Meet eQuilter.com
If you haven’t already visited or purchased from eQuilter.com, we want to take this opportunity to introduce you to one of ACQ’s business members. eQuilter.com is independently owned by Luana and Paul Rubin and is located in Boulder, CO. The business was started in the basement of their home in March 1999. Luana was looking for a way to work with fabric and design, after working in the garment industry. Their sales exceeded their 3 year business plan in 60 days, and they moved to their first 4000 sq ft warehouse by the Fall of 1999. After expanding to 11K sq ft, then 14K sq ft, they now own a 23K building and occupy 14K sq ft of the space. (They designed and built the structure, and share with 2 tenants on the 4 year old property.)
eQuilter.com has the largest online selection of contemporary quilt fabrics and quilting accessories. Over 1000 new products per month are introduced in the weekly e-newsletters that go out to 120,000 subscribers. One feature I especially enjoy and find useful on the eQuilter web page is the ability to search for fabrics of a particular color. This really makes finding and auditioning fabrics easy. There is also a Design Board to audition fabrics and colors. 2-3 Free Quilt Patterns are sent out in emails each week. They have big clearance sales several times a year, and smaller sales every week. Be sure to register for the eQuilter.com e-newsletters for all of the latest products and news.
A special feature of eQuilter is their charity effort. eQuilter donates 2% of all purchases to charitable organizations throughout the world. This charity program has raised over $1.9 million for non-profits and anticipates hitting $2 million in donations in 2023. When you check out, you choose from 7 various non-profits to direct your 2% donation. eQuilter has raised over $330K for Breast Cancer research alone. Doctors Without Borders is another popular recipient. In addition eQuilter – in partnership with Mission of Love – has distributed over 17,000 donated comfort quilts for disaster relief locally and around the country, and the world.
In addition to running the business, Luana has been busy with other quilting activities. Luana was a speaker this summer at the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham UK as well as at the SAQA conference in San Diego, speaking on the topic of “Art and Activism”. Her quilts were displayed in Birmingham, as well as hanging in Sacred Threads in Washington DC. Another quilt is currently on display in the Women’s Voices, Women’s Votes, Women’s Rights exhibition at the Clinton Presidential Library. Lastly, be sure to check out Quilting Arts TV for two segments with Luana airing this Fall on PBS.
eQuilter is a major sponsor of quilt festivals, exhibits and contests around the world. This has included our own Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum, the Houston Quilt Festival, International Quilt Museum, Visions Quilt Museum, New England Quilt Museum, Quilt Canada, and quilt festivals in the UK and France recently. Luana has traveled to 49 countries and recently led a tour to Churchill in Canada, to photograph the polar bears. Her polar bear quilt is traveling with the Endangered Species exhibit, and she has 2 quilts in the “Inspired by Washington DC” exhibit.
Their mission is to inspire and support quilters, and to provide specialty quilting fabrics and supplies for the creative quilter and textile artist. Luana is a Bernina Ambassador, and has designed textiles for many fabric manufacturers over the years. Her background as a fashion designer, living in Los Angeles, Hong Kong, and New York City, has contributed to her expertise in the quilting industry. She has worked as a designer in the fashion, textile and quilt industry for over 40 years. Paul and Luana live in the same house where they started the business in 1999, with 3 cats and 2 dogs, 1 mile from their new eQuilter building. They invite us to come and pick up orders in person, and to schedule group tours!
eQuilter.com – thank you for contributions to the quilting community, all of your charitable support and your support of Arapahoe County Quilters.
