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.
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).
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.
I am writing to you from the Vancouver BC airport, as I wait to board my flight back home. Holy cow! The airport lines were crazy – especially checking in at United. It was easier to get to Canada than I expected, but harder to get through the several long lines, to get home. I have Global Entry and was using my pandemic miles (from 2 1/2 yrs of credit card use) for an upgrade. Even with that, it was nuts. So if you are traveling this summer, allow extra time. I got here 2.5 hrs ahead of time. If I didn’t have some of these line-skipping perks I would have needed more like 3 hrs to feel comfortable. Nothing worse than having to run for the gate!
It is Father’s Day weekend so I have to thank my husband and partner Paul for all that he does, especially when he holds the fort down at home and work when I am traveling. Together since we met in 1994, running this business together since 1999. I’m a lucky girl! Wishing you all a Happy Fathers Day!
As Juneteenth approaches I also want to re-affirm our commitment to Black Lives Matter. I am always surprised when I hear that quilt organizations hesitate to make a positive statement about this important social justice and humanitarian concept. For those of you who have hesitated in the past, I urge you to make positive affirmations to mark Juneteenth. Perhaps you can educate those who are hesitant, so they can join us in an inclusive environment for ALL who wish to join us in the quilting world. It is time to speak up.
One of the very obvious ideas being discussed at Quilt Canada was about healing and reparations for First Nation (indigenous) people who were forced to leave their families and go to boarding schools as children. This is an extremely sad chapter in US and Canadian history that is now being brought to light. I visited with Vanessa who was running the “Quilts for Survivors” booth at Quilt Canada. They are gifting beautiful donated quilts to those who survived the residential schools, as children.
Summer Solstice is in a few days – when the longest day of the year bathes the Northern Hemisphere in golden light. Let us hope that it brings illumination to the issues we’ve struggled with in the last few months, and let us pray that this Light will bring healing to our troubled world and those who are suffering. Thanks to all of you who selflessly make quilts for those who have suffered trauma and loss. We are still accepting quilts for Uvalde. If you are not in the Boulder area, please ship directly to Diana in Uvalde.
Quilt/Travel/Sponsor Calendar: June 15-18 – Quilt Canada, Vancouver BC July 22-26 – Sacred Threads Weekend, Dulles/Wash DC August 4 – Long Beach Quilt Festival Aug 17-20 – Festival of Quilts – Birmingham UK 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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Cool off from the heat wave with this week’s Exclusive Free eQuilter Pattern. Magical white reindeer dash across a snow-covered meadow with a decorated Blue Spruce pine tree, and a garland of Winter Wishes overseen by White Doves.
Start with the exquisitely detailed 36″ reindeer panel, then piece together the coordinating Frosty Scrolls and Snowflakes fabrics, and then finish with a Teal Hoffman Hand Dye.
This 59″ x 67″ design makes a wonderful wall hanging or lap quilt; make yours today and celebrate the wonders of winter!
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).
Your Free Quilt Pattern – Winter Wishes – 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.
Today I flew to Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada. Air Canada is still requiring masks to be worn on their flights. Just a few days ago Canada’s Covid arrival restrictions were softened, so my arrival was easier than I had expected. I had my ArriveCAN receipt in hand, my vaccination records (showing my booster 2 weeks ago) and I sailed through Immigration. Yay! Filling out the forms online the day before was a little confusing, because the online system had not caught up with the relaxation of the entry rules, and when I called the airline they were so slammed that they wouldn’t even put me on hold. Their phone system just said “We’re too busy to handle your call” and hung up on me. But hey, I made it, so that is the bottom line.
This evening I spent walking around Granville Island with my new quilter friend Pat from Victoria. It was so wonderful to be out on the water’s edge, sunlight sparkling on the rippling waves. Vancouver is one of my favorite cities, because of the close interface between Nature and humanity. The mountains, the forest and the water are never far away. The air today was fresh and clean, compared to the smoky skies in Colorado. The sky was blue and it was 60 degrees, compared to 99 degrees the day before in Colorado.
