Your Free Quilt Pattern – The Cat’s Meow

Posted on March 12, 2023 by Luana

These wide-eyed whimsical kitties have been a sleeper hit. We were taken by surprise, at the popularity of this collection! It is back in stock now, and we’ve put together an exclusive Free Quilt Pattern so you too can dream with these charismatic cat characters.

To make this 61″ x 75″ quilt design, you will start by cutting up 2 of the 24″ x 44″ block panels, then piecing together with a Lavender Hoffman Hand-Dye and fussy-cut Black Cat diamond joiner pieces. Finish the border with Kitty Stripes and White-on-White Butterflies. Our feline friends are set in a Springtime backdrop of Aqua/Teal, Lavender and White…a fresh color story for the upcoming floral season. Meow!

…from the ‘Meow’ collection by Angie Rozelaar for Studio E Fabrics.

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 ‘Steampunk Jewels‘ and ‘Rainbow Butterfly‘ 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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Daylight Savings Time!

Posted on March 11, 2023 by Luana

Don’t forget to roll your clocks forward an hour when you go to bed tonight – Daylight Savings Time is upon most of us in the US.

It is Oscar Weekend here in the US, and so many of my favorite classic movies are playing on cable. I just made the connection (duh) that Robert Preston played not only Harold Hill in The Music Man, but also Toddy in Victor/Victoria. How did I miss that he played both of these roles, after all this time? (Love the the cockroach-in-the-cafe scene!) I am also watching Gandhi again. Every time I watch, I catch something new. This time I spotted a very young Daniel Day Lewis in a 2-line role. Blink and you’ll miss it. After visiting the place where Gandhi was shot in New Delhi, I will always watch this movie when it plays. It is still a story for our time.

Hopefully you’ve taken a peek at our feature collection this week – the gorgeously lush Florence by Christiane Marques for Kaufman. Her “Venice” collection 2 years ago was a customer favorite and one of our biggest selling designer collections. Florence is a riot of joyful color!..and coordinates beautifully with Venice, and new “Ombre Lace“.

Gnome Mania has reached a peak, so we’ve gathered all of our Gnome designs into one category for your convenience and amusement.

Every March we present our seasonal Springtime curated collection of Early Spring flowers, Baby Animals, and Easter novelties. This always helps us to get into the mood for warmer weather and budding blossoms.

I’ve uploaded many photos from QuiltCon now, so please take a look and…enjoy!

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:
March 21-24 – Washington DC
April 18-26 – Pour l’Amour du Fil – Nantes, France
May 27 – Dairy Barn, Athens OH – Quilt National
June 8-10 – Quilt Canada – Halifax, Nova Scotia
August 18-24 – Bear Camp in Alaska

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Free Quilt Pattern – Rainbow Butterfly

Posted on March 10, 2023 by Luana

Undulating waves of Rainbow hues are the theme for tonight’s Free Quilt Pattern, bringing joy and laughter with a tsunami of COLOR.

To make this 69″ x 69″ quilt design, you will start with the eQuilter exclusive 45″ x 44″ Butterfly panel. Add layers of Solid Black, Multicolor Dots, and a Rainbow Stripe to make the zingy border. Bind with a fractal flaming rainbow.

This is a fast and easy project and makes a great quilt project for a young child, or a special friend who needs to bring some wild and crazy colorful energy into their life!

…from the ‘Rainbow’ 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 ‘Steampunk Jewels‘ and ‘Night Owl‘ 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 Healing Quilt

Posted on March 9, 2023 by Luana

If you go to my Flickr page you’ll see that I’ve uploaded a couple more big batches of photos from QuiltCon 2023. I still have a couple more batches to upload, but you can see lots of beautiful Modern Quilts in the album already.

Today I am sharing one of the quilts that caught my eye at the show:
“Afterall Improv” by Catherine Bonnichsen
Quilted by Lane Hunter

“This quilt is such a joint collaboration. It started with all the blocks I had left over from a year of teaching improv techniques at my local quilt store. I spent a while working out how to put them all together…playing with layout and trying to get a pleasing flow to the colors. In the end the process became a rehab exercise for my brain as I had a stroke half way through finishing the top. This quilt ended up re-teaching me to do Y seams, quilt off grid and to let go. When the top was finished I handed it over to a colleague at the store, Lane Hunter, to quilt. I thought he would do a computerized all over pattern but instead he blew me away with the ‘It’s a Small World’ inspired free-motion quilting. He took my quilt top and made it magic”

Indeed he did Catherine, but I also see the magic of your healing process in this quilt. Perhaps it caught my eye because I’ve been a fan of the Disney ride (and yes, the earworm song) since I first went to Disneyland as a little girl right before we moved from So Cal to Colorado. I really appreciate that Catherine was willing to share her story about her healing process, and indeed that she finished the quilt and shared it with all of us at QuiltCon!

