Your Free Quilt Pattern – Fairy Soiree

Escape to a world of dreamy fantasy, delicate butterflies and sparkling fairies,
in this week’s exclusive eQuilter Free Quilt Pattern. This Midsummer Night Dream has shades of deep blue and violet, with fairies in Lilac and Periwinkle, sprinkled with Silver Metallic.

To make this 47″ x 47″ quilt design, start with the 24″ x 44″ panel, then piece the coordinates to make the diamond side panels. This would make a beautiful wall hanging or Nap/Lap quilt for someone who loves the magical world of Fairies!

We wish you a safe and Happy New Year from all of us at eQuilter.com!

…from the ‘Fairy Soiree’ collection by Timeless Treasures.

Don’t miss the ‘Rainbow Dragon‘ and ‘National Parks‘ 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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December 30, 2021 – Firestorm in Boulder Colorado

By now you may have read or heard about the massive wildfire that swept through a Boulder suburb here on Thursday. 35,000 people were evacuated, and preliminary estimates are that 991 homes were destroyed and 127 damaged. That is over 1100 families impacted. 3 people are missing and presumed dead, so far. Countless pets were lost in the firestorm. It was a shocking and traumatic event for our community, still recovering from the mass shooting at the King Soopers grocery store in March 2020.

Below is a list of disaster relief resources and links to information that we hope will be helpful for those of you who wish to help. We know several folks who have lost their homes so we are posting information for them also, because not all of them have access to the notifications coming out now.

This page will be updated. We will do a comfort quilt drive in the future but right now what these families need is relief so please do donate what you can. Thank you – Luana

Disaster Assistance Center Opens Monday, January 3 for Those Impacted by Marshall Fire 

Consultations for property loss and recovery and filing claims, financial and food assistance, and more available 


From Rep Edie Hoot0n:

Donations of cash, goods, services, and shelter

The Boulder County Wildfire Fund is raising funds for ongoing needs in Superior, Louisville, and other communities affected by the fires.

This is our #1 suggestion for a place to donate relief funds to help victims immediately!

Boulder County Wildfire Fund

Sister Carmen Community Center is coordinating donations through their website. Please ask what they need before donating physical items.

Individuals are coordinating services, supplies, animal assistance, and shelter through this Google Sheet shared by Katrina Sondermann.

KGNU Radio has organized a Boulder County Fires mutual aid group on Facebook.

You can also donate shelter, food, materials, or services through the Boulder Office of Emergency Management donation page.

Register to offer shelter to displaced residents through Airbnb’s disaster housing program.

Emergency information

For continued updates on the emergency response, visit the Boulder County Office of Emergency Management’s website, also @BoulderOEM on Twitter

Get current information on road closures, evacuation areas, and shelters on the Boulder County Public Information Map.

Animal resources

Boulder County Lost & Found Pets Facebook page.

Boulder Valley Humane Society is hosting lost and evacuated pets, and providing pet food and supplies to families in need. Find updates on their Facebook page.

Colorado Pet Pantry provides pet food and supplies.

From Cong. Joe Neguse:

Countless families are learning today that they have lost their homes, and all of their possessions. For each of the individuals who are learning of this loss, for those who have been evacuated from their homes, we stand with you, ready to assist in any way that we can. For those looking for assistance you can contact our Boulder office at: 303-335-1045. 

In the last 24 hours, we’ve secured initial FEMA authorization for a Fire Management Assistance Grant as we work to contain the fire. Additionally, we’re working with Governor Polis and the Biden Administration to finalize the expedited Major Disaster Declaration the President verbally approved earlier today to bring the full force of federal resources to our community to help with home repairs, individual assistance and more. 

See our 2021 Wildfire Resource Guide here and follow @BoulderOEM and visit their website for updates on evacuation.

Boulder County Call Center – 303-413-7730

Animal Evacuations: 

  • Jefferson County Fairgrounds (15200 W 6th Ave. Frontage Rd., Golden) 
  • The Ranch Events Complex (5280 Arena Circle, Suite 100, Loveland)

For lost and found pets, visit this page.  For horse relocation see here. 

