Hope for the New Year

Posted on January 3, 2023 by Luana

It is the end of another long strange year, and we are also saying goodbye to Barbara Walters along with 2022. There is something very bittersweet about Ms Walters bowing out on this New Years Eve. Those of you who grew up with her, will understand.

This week we’ve saved the best for last, with some of the most dramatic and gorgeous fabric designs of the year. This bodes well for 2023, and I promise we will have a fantastic curated selection of beautiful fabrics each week in the coming year. I should know….I have already chosen fabrics shipping over the next several months! As usual we are following the color and design trends, to make this your one-stop-shopping for those with refined contemporary tastes. As I review the collections in the pipeline for early 2023, I feel like a kid in a candy store!

Paul and I would like to take this time to thank you again for supporting our family-owned business. As we approach the end of the third year of the pandemic, with all its challenges for small businesses, we are proud to have maintained our non-profit program, including our sponsorship of many quilt exhibits that would not have been seen otherwise. Your support allows us to support conservation and endangered species projects, and also to pay for food, medical supplies, disaster relief, and relief for refugees. Your quilt donations have been distributed to fire and hurricane victims, and to Ukraine refugees, through our partnership with Mission of Love.

Next year, together, we will reach a total of $2 million raised for non-profits. We love that we can share this accomplishment with all of you who have made this possible.

This is my bright star going into 2023 – that together we have truly made a difference for so many in need.

Wishing you a creative joyful New Year!

Luana and Paul, Sophie Quinn, Sam & Mason
and the eQuilter Staff

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:
Feb 15 – Virtual lecture for Victoria BC Quilt Guild
Feb 22-25 – QuiltCon – GOLD SPONSOR – Atlanta
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!

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Free Quilt Pattern – Paris Wonderland

Posted on December 30, 2022 by Luana

In the depths of Winter, we love to dream of Spring Flowers and romantic travels…
and this Free Quilt Pattern is a dreamy ‘April in Paris’….with bursting blossoms, the Eiffel Tower, and the City of Light in the background. C’est magnifique!

To make this 55″ x 71″ quilt design, you will start by fussy-cutting the Paris scenic yardage for the central panel. Then you will cut and piece the lovely French reproduction florals, and Aqua shades of Hoffman Hand-Dyes, to make the border.

Whether you are remembering a special trip to Paris, or dreaming of a voyage in the future, this quilt design….will recall the elegance and esthetic of this beautiful City of Love.

…from the ‘Wanderlust’ collection by Hoffman 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 ‘Orca Majesty‘ and ‘Kyoto Garden‘ 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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Love is in the Air

Posted on December 28, 2022 by Luana

Here we are in the last few days of 2022, and most of us are trying to put a cap on another crazy year….not to mention anticipating the New Year…and maybe even trying to pick our own special “Word of the Year”. Oxford has very wisely just recently chosen a word of the year for 2022 (who would even dare predict the word for 2023?!?) and it is “Goblin Mode”. Yes it is two words, which is confusing. Kind of like when Pantone chose two colors for the Color of the Year. But these are the times we live in….

Looking back on 2022, I have to admit it all mushes together with 2020 and 2021. My sense of time passing is irrevocably warped. As I have checked in with many quilter friends in the last week or two, this is what I am hearing from everyone else. So hey, lets all do the Time-Warp again! (Sorry about the earworm, Rocky Horror nerds, couldn’t resist.)

As you may know, I found my way to the quilting industry after leaving the cut-throat fashion industry of 7th Avenue. As soon as I went to my first quilt guild meeting, I knew I had found my peeps. (The guest speaker was Paula Nadelstern – talk about inspiration!) I still feel that way. Time spent with the Quilting Tribe is never wasted. No matter where I travel in the world, there are always quilters to connect with in a new town. And what is it that we share? Love of quilting. Love of fabric. Love of color. Love of community and family.

In a word…LOVE.

Maybe a year from now I’ll have a word for 2023, but for now that’s the word I am going with…it is a word that fits all sizes, beliefs, values, and cultures. Research shows that love literally helps us to live longer.

So I am featuring a fabric collage on the theme of LOVE this week (head start on a Valentine’s Day project?) and I hope it brings you a smile.

Sharing your love of fabric,
Luana and Paul

Travel/Quilt Calendar:
Feb 15 – Virtual lecture for Victoria BC Quilt Guild
Feb 22-25 – QuiltCon – GOLD SPONSOR – Atlanta
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 – Kyoto Garden

Posted on December 27, 2022 by Luana

As we have shared with you over the last year, it has become increasingly difficult to source and stock Asian fabrics. We had another supplier close their doors this last year. However we know that we have a special group of customers who collect these exceptional Japanese prints, and we wanted to share this gorgeous Free Quilt Pattern on this holiday weekend.

