I didn’t know that I needed a vacation when I made plans, but after the stressful week we just had, Sophie and I are on a trip and we are totally fried. A few days ago her beloved violin professor succumbed to cancer, which we’ve known was coming since Christmas. This is part of what triggered a decision for her to leave CU Boulder, giving us about 48 hours to make the decision for her to transfer to MSU Denver, to finish her music education degree. In the midst of the madness of prepping for an audition, registering for a new school, withdrawing from the CU program…our beloved doggy had to have eyelid surgery on short notice. Somehow we managed to work everything out, and get on the plane yesterday. (She starts at the new school next Tuesday.)
For many years we traveled to Hawaii with the kids to visit Paul’s parents, and other relatives. Now they are gone, but we miss the Aloha culture of the islands. It is the place we go when we need to rest and heal. We love the mix of cultures, and Sophie feels very at home here. We also source our authentic Hawaiian/Island fabrics from Oahu. We have many longtime customers here. We visited one of them today, after taking a beautiful drive up the mountain and through the rainforest. When I entered her work space, it was like visiting the history of eQuilter’s Asian fabrics. She has been a customer since at least 2004, and has kept every receipt of every purchase in a big thick binder. She seems to have collected every Japanese print over the last 18 years!
This quilter makes handmade quilts from our beautiful Geisha panels and Asian prints, and sells them in her daughter’s gift shop here. People ask her where she gets her Asian fabrics, but she says it is one of her trade secrets. She is painfully aware that it has become much more difficult to source Japanese prints (she used to have to order from Japan) so she is especially grateful that we have continued to find and stock these beautiful fabrics. Every time we get a new Asian panel, she stocks up and buys several, because she knows once they sell out, that’s it. It is gone. I was delighted to see all her different quilts and unique contemporary Noren panels made with eQuilter fabrics. We chatted over Japanese green tea, and by the time we finished our long chat we found we had so many interests in common. But isn’t that the way it goes when you meet new quilters and spend time together?
Today I encouraged Sophie to pick out a Hawaiian shirt, and she picked out a beautiful print with Pink Hibiscus and Pineapples on a black background…a Hawaiian print that we have carried in the past. She has such good taste! I wonder where she gets it from…?
Sharing your love of fabric,
Luana and Paul
Travel/Quilt Calendar:
Feb 15 – Virtual lecture for Victoria BC Quilt Guild
Feb 22-25 – QuiltCon – GOLD SPONSOR – Atlanta
April 18-26 – Pour l’Amour du Fil – Nantes, France
June 8-10 – Quilt Canada – Halifax, Nova Scotia
August 18-24 – Bear Camp in Alaska – Sign up Now to travel with Luana!
Visit eQuilter’s Instagram, Pinterest or TikTok pages for Color and Design ideas.
See Luana’s Flickr Photo Pages for travel images, review our blog, or follow us on Facebook.
Check out our Video pages for interviews and show reviews.
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