Resources For Those Impacted:

Centura Health; Patient and Associate Line – 303-661-1848

From Gov. Jared Polis:

BOULDER COUNTY – Today Boulder County announced the addresses of homes and businesses impacted by the fire. There are resources available to those impacted by the devastating wildfires. Please find below information about how to access behavioral health support and the next steps to take related to insurance and financial assistance. President Biden today approved the Colorado Disaster Declaration making federal funding available to affected individuals in Boulder County. Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.    

Behavioral Health Resources ​​Contact Colorado Crisis Services at 1 (844) 493-8255, or text “TALK” to 38255, to speak with a professional counselor about any area where you could use support for yourself or a loved one, from loneliness and isolation, to stress, relationship issues, substance use and other common concerns.

JFS Boulder County Crisis Counseling: In response to multiple tragic events over the last year, Jewish Family Service and Community Foundation Boulder County have partnered to offer counseling services to Boulder County residents. The program offers up to $500 towards five individual counseling sessions (a maximum of $100 per session), or up to $875 towards five family counseling sessions (a maximum of $175 per session) and provides a pool of licensed providers from which to choose.  

I Matter: 3 free mental health sessions for any youth in the state, largely available via telehealth. 

Mental Health Partners: Call (303) 443-8500. MHP outpatient services are closed Monday, Jan. 3rd and will re open 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 4th

National Disaster Helpline: Call (800) 985-5990 Support available at each of the evacuation shelters  

Applying for FEMA Assistance Colorado encourages all individuals impacted by the Marshall Fire to apply for FEMA’s Individual Assistance Program. Individuals should first call their insurance agents and then apply for federal assistance. Apply for FEMA assistance online or by calling 1-800-621- 3362. If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA the number for that service. If you do not have rental or home insurance, please apply for FEMA assistance.  

Applying for U.S. Small Business Administration Assistance (SBA)  Federal assistance is available from the SBA to businesses of all sizes and private nonprofit organizations may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory and other business assets. SBA can also lend additional funds to businesses and homeowners to help with the cost of improvements to protect, prevent or minimize the same type of disaster damage from occurring in the future.   Interest rates can be as low as 2.83 percent for businesses, 1.875 percent for private nonprofit organizations and 1.438 percent for homeowners and renters with terms up to 30 years. Loan amounts and terms are set by SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition.   To be considered for SBA assistance and all forms of federal disaster assistance, survivors must first contact the Federal Emergency Management Agency at www.disasterassistance.gov. Additional information and details is available by calling the SBA Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955.  

Insurance Information If you have been displaced by the fires, contact your insurance agent or company immediately to let them know where you are staying. Not only can they help you with coverage or claims questions, they can help find lodging options as many people in the area will be temporarily displaced.To find the contact information of your homeowners or auto insurance company go to Insurance Company Claims Filing Telephone Numbers

Save all receipts for living expenses if you’ve been evacuated or displaced by the fire, as homeowners or renters in these situations typically have insurance coverage for additional living expenses (ALE) which provides them with an amount of out-of-pocket money while evacuated. Check with your insurance company or agent about your coverage. If you are unable to live in your house or apartment because of the fire, most policies will also reimburse you the difference between your additional living expenses and your normal living expenses.

Again, check with your insurance company or agent about your coverage.Start the claim process as soon as you can. For your home, any out buildings and vehicles, you’ll want to contact your insurance company or agent right away to begin the claim process. However, these fires were devastating and many people have been significantly impacted, so the insurance process will take time. If possible, and only if it is safe to do so, try to document any damage by taking photos. 

If your home survived the fires, it may still have experienced damage from smoke or water, or to the electrical systems or other damage due to the extreme heat or the snow and cold. As with direct fire damage, contact your insurance company or agent as soon as possible to start the claims process. 

If you have questions about insurance, contact the Division of Insurance. The Division’s Consumer Services Team will staff the phones and answer emails from 8 a.m – 5 p.m., including this weekend and next weekend.

While claims need to be filed with the insurance companies, the Division can assist consumers with questions about insurance and the claims process.

Contact the Consumer Service Team at 303-894-7490 / 800-930-3745 (outside of the Denver metro area) / [email protected] or visit our website, doi.colorado.gov (click on “File a Complaint”).