I’ve paired up the quilt image with a couple favorite fabrics that arrived in our warehouse in the last few days. These colors remind me of the brilliant colors of Springtime that are just around the corner. Some of you may already have these colors blooming in your early Spring gardens. I hope you enjoy the quilt photos, and watch for my essay about our 24th anniversary in Saturday’s e-newsletter.

Sharing your love of fabric,
Luana and Paul

Travel/Quilt Calendar:
Mar 21-24 – Washington DC
April 18-26 – Pour l’Amour du Fil – Nantes, France
May 27 – Dairy Barn, Athens OH – Quilt National
June 8-10 – Quilt Canada – Halifax, Nova Scotia
August 18-24 – Bear Camp in Alaska – Sign up Now to travel with Luana!

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.

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Free Quilt Pattern – Night Owl

Posted on March 7, 2023 by Luana

A luminous flying Owl emerges from a rainbow-hued mandala, in tonight’s exclusive Free Quilt Pattern….in a shimmering prism of light and color.

To make this 57″ x 50″ quilt design, you will start with the 32″ x 44″ central panel. The pieced border emulates the shimmering colors, with 3 Hoffman Hand-Dyes and 2 Northcott blenders, giving the effect of expanding waves of energy.

If The Owl is your spirit animal, or the Owl is bringing its symbolism as a medicine animal, it brings the power of wisdom and intuition, to help see the truth behind an illusion. Owls have been revered since ancient times, in folklore and indigenous storytelling, as mysterious creatures that have a magical vision in the darkness.

Whether this is a Lap/Nap quilt, or an inspirational wall hanging, this quilt is sure to bring dreams of mystical insight and transformation.

…from the ‘Night Vision’ collection by Simon Haiduk for Northcott Fabrics.

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 ‘Steampunk Jewels‘ and ‘Alpha Babies‘ 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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Your Free Quilt Pattern – Take Me Away

Posted on March 5, 2023 by Luana

This beautiful Free Quilt Pattern leads you to take a walk along a pier, to listen to the waves lapping on the shore, and perhaps to stroll along the sand to collect seashells. That’s what coastal vacation memories are made of, and perhaps this exclusive quilt design will take you back to pleasant thoughts of a beach vacation.

To make this 52″ x 72″ quilt design (perfect for a nap on the couch at an oceanside cottage) you will start with the central 23″ x 44″ Boardwalk Panel. We just adore the coordinate stripe, with jars full of seashells, and rows of starfish. Piece together with a sandy blender to make the border, and bind with a coordinating Seaglass print.

Whether you are remembering a special island vacation, or anticipating a coastal getaway, this quilt will lead you out to that far horizon to breathe in the salty air, and smile as you surrender to that beachy vibe.

…from the ‘Take Me Away’ collection by 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 ‘Steampunk Jewels‘ and ‘Alpha Babies‘ 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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Twenty-Four Hours with Paula

Posted on March 4, 2023 by Luana

This afternoon I returned from my 24 hour trip to Lincoln Nebraska. Last night I attended Paula Nadelstern‘s lecture, and saw her exhibit at the International Quilt Museum. We are longtime fans of Paula’s work, and she very kindly mentioned us as the place to find the largest selection of her fabrics. It is true – we carry her collections as long as possible because we know she has a huge fan club, including many students around the world who have taken her classes on making Kaleidoscope quilts. Marianne Fons was in attendance also, and we all had dinner last night. Many interesting quilty topics were discussed! Paula’s exhibit is up through April 9th. Marianne is working on a novel, and we can’t wait to read her future publication!

For all of you buried in snow in California – wow hang in there! I am seeing posts on Facebook about houses buried in 7-12 feet of snow. We can get 3-6 feet of snow in our mountain towns of Colorado, but you are obviously getting a lot of Pacific moisture pumped into your weather system.

Lately I’ve had a lot of interest in the topic of Art and Activism. I’ll be speaking in Nantes France, and at Quilt National/Dairy Barn on this topic in the next few months. My trip to Washington DC the end of March is partially to collaborate with the Endangered Species Coalition on this subject. It is a huge trend, not only at QuiltCon, but at every quilt festival and exhibit I have attended the last 5 years. (albeit with a 3 year break for the pandemic) So many of you are thinking about how you can use quilting and the textile arts to express your feelings about topics like climate change and human rights. I do believe that if we all speak up together, we can make a difference.