This lush collection is a high quality screen print with opulent gold metallic highlights and traditional Japanese motifs. To make this 58″ x 64″ eQuilter exclusive quilt design, you will start with the central 24″ x 44″ Geisha scenic panel. She is standing in a beautiful garden of Peonies, Chrysanthemums, and Ginkgo leaves, with a pagoda landscape in the background.

You will fussy-cut the coordinating floral print and set those squares on point with Solid Kona Black which really makes the Red-Ivory-Gold colors POP. Add the beautiful floral stripe for the engineered border, and finish with a Solid Black frame and Red/Gold Kanji binding. This exquisite quilt will be a treasured heirloom, and if you have traveled to Japan it will bring back memories of their carefully curated arts and crafts.

…from the ‘Kyoto Garden’ 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 ‘Orca Majesty‘ and ‘Unicorn Mystique‘ 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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Free Quilt Pattern – Goldilocks

Posted on December 27, 2022 by Luana

Today’s eQuilter Free Quilt Pattern features Goldilocks who has fallen asleep in a bed that is ‘just right’, after eating Porridge in the house of the Three Bears.

To make this 64″ x 52″ quilt design, you will start with the beautifully illustrated Goldilocks panel, and piece the border with four rich, Hoffman hand dyes.

Make this unique and charming nap quilt for someone special in your family; what better way to share this classic fairy tale with your little ones?

…from the ‘Cherished Animals’ collection by Bridget Voth for David Textiles.

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 ‘Orca Majesty‘ and ‘Unicorn Mystique‘ 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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Family is at the Heart of the Holidays

Posted on December 27, 2022 by Luana

The holidays snuck up on me too fast this year. I guess many of you feel the same way. Even though we are having a White Christmas in the aftermath of the Bomb Cyclone (the snowstorm and cold temps that are still hammering parts of the US) I need to sing some Christmas carols and wrap some more gifts to get fully into the holiday spirit for tomorrow. My kids are grown up, we don’t have grandkids, so there is a wreath and a baby pine tree but no lavishly decorated tree. So if you have those things this year, with tiny tots and their eyes all aglow….enjoy the moment!

We will have a family cooking session, a special family meal, opening presents and playing a board game tomorrow, and then go visit my mom in the nursing home. She is not well enough to come to our house. We will make the best of it and focus on the positive. There are so many Christmases to remember at Nana’s house, with my grandmother’s special vintage china set, all of us dressing up for Christmas Eve dinner, and holiday music playing in the background. Since we are all musicians, many years we played live Christmas music in the living room. The kids waking up early on Christmas Day, making noise to wake us up too, and as they got older, making coffee to get me out of bed…opening presents in our pajamas and then making a Christmas morning brunch. Over the years, the way we gather for the holidays may change, but the love and the memories are there, and Family is at the heart of it all. The memories you make today, will be with you always.

Some of you may be having a different holiday than planned, due to this big storm. My friends in Europe and Australia have been emailing to ask if we are ok! Yes we are used to cold temps in Colorado, but there are other areas that are suffering. Many of you have purchased gift certificates or asked your spouses to give a gift certificate this year. That is especially helpful with this disruptive storm! But whether you are stuck at an airport, waiting for guests to arrive, or gathered together with everyone safe in a warm home…we all pause to thank the fates that have allowed us to make whatever holiday memories are in store for us this year…and we hope that you have yourself a Merry Little Christmas now…and always.

We send special prayers for peace to Ukraine, and everywhere mothers are struggling to keep their children safe. May God bless you and give you comfort.

Wishing you a warm, safe, joyous holiday…
Luana and Paul, Sophie Quinn, Sam & Mason
and the eQuilter Staff

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:
Feb 15 – Virtual lecture for Victoria BC Quilt Guild
Feb 22-25 – QuiltCon – GOLD SPONSOR – Atlanta
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!

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Free Quilt Pattern – Orca Majesty

Posted on December 23, 2022 by Luana

For those of you who share our love and concern for the oceans of our beautiful planet,
we offer this dynamic “Orca Majesty” Free Quilt Pattern, and we remind you to choose the Ocean Conservancy as your recipient of the 2% donation when you check out.

We are featuring the gorgeous artwork of Jody Bergsma, one the most talented wildlife artists in our industry. Her expressive painting celebrates wild and free Orcas (also known as Killer Whales) as they leap through the waves and frothing bubbles of the ocean currents.

To make this exclusive 54″ x 68″ quilt design, you will start with the central 28″ x 44″ quilt panel. Then piece the marble-like border with 4 collection coordinates, and an Amethyst Hoffman Hand-Dye. The rich jewel-tones and powerful drama in Jody’s artwork make this a real conversation piece!