Renters should contact their renters’ insurance. If you do not have rental insurance please apply for FEMA assistance.      

From Cong. Jason Crow:

In addition to Community Foundation Boulder County, several nonprofits are on the frontlines collecting monetary donations, food, and supplies to help with the aftermath. Click on the links below to support relief efforts:

If you are in the area and would like to help, you can also sign up to offer shelter to displaced residents through the Airbnb Open Homes Program.

The Boulder Daily Camera is doing great coverage. Also follow @MitchellByars on Twitter.

The Colorado Sun updates a general information page with resources about evacuation centers, emergency guidance, and resources for victims.

Boulder County Sheriff releases preliminary list of structures damaged in the Marshall Fire:

https://content.govdelivery.com/bulletins/gd/COBOULDER-303740d

CU Boulder Campus will begin our spring 2022 semester remotely in order to support our community as we respond to the Marshall Fire and concerns about the COVID-19 omicron variant.

Read more: https://www.colorado.edu/chancellor/node/1341/

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A Matter of Perspective

Here we are at the end of a 2nd challenging year, and if you read the news it is exhausting. I was raised an optimist – a “glass-half-full” girl. In my twenties when I started to travel around the world, and had several in-depth experiences in slums, it made me realize how lucky I was to be an educated American. It also was the start of a burning question – what can I do to help the people who are stuck in poverty in these slums?

There are many who simply look away when they pass by slums, but when I was 22 I was assigned to a contract job at a factory in the New Territories in Hong Kong. I had to take the train to a station that came up in the middle of a slum. During those weeks I befriended the children who lived among the shanty houses and open sewers…the little children who slept on slabs of cardboard. One week one of my little friends was missing, and someone finally told me he had died. That was a searing shock.

No, I didn’t go off and join the Peace Corps at that point, but I continued to work and travel, and instead of looking away, I looked deeply into these communities. Over the years I’ve walked into slums in South & East Asia, Africa, South & Central America and yes in the US. However the worst ones were not here, and the things I saw are burned into my heart and soul.

So the context of my optimism is this backdrop, and I am grateful that together we have been able to make such a difference for children, for mothers, for families who have suffered unimaginable losses. Truly we are so fortunate, and for myself, I feel an obligation to do something. In a year like 2021….it is a matter of perspective.

There is great beauty in the world as well. There is the natural beauty of the oceans and the wild mountains, there is the breathtaking beauty of the other living things who share the planet with us, and there is the great artistic and cultural beauty that humans have created over centuries. However the beauty of each human being we meet – the beauty in the heart of everyone we encounter – is something to celebrate every day. When the world feels overwhelming and we feel like looking away, we can start by looking at the beauty in our own hearts, and slowly expand from there.

As we come to the end of 2021, and wonder what 2022 will bring, I again feel so blessed to be part of a community that stitches together the art of fabric, the beauty of the creative heart, and the compassion for those who have nothing. With your support, we have now raised over $1.85 million for our list of charities, and we will reach $1.9M next year. This means that $2M is on the visible horizon, which was incomprehensible when we started this pledge to give 2% of all sales to charity. My gratitude to all of you cannot be put into words, but now I simply ask us to join hands and hearts and celebrate what we have accomplished together, as we face the dawn of another strange year. We are SO blessed, aren’t we? Thank you for being our friends, our customers, and our partners.

…sharing your love of fabric,
Luana and Paul

p.s. Today the 53″ trailer that Mission of Love filled up with humanitarian supplies, reached its destination in Bowling Green Kentucky. Food, clothing, mattresses and other basic needs were given to those who lost everything in the recent 2 tornadoes. eQuilter contributed to this effort, and you are a part of this. Thank you!

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Your Free Quilt Pattern – Winter Bird Song

You will be enchanted by these delightful vignettes of colorful Songbirds and Birdhouses
in this week’s exclusive eQuilter Free Quilt Pattern. These little gems are set in a Winter landscape backdrop, with a windowpane quilt block pattern that gives a sense of 3-dimensional structure.

These Cardinals, Chickadees, Goldfinches and Bluebirds are perched on snow-covered pine branch boughs and their ‘gingerbread’ embellished little homes, with beautiful sunset skies and snowy mountain landscapes.

