Happy July

Posted on July 4, 2022 by Luana

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

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Free Quilt Pattern – Sea Turtle Journey

Posted on July 1, 2022 by 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.

…from the ‘Sea Turtle’ collection by David Textiles and Rubin Design Studio.

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).

Don’t miss the ‘Steampunk Christmas‘ and ‘Love You to the Moon‘ 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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Flowers and Prayers for Ukraine

Posted on June 29, 2022 by Luana

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!

Sharing your love of fabric,
Luana and Paul

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

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

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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A Celebration of COLOR

Posted on June 29, 2022 by Luana

ANNOUNCING THE “A CELEBRATION OF COLOR” 2022 WINNERS!

Judged show offered cash prizes! HOUSTON—June 28, 2022—International Quilt Festival today announced the winners for the judged show that’s all about hues and shades, “A Celebration of Color.”
 
This annual judged competition is open to quilters working in any style who like to play with color to create a vibrant work. A $1,000 Best of Show Award and three $500 prizes each in Traditional, Modern, and Art categories were awarded. Quilts are hand or machine, appliquéd, pieced, or wholecloth. The prize money was sponsored by eQuilter.com
 
“Color is a language that speaks to us without words. As artists and makers we communicate so much with color. The things that bring us the most pleasure in Nature are because of color—pink cherry blossoms, red maple leaves, the Golden Hour, blue skies, purple shadows, the fresh greens of springtime, and clear turquoise waters,” says eQuilter.com President and Co-Founder, Luana Rubin.
 
International Quilt Festival Founder and Director Emeritus Karey Bresenhan adds “This is hands down one of my favorites of all our exhibits, because I adore the creative and inventive use of color in quilts. And our attendees at the upcoming Festivals will have the opportunity to see not only the top four winners, but all of the finalists.”
 
The Salt Lake City Quilt Festival is July 21-23 at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Long Beach Quilt Festival is August 4-6 (with classes beginning on August 3) at the Long Beach Entertainment & Convention Center in Long Beach, California. For information on these and other Quilts, Inc.-produced shows and events, visit Quilts.com.
 
Sponsored by

GRAND PRIZE WINNER

Celebration #2 (64” x 84”) Caryl Bryer Fallert-Gentry of Port Townsend, Washington, USA. Hand-dyed, Machine Appliquéd, Machine Pieced, Painted (Over 50%); original design.

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Free Quilt Pattern – Snow Dog Express

Posted on June 27, 2022 by Luana

Your Free Quilt Pattern – Snow Dog Express – Free Shipping

Our weekend Free Quilt Pattern celebrates our beloved canine companions, who have gathered in the village square around a decorated Christmas tree. This exclusive eQuilter quilt design features a whimsical scene full of delightful holiday details…the dogs all have accessories like Santa hats, red bowties, and tartan plaid doggie jackets.

To make this 69″ x 69″ quilt, you will start with the fantastic 36″ x 44″ panel, which includes a train (with a doggie engineer) and a snowy village scene in the background. Cut up a 2nd block panel to make the corners. Use the Snow Dog Express stripe and coordinates to make the fun borders. This Christmas quilt is sure to become a favorite family heirloom for future holiday celebrations!

…from the ‘Snow Dog Express’ collection by Geoff Allen for Studio E Fabrics.

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).

Don’t miss the ‘Steampunk Christmas‘ and ‘Dream Catcher Owl‘ quilt patterns!

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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New Kaufman, Blank Textiles, Henry Glass – Animal, Holiday Closeouts

Posted on June 27, 2022 by Luana
Save big on our Animal Fabric and Holiday Closeout sales.
Over 650 products at 45% off!

Sunday is the last day of our Floral & Designer Sales.

Exclusive Ukraine Dancers portray figures in traditional dress.

‘The Gem Collector‘ features gemstones, facets & crystals.

Halloween Countdown is a spooky calendar thru Halloween night.

These Cuddly Bunnies & Ducks are adorable!