…from from the ‘Whale Song’ collection by Deborah Edwards and Melanie Samra with whale prints from Jody Bergsma 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 ‘Child of the Force‘ and ‘Unicorn Mystique‘ 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 Wild Winter Solstice

Posted on December 21, 2022 by Luana

The more I travel to wild places over the years, the more I am compelled to read books about the history of humans intersecting with these wilderness habitats, and the flora and fauna that were there long before we ‘discovered’ these cradles of natural diversity. The more I learn, the more I realize I don’t know. How glorious.

On this Winter Solstice, as a ‘Cyclone Bomb’ roars across the Northern US with some of the coldest temperatures of our lifetime, I am thinking of the creatures that are hibernating under the snow, or who have migrated to warmer climes. They have been flying overhead for the last couple months, stopping to rest and feed in our fields and ponds.

This year the arrival of Winter is actually accompanied by blizzard conditions for many of us, which may disrupt holiday travel, but I have heard from many quilters that they are simply staying home to sew in peace and quiet. They are hibernating with fabric and thread as the storm passes over.

This week, after much consideration, I have decided to go back to photograph the Alaskan Brown Bears in August 2023. There is nothing like going out in Nature to clear the head and calm the soul, and to do a total re-set of body and mind. Some people go kayaking, camping and hiking. I go to observe and photograph bears in the wild. I have a limited window of time to sign up fellow travelers to join me in late August 2023, and this time it is at a very remote location called “Bear Camp” that I know will completely remove me from the cares of the outside world for a few days. If you are curious, go to this link, and call Aly in the next week or two if you want to secure a seat with me at the Bear Camp. The highlight last time was hanging out for an afternoon on a small islet in a river, with a Mama Bear and her 3 cubs. We were so still and quiet that she laid down and took a nap while her cubs wrestled and played. What a day.

Well, we got through the 3rd year of the pandemic, and even though it is not over yet, we are starting to return to activities like attending quilt guild meetings, quilt festivals, and long lunches with our quilty friends. I am exhausted by the last 3 years, but I am energized and enriched by my time spent with many of you at quilt events the last few months. I imagine you are like me, just taking it one week at a time, and hoping to spend more time with my stash in the new year.

For all of you who have gone on this tumultuous pandemic journey with us the last few years, I thank you again for supporting our family business. Together we will reach the amazing goal of raising $2 million for non-profits and charities next year … around the time that I’ll be at Bear Camp. That accomplishment belongs just as much to all of you, and I thank you. I am truly dumbfounded by this approaching milestone.

I hope you can stay warm and safe, wherever you may be in this season of love and celebration.
Be sure to take some time to appreciate all you have accomplished in 2022, and to contemplate your goals for 2023.

Sharing your love of fabric,
Luana and Paul

* The top photo in this collage is a photo taken by Luana in Katmai National Park in Sept 2021. The other images are fabrics currently in stock at eQuilter.com

Travel/Quilt Calendar:
Feb 15 – Virtual lecture for Victoria BC Quilt Guild
Feb 22-25 – QuiltCon – GOLD SPONSOR – Atlanta
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

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Free Quilt Pattern – Unicorn Mystique

Posted on December 20, 2022 by Luana

Magical Unicorns are the delight of little girls and fantasy fans alike. Film nerds love the unicorns in Legend, Stardust, Chronicles of Narnia, My Little Pony and Toy Story 3. We love Magical Unicorns too! So this week we are bringing you this delightful Free Quilt Pattern that is a special treat for those of us who still believe in magic.

To make this 59″ x 67″ quilt design, you will start with a 36″ x 44″ block panel, then piece 3 collection coordinates, a Fairy Frost, and a Hoffman Hand-Dye, to create the crystalline border. The combination of rainbows, opal-like blenders, and shimmering Fairy Frost…give an ambrosial impression of equine enchantment.

…from the ‘Unicorn Mystique’ collection by Carol Cavalaris for Quilting 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 ‘Child of the Force‘ and ‘Steampunk Undersea‘ 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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Free Quilt Pattern – Owl’s Winter Watch

Posted on December 18, 2022 by Luana

There is nothing like the thrill of seeing a beautiful wild animal or huge raptor in the wild,
and today’s Free Quilt Pattern captures the moment when a Great Horned Owl turns to mesmerize with their direct gaze. Our gorgeous owl is depicted in a snowy backdrop, with incredible detail in the feathers and eyes.

To make this 64″ x 72″ quilt design, you will start with the 36″ x 44″ digital-printed owl portrait panel. Then piece the border with Snow and Stone texture blenders. For a snuggly coverlet or nap quilt, you might consider using a Wool batting, or a Flannel backing.

Be sure to pick up some Thread to match your project!

…from the ‘Wildlife’ collection by William Vanderdasson/Art Licensing International for David Textiles.

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 ‘Child of the Force‘ and ‘Untamed Beauty‘ 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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