NEW VRD Rose Card Quilt Patterns for June, A Local Quilt Show (YAY!), and the Upcoming VRD Small Project Summer Challenge

June 11, 2026June 10, 2026 rosecardsLeave a comment

Hello Quilty Friends!

Happy Thursday to you!

Gosh, we have a ton of stuff to do today. I was hoping to add another post over the weekend to finish my quilt show experience, but with my Dad sick, I was just too busy to sit down and write it. Sorry about that, but we’ll get the rest of the trip added to today’s post about NEW PATTERNS and our VRD SMALL PROJECT SUMMER CHALLENGE. Let’s dive right in!

NEW VRD Rose Card Patterns for June

I won’t even say it – you know – how much I love the Thursday after the first Friday of every month. Dang – I said it. Well, hopefully I get an E for effort because I tried. LOL!

Here are this month’s new patterns!

A collage of quilt patterns for June 2026, featuring five designs: Blinds, Loomed, Oh Helena, Breezy, and Rosholt. Each quilt design is displayed with its respective name and designer, promoting all five patterns available for $8.95.

Get all 5 print patterns HERE.

Molly’s latest pattern is called Blinds and uses your favorite Jelly Roll plus a background. You can find a kit featuring the same fabrics as the pattern front HERE or one in Pat’s Bedazzled fabrics HERE.

Catherine of Running Doe Quilts is back with another fun star pattern called Loomed. I know what you’re thinking – where are the stars? You’ll just have to trust me if you haven’t gotten your pattern yet. LOL!

Deanne of Creative Sewlutions has a new pattern this month called Oh Helena. What fun! You can find a kit featuring the Birds collection HERE. And you might remember one of her earlier pattern called Oh Henry. I think they are fraternal twins….

Rachelle’s latest pattern is called Rosholt. It’s fast, fun, and fat quarter friendly. You can find a kit featuring Hearts and Stars + Sunprint fabrics HERE.

My new quilt pattern this month is called Breezy and it really is an easy breezy quilt. Grab a set of fat quarters or fat eighths and a background fabric and this quilt practically makes itself!

Next up are the Accessory patterns for June!

A colorful quilt featuring star patterns, draped over a gray armchair with a plant nearby, showcasing a cozy indoor setting.

Get the digital pattern HERE or the print pattern HERE

Rachelle’s second pattern this month is this cool table runner, Shannagolden. It’s another fat quarter friendly pattern and I can just imagine it in red, white, and blue. I think it would look like fireworks!

A cozy pillow design titled 'Parade Day Pillow' displayed on a blue quilted sofa, featuring a patterned quilt in shades of blue and red, with a fluffy dog resting beside it.

Get your digital pattern HERE or your print pattern HERE

Last but certainly not least is my June pillow pattern, Parade Day. I really love the bold red, white, and blue fabrics – it’s charm square friendly so grab your favorite patriotic charms and get started on this great pillow. And there is little Miss Bailly posing beautifully like the little queen that she is. You might even recognize the quilt on the chair – it’s my VRD Farmhouse Blues quilt. It provided such a great backdrop for both the Parade Day Pillow and Bailly. You can find the Farmhouse Blues digital pattern HERE or the print pattern HERE.

I’m really getting my red, white, and blue on right now and I think any of this month’s quilts would be wonderful in patriotic colors. Time to get busy making those quilts in anticipation to all of the awesome events happening in July to celebrate the 250th birthday of the Declaration of Independence!

Quilt Show Wrap Up

Now I’m going to finish last week’s post about my quilt show trip, so if you missed the beginning of the post last week, you can check it out HERE.

I stopped last week right after the slide show of quilts that inspired me at the All Hands Around Erie Quilt Show because I took my Dad to the Emergency Room and I never got back to my computer. He is hanging in there, but he still has an awful cough a week later. Ugh.

Anyway, I wanted to tell you about the vendors at the show. Many of them had VRD patterns and kits. Yay! My local shops were vending so it was great to catch up with them and to visit with some new-to-me ones, too.

One of my local shops, Quilter’s Cupboard, had – not one Sisterhood sample and kit available – but three totally different options! Wow! They just love VRD there. So, a big shout out to Shirley and Brenda at Quilter’s Cupboard!

Colorful quilt display featuring a geometric pattern with bright colors on a black background, alongside a blue and white quilt in a craft booth setting.

A woman with long gray hair seated at a table with a cash register, working in a booth surrounded by colorful quilts displayed behind her.

Sisterhood digital pattern HERE or print pattern HERE

Another of my local shops, Fox’s Sew and Vac was there vending, too. They always have tons of great stuff and offer VRD patterns and kits. I bought a really cool panel to make a bucket hat at their booth. I spied this Addison at Fox’s booth. Big Howdy going out to my friends at Fox’s!

A basket containing two bundles of fabric squares tied with twine, labeled 'Addison'. Each bundle features colorful fabrics with different patterns, and a tag stating 'Backing Not Included'.