If you have not seen my Quilting Arts TV segment on this topic, be sure to visit our eQuilter video pages. I also have many writing projects this Spring, and I’ll let you know about them as they are published.

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:
March 21-24 – Washington DC
April 18-26 – Pour l’Amour du Fil – Nantes, France
May 27 – Dairy Barn, Athens OH – Quilt National
June 8-10 – Quilt Canada – Halifax, Nova Scotia
August 18-24 – Bear Camp in Alaska

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Free Quilt Pattern – Kindred Canines

Posted on March 3, 2023 by Luana

Tonight we are featuring the whimsical artwork of Laurel Burch.
This exclusive Free Quilt Pattern is for all of you who love dogs and the joy they bring to our lives.

To make this 51″ x 57″ quilt design, you will start with the colorful 24″ x 44″ panel. Cut up the 2nd block panel to make the side sections. Use the coordinate stripe to make the border, and join everything together with Solid Kona Black. The vivid hues and rich gold metallic are set like jewels on the black background, making a stunning overall design.

This collection has a Pop Culture flavor, also reminding us of the artwork of Peter Max.
This makes a great Lap/Nap quilt for a dog-lover, or would make a great gift for the wall of your favorite vet’s office! Smiles and wagging tails are in your future when you start this project!

…from the ‘Kindred Canines’ collection by Laurel Burch for Clothworks.

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 ‘Steampunk Jewels‘ and ‘Safe Harbor‘ 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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The Language of Color

Posted on March 1, 2023 by Luana

Happy March! SPRING is just around the corner!

Color is at the heart of everything we do at eQuilter. We know that you respond to color emotionally, and there is a hunger for new color trends expressed in high quality artwork. Returning from QuiltCon, I was impressed and inspired by the artwork and color trends that Modern Quilters are expressing in their work. I tend to be drawn to the bold quilts that are full of movement and contrasting hues.

Since the Modern Quilt movement launched over 10 years ago, we’ve supported QuiltCon as a sponsor, and have stocked the products used by MQG members – and that has resulted in the expansion of our range of solid cotton products. Currently we have over 500 solid colors in stock – by the yard. You’ll find about 100 solid pre-cut collections as well. I am not including others like solid Essex linens, solid Flannels & Hand-Dyes, solid Quilt Backings, etc. It’s a Solid Universe!

Here is a quilt (above) made from Solid Cotton, that won an award at QuiltCon. It is “Sunshine Daydream” by Karen Stone. I love the energy of the hot bright colors bursting diagonally across a darker purple/plum background. The complementary colors and the arcing design carry the eye across the quilt, up and across. It is uplifting!

If you look closely you will see the dense quilting designs in each leaf. These solid leaves are not empty space. They are Negative Space, filled with intricate stitching. We see this bold quilt from a distance, we are drawn in closer, and then we examine the freemotion stitching with awe and delight. Karen has communicated to us in the Language of Color, and no words are needed.

Would you like to see more quilts from the QuiltCon show? In addition to the QuiltCon Magazine now in stock, you can follow my photos from the show as I upload them to my Flickr pages.

This Friday I’ll be in Lincoln Nebraska for Paula Nadelstern‘s lecture at the International Quilt Museum. Perhaps I will see some of you there?

Sharing your love of fabric,
Luana and Paul

Travel/Quilt Calendar:
March 3 – Intl Quilt Museum – Lincoln Nebraska
Mar 21-24 – Washington DC
April 18-26 – Pour l’Amour du Fil – Nantes, France
June 8-10 – Quilt Canada – Halifax, Nova Scotia
August 18-24 – Bear Camp in Alaska – Sign up Now to travel with Luana!

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.

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Free Quilt Pattern – Steampunk Jewels

Posted on February 28, 2023 by Luana

Enter the esoteric world of Steampunk Jewels in this week’s exclusive Free Quilt Pattern, featuring our own digital-printed panel full of exquisitely detailed gears and jewel-like treasures representing a dragonfly, seahorse, hummingbird and butterfly.

To make this 59″ x 67″ quilt design, you will start with our exclusive 36″ x 44″ panel. Fussy-cut the Steampunk allover to make the corner blocks, then piece 2 gear prints and a Turquoise Hoffman Hand-Dye to create the borders. The Golden Yellow and Blue/Turquoise colors really pop on the Espresso/Taupe contrasting background. Hardcore Steampunk fans will just adore this unique and highly-stylized quilt design!

…from the ‘Steampunk Jewels’ 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 ‘Alpha Babies‘ and ‘Safe Harbor‘ 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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