eQuilter Blog

Last week I attended Art Quilt Tahoe, and then Sacred Threads. Having just come home from the latter, I’d like to share one of the soulful quilts with one of my favorite themes: Trees.

On the left we see a vertical banner quilt made by Patricia Caldwell.

Connections
17″ x 35.5″

Artist Statement:
“If we could stand tall like a tree and listen to the wind blowing through the branches and leaves, maybe we could feel a little peace and joy. If we could be part of the tree’s root system, we might be able to work together with love and unity. We are all connected. If just one of us took the time to step back and promote Joy, Love, Peace and Unity, maybe it would spread. This is my hope and my inspiration.”

To the right of the quilt image, I’ve paired it with our Tree of Life panel. Trees can represent family, wisdom, history, resilience, and the changing seasons of life. When I travel to the Birmingham Festival of Quilts each summer, I always add in a couple days in the English countryside…and I seek out the ancient trees that stand sentinel over battlefields, castles, and village greens. I like to sit under these trees and listen to them speak to my soul. A tree that has seen 500 years of history, has a lot to say, for those who know how to listen.

Like trees, our quilts are likely to go on in our own family trees, after we are gone. When we document our family history today, we are speaking to future descendants. When we document current events, we are speaking to future historians. I continue to encourage all of you to document current events in your quilts, because they too will become part of history.

The tree’s roots represent the past, and the branches that reach to the sun represent the future. I have taken up my mother’s genealogy work on the family tree, and it is a fascinating exploration of our human story. Genealogy and Quilting are 2 hobbies that go together very well!

Sharing our passion for fabric…
Luana & Paul

Subscribe to my artist website and blog!
www.luanarubin.com

Travel/Lecture Dates:
Nov 17-26 – Taiwan Quilt Festival – Taipei – Feature Artist & Speaker
Dec 10 – Canadian Quilt Association – Zoom Lecture – Intl Quilt Trends
Feb 2 – SAQA Europe/Middle East – Zoom Lecture
Feb 18-21 – QuiltCon – Raleigh NC

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.

After 20 years, I returned to Art Quilt Tahoe this week. It is at a beautiful waterfront Presbyterian retreat center, and they take such good care of everyone. Many thanks to Judy and the crew for a wonderful experience. It was so healing to have a view of the water, surrounded by forest, for those few days. We even had a big bear stroll past the front door of our building one night. (While we were asleep.)

Now I am writing to you before I head to the airport again Saturday, hoping the current flight cutbacks will not affect my 2nd of 3 trips this month. Crossing my fingers and toes, and sending a prayer to the travel gods and goddesses….I have a carry-on piece of luggage for flexibility.

In Houston and at Art Quilt Tahoe, I am meeting more of our customers who are making fabulous art-to-wear with our exclusive Rubin Design Studio art panels. The most spectacular are made with the One Block Wonder technique…so gorgeous! But just using one panel for the back of a jacket is a quick and easy way to create a one-of-a-kind garment. It is so fun to see what you do with our creative art panels!

I hope to see many of you at Sacred Threads this weekend. This important exhibit has a new team and a new location. For many years it was held in a Washington DC suburb, but it is now held for the first time in Indianapolis. This is the main event, with workshops given by Valerie Poitier. A subset of the quilts are traveling around the country for 3 years, including my quilt, “The Children of War“. I am honored to know it is the ‘signature’ piece of the exhibit. I really poured my heart and soul into that piece.

Please come to my talk on Sunday if you are there. It is always an honor to share my lecture on Art and Activism….so important these days.

On November 1st the Camouflage exhibit opened at the Detroit Zoo! My butterfly quilt “Uncompahgre Fritillary” is traveling in this SAQA show. Take your kids or grandkids to the zoo, and then go check out this beautiful group of art quilts…open through Feb 15, 2026.

Tomorrow is the 2 year anniversary since I lost my beloved mother. She is still with me in spirit, and I still feel so fortunate to have had a mom who always supported me as a creative person. I identified as an artist when I was 5 years old, and she always encouraged and celebrated my unique journey.

Sharing your love for fabric,
Luana and Paul

Subscribe to my artist blog here. Most recent article – Pro Tips for BERNINA Q 20

Travel/Lecture Dates:
Nov 8-10 – Sacred Threads – Indianapolis – Art & Activism lecture
Nov 17 -26 – Taiwan Quilt Festival – Taipei – Feature Artist & Speaker
Dec 10 – Canadian Quilt Association – Zoom Lecture – Intl Quilt Trends
Feb 2 – SAQA Europe/Middle East – Zoom Lecture
Feb 18-21 – QuiltCon – Raleigh NC

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

See Luana’s Artist Blog, 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.

For those of you in the US on Daylight Savings Time, tonight you can turn back your clock when you go to bed, and get an extra hour of sleep. Yay!

Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is this weekend. Today I am flying to Reno, to spend an evening with an elderly aunt, my cousin, and her family. We will undoubtedly be remembering those we have loved who have passed to the other side. If you are not familiar with this holiday that follows Halloween, watch the animated movie “Coco”. However I know many of you are very familiar with this holiday, based on the belief that at this time, the veil between the mortal and immortal worlds thins, allowing deceased spirits to cross over to the living world to be with loved ones. We sure have sold a lot of Day of the Dead fabrics over the last 26 years. If you have these fabrics, particularly the Alexander Henry designs, these are collector pieces! I have been enjoying the videos of Day of the Dead costumes and parades in Mexico, that are popping up on my Instagram feed.

