineered border.

This visually stunning quilt design creates the impression of a view through a window out into a garden. Perhaps you know someone who could use such a view in their room this Summer?

…from the ‘Hydrangea Bliss’ collection by Chong-A Hwang for Timeless Treasures.

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).

Don’t miss the ‘Alaskan Quilters‘ and ‘Art Journal‘ 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

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Coronation Weekend

Posted on May 6, 2023 by Luana

It is pretty hard to avoid the wall-to-wall media coverage of the coronation of King Charles III this weekend. If you’re a fan, we have 2 collectible tea towels and a King Charles Oven Mitt (!) to commemorate the event. If not….there’s everything else that’s new this week!

However if you’d like a little more classic British culture, you can dip into the latest iteration of William Morris design. Or…you can dip into the official coronation dish – the Coronation Quiche – also nicknamed as Quiche Le Reign. Made with spinach and beans. I am not making this up.

Whether you toast the coronation with a gin and tonic, or mark the day with tea and scones, it is certainly a historic day and a good excuse for a party. I have an old friend in London who was the flatmate of Princess Diana’s older sister (teenage Diana would come to visit) and I look forward to hearing how my British friend spent Coronation Day.

She has guided me to tour the Royal Mews and Buckingham Palace in my past visits to London, so there are many parts of this event that are familiar. You can see some of my photos from the Royal Mews (with the royal carriages) on this photo page. Over the decades of our friendship she has guided me to visit Kensington Palace, Windsor Palace, and Hampton Court…and of course Westminster Abbey where the coronation has taken place. The ancient and historic crown jewels are kept at the Tower of London, and you view them briefly as you pass by on a conveyor belt.

So crack open your stash of Earl Grey, fill up a teapot, and extend those pinkies! If you wish to make a commemorative quilt or wall hanging, you can combine the tea towel (as a central panel) and mix with other British-themed prints.

sharing your love for fabric,
Luana and Paul

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.

Travel/Quilt Calendar:
May 27 – Dairy Barn, Athens OH – Quilt National – Art & Activism Lecture
June 8-10 – Quilt Canada – Halifax, Nova Scotia
August 18-24 – Bear Camp in Alaska

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Free Quilt Pattern – Star Wars Mandalorian & Grogu

Posted on May 4, 2023 by Luana

For Star Wars fans, today is a sacred Sci-Fi holiday:
May 4th…as in….May the Fourth Be With You.

The latest expansion of the Star Wars franchise has brought us many new movies and TV series, along with old and new characters in the Jedi-verse, including the Mandalorian and of course the adorable Baby Yoda. (Also known now as Grogu.) This exclusive eQuilter quilt design and licensed panel has been received in our warehouse just in time for May the 4th.

To make this 65″ x 57″ quilt design, you will start with the engaging 36″ x 44″ digital printed panel. You will fussy cut the corner vignettes of Grogu and Mando, and then piece 4 Hoffman Hand-Dyes to create the coordinating border.

This is a great gift for that true Star Wars nerd in your life, and of course we stock every Star Wars print we can get our hands on, so you can make Star Wars pillowcases, aprons, curtains, Comic Con garments, and pot holders. *grin*

Today’s advice for trying a new sewing technique:
“Remember, concentrate on the moment. Feel, don’t think. Trust your instincts.” – Qui-Gon Jinn

…the ‘Epic Lucas Films’ collection by Thomas Kinkade Studios, Lucasfilm Ltd. for David Textiles.

Don’t miss the ‘Alaskan Quilters‘ and ‘Art Journal‘ 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

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A Bicycle Utopia

Posted on May 3, 2023 by Luana

Happy May!

When I returned to Amsterdam after 48 years, I was not prepared for the massive number of bicycles on the roads! The last time I saw such sheer numbers of bikes was in China, but this was a different kind of bike-riding population. It was a good thing my Dutch friends warned me about the bikes in Amsterdam, because as they told me, the bikes are fast and they do not stop for pedestrians! Add to that equation that my first full day there was a national holiday with a lot of Heineken consumption….I had to be on my toes when crossing a street or bridge.

However it is truly a bicycle utopia once you get used to the majority of city traffic being bikes. I was told that most residents have 2 bikes – a city bike and a country bike. I met an American textile artist who had lived there for 25 years, and she rode her bike 40 minutes into the city to meet up for dinner. Between the excellent tram system and the bicycle culture, and the lack of plastic bottles and bags, it was clear that Amsterdam is serious about a sustainable future.

Because my brief stay in the Netherlands was focused on art museums and a day at a textile production warehouse, I didn’t make it out to the tulip fields. In France I got to experience Peak-Wisteria-Bloom, and the tulips were just starting to bloom in the city when I arrived in Amsterdam. I arrived home just as our crabapples and lilacs are starting to blossom here in Boulder Colorado. It is a joyful time of year for those of us who live for Spring blossoms.

I’ve uploaded my first batch of photos from my trip – these are from Amsterdam Netherlands.

Many thanks to my quilter friends in France and the Netherlands who hosted, chaperoned, and guided me on this trip!

Sharing your love of fabric…
Luana and Paul

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

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

Check out our Video pages for interviews and show reviews.

Travel/Quilt Calendar:
May 27 – Dairy Barn, Athens OH – Quilt National – Art & Activism Lecture
June 8-10 – Quilt Canada – Halifax, Nova Scotia
August 18-24 – Bear Camp in Alaska

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Free Quilt Pattern – Art Journal

Posted on May 2, 2023 by Luana

We have just restocked the popular “Art Journal” collection by Janet Frisch, who creates unique vintage-flavored collections, reminding us of our grandmother’s scrapbooks. This striking quilt has an eclectic mix of illustrative styles, which has become the hallmark of J. Wecker Frisch’s work, and the foundation of her worldwide fan base.

The detailed sketchbooks and botanic illustrations were the foundation of 19th Century naturalists, and their precise drawings and paintings described the birds, flowers and insects before photographs took over documentation of species. In many ways these precise illustrations are more descriptive and accurate than photos, which is why we still love this style of rendering of an image.

To make this 65″ x 76″ quilt design, you will cut up 3 different panels, then piece together with Solid Black Kona sashing, to make the central patchwork section. Then add the delicate Butterfly/Moth Journal Stripe, to create the black and white border. We will try to keep this in stock but last time it blew out so snap it up if it strikes your fancy!

…from the ‘Art Journal’ collection by J. Wecker Frisch for Riley Blake Designs.

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).

Don’t miss the ‘Alaskan Quilters‘ and ‘Halloween Kitty‘ 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

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