After our balmy winter weather last week, today I woke up to find snow on the ground. Not a lot, but enough to remind me that it is still winter. Then my mind immediately turned towards quilting for spring which always makes me feel sunny. So, I thought to myself, why not do a collection of spring VRD Rose Card patterns to get a dose of vitamin D along with a lot of inspiration? Maybe you need this little shot of sunshine right now, too.
Spring VRD Rose Card Quilt Patterns
Below you will find a wonderful eclectic collection of Spring-inspired projects curated just for you. I have included a link beneath each image so you can easily grab new-to-you physical Rose Cards. As always, there is NO SHIPPING on patterns!
For our international friends, I am here is a link to our digital Rose Card collection, where you will find most of the patterns in a download and print format: Digital Patterns.
After all these glorious Spring-inspired Rose Card patterns, I’m ready to head to my machine and start making a little spring for myself here in my dungeon — er….sewing room.
How about you? Betcha can’t pick just one….
Have a great week and don’t forget about our upcoming Blog Hop March 14th-21st.
Get ready for a fantastic time. Oh yeah — there will be prizes, too!
Here in NW PA, things are looking like spring! Punxatawney Phil (the Groundhog) did not see his shadow on February 2nd, which (hopefully) means an early spring. I started seeing some signs of spring even before Groundhog Day — on January 31st, I saw a groundhog awake and out of its hole. Next we started seeing some of our spring birds returning — starlings and bluebirds. We haven’t seen any robins in our yard yet, but other folks in our area have already seen them. Yes, we’ll probably see more snow before spring is completely sprung, but in the meantime I will enjoy winter days filled with sun and warmer temperatures.
Of course, true to living in NW PA, we did have a few weeks of very cold and snowy weather, but right now, we are enjoying the lack of snow and the sunshine with daytime temperatures in the 40’s with a few 50’s thrown in just to tease us. I hope you are just as fortunate as I am in the weather department right now. With all the sun, though, I am wanting to be outside to enjoy it, not down in my dungeon studio/office. Oh, the conundrums of nice weather……
On another note, do you know what day it is today??? It’s the first Thursday after the first Friday of the month which means NEW VRD Rose Card Patterns for February!
NEW VRD February Rose Card Patterns
YAY! Who doesn’t love NEW PATTERNS? Especially new patterns EVERY MONTH? And we’ve got some great new ones just for you this month, including several from our new designers Rachelle Handmade and Creative Sewlutions.
You can grab your set of February Rose Cards HERE for the special price of $8.95.
We also have 2 — count ’em — 2 table runners this month! One from Rachelle Handmade and one from yours truly.
What a great collection of patterns, don’t you think? Lots of variety AND different styles to appeal to just about every quilter. Which one are you going to make first this month?
Quilts of Valor National Sewing Day
As I mentioned last week, I had signed up to attend my local QOV group, PA Stitcher’s of Valor’s National Sew Day event. Our event was actually 2 days, Friday and Saturday, instead of just Saturday. This meant we could get even more sewing in. But with 2 days of sewing, I still didn’t get my project completely finished. I should have looked over the pattern a little bit more and pre-made my almost 200 Half Square Triangles (HSTs) before the actual sew days. Then I probably could have gotten my project finished. Hey, I was just pleased that I got all the pieces cut out. And I did get the 12 blocks sewn together, so now all I have to do is sew the blocks together and add the 2 borders.
I pretty much spent the first day just making HSTs. My cuz and pal, Robin and I switched projects for a while that first day because her machine was giving her some issues and she was having a hard time sewing her blocks together (Yes, Robin made her quilt blocks ahead of time. Good thinking, Robin!). So she worked on my HSTs while I sewed her blocks together. Group effort, definitely! Robin’s top was finished the first sewing day.
Here’s Robin’s top. Very patriotic, isn’t it?
OH NO! I think I switched blocks in the upper right corner….do you think it looks weird???
Here I am with my “cuz crew” — Kim (left front), Lisa (left back), and Robin (right back) laughing and sewing the day away! I am the person on the right in the front — you know, the one with all the mess. LOL! That’s just how I roll, I guess.
Here’s Kim sewing her big HSTs while Lisa is reading her pattern.
Here I am (front) with Robin (back) sewing happily along while we chat and laugh. You can see my cute little gnome sewing buddy on the table beside my machine. Notice my mess isn’t too bad as this was taken on the first day and the photo above was from Saturday (insert eye roll here).
We had a total of 60 quilters in 2 locations over 2 day! Some of the sewers were able to get a project finished, or brought ones to donate that they had already finished. Here are some of the gorgeous quilts and tops turned in over the weekend.
Hats off to Collene, our fearless leader for PA Stitchers, who organized such an amazing sewing event! Lunch was donated both days and there was plenty of snacks to keep us going at full speed. One of the things I loved the best about the event was lending a hand to each other when we needed some help. It wasn’t a race and there was always time to take a break and wander around, seeing what each other were working on. I am smiling while I think about the experience. I look forward to doing it again soon.
Our local PA Stitchers group meets once a month to work on quilts for QOV. Such a worthy cause — I’m so glad I have skills that can help others. Please contact your local QOV group and get involved — there are so many veterans and active military personnel who need to be covered by a special quilt. So get involved!
And don’t forget to grab your own set of our brand new 12 Quilts of Valor collection HERE. These 12 quilts will give a lot of different options for making your Quilts of Valor quilts, including multiple options for your patriotic panels! All the patterns fit the size requirements for a QOV quilt and a portion of the sales will be donated to the QOVF.
Well, I think that’s it for me today. I hope you enjoyed the quilt photos from our National Sew Day weekend for QOV. Don’t forget to find your local organization and get involved.
I’ve been thinking of some ways I can move forward in 2024 with my goals (Did you miss last week’s post? You can find it HERE). I’ve been seriously thinking about how to get my studio in order, which is definitely part of my 2024 Goals. I wouldn’t be surprised if you have the same thoughts, so let’s brainstorm some ideas together!
For some unknown reason, I never seem to get time to actually clean up, organize, and declutter my space. I truly believe there are little pixies who come to my studio at night and have wild parties because there’s no way that I’m making this mess. LOL!
I think I just need to take a couple days (or years) — maybe a week end — to focus entirely on my studio. Whew! That’s going to be a challenge, though, because I try to cram as much as I can into each day — you know what I mean? To focus completely on one task for a week end would be totally foreign to me. Sigh….I don’t know why 24 hours just isn’t enough time to get everything done every day…….
Now, don”t freak out, but I’m going to show you some pictures of my studio. I’m totally embarrassed to show you any photos of my space, but maybe if I do, then it will motivate me to make improvements. So here goes!
Okay, there it is — my very messy studio. Gulp! I am really embarrassed, but hopefully looking at these photos will motivate me to make some changes because obviously my current organizing system at isn’t working for me. Part of my problem is way too many quilts and way too much fabric — there just isn’t enough room for everything. That means it’s time to purge. Scary……..