Sunday I’ll be taking the shuttle from Reno to Lake Tahoe, to attend Art Quilt Tahoe. It has been 20 years since I’ve gone to this retreat. Those first few years I met so many quilting luminaries, who were teaching there. This year has another stellar lineup of teachers. Sadly, I have to leave one day early to get to Sacred Threads. A busy week.

One year I was on the shuttle with Terrie Mangat and 4 other people, when we got caught in a snowstorm going over the pass. Our shuttle slid off the road into a snow bank, and the only food we had during those hours we were stranded, was my emergency chocolate bar in my purse. We shared the chocolate bar, and that was how my friendship with Terrie started. A few hours later they rescued us and we drove down to a warm fire at the lodge. Good times!

This year I am in Independent Study. You may recall I have also been in Indie Study at Alegre Retreat the last 2 years. I need to have a flexible schedule and maybe get some extra sleep because my travel schedule this month is rather intense. I am planning to finish the Goddess Bear piece that I started at Alegre!

I hope to also see many of you at Sacred Threads next weekend. Please come to my talk on Sunday. It is always an honor to share my lecture on Art and Activism….so important these days.

Sharing your love for fabric,
Luana and Paul

Subscribe to my artist blog here.

Travel/Lecture Dates:
Nov 2-6 – Art Quilt Tahoe – Independent Study
Nov 7-10 – Sacred Threads – Indianapolis – Art & Activism lecture
Nov 21-23 – Taiwan Quilt Festival – Taipei – Feature Artist & Speaker
Dec 10 – Canadian Quilt Association – Zoom Lecture – Intl Quilt Trends
Feb 2 – SAQA Europe/Middle East – Zoom Lecture
Feb 18-21 – QuiltCon – Raleigh NC

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

See Luana’s Artist Blog, 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.

Friday night I attended the opening of Linda Anderson’s solo show at the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum in Golden Colorado. Her painted figures and exquisite machine quilting was so impressive.

This huge piece above was shown for this first time in this show, and I encourage you to see it in person before January 17. The show must be seen in person to be fully appreciated!

“Ode to Joy” – 101″ wide x 67″ high

Artist Statement:
At 14,000 feet in the Andes of Peru, these weavers from the village of Acopia were taking the photographer Joe Coca to document one of the elders at a sacred lake up in the mountains. While waiting for potatoes to be roasted for lunch, they decided to start up a game of soccer. No brand name soccer apparel, but there were beautiful traditional textiles to score a goal in. I was captured, captivated, entranced and enthralled by their unbridled joy. That is the human story I wanted to tell….pure delight in the moment. Such exuberance in being alive.

The background design is based on traditional Peruvian weaving patterns.

Inspired from photographer Joe Coca, permission granted.

Hand painted cottons, raw edge applique, hand embroidery, bamboo batting, freemotion stitched.

As you can see below, I have a fairly dense travel schedule in November. I hope to see many of you at one of these events.

Sharing our passion for fabric…
Luana & Paul

Subscribe to my artist website and blog!
www.luanarubin.com

Travel/Lecture Dates:
Nov 1-6 – Art Quilt Tahoe – Independent Study
Nov 7-10 – Sacred Threads – Indianapolis – Art & Activism lecture on Sunday
Nov 17-26 – Taiwan Quilt Festival – Taipei – Feature Artist & Speaker
Dec 10 – Canadian Quilt Association – Zoom Lecture – Intl Quilt Trends
Feb 2 – SAQA Europe/Middle East – Zoom Lecture
Feb 18-21 – QuiltCon – Raleigh NC

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.

Last night I was delighted to attend the opening reception for Bonnie Murphy and Linda Anderson at the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum. I was not familiar with Bonnie’s work, but her quilts in the main gallery are delightful pieces using colorful reproduction fabrics, with patterns mostly inspired by Australian designers like Di Ford Hall, Margaret Mew, Susan Smith and Sandy Cousins. It was an impressive body of work.

In the back gallery (where you will see the eQuilter rainbow logo as a sponsor) was the mind-blowing work of Linda Anderson. I am sure you have seen at least a couple of her award-winning figurative quilts, in Houston or elsewhere. She debuted a new HUGE piece for this show, and now I know why she has been so busy. Her painted figures and exquisite machine-quilting are…as I said….mind-blowing. Some visitors just stood in front of her work with tears in their eyes. If you can see this new exhibit, I encourage you to get over to the RMQM!

I think we can all agree that we are living in chaotic times. The conversation with fellow artists and quilters in the last 24 hours has been, how our art/craft and relationships in the quilting community is what is saving our sanity. I am so grateful for the connections we have in our little corner of the world, and there are so many GOOD people here. Quilters are some of the most generous, compassionate people I have ever known. I love our little corner of the universe.

Pretty sure you are one of those good people so I am sending you a big hug, and encouraging you to get to work on a project that makes your heart sing, and schedule some time with friends and fellow quilters. We are trying really hard to make sense of what is happening, and it is these relationships that keeps us going.

I am finishing a quilt during the day, and editing photos in the evening. You can see the first batch of images from Houston on my photo pages here.

Sharing your love for fabric,
Luana and Paul

Subscribe to my artist blog here.

Travel/Lecture Dates:
Nov 2-6 – Art Quilt Tahoe – Independent Study
Nov 7-10 – Sacred Threads – Indianapolis – Art & Activism lecture
Nov 21-23 – Taiwan Quilt Festival – Taipei – Feature Artist & Speaker
Dec 10 – Canadian Quilt Association – Zoom Lecture – Intl Quilt Trends
Feb 2 – SAQA Europe/Middle East – Zoom Lecture
Feb 18-21 – QuiltCon – Raleigh NC

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

See Luana’s Artist Blog, 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.