As we walked around Granville Island I was delighted to see this large painted bear. (center of the photo collage above.) You may recall that I recently painted a bear for a Chautauqua fundraiser. Now I am part of this worldwide club of artists who have painted/embellished large animal sculptures for public art. I look at these public artworks with a new appreciation.
One of the joys of travel is that quilters live everywhere, and it is so easy to connect with our tribe. I ‘met’ Pat just a couple days ago via email, and tonight we had dinner and shared our respective quilting stories. She is volunteering at the Quilts for Survivors booth, which is an organization that gifts quilts to First Nation survivors of the notorious boarding schools, where indigenous children were removed from their families and put into residential schools. The ongoing quest for Truth and Healing is expressed in this panel by Karen Erickson for Northcott.
On Wednesday I am going to take photos at a couple local botanical gardens, and then will attend the award ceremony in the evening. If any of you are attending Quilt Canada this week, I hope to see you while walking the show on Thursday. If you see me please do stop and say hello!
Quilt/Travel/Sponsor Calendar: June 15-18 – Quilt Canada, Vancouver BC July 22-26 – Sacred Threads Weekend, Dulles/Wash DC August 4 – Long Beach Quilt Festival Aug 17-20 – Festival of Quilts – Birmingham UK Sept 21-24 – SAQA Conference – San Diego CA October 2022 – Luana’s Polar Bear Tour – Churchill Manitoba Canada
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Come and join us in this beautiful coastal scene that is beckoning to you, with a pair of empty chairs and a view to the horizon. This idyllic beach image invites you to come and dig your toes into the sand, smell the salty air, and listen to the waves crashing on the shoreline.
To make this 51″ x 61″ quilt design, you will start with the scenic central panel, and splice in pieces of a 2nd panel to extend the shoreline view. Fussy cut the allover beach print for the corners, and piece the sand and weathered wood prints for the border. Finish the binding with a seashell print.
This quilt makes a great wall hanging for a beach house, but it also may recall a fond memory of a vacation by the seaside. Those coastal vacation memories are always embedded deeply in our hearts….
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.
You have 4 1/2 months to whip up your next Halloween masterpiece, and here’s a fun Free Quilt Pattern that documents the special relationship between a Witch and her precious Black Cats, set in a spooky neighborhood under a Full Moon. We love the bright color contrast of Purple and Orange, mixed with the Black and White illustrations!
To make this 59″ x 59″ quilt design, you will start with the central 24″ x 44″ scenic panel. Then cut up a second block panel to make the side sections. Piece together with Black and Purple spiderweb blenders, and finish with the Black Cat border. Take a close look at the ‘memes’ in the blocks. “Paw Readings” and “Yes I Can Drive a Stick” are some of our favorites.
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).
Your Free Quilt Pattern – Halloween Spirit – 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.
Today it was 98 degrees. That is just too hot for early June! I still don’t have my tomato plants in the ground, and it is too hot to garden today. However the Peonies and the Japanese Lilac Tree are blooming, so it is pleasant to sit outside in the shade of the trees, with a cool drink, and take in a little floral aromatherapy. I try to spot some of the more exotic birds migrating through our yard now.
On Tuesday I am taking my first international trip since I went to the Tokyo Quilt Festival in January 2020. (Which was to be – sadly – the last time for that event.) I am excited to be attending Quilt Canada in Vancouver BC, one of the most beautiful areas I’ve ever visited. I’ll be at the awards Weds night, and walking the show on Thursday. I am going as a corporate sponsor, and photographer. On Friday I am going to Victoria to see Butchart Gardens – finally! I’ll be sharing my photos when I get back.
Covid continues to writhe through our communities. I am planning more travel, but if Covid has a serious spike I remain flexible in my plans. You can see my planned trips below. Perhaps I will see you in person later this year? Paul and I got our boosters 10 days ago, and although I had a couple days horizontal, I am now feeling better about upcoming travel plans.
If you come to the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham UK, I’ll be giving my trend lecture on Friday morning, and participating in a panel discussion on the SAQA exhibit “Forced to Flee” on the timely topic of REFUGEES and activist art. We are sponsoring this SAQA exhibit because I believe it is an urgent topic.