Before I dive into this huge undertaking, I think I need a game plan. So here are 11 ideas to help get our sewing spaces ready for a new year of sewing! I bet you can come up with even more ideas so please share your thoughts in the comments.
Fabric and Supplies
1. Look at Your Stash: Take some time to go through your fabric stash and see what you really have. Sort your stuff into categories such as color, material, or project type. Maybe this will give you a better idea of what you have to work with.
2. Donate or Sell: If you come across fabrics that no longer spark joy or that you haven’t used in years, consider donating them to a local charity or selling them online. This way, someone else can put them to good use and that fabric isn’t just collecting dust. If you sell stuff, you will have extra space and extra money. Win-win!
3. Proper Storage: Invest in storage solutions that work for your needs. Clear plastic bins, shelves, or even hanging organizers can help keep everything neat and accessible. Be creative! What do you already have that you can use? Shop second hand. Psst! One of my favorite places to get bins and such is my local Dollar Tree store.
4. Label Everything: When storing your fabrics and supplies, labeling containers can be a lifesaver. It helps avoid the hassle of rummaging through everything when searching for specific items.
5. Streamline Notions: Just like with fabrics, it’s important to go through your sewing notions as well (buttons, zippers, threads, etc. ). Get rid of any duplicates or items that are no longer usable.
6. Keep Favorites Visible: If there are fabrics that inspire you every time you see them, make sure they’re easily visible in your workspace so they don’t get forgotten!
7. Pegboards: Hanging tools on pegboards is a great idea! Not only does it keep everything organized, but it also makes things easy to find whenever you need them. Pegboards come in various sizes and can be customized to fit your specific needs.
Clutter-free Surfaces
1. Clean Your Sewing Table: Start by giving your sewing table a good wipe down. Dust off any debris or lint that might have accumulated, and use some mild cleaning solution to get rid of any stubborn stains or spills.
2. Clutter-Free Work Surface: Take a look at your work surface and remove any unnecessary items that may be cluttering it up. This could include scissors, pins, scrap fabric, or anything else that doesn’t need to be there while you’re working. Yeah, according to my photos, this is definitely something I need to do ASAP!
3. Organize Your Cutting Table: If you have a cutting table, make sure it’s well-organized so you can find what you need when cutting fabrics. Consider using storage bins or containers for keeping your rulers, rotary cutters, and other cutting tools neatly in one place.
4. Tidy Sewing Desk: Keep your sewing desk tidy. Small storage compartments or jars can help keep everything organized while still being easily accessible.
Storage Ideas for Your Thread Collection
1. Wall-Mounted Thread Rack: A wall-mounted thread rack is not only functional but also adds a decorative touch to your sewing room. It keeps your thread spools where you can find them and is even visually appealing (think arranging your thread in rainbow order!).
2. Drawer Dividers: Use drawer dividers to create separate compartments for spools of thread or other sewing sundries.
3. Bobbin Rings or Holders: Keep your bobbins organized by using bobbin rings or holders. These handy accessories prevent tangling and make it easy to see the color of each bobbin at a glance.
4. Clear Plastic Boxes: Invest in clear plastic boxes with compartments specifically designed for storing spools of thread. These boxes are often stackable, making them perfect for maximizing storage space in your sewing room. And we all need that, don’t we???
Sewing Zones
1. Cutting area: This is where you’ll prep your fabrics before diving into the fun part of sewing. Make sure you have enough space for a cutting table or mat where you can spread out your materials comfortably. Consider adding storage for rulers, rotary cutters, and fabric scissors nearby to keep everything within arm’s reach.
2. Sewing stations: These are dedicated spaces where your sewing machines will live. Make sure that each station has enough room for the machine itself along with any additional equipment like sergers or embroidery machines that you may use. I’m hoping to set up a second sewing station in my space so I can have a friend or two sew with me in my studio.
3. Pressing station: Having a designated area for pressing fabrics is crucial in achieving professional-looking results. Set up an ironing board or invest in a sturdy pressing table that suits your needs. Keep essentials like irons, water spray bottles, and pressing tools nearby so that you don’t have to hunt them down every time.
Patterns
1. Purge: Bring all your patterns to the same place and decided which ones to keep and which ones to donate, sell, or discard.
2. Categorize by pattern type: One way to organize your sewing patterns is by grouping them together by topics. For example, you could have sections for bags, jackets, toys, accessories, quilts, pillows, etc. You could even subdivide categories into smaller groups like quilts could be subdivided into bed quilts, throw quilts, wall quilts, runners, etc. Grouping patterns with the same topics together will make finding what you’re looking for a lot easier when starting a new project.
3. Sort by difficulty level: If you have patterns that vary in complexity, maybe organizing them based on their difficulty level would work for you. You can have separate sections for beginner-friendly patterns and more advanced ones.
4. Use binders or folders: To keep your sewing patterns neat and easily accessible, consider storing them in binders or folders with clear sleeves or pockets. This allows you to flip through the pages without damaging the patterns and also makes it simple to locate specific designs. If you use clear sleeves and only put one pattern in each sleeve, you won’t have to pull out the pattern to see the fabric requirements (if they are listed on the back of the pattern).
5. Label everything: Don’t forget to label so that you can quickly identify what’s inside your boxes, baskets, drawers, or binders without having to search through every single one.
Books and Magazines
1. Purge: gather up all your books and magazines in one place and decide what to keep and what to donate, sell, or discard.
2. Alphabetical order: If you have a collection of books related to sewing techniques or reference guides, alphabetizing them can make finding specific information a breeze.
3. Subject-based organization: Another option is to group your books based on their topic such as applique, paper piecing, hand quilting, machine quilting, etc. Once you’ve gathered your books and you start to look through them, you’ll get a good sense of what categories you can divide them into.
4. Get control of your magazines: sort them by year or by magazine name. Or maybe tear out the patterns you want to keep and pass the rest of the magazine onto someone else.
Scrap Fabric 101
1. Scrap Fabric Bins: Transform old shoe boxes or plastic containers into storage bins for your fabric scraps. You can label them by color or sizes/shapes, making it easy to find what you need for future projects.
2. Fabric Scrap Garland: Turn your fabric scraps into a colorful garland by cutting them into strips and tying them onto a string or ribbon. Hang it up as decoration in your craft room or use it to jazz up a plain wall.
3. Scrap Quilts: Need I say more???
4. Fabric Covered Storage Boxes: Give plain cardboard boxes a makeover by wrapping them with scrap fabric using glue or double-sided tape. These stylish storage solutions are perfect for organizing smaller items like buttons, ribbons, and beads. Covered cereal boxes make great magazine and pattern storage!