To make this 57″ x 72″ quilt design, you will start by cutting up two 24″ x 44″ detailed block panels. Cut and piece a Bird/Birdhouse coordinate, 2 stone textures and 3 Hoffman Hand-Dyes for the dimensional Window blocks, and border.

…from the ‘Winter Song’ collection by Oleg Gavrilov for Elizabeth’s 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 ‘Rescued and Loved at Home‘ and ‘National Parks‘ 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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Protected: 2021 Letter to Friends and Family

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Merry Christmas & Happy Kwanzaa!

Here we are again my friends, observing another strange Christmas after another strange year. Yes we are all sick and tired of this, but we still have each other. We have our quilt guilds on Zoom, our Fabriholic friends on Facebook, and if we are lucky we have a local group who shares our views on keeping safe while meeting up in person. We continue to live in historic times, and many of you are making quilts to document the ways it has affected your lives.

But seriously, can you imagine going through the last 2 years without quilting? We are so blessed to have found our way to this little corner of the universe. When I am stressed or sad, when my head is too full of jumbled feelings, or when I just need to find my Zen place….there is always a needle and thread, and my fabric stash waiting.

A few days ago we had our Ugly Sweater Contest, had a lot of laughs, and generally blew off steam at work. Our warehouse elves have been hard at work getting those packages out, so we had some giggles and chocolate on our way out the door for a long holiday weekend. You can see photos on our Facebook page.

As you gather with loved ones this weekend, to celebrate and rest, all of us at eQuilter send you our holiday wishes and gratitude. We wish you love, peace and health as we head towards a New Year.

…sharing your love of fabric,
Luana and Paul

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Your Free Quilt Pattern – Polar Journey

Santa is not the only magical being who lives at the North Pole.
This week’s exclusive eQuilter Free Quilt Pattern features a dazzling Ice Queen riding a Polar Bear under a shimmering Aurora Borealis.

To make this 64″ x 55″ quilt design, you will start with the incredibly detailed 36″ x 44″ digital-printed scenic panel. Add the Indigo stone texure, twilight Ombre sky, and rippling Northern Lights to make this quick and easy project.

The details in the central panel will capture your imagination:
The expression on the bear’s face, the crystalline snowflakes,and the tumbling Arctic animals in the lower left hand corner…will keep you enthralled with the luscious painterly artwork.

…from the ‘Polar Journey’ collection by Josephine Wall for 3 Wishes Fabric.

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 ‘Owl Arabesque‘ and ‘National Parks‘ 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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Faith Hope Love & Charity

In 1958 the first edition of “Jolly Old Santa Claus” was published, with the lush oil-painted illustrations by George Hinke. (1883-1953) George was born in Germany and came to Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1923, worked in a print shop, and eventually opened his own studio. He was commissioned by Ideals Magazine to create art in his classic nostalgic style.

As a child (born in Milwaukee), I devoured every tiny detail of Hinke’s illustrations. If you are familiar with the book, you know that there is a cat hiding in every scene. I loved finding the elf mishaps, I loved the soft fur of the reindeer, the Black Forest clock on the wall of the workshop, and I could hear the sleigh bells jingling as the reindeer were hitched to the magical sleigh. What I loved most was when I realized that these images were PAINTINGS which meant that if I was an artist, I could create images like this too. This was an absolute miracle for my little brain to contemplate.

When my parents split up and I moved to college at 17, my childhood book collection was liquidated. This was one of the books I mourned for a long time. (Along with Uncle Wiggly) When it was reprinted so I could buy a copy to read to my own children on Christmas Eve, I literally had tears running down my cheeks. What joy to see those beloved scenes again, and share with my own young children!

Hinke’s style of Santa Claus art has now been duplicated in so many ways over so many years, that I imagine not many realize the influence he has had on today’s Christmas illustrators and designers. Every time we get in a new Santa Claus panel that is reminiscent of his work, I smile and think that George must be a guardian angel looking over the shoulders of another generation of holiday artists.

And so we are all inspired by those who come before us. Even when we create something brand new, it was first part of the creative soup in our brains, that has been brewing our entire lives. For those of us who crave visual stimulation, and then allow the colors and designs to flow out of us into our quilts and textile art, it is simply the creative life force of divine consciousness that is guiding our hands and hearts.

In this season of Faith, Hope, Love, and Charity…may we all harness this as a Force for Good….to guide our sleighs safely through this holiday season and into the New Year.

…sharing your love of fabric,
Luana and Paul

p.s. Mission of Love is filling up a 53′ foot trailer with disaster relief supplies, departing Dec 28 for Bowling Green Kentucky which was hit by 2 tornadoes Dec 11. If you would like to help with basic humanitarian needs for those who have lost everything, we urge you to support this effort with our trusted non-profit partner. Details on our Facebook page.

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Your Free Quilt Pattern – Dream Big Holiday

The gift of a beautiful Poinsettia at Christmastime is such an expression of joy and love, and this week’s exclusive eQuilter Free Quilt Pattern is a huge Ruby-Red Poinsettia that will be treasured for years to come. You can purchase this seasonal quilt kit now while we still have this limited edition panel, and get an early start on a holiday gift for next year.

To make this dazzling 67″ x 67″ quilt design, you will start with the 43″ x 44″ digital-printed huge flower panel. Sew the pieced border with Red and Green Stars, and a White Snow blender.

Please note that we also have the Pink Poinsettia and White Poinsettia panels in stock now, in case you want to re-design with your own color combination. See instructions on customizing your quilt, at the link below.

Consider finishing the project by freemotion-quilting with Metallic Thread, and be sure to use a Metallica needle and Sewer’s Aid thread lubricant for metallic stitching-success!

…from the ‘Dream Big’ collection by Jeanie Sumrall-Ajero for Hoffman 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 ‘Rescued and Loved at Home‘ and ‘Destination USA‘ 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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Last Minute Holiday Prep

Now is time of year when Gift Certificates become the supreme choice for last-minute shoppers…to Give and to Receive! We can send them out email, even on Christmas Eve. Drop a hint and you might get one too. *wink*

My painted 54″ fiberglass bear “If Mama Bears Ruled the Earth” is now on public display in Chautauqua Park here in Boulder. It will be there through April 3 when the fundraiser auction ends and some lucky winner will take it home. I met the juror and he told me that the 15 artists (including Barbara Beasley) were chosen from 100 applicants, so I am feeling kind of proud of this accomplishment. I enjoy quietly sitting on the bench nearby, and watching the children play on the bears.

The construction in my new studio space finally finished yesterday, and although it is not quite ready to be fully set up, I’ve carved out a space to plug in my BERNINA and finish my current project for an exhibit that has been delayed several times during the pandemic, but now has an imminent deadline. The construction delay (from 1 week, to 5 weeks) was due to supply chain and labor issues, and was very stressful. But what can you do? I will spend the last 2 weeks of the year organizing my new space and plowing ahead with new projects for a creative New Year. Can you believe it? …2022 is just around the corner now.

We are having a severe winter drought here, so the topic of the week has been Winter Watering. We will either have to turn on the sprinkler system, or get a really long hose, to water our young trees on the property. You may recall we moved into our new eQuilter building 3 years ago, and we had to replace some trees last year, so the current drought has become a concern for all of us with new trees. Planting trees is a way to fight climate change and bad air quality, but you have to give those young trees a chance to put down some deep roots.

This week we’ll be having our Ugly Christmas Sweater and Holiday Costume Contest at the office, so I’ll be posting photos on our Facebook page. Please note we will be closed on Friday Christmas Eve and Friday New Years Eve so our staff can enjoy the holiday.

Send us your photos of the holiday quilts you’ve made with eQuilter fabrics this year, and we’ll put them on our social media this week!

…sharing your love of fabric,
Luana and Paul

Quilt/Travel Calendar:
Jan 18 – Apr 9, 2022 – New England Quilt Museum (NEQM) “For the Love of Gaia” exhibit
Feb 16-19 – QuiltCon – Phoenix Arizona
Sat, April 9 – “International Quilt Trends” lecture – NEQM Closing Reception
October 2022 – Luana’s Polar Bear Tour – Churchill Manitoba Canada

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