With gas prices going up for the summer driving season, it may seem like a good time to stay home and sew. I will remind you that compared to many other countries, our gas prices are still comparatively low in the US. Looking at prices now in Europe and Hong Kong for instance, gas ranges from $8 to $10, even up to $12/gallon. Of course the war in Ukraine is not helping. So…you know I always like to look on the bright side…I am driving my car less and driving my Bernina more. It’s better for the environment!
Quilt/Travel/Sponsor Calendar: June 15-18 – Quilt Canada, Vancouver BC July 22-26 – Sacred Threads Weekend, Dulles/Wash DC August 4 – Long Beach Quilt Festival Aug 17-20 – Festival of Quilts – Birmingham UK 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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I have found when I need a hug, the best thing to do is give a hug. Find somebody who needs it more than I do, and spend time with them.
Today I had lunch on an outdoor patio, under these hanging flower baskets, with a friend who has been going through cancer treatment during the pandemic. It was her first time going out with a friend for lunch, since the pandemic started. At one point it started to shower through the rays of sunlight, sprinkling raindrops like diamonds on her shoulders. I asked if she wanted to switch places. She smiled , shook her head, and closed her eyes, as if the rain was a holy baptismal blessing.
Sophie took a meal to a family friend who just had a baby, and Sophie had the honor of holding the tiny newborn. She sent me a photo of the moment, wearing the biggest smile. We have another friend who is home recovering from surgery. In fact we have 2 friends home from the hospital. So we drop off meals and keep them company. There but for the grace of God, go I….
When I was home in bed for a month, my friends dropped off meals. These days there are apps where you can sign up to bring a meal on a certain date. Back then our friends just signed up via a phone tree. Compassion? There’s an app for that.
Quilters tend to bring both food and quilts to someone who needs a hug. (This time of year, we might also bring flowers from our garden.) We often hand-embroider a message of love and encouragement. For awhile we put these messages on the back, on a label. 150 years ago the community would embroider messages on blocks, sew them together, and give them to a new bride, or a grieving widow, as a Friendship quilt. I think it is time to start stitching our messages of love and support on the fronts of quilts again. This is the quilters’ version of wearing your heart on your sleeve….but in this case it is stitching your love on the topside of the comfort quilt. (However we still need a label with the date, and name of the maker!)
We know that many of you are doing this already, because our hand-embroidery suppliesand specialty needles have been selling out. And of course, you can easily stitch messages on a quilt by machine, with freemotion quilting. (One of my most favorite quilting activities, on my Bernina machine.)
I have connected with a retired teacher from the Robb Elementary in Uvalde. Diana and I spoke at length several times to organize a comfort quilt drive to support the traumatized community in Uvalde. Go this page for all the details.
Quilt/Travel/Sponsor Calendar: June 15-18 – Quilt Canada, Vancouver BC July 22-26 – Sacred Threads Weekend, Dulles/Wash DC August 4 – Long Beach Quilt Festival Aug 17-20 – Festival of Quilts – Birmingham UK Sept 21-24 – SAQA Conference – San Diego CA October 2022 – Luana’s Polar Bear Tour – Churchill Manitoba Canada
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Posted inCharity, Quilts|Comments Off on Heart on our Sleeve
To make this 56″ x 56″ quilt design, you will start with the central 24″ x 44″ digital-printed panel. Fussy cut the bright animal allover print to create the on-point blocks. Set these diamond shapes into a pale hand-dye for contrast, then use 4 more Hoffman hand-dyes to create the Earthtone border and Aqua binding.
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).
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.
To make this 53″ x 53″ quilt design, you will start by cutting up a 24″ x 44″ block panel. Then piece together with the Fruit Mix and Footprints in the Sand, plus 3 Hoffman Hand-Dyes to tie it all together.
Strawberries, apples, and pears, oh my! Delectable fruit finds itself in the oddest places in this hysterical design of fruit figured ladies, relaxing on the beach in plump attire. And what ever shape these women are, they are all perfect, beautiful, and juicy!
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).
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.