5. Scrap Fabric Wreaths: Use wire wreath frames as the base and tie on small pieces of fabric all around until the frame is completely covered. This DIY wreath ad
6. Bags and totes: Use your scraps to make bags and totes in a multitude of sizes and shapes. Bags and totes can used to store projects, take on the go, use in place of plastic grocery bags, and much more.
7. Rag Rugs: Cut fabric scraps into strips and weave them together to make colorful rag rugs for your home decor. It’s an eco-friendly way to repurpose those leftover materials!
8. Pincushions: Imagine the possibilities!
Cleaning Habits and Routines
1. Start with a clear workspace: Before you begin sewing, take a few minutes to clear off your work area. Put away any tools or materials that are not in use, so you have plenty of room to work. Sounds like a good habit to start, doesn’t it?
2. Wipe down surfaces: Dust and debris can accumulate quickly in a sewing room, so it’s important to regularly wipe down your surfaces. Use a damp cloth or disinfectant wipes to keep things clean and hygienic.
3. Empty the trash regularly: Don’t let the scraps of fabric or discarded thread pile up next to you as you sew. Make it part of your routine to empty the trash bin frequently, keeping your space neat and tidy.
4. Organize your supplies: Invest in some storage containers or bins for all of your sewing supplies such as thread spools, bobbins, scissors, etc. Having designated spots for everything will make it easier for you to find what you need and to maintain an organized space.
5. Vacuum or sweep the floor: Fabric lint can easily accumulate on the floor around your sewing area, so give it a good vacuum or sweep every now and then to keep things looking fresh.
Better Lighting
1. Natural Light: Place your sewing table near a window to take advantage of natural light during the day.
2. Task Lighting: Invest in good task lighting options, such as adjustable desk lamps or floor lamps with flexible necks. This will help you focus light directly on your sewing machine or work area, reducing eye strain.
3. LED Bulbs: Consider using LED bulbs as they are energy-efficient and provide bright, white light that mimics natural daylight. They also last longer than traditional incandescent bulbs.
4. Overhead Lighting: Ensure that you have adequate overhead lighting in the room to provide general illumination when needed. Choose fixtures with adjustable brightness settings so you can control the intensity based on your needs.
5. Multiple Light Sources: Use multiple light sources around your sewing room to minimize shadows and ensure even illumination across your work area.
6. Dimmers or Smart Bulbs: Installing dimmers or using smart bulbs that allow easy adjustment of brightness levels.
An Ergonomic Sewing Room
1. Your Sewing Chair: Look for one that provides good back support and has adjustable height options. This way, you can ensure proper posture while you work your creative magic.
2. Adjustable Cutting Table: It’s important to have a surface at a comfortable height so that you don’t strain your back or shoulders while cutting fabric. Look for tables with height-adjustable legs or consider using risers to customize the height according to your needs.
3. Sewing Machine Height: Make sure your sewing machine is set up at the right height for optimal comfort. You don’t want to be hunching over or straining your neck while working. Adjust the table or use additional supports if needed.
Make Your Space Your Space
1. Inspiration boards: These are fantastic for keeping your creative juices flowing. You can pin up fabric swatches, color palettes, sketches, and anything else that inspires you. It’s like having a visual brainstorming session right in front of you! Plus, it adds a lovely touch to your sewing room decor.
2: Artwork: Hang up some beautiful prints or paintings that speak to your soul. Maybe vintage sewing illustrations, artistic photographs of sewing machines, or framed inspirational quotes about quilting. Surrounding yourself with art that speaks to you will definitely lift your spirits while you work.
3. Special Keepsakes: Why not add some special keepsakes to your space? Maybe display a vintage thimble collection passed down from generations of skilled sewists in your family? Or use an antique jar as storage for small notions? Adding these personal touches adds character to your space and keeps those precious family memories alive.
I hope these ideas will help jump-start your journey of taking back your sewing space!Stay tuned and I’ll tell you more about my own journey in future posts.
VRD UPDATES
Just a few quick update on our recent projects:
12 Quilts of Valor Pattern Collection
The Quilts of Valor VRD Collection is finally available — you can get it HERE. You will definitely want to add this pattern collection to your Quilts of Valor patterns because all 12 quilts meet the QOVF size requirements. Additionally, a portion of the sales will be donated to the QOVF. You can visit the QOVF HERE.
12 Quilts of Christmas
I’m sorry we didn’t get this collection out in time for the 2023 Holidays, but you can be sure it’ll be out in plenty of time for Christmas in July 2024! Woohoo!
VRD Blog Hop
You bet we’re still having our 2nd VRD Blog Hop in 2024. We’ve just bumped it a little later in the year to March 2024. Stay tuned…….we’ll have more information coming soon.
I can’t think of any other updates right now, did I forget anything?
Well, that’s it for me this week. Fingers crossed that I squeeze in some time in the next week to begin taking back my studio from those wild partying pixies!
I’m still in Quilt Market/Festival mode and boy, have I got some goodies to show you today, including another slide show of quilts! I’d like to point out that this demonstrates how far-reaching and important Quilt Market and Festival really are — it literally takes weeks to “unpack” your brain afterwards. That can include looking through literature from companies, sifting through all your goodies, contacting new contacts, making connections about orders or new projects, and so much more. I am most definitely still decompressing from Market and Festival. Whoah! Squirrel……….
American Quilt Study Group Display
One of my favorite quilt displays at Market and Festival this year was by the American Quilt Study Group (AQSG). The display had a wonderful title — “Every Quilt Tells a Story”. It was a really interesting display with quilt examples ranging from the 1850’s up to circa 1980 — that’s one really broad stroke in quilt history! Some of my favorites on display were the double knit polyester quilts, believe it or not! I’ve always wanted to adopt a double knit quilt because the whole idea of working with such fabric always fascinated me.
As many of you know, my personal roots in quilt-making began with collecting antique and vintage textiles long before I taught myself to quilt after I graduated from college. I came to quilting through the side door, so to speak. Quilting, for me, was a perfect merger of my love of the antique and vintage as well as history and textiles. And OH THE STORIES our quilts could tell us….
So, this display was very near and dear to my heart. I even managed to be in the right place at the right time and participated in a quilt walk talk. It was great to hear more about each quilt as well as the collector/owner.
And while I was there, I even joined AQSG! I’m excited to learn more about my own textile collection and to see how I can contribute to the AQSG existing body of knowledge. You can learn more about the AQSG (and how to join) HERE.
Without further ado, here’s the slide show showing the quilts I was particularly drawn to. Again, please note the quilt information is the slide after the quilt.
Pretty awesome, huh? Which one was your favorite?
Speaking of antique and vintage quilt stuff, let me show you some of my favorite finds at Market and Festival.
Favorite Market and Festival Finds
Probably my most special find was Harold the antique quilt with the opened feed bags for a backing. Did you miss my story, “The Quilt that Followed Me Home”? You can find it HERE.
Then there’s the HUGE collection of antique and vintage Orphan blocks I found at 3 different antique quilt vendors — Quilts From Mulberry Lane, Tenny Roche Vintage, and Legacy Quilts . I can’t wait to play around with these….