New Large Florals include Clematis, Violette & Poppies.
‘Garden Floral Cache‘ is filled with tiny blooming clusters.

Timber Gnomies are back with their Tree Farm Winter Holiday cheer.

The Bears of ’12 Days of Christmas‘ sing Christmas serenades.
The Kittens & Pups of Christmas Jamboree dress up for the Holidays!
Musical Christmas panels illustrate Merry Christmas music.

Our Dream Catcher Owl coordinates with Dragonflies & Spirit Owls.

New Color Palette selections include Impressions Brushstrokes.
And new Batiks & Hand Dyes by Mirah are ready for your stash.

Don’t miss this week’s *Rubin Design Studio* Digital Exclusives!

*SCROLL DOWN* for Luana’s Weekly Update*.

New Kaufman, Blank Textiles, Henry Glass – Animal, Holiday Closeouts
The Last Teenager
This weekend our youngest of our 3 kids – Sophie Quinn – turned 20. No more teenagers in the house. Our kids ages are spaced out, so I’ve been parenting teenagers since 2002 – ha! But the great thing about teenagers is you can start sharing more adult topics like Shakespeare, world history, and freemotion quilting. *wink* Anyway, as exciting as this is for Sophie, it is also a turning point in our life as parents.

Tonight, for Part 2 of Sophie’s celebration, we are going to a fundraiser dinner at the Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg Colorado. The WAS rescues neglected and abused lions, tigers and bears from around the US and around the world. This fundraiser event was part of what Sophie requested for her bday gift. We are tenderhearted when it comes to animals.

Due to popular demand, we have reprinted our Ukrainian Dancer exclusive panels, and now have added new designs. As always, 2% of your purchase goes to the charity of your choice. To help Ukrainian refugees, you can choose Doctors Without Borders or Mission of Love. We are continuing to donate to several organizations helping Ukrainian refugees. Last week on World Refugee Day, it was announced that the world now has over 100 million displaced people…i.e. refugees. For those of us secure in our own homes, our hearts go out to the mothers and fathers trying to keep their children safe and find a better life.

I am posting photos from my trip to Vancouver and Quilt Canada. You can see what I’ve shared so far, on my photo pages.

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.

We are still accepting donated comfort quilts for Uvalde Texas. If you are not in the Boulder area, please ship directly to Diana in Uvalde. She is overwhelmed with your compassion and generosity for their devastated community. Thank you so much.

Sharing your love of fabric,
Luana

Visit eQuilter’s Instagram, Pinterest or Twitter 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.

Quilt/Travel/Sponsor Calendar:
July 7-11 – Santa Fe
July 22-26 – Sacred Threads Weekend, Dulles/Wash DC
August 4 – Long Beach Quilt Festival – Color Contest Awards
Aug 17-20 – Festival of Quilts – Birmingham UK – Intl Quilt Trends Lecture
Sept 21-24 – SAQA conference in San Diego
Oct 17-24 – Luana’s Polar Bear Tour – Churchill Manitoba Canada
Oct 28 – Nov 5 – Quilt Market & Festival – Houston
Feb 22-25 – QuiltCon – Atlanta GA
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Free Quilt Pattern – Steampunk Christmas

Posted on June 24, 2022 by Luana

It’s a delightful Steampunk Christmas, in this week’s exclusive eQuilter Free Quilt Pattern, featuring an eccentric combination of Sci-Fi, Fantasy and be-goggled Santa Claus.

To make this 53″ x 66″ quilt design, you will start with the central Sleigh Ride 24″ x 44″ panel. Add concentric borders with the coordinating blenders and the Steampunk Stripe to make the Red and Green border. Fans of this literary subculture will get a kick out of this whimsical interpretation of a holiday theme.

…from the ‘Steampunk Christmas’ collection by Desiree’s Designs for Quilting Treasures.

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).

Don’t miss the ‘Seasons of Ukraine‘ and ‘Little Darlings Safari‘ quilt patterns!