Addison digital pattern HERE or print pattern HERE

Detzel’s Sewing Center was there too. It’s also a local shop and I must admit, I haven’t been there. It used to be only sewing machines, but they have expanded and are continuing to expand. They had lots of VRD kits in their booth! I was totally delighted to see some of mine and introduced myself. I met Cathy and we really hit it off and now she’s reserved July 25th and 26th for their Christmas in July event. Now we just have to figure out what we are doing. LOL! So a huge huge HELLO! goes out to my new friends at Detzel’s.

A colorful quilt display featuring a table runner with red round shapes and green leaves, alongside various fabric stacks in bright colors.

A colorful quilted table runner featuring a patriotic design with eagles, American flags, and stars in red, white, and blue fabric.

Left: Berry-liscious (digital pattern HERE or print pattern HERE)

Center: Independence Day Snack Mat (digital pattern HERE or print pattern HERE)

Right: Goody Goody Gumdrops (digital pattern HERE or print pattern HERE)

Basically, the shopping was awesome!

Here’s what I bought at the show – a one of a kind quilt clock, a quilty USA panel, a fun pot holder pattern, Minki Kim pouch panel, and the bucket hat panel.

A decorative wall clock with a diamond shape, featuring colorful patchwork patterns and black hour and minute hands, displayed against a patterned background.

Fabric art of the United States map featuring various patriotic patterns in red, white, and blue, including stars and stripes.

I’m really interested in what is going on with panels these days – pouches, hats, toys, etc. give sewists and quilters a lot of new and exciting options.

Did I mention there was live music at the show?????? I thought this was really awesome, it added another layer to the quilt show experience.

A woman playing the violin and a man playing an accordion on stage, with vibrant quilts featuring various designs in the background.

A decorated frame featuring the names 'Don and Jean Wisniewski' accompanied by illustrations of a violin and an accordion, with musical notes in the background.

Finally, I saved one of my favorites for last…….a display of antique quilts. The display was put together by our local antique quilt expert, Jill Meszaros, who has also curated a quilt exhibit at The Baldwin Reynolds House Museum here in Meadville, PA. I haven’t gotten there yet, but it’s one of the things I have on my summer bucket list (I’ll be sure to tell you all about it when I go).

So, please enjoy this slideshow of antique quilts. The info card is after the quilt photo.

Finally! I finished last week’s post about the quilt show. Now let’s move on to our VRD Summer Challenge!

VRD Small Project Summer Challenge

Who’s up for a Summer Challenge????

I know I am – I had a super time completing the 6 Quilts in 6 Weeks Challenge with you and I have decided I want to continue doing fun Challenges on the blog.

So……here’s the info you’ve been waiting for……..

VRD Small Project Summer Challenge

The Rules and All the Details of the Challenge:

Promotional graphic for the VRD Small Project Summer Challenge, highlighting participation details and deadlines. Features a colorful quilt pattern, a sewing machine, and various crafting materials, with sections detailing how to join, weekly drawings, and submission instructions.

Each week for 6 weeks, participants will post a photo of their completed weekly projects to our VRD Facebook page or if you prefer, you can email the photos to me at tricia@villarosadesigns.com.

I will post my before/after photos on the blog, villarosaquilts.com, each week and I will try to post them on the VRD Facebook page as well.

All projects must be VRD patterns – this is the VRD blog, after all. All projects must be completed by the Friday at midnight EST each week to qualify for the weekly drawing.

Each week there is a different project theme: Week 1 – Quilt under 50″ x 50″, Week 2 – Tote Bag, Week 3 – Pillow, Week 4 – Scarf, Week 5 – Table Runner, Week 6 – Snack Mat duo. Each week, you get to choose which VRD pattern you want to make as long as it fits the category. Easy Peasy.

Each week, I’ll draw a name randomly from those participants who posted photos of their completed projects by each weekly deadline. Weekly winners will get a surprise quilty surprise in the mail after the Challenge ends. Goodies might be from me or from one of our lovely quilting partners.

This Challenge is open to all, but please note that International winners will receive a selection of VRD digital patterns.

You might be wondering what happens if you don’t post a photo for a weekly Challenge or you miss the deadline. It’s pretty simple – your name won’t go into that week’s prize drawing – that’s okay because life gets busy. I’m not kicking you out of the Challenge, though – feel free to participate in any or all weeks. Your name will go into each weekly drawing that you complete a project and post your completed project photo before the weekly deadline.

All participants are on the honor system – please post only newly made and completed projects for the challenge. It’s not fair to other participants to post items that you made prior to the challenge.

I think that’s all the important info. I hope I’ve answered any questions you had. If not, feel free to email me.

Send your name and email address to me at tricia@villarosadesigns.com to officially join the challenge and be eligible for weekly prizes. Your name and email will only be used for this Challenge, I promise you.

So, the Challenge begins….now. Your Week 1 Finished Project photo is due by Friday, June 26th midnight EST (yes, you have 2 weeks to sign up and get your Week 1 project finished). Post your completed project photos on our VRD Facebook group or you can email them directly to me at tricia@villarosadesigns.com if you prefer.

Ready! Set! Go make something fun!

WHEW! That’s it