Speaking of antique and vintage quilty stuff, I also found this incredible piece of Hawaiian quilting at the Lavender and Old Lace Co booth. It is hand-appliqued and completely hand-quilted. Maybe it was going to be a pillow square? Who knows? There probably isn’t any way to find out how old it is because it’s a solid red on muslin, but it definitely isn’t recent. It had a wide red silky blanket binding applied with some kind of fusible product all around the edges. The blanket binding pulled right off, but it did leave some red staining here and there. Ho hum, just part of the piece’s history. I plan to square it up, bind it in a vintage red fabric, add a hanging sleeve on the back, and a label. I don’t know the name of the block yet, but I will enjoy doing some research into Hawaiian quilting.
Of course, I had loads of fun shopping in our very own VRD booth! Being that I live in PA and the VRD quilt shop is located in CA, it was kind of like visiting the shop (at least a mini mobile one). I grabbed a couple kits I’d had my eye on — Pascali and Picture Perfect.
It’s your lucky day, too — we still have kits left for both patterns!
Or maybe you’d just like Molly’s Picture Perfect pattern? Physical Picture Perfect HERE, digital Picture Perfect HERE
I spent time during Festival helping Molly and Heidi to keep the half and full yards of fabric organized in the plastic bins. I had never seen (or felt) the Charley Harper fabrics up close and personal before now. The fabric was so smooth and silky and the images so colorful and crisp!
Of course, after handling it for days, I just had to take my first Charley Harper fabrics home. It was hard to decide which fabrics to start with, so I ended up putting together a winter collection, a fall collection (’tis the seasons…..), and the last photo shows 2 random prints I fell in love with. It was really fun to mix and match the prints from different collections together. I am looking forward to creating a new VRD pattern (you know, in the next 50 years or so) using my Charley Harper fabric finds.
Pat, our VRD Rose Queen, has used Charley Harper fabrics in a couple patterns already, Newsflash and Jolie. Of course, the kits are long gone, but you can still get the patterns — physical Newsflash HERE or digital Newsflash HERE and physical Jolie HERE or digital Jolie HERE. And you can shop our VRD Charley Harper fabrics HERE.
Charm Squares and Fat Quarters, oh my!!! What more can I say???
PSST! The fat quarter rolls were from our VRD booth, you can see our VRD bundles HERE.
Have you ever been to Phoenicia in Houston? It’s an amazing specialty grocery store through the park and a block away from the Convention Center. Totally worth the short walk. Specialty grocery just doesn’t do the store justice — it’s a restaurant, coffee shop, bakery, meat and fish store, fresh foods, international foods, hot foods, cold foods, salad bar, fresh fruits/vegs, wine and beer, gifts, and so much more. I haven’t been here since 2019. I had so much fun wandering the aisles upstairs and down. I found some great goodies to take home for my family and even some special stuff for myself. I LOVE Turkish Delight. Have you ever tried it? I go all the way to Houston to find my favorite Koska brand from Turkey. And there were even some new flavor combinations, too!
Here I am sitting out front at one of the little bistro tables enjoying a S’mores cappuccino ( light on the coffee, heavy on the chocolate) and an amazing chocolate eclair. Yum!
Speaking of food, I get really excited to go to Quilt Market (and now Festival) just to have one of the most amazing Texas-sized stuffed baked potatoes. Yep, you heard me right — baked potatoes. I’m talking butter, brisket, cheese, BBQ sauce, sour cream, real bacon, and chives. Yum yum yummy! You can’t beat it for the most filling lunch ever. It’s not cheap, but it’s oh so satisfying.
Here I am digging into my tater……
So grab your own ginormous potato next year at the Food Court and tell ’em Tricia from PA sent you. I think they should keep a world map and a USA map on display (and color in the countries/states) to show all the places where potato lovers come from. Just sayin’……..
When I went to Houston, I took along a little hand-sewing wool felt project for the airport and on the plane. Of course, while I was taking everything in, I was drawn into the wool booth, Yellow Creek Quilt Designs — blame it on the Gnome piece that reached out and grabbed me. Ha Ha! Of course, I bought the pattern for the Gnomes well as a few others. And at another booth, Penny Lane Primitives, I bought this adorable snowman candle mat kit.
Well, I guess that’s it for me this week. I’ve got to get back to work on our upcoming 12 Quilts of Christmas collection! Stay warm and get quilting! And get some rest so you’re ready to first eat turkey next week then shop until you literally drop.
Here I sit at the Hobby airport grabbing some lunch while I wait for my flight back to good ol’ Pennsylvania. Wow! What an awesome Quilt Market and Festival! I am so excited to get back to my studio and get to work on new projects — my head is just exploding with inspiration and ideas.
I did figure out how to get Harold the quilt home — I bought a duffel bag at WalMart since I’d only brought one suitcase and “2 bags fly free.” The only problem with the duffel is that with only Harold in it, it was kind of empty so I just had to shop for awesome cool stuff at Festival to fill it up so Harold wouldn’t be lonely on the trip home. So sad, huh? I’ll be showing you some of my favorites in next week’s post, so stay tuned……
Now let me show you our NEW VRD Rose Card patterns for November.
NEW November Villa Rosa Designs Rose Card Quilt Patterns
Yay! It’s the Thursday after the first Friday of the month and you know what that means — NEW PATTERNS!
Aren’t they great??? As always, you can get the set of 5 regular patterns for the special price of $8.95 HERE.
We’re happy to welcome our newest Villa Rosa Designs designer — Deanne Moore of Creative Sewlutions. Most of you are probably already familiar with her classic Oh Henry pattern — Deanne selected the most popular size for her Rose Card Oh Henry pattern. Find the kit, featuring fabric from Wild Wander, HERE. And Deanne’s other new pattern, Messages is just tons of fun, isn’t it?
Peking Duck is an awesome pattern by Heidi to showcase those gorgeous large prints you just cannot cut up. I’m thinking Charley Harper fabrics would look great in her pattern, what do you think?
Molly’s fast and fun pattern Underline would also look great with larger prints or novelties paired with an accent. This is a good size for a kid’s quilt. You can find the kit HERE.
And don’t forget Farmhouse Blues, my new November pattern. I was sew inspired by the blue and white Moda collection, Blueberry Delight, that I just had to design a quilt around it. I had the most fun photographing it on my Dad’s vintage tractor. I think this is one of my best cover photos ever.
Here’s the original uncropped photo for the Farmhouse Blues cover. Definitely one of my favorite covers ever!
Molly created a sample using the red, white, and blue collection, Patchwork Americana by P&B. You can find the kit HERE.
Molly’s version of Farmhouse Blues, available as a kit.
I’m sorry that we don’t have a table runner for this month — there just wasn’t enough time to get everything ready and to press before Market and Festival. We will have a runner coming for December, though, so hang in there.
Now let’s get back to Quilt Market and Festival!
Quilts of Quilt Market and Festival
During Festival, I was able to spend quite a bit of time enjoying the quilts on display. Oh my goodness, talk about amazing and inspiring! I was really blown away with the creativity and skill. Truly amazing! Pair all of the quilts with all of the shopping and you have an amazing experience. If you haven’t attended Festival, I really urge you to go to one sometime, you won’t be sorry. I do suggest that you plan for at least 2 days, although staying for the entire show would be awesome. There is absolutely no way you can see and experience everything in just one day. It really is sensory overload, so a couple days is a must so you don’t get too overwhelmed.
Anyway, I thought I’d share some of the amazing quilts on display. In the image after each quilt, I’ve included the maker information. Please enjoy my little slide show!
Well, that’s it for me this week. I hope you stop in next week for another little slide show and my favorite finds from Quilt Market and Festival. Until then, spend some quality time with your sewing machine!
As you read this post today, I am on my way to International Quilt Market in Houston, TX. Yay! I’ve been so psyched recently as well as frantic because I’m always afraid I’m going to forget something important. Whew! I will admit that I’m not an easy traveler. Most of the time I overpack and I overthink. I’d like to be more spontaneous but sadly, I don’t think that’s in my genes.
Although I’ve been to Quilt Market more times than I can count now, this year’s Fall Market is going to be a first for me because I am staying for both Market and Quilt Festival, which follows right after Market. I’ve never been to a Festival, so I am doubly excited for this trip! Houston, here I come!
International Quilt Market is the trade show part for companies, shops, and industry professionals while Quilt Festival is the retail show for everyone with tons of vendors, classes, and beaucoup shopping!
Right now I’m in the packing phase, so I packed all the clothes I thought I’d need. Well, silly me, now it’s time to cut that down by 25% or 33% if I can manage so I have room for other essentials. Thank goodness Pat, our VRD Rose Queen, rents a house with a laundry! Thanks, Pat!
I’ll be taking my laptop along for the first time on the plane, so that’s a new experience too which made it necessary for a brand new travel laptop bag on wheels with extra space for clothes and such. Sigh….by my estimation, I should be done packing sometime next week — you know, a week after I leave. LOL!
Are you headed to Quilt Market or Quilt Festival in Houston? If so, we all hope to see you there. Please stop by our Villa Rosa Designs booth and visit — we’d love to meet you in person and tell you about some exciting new things coming for Villa Rosa Designs.
You can find Villa Rosa Designs at Booth #803 on the show floor.
We have a Schoolhouse Session scheduled for Session 13, 4:40-5:10 PM in Room 362D. Gosh, I hope the room is big enough — it was standing room only last year.
You can find Villa Rosa Designs at Booth #801 on the show floor.
Don’t forget to stop by the blog next week for more Quilt Market Adventures! And who knows? Maybe I’ll pop in at the blog sometime before next Thursday….
Jelly Roll Quilt Races
Have you ever participated in a Jelly Roll Race? Jenny Doan of Missouri Star Quilt Company (MSQC) did an awesome video years ago which started a massive Jelly Roll Race response. You can find Jenny’s video below if you’ve never seen it.
A couple friends and I were reminiscing about the fun Jelly Roll Races we had way back then (Jenny’s video came out in 2012). Our group actually raced another group in Chicago! Twice! So not only were we racing against each other to finish first, we were racing as a group to finish before the Chicago group! Wow! That was so awesome — I swear my sewing machine was smoking! That conversation sparked our interest in having another Jelly Roll Race (or maybe more). So I asked my local quilt shop owner here in PA, Gail, if we could do it again. She agreed, of course.
So while I’m flying from Pittsburgh to Houston, you can enjoy some great Jelly Roll quilt tops (flimsies) made recently at our super fun Jelly Roll Race events.
As you’ll see in the photos, every top looks entirely different! Individual fabric choices — choice of straight seams, angled seams, or even posts to sew the strips together — adding a border or not — horizontal strips or vertical — all of these things make each Jelly Roll quilt unique.
Drum roll please!
Here’s our newest and fastest Speed Queen, Donna, with a smokin’ hot 36 minutes to make her quilt top! She was one determined quilter!
Pretty Christmas fabrics, Donna!
Our Runner Up was Jill with a not too shabby (wink, wink) 38 minutes — Jill was our original Speed Queen from our races way back when.
Love the neutrals, Jill!
The best thing about a Jelly Roll Race, is the fact that everyone really is a winner regardless of their finishing times because each participant gets a throw-sized quilt in a short amount of time! Here are the rest of the quilts in no particular order.
Kim’s favorite colors!Sherry went stash scrappy!Timing is everything, isn’t it? Phyllis was one of the original Chicago ladies way back when and she just so happened to be visiting her sister, Mary Lee, when we had our first Jelly Roll Race. Coincidence???Mary Lee added posts between her strips. Isn’t that cool?
Two quilters even participated twice. Weren’t they smart? That way they each made 2 quilt tops in record time. Good thinking, Lisa and Robin!
Great job, Lisa! And she’s a beginner!She turned this one on its side because it had a few extra strips in the roll. Neat variation, huh?Robin’s Autumn throw sure is cozy, isn’t it?Another stash scrappy flimsy!
Donna added a border and even finished her flimsy and showed it off at our next gathering! Way to go, Donna!
Not only are you our current Speed Queen, Donna, you’re also the Fastest Finisher!
Phyllis (who went home to Chicago before this photo) and Mary Lee added borders onto their tops to make them larger and plan to use fleece on the backs. Great idea! (Psst! Did you miss my post about quilting with fleece? You can find it HERE.)
There you have it! Looks like a lot of fun, doesn’t it? Go ahead — I dare you to ask your local quilt shop to host a Jelly Roll Race. And don’t forget to check out the selection of Jelly Rolls while you’re there!
Did you know that Villa Rosa Designs (both the online shop and the physical shop) have a nice selection of Jelly Rolls and other precuts? You can see them HERE. We also have lots of VRD Rose Card patterns just for Jelly Rolls — you can find those HERE.
One more photo…….
Although I didn’t actually race as I was the “host”, I did complete my own Jelly Roll top, using a fun Christmas strip set. Sigh, now to get this one finished……….
Yup, that’s me grinning like a crazy quilter from behind my Jelly Roll flimsy.
Speaking of quilt tops, I hope you had the chance to read last week’s post about finishing flimsies. If you missed it, you can find it HERE (or just keep scrolling down).
Hope to see you at the Villa Rosa Designs booth at Market and Festival as well as our Schoolhouse Session at Market. Just tell ’em Tricia sent you….
I don’t know if you are like me at all but I have a bunch of quilt tops — or flimsies, as they are often called in quilt jargon — piling up and I can’t work fast enough to make a dent in them. Part of the problem is that I have NEW quilts to make, so it’s hard to work backwards to finish the stack of flimsies that I have already made, but haven’t finished yet. It’s such a vicious cycle….