Your Free Quilt Pattern – Steampunk Christmas – 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.

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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Summer Solstice

Posted on June 23, 2022 by Luana

eQuilter – Floral and Designer Fabric Closeouts

Summertime is the season when the Great Outdoors beckons, and we venture out to the forest, the coast, or even our backyard…to enjoy the sunshine, the birdsong, the fragrance of flowers, the smell of the Earth that rises up when it rains. (“Petrichor” for you logophiles)

Yesterday was the official first day of Summer here in the Northern Hemisphere. This weekend I flew home from Vancouver in beautiful British Columbia, after attending my first international quilt festival in 2 1/2 years. Yes it was wonderful to see old friends, meet new friends, and say hello to many of our eQuilter friends and fans. I had about one hour to race through and photograph the quilts before the doors opened, and then I enjoyed walking the show and chatting with the quilting tribe.

In honor of the Summer Solstice, I am highlighting Carol Russell’s quilt “Camp on Stouffer Lake” which is the kind of image we would snap while sitting at a campfire overlooking a forest-rimmed lake. (Center left in the collage above) Carol has captured that perfect moment when we lean back, take a deep breath, and let go of all the stress of the outside world. Ahhhh…..

In addition to attending Quilt Canada, I went on a 13 hour cruise and tour out to Vancouver Island, visiting historic Victoria, and Butchart Gardens. That has been on my bucket list for decades, and boy was it worth it! I’ll be sharing photos from the quilt show and my tour, on my photo pages in the next couple weeks.

Canadian quilters are a talented bunch, and I am always anxious to see what they come up with for their national quilt exhibit. Their love of Nature is always expressed beautifully, in their textile art.

Many thanks to our Canadian friends who hosted my visit and gave me so many wonderful memories from Vancouver!

Sharing your love of fabric,
Luana and Paul

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

Visit eQuilter’s Instagram, Pinterest or Twitter pages for Color and Design ideas.
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Free Quilt Pattern – Raven Manor

Posted on June 21, 2022 by Luana
Take a trip to this spooky Victorian mansion, in tonight’s exclusive eQuilter Free Quilt Pattern. Open the creepy wrought iron fence, and allow the conspiracy of Ravens to escort you into this haunted house….IF YOU DARE!

To make this 49″ x 57″ quilt design, you will start with the central 24″ x 44″ panel depicting the crumbling architecture of faded grandeur. Add the graphic Raven & Pumpkin stripe, and the Disembodied Black Cat Heads to make the border. This is a quick and easy project that is sure to scare the jeebers out of your neighborhood Trick-or-Treaters. BOO!

…from the ‘Candelabra’ collection by Northcott Fabrics & the ‘Wicked Eve’ collection by Timeless Treasures.

Don’t miss the ‘Halloween Spirit‘ and ‘Soaring Eagle‘ quilt patterns!

Your Free Quilt Pattern – Raven Manor
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 – Soaring Eagle

Posted on June 20, 2022 by Luana

Your Free Quilt Pattern – Soaring Eagle – Free Shipping

Happy Fathers Day!
Happy Juneteenth!

Today’s special Free Quilt Pattern features a majestic eagle soaring on cool mountain breezes above a stunning Northwoods landscape, with Melanie’s distinctive alcohol ink painting technique.

To make this 53″ x 69″ scenic quilt, you will start with the atmospheric 24″ x 44″ panel. We’ve combined 4 of the collection’s blender prints plus a Hoffman Hand-Dye, in shades of Misty Aqua and Stormy Teal, to make the pieced border which mimics the mountain peak skyline…for this eQuilter exclusive quilt design.

If you are getting an early start on a holiday gift, you may consider a cozy Flannel backing.

…from the ‘Soar’ collection by Deborah Edwards and Melanie Samra for Northcott Fabrics.

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).

Don’t miss the ‘Halloween Spirit‘ and ‘The Lion and the Lamb‘ quilt patterns!

Your Free Quilt Pattern – Soaring Eagle – 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.

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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