Is there someone in your family who would be delighted to receive a Bunny quilt for this Easter? If so, now is a great time to start a Spring project…because when you are a quilter, the next holiday is always right around the corner!
This Free Quilt Pattern is a 61″ x 68″ quilt design…perfect for a Nap Quilt or a small bed coverlet for a special little person. We are longtime fans of Bob Giordano and his adorable animal illustrations, which in this case include not only cute Bunnies, but also Ducklings, Chicks, Songbirds, Butterflies, and Easter Eggs. The soft color palette reminds us of the vintage artwork of Beatrix Potter.
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.
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. 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.
Thank you for all of your messages of concern. Our business and our home are on the North side of Boulder so we were safe. All of our staff are safe – nobody lived in the fire zone. Our oldest son lives on the boundary of the evacuation zone so he was witness to the whole thing, and now will have to deal with the toxic ash in the air. But compared to those who lost their homes so suddenly, and many who lost their pets in the firestorm, we have nothing to complain about.
Just as we said a couple weeks ago when the tornadoes happened in several states, when somebody loses their entire home in a few hours, they do not need quilts. They need disaster relief funds. (eQuilter contributed to the Mission of Love to Bowling Green KY which delivered a 53″ semi truck full of disaster relief supplies on Dec 28.)
If you are moved to send a donation to those who have lost everything here, I have posted links to several relief organizations here on our blog. Yes, in the future we will be accepting and distributing comfort quilts but for now I really just encourage you to donate what you can to these communities who have been so deeply affected by these extreme weather events caused by Climate Change.
Our local TV weatherman stressed that this firestorm was caused by Climate Change – a culmination of a long hot fall, December temps 20 degrees above normal, and no precipitation. The combination of the drought, the tinderbox effect and the high winds was a disaster waiting to happen…and was definitely unprecedented.
I wrote to thank him, and he asked for this in return: to contact other news media and ask them to start covering the reality of how climate change is causing these extreme weather events. So I am just passing on this request to you, because these events are coming to all of our communities with time. For now we must care for those who have been so cruelly impacted, and think about what we need to do to demand action on this issue.
We wish you a safe and healthy New Year, and I invite you to join me as a person dedicated to protecting the planet. We’ve only got one, and she’s a beauty.
…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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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!
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.
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
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.
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
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:
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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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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.
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.
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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