Recently, I started brainstorming some ideas to power through those unfinished tops while still working on my current and future projects. Today I thought I’d share my ideas with you. Feel free to leave a comment if you have ideas, too, because I’d love to hear them. Maybe if we all brainstorm together, we can combat the universal quilting problem of too many projects and not enough time.
Ideas to Finish Your Flimsies
Make a Plan of Action — Maybe it’s time for all of us quilters to go through our flimsies and look at them realistically — a very important first step so we know how many flimsies we really do have. How many of them can we really finish in a lifetime? Let’s be honest with ourselves here. Maybe divide them into 2 piles — the ones we think we might finish and the ones we won’t. Let’s keep only the ones we’ll actually finish and then write down a plan to get ‘em done. Soon that teetering stack of flimsies will be a thing of the past.
Share them — Since you’ve decided which flimsies you are going to complete and you’ve made a written plan to accomplish that, why not share those unwanted flimsies with quilty friends, fellow quilt guild members, quilters who make charity quilts, a church quilt group, or some other charitable organization. Then you can clear away those unloved flimsies without guilt and make someone else’s heart happy.
Take a Class — Maybe you don’t know how to machine quilt your own quilts. Why not learn how? Check out your local quilt shops or quilt guilds to find a machine quilting class. Or maybe you’ve always wanted to learn hand-quilting? What are you waiting for? Sign up for a class and get quilting those flimsies yourself!
Use fleece — I’ve talked about using fleece on the backs of my throw quilts before. Check out my post on quilting with fleece HERE. Using fleece on the backs of throw quilts makes them super cozy and lightweight. Fleece fabric is relatively inexpensive and batting isn’t even needed, which makes using fleece also economical. And don’t forget time-saving — you only have to layer your flimsy with a single layer of fleece, which takes less time than using both batting and backing. Just remember that fleece is very stretchy while your flimsy is not and you may need to adapt your quilting designs to manage the stretchiness.
Practice makes perfect — Just get those quilts layered with batting and backing and get quilting. Hand quilter? Set time aside every day to work on your hand quilting. Machine quilting? Use your flimsies as hands-on experience as you master free motion quilting! Start with table runners and smaller projects and work yourself up to larger projects as you feel more comfortable and your machine quilting skills improve. Wiggly lines and straight lines get the job done too.
Long Arm Quilting — Find a local long arm quilter and work together to create a plan to get your large flimsies quilted. Maybe you can swing getting one done every month or every few months, or…? Do whatever works for you, just keep working towards your flimsy-free goal.
Have a party — Enlist your friends and have a good old fashioned quilting bee, but instead of everyone working on the same quilt, ask each friend to quilt one of your smaller projects. Anything goes! Ask your friends to bring their sewing machines and you will have tables and extension cords at the ready and will provide all the munchies! When you ask your friends to help you, make sure you promise to help them finish their own flimsies.
Presto Change-o — Who says a quilt top has to continue its life as a quilt? Why not repurpose a flimsy (or more) into a snazzy jacket. A tote bag or purse? Pillows for the couch? Place mats? Or whatever else your little heart desires. Have some fun with your flimsies and turn them into finished projects.
Mix and Match — Speaking of chopping up your flimsies to make new projects, how about mixing and matches bits and pieces from different flimsies together into a new project?
Host a Flimsy Swap — Gather up your quilt posse and have a fun flimsy swap. You might need to set some basic rules — the most important one that comes to mind for me would be that each participant must take as many flimsies as they bring for the swap, even if it means taking some of their own back home. Or limit the swap to one flimsy per person. Agree on a future date to have your new-to-you flimsies finished and have a quilt show of the completed projects. With snacks, of course. Then……..repeat. Often.
Take Me as I Am — Maybe you don’t machine or hand quilt. Maybe you just don’t have the money to send your quilts out to a long arm quilter. So why not enjoy those flimsies just as they are? Fold them over the rungs of an old ladder. Drape them over the couch. Use them as table covers in the dining room. Fold them prettily and stack them in an old jelly cupboard. Quilts love to be admired and enjoyed, even if they aren’t quite completed. Just remember to continue to work towards getting them done, one flimsy at a time.
Tie ‘em Up — Have you ever tied a quilt? This is how I made my first five or six quilts way back when. I backed them with a sheet and used a thicker fluffier poly batting. I sewed the layers together envelope-style and then used cotton crochet thread with a long needle to tie my quilts. I tied double knots and trimmed my threads close because I really didn’t want a hairy quilt. I usually placed my knots at seam intersections to hide them a bit better. Tying worked great and I could finish a throw or bed-sized quilt in a day. This was, of course, before I taught myself to do free motion quilting. Just make sure to put in enough ties to keep the batting from shifting around.
Go Small — Maybe you love to make big bed quilts but can’t or won’t quilt them yourself or send them out to a long armer. My solution? Make them smaller! No one ever said you couldn’t cut up your quilt to make 2 or more smaller quilts! Maybe a big bed quilt could become a throw, a wall quilt, a table runner, a set of pillows? Bet you can manage those more easily! This is even a great way to create a new coordinated look for your space, too. Just think how fast you could whip up a stack of table runners or quilted scarves for Christmas gifts when you start with big quilt flimsies? Oh, the possibilities….
Swap skills — You’ll need some friends to help you out with this idea. Have a friend who likes to machine quilt? Swap skills with them! If they will machine quilt one of your quilts, you will clean their house, make cookies, bathe their dog, babysit the kids, or whatever skills you can barter with. Maybe you can swap skills with more than one friend or even a local long arm quilter. Write a list of the skills you are willing to barter before you talk to people about swapping your skills for machine quilting. Just keep it legal, clean, and safe please.
Make Toys — Why not find a brilliant collection of simple stuffed toy patterns you can make for kids and cut the pattern pieces out of your flimsies. Don’t have kids or grandkids? Donate your soft toys to a children’s hospital or other charitable institution. Lions, tigers, and bears….oh my!
Repurpose — Did you know you can repurpose your flimsies? This is kind of like Presto Change-o above, but with a little twist. What else can your flimsies be besides quilts? Maybe you can recover a side chair with a pieced top to create a unique one of a kind accent for your space. Or perhaps you could make dining chair seat covers? Time to think outside the quilt here — anything goes.
I hope these ideas will inspire you to dive into your own stack of flimsies and get them done. From quilts to decor to soft toys. Upholstered foot stools and lampshades. Pillows and table runners. There are sew many projects you can create with your stack of flimsies. Sew, what are you waiting for???
Week after week, I’ve been showing the wonderful, fast, and fun to make Villa Rosa Designs Rose Card patterns. Patterns are great, but I got to thinking it would be fun to share photos of some of these rockin’ Rose Card patterns with you.
I have an amazing group of quilters that LOVE LOVE LOVE VRD Rose Card patterns. We meet once a month at our local quilt shop from March through December — we skip January and February because winters here in NW PA can be a little unpredictable. We call it a class, but it’s more like a quilt slumber party every month with friends, snacks, and quilts. If you’re a VRD enthusiast and you have friends who are also hooked on Rose Cards, then why haven’t you created your own VRD group??? Just sayin’….
Let me tell you about my VRD group. We’ve actually had this group going for a really long time. In the past, we did sampler quilts, small projects, rulers, and many other topics. We’ve always welcomed new quilters into our midst and most return to the group year after year.
There are so many things I love about this group of women. They welcome newbies in and take them under their wings. Everyone helps everyone. We share quilting tips and tricks as well the joys and sorrows of our lives. We laugh, eat, and catch up every month. When I was laid up after getting my knee replacement, one of the group even stepped up and led the June project. I am humbled and inspired by this group of strong women. We are so much more than simply a “class” — we are a sisterhood of quilters.
Last year (2022) after a couple years of requests by several in the group, I finally agreed to do a year of Rose Cards. So in 2022, we did a “Year of Table Runners”. It was a lot of fun and really whetted everyone’s appetites for more. So for this year (2023) we are doing a “Year of Panels and Novelty Fabrics”.
I thought it would be fun to share some of the incredible work being made by these extraordinary women. So here’s to my ladies — Mary Lee, Sherry, Gaynel, Robin, Kim, Lisa, Anita, Debbie, Jean, Donna, Missi, and our fearless shop owner, Gail.
Sit back and enjoy the quilt show!
Table Runner Rose Cards You See in the Photos Above:
I really hope you enjoyed these wonderful wonderful quilts! And I hope you find inspiration to make and finish your own Villa Rosa Designs Rose Card quilts. Or maybe try a new VRD pattern…..
Quilting in the summer. Do you find it as hard to do as I do? Do you get the summer sewing blues or are you a year-round quilting dynamo?
For me, I start off just fine in May and June, but by July, I’m just not into it anymore. That is until September rolls around, then I can’t wait to fire up my machine and sew, sew, sew with all those wonderful rich autumn fabrics. Over the years, I’ve discovered that I’m basically a three-seasons quilter.
The good news is, there are lots of ideas to keep us sewing all through the summer.
Quiltalongs
Have you thought about joining a Quiltalong? I know that many start in the summer and continue into the fall while others start in January. Check with your local quilt shop, if they don’t have some kind of summer sewalong, there are lots online. Just search for “summer quiltalong” online to see what you find. 🙂
Summer Classes
While you’re at your local shop, why don’t you see what classes they are offering for the summer? Maybe there will be something really fun you can do. Don’t forget that quilt shops are usually air conditioned too which makes sewing a lot more comfortable.
The reason I mention air conditioning is that my basement dungeon studio isn’t air conditioned. I have to rely on a couple fans to move the air around. This does not help me feel motivated to sew, instead it makes me feel motivated to take a nap. LOL!
Small Projects
I really don’t think summertime is the time of year to work on big projects, unless you really have to. It’s better to stick to smaller projects so that you can fit your quilting around your summer activities and still finish some of your projects. Place mats, table runners, wall quilts, pot holders, mug rugs and more are wonderful summer projects. You could even work on some small items for Christmas gifts, if you were so inclined.
Here are some of our smaller Villa Rosa Designs Rose Cards, perfect for summer sewing:
There are tons more fun and fast Villa Rosa Designs Rose Card patterns HERE.
Shop Hops
Shop Hops are often in the summer, so make sure you join your local Hop. You won’t regret it. Take a friend or two and make it a quilting buddy adventure.
Maybe your local shop is sponsoring a bus for the Shop Hop? If so, don’t hesitate — ride the bus. Then you can just focus on having fun and no one has to worry about driving or navigating or getting lost.
It’s a good idea to have a list of things you are looking for with on a Shop Hop or you will find yourself tempted by every pretty thing you see.
Take Along Projects — English Paper Piecing (EPP)
Maybe you do a lot of traveling in the summer. Do you have a take a small sewing project along? My favorite go-to project for travel is my Hexies. Are you familiar with Hexies?
Hexies are (of course) fabric pieces cut into a hexagon shape that you sew together. You can sew Hexies together by machine, but that is definitely NOT for beginners. Sewing hexagons together by hand, now, that’s something most people can do. Have you ever tried it?
There are several different ways to sew Hexies, but I like to use the English Paper Piecing (EPP for short) technique to sew my Hexies together.
Here’s a great video tutorial by quilter Carolina Moore about the basics of English Paper Piecing:
I couldn’t find her book Learn to English Paper Piece from the video, so I am guessing it’s out of print now, but I was excited to see that she has a brand new Paper Piecing book coming out next month in August! Woohoo!
EPP really is a great project to take along with you when you’re on the go. The supplies can fit in a small bag — wouldn’t it be super cute to make a little bag for your EPP out of EPP??? Depending on your bag, it might actually slip down into your purse or tote too. You can even take them with you on that Shop Hop you’re going on!
The supplies you need for EPP are pretty simple and easy to find. You probably already have most of them lurking in your sewing area:
Paper or plastic templates in your desired shape/size
Fabric shapes that are larger than your paper pieces
Thread, needle, thimble
Small scissors
(Optional) Fabric glue stick if you are going to glue your Hexies like in Carolina’s video
Something to store your supplies in
These Hexie paper templates are currently my favorite find:
Do you see the hole in the center of the paper Hexie? Do you know what that hole is for? Snaps to you if you do! If not, let me tell you about it.
When you place your paper Hexie in the center of your fabric hexagon shape, you can use a straight pin in that hole to hold the paper Hexie on the fabric so the paper templates doesn’t slide as you work you way around the paper Hexie, either sewing or gluing the edges. One time I bought a set of paper templates without the holes, and boy did I regret it — I ended up punching a hole in each and every one in the package. Sadly, my hole punch wasn’t exactly big enough so my holes are all off center, which means that sometimes I run into my center straight pin while sewing around the Hexie. Ugh, not fun.
Once upon a time, when everyone was going wild for Hexies, Moda and other fabric companies were making precut fabric Hexies. They weren’t hard to come by back then and totally sped the EPP process up because you didn’t have to cut out the Hexies — you just started sewing. Sadly, you don’t find them around very often anymore. Bummer.
Here’s a precut pack from Kona cottons, if you’re interested. I found them HERE.
English Paper piecing isn’t just for Hexies, though. You can use the technique to sew lots of other shapes, too. And when you mix and match different shapes together, you can create some amazing EPP quilt blocks!
These are just a few of the fun EPP shapes out there. So, you’ll probably never get bored with EPP unless of course you’re trying to make a California King Size quilt entirely by hand with EPP. Good luck, you crazy quilter, you!
Me, I keep things simple and only do Hexies. Those other shapes scare me! LOL! Mostly I make small projects with my Hexies like small table mats, runners, and other little things.
I do have a doll quilt I made with small Hexies (I don’t know what I was thinking, really). I think they are 1/2″ Hexies, by the way. Because it was my take-along project, it literally took me years to make the top. I think I started it in 2010? But that’s okay, I don’t usually have any specific deadlines for my EPP projects.
I’ve been trying to hand quilt my little Grandmother’s Flower Garden quilt now (for years…) but let me tell you, hand quilting is really not my thing. Not at all. I bow down to all of you hand quilters out there.
It’s funny but I have many little bags and boxes with EPP Hexies all ready to grab and go. Maybe a little excessive, but then again, I always have an EPP project….or two….or three going and ready so I can just grab it, pop it in my bag and off I go. Below you can see the EPP bag I am sew in love with right now! My quilting pal, Mary Lee, made this great zip bag for my birthday after I hinted very strongly. LOL! Thanks, Mary Lee!
It’s an byannie.com pattern — Double Zip Gear Bag 2.0. You can find the pattern HERE.
Sigh…..if only that ginormous bed quilt would magically fit into a cute little bag so I could tote it around and finish the binding….
Well, that’s it from me. Stay cool and keep on quilting this summer!
I’m sitting here thinking that I’m long overdue for some quality time with my sewing machine. Of course, my recent knee replacement has put a lot of things on hold for the last 7 weeks, but every day I’m doing more and more. Just last week, I gingerly tackled the 13 steps from the first floor of the house to the basement, where my dungeon quilting studio lives. Piece of cake! Now I feel like I can take on the world!
Sewing and quilting — here I come! I even fired up my machine for a little sewing R&R. How about that? I’ve got SO many things I want to make, but now I’m wondering where to start??? In a way, you could say I’ve been in a kind of sewing slump. Maybe you can relate?
So, I started thinking about things that would motivate me back into quilting and sewing. And I thought I’d share my list with you. Please note that I added lots of fun links in this post.
1. Get Your Sewing Machine Serviced
This may seem like a no-brainer, but I bet a lot of you haven’t done this for a long time. There’s nothing like getting your machine back and it”s bright and shiny just like when you first bought it. You really should get your machine serviced at least every couple years, but if you are a heavy sewist/quilter, every year is better. Have you ever seen how much fuzz thread makes when you sew? Where do you think it goes — right down into your machine. This fuzz can harm your machine if it isn’t removed regularly.
2.Organize, Clean, and Purge Your Sewing Space
Put things away. Donate what you don’t want. Dust. Clean. Fold your fabrics neatly. Purge your stuff and only keep what you need and really want. Channel your own inner Marie Kondo….
After you’re done organizing, cleaning, and purging your sewing area, try rearranging it to give it a fresh look and maybe make it function more efficiently for your needs. You might need to recruit helpers to move large or heavy items around.
5. Visit Your Local Quilt Shops or Go on a Shop Hop
Sometimes finding a new fabric or fat quarter bundle or set of Charm Squares can inspire you to get back to sewing and quilting. I also just find walking in the door of my 2 local shops to be inspiring! All the colors, fabrics, samples, precuts, and chaos really speaks to me.
Have you ever tried a Shop Hop? If you’re not sure what a Shop Hop is, let me tell you about it. A Shop Hop is a group of quilt shops usually in one area (but it could also be an online shop hop with shops all over). The participating shops choose a time frame. You may need to get a special Shop Hop passport to participate. There are usually special sales, snacks, and prizes! A Shop Hop is also a great way to do something really fun with your best quilting friends, which is inspiring all by itself.
6. Buy a New Book or Pattern
While you’re at the quilt shop, pick up a new book or pattern that you find exciting and inspiring. Maybe something that just came out and you’ve never seen before….
I bought this one right when it came out. It’s got some great projects AND you can even use your stash. Get the book HERE.
7. Buy Yourself a New Gadget, Ruler, Notion, or Even Something Silly
This is similar to buying a new book or pattern, but a bit different too. Maybe making a Double Wedding Ring quilt is on your bucket list. What are you waiting for? It’s time to buy a set of templates and just get started. Maybe you can sign up to take a class at your local shop?
Or maybe you’re dying to get one of those adorable little retro PINK drink fridges on Amazon for your sewing space so you don’t have to keep running to the kitchen? Go for it!
You know you want to…..how many Rose Cards do you have? How many do you need to complete your collection? WAHOO! Villa Rosa just hit the over 600 Rose Cards in print (or digital of you prefer), so you’d better get cracking.
You can order physical Rose Cards HERE or digital download Rose Cards HERE.
9. Organize Your Rose Cards
I know we’ll talked about storing and organizing your Rose Cards before. If you haven’t done that yet, let me tell you that it is a very satisfying process. I LOVE seeing my Rose Cards all happily nestled in their plastic storage boxes (like recipe boxes) in perfect order alphabetical order. Things are starting to get a little tight in my 3 boxes, so I’m thinking it’s time to add a 4th box and spread them out a little bit.My boxes are all clear, but now they come in fun colors!
I really like the peace and quiet of working by myself, but there is nothing as awesome as having a sewing day (or even a week end) with your quilting buds. You could all work on your own projects, or for a lot more fun — choose a project that you all can make, using your own fabrics. You’ll be amazed at how different your projects look when they are finished, even though you all used the same pattern.
11. Go on a Quilting Retreat
A quilting retreat is a lot like sewing with your bestie, only on a bigger scale. I used to love going on week end retreats, but I found I didn’t sleep well in a different bed. So, these days, daytime retreats would be more my style so I can sleep nights in my own bed.
12. Host a Fabric and/or a UFO Exchange
Looking to freshen up your stash without breaking the bank? Why don’t you organize a UFO or fabric exchange with a group of friends or even your quilt guild. It takes a little organizing and some simple rules — for example, you must take home as many items as you bring. But what fun everyone will have!
13. Start With a Small Project — Pillow, Doll Quilt, Wall Quilt, Table Runner, Place Mats, Etc.
Most folks don’t want to jump into a big project when they’ve taken a bit of a hiatus from quilting. Try something small!. We have great table runner patterns and really fun accessory patterns, too. You might be wondering what accessories are because it’s kind of an ambiguous word. Well, our VRD accessory patterns include aprons, pillows, bags, scarves, purse essentials and more.
Sometimes, you just need to make something for someone else to find your quilting groove again. You could make a quilt for a loved one or a friend or even a favorite pet. You could also put your quilting skills (and maybe quilt stash) to work to help a charitable organization. There are literally tons of organizations who would be delighted to receive a quilt from you that they can gift to someone or perhaps raffle off to raise funds for a specific project.
Here is a list of charities to get you started. I know there are a lot more, so if you don’t see your favorite organization, please give us the information by leaving a comment on this post. Thank you.
Villa Rosa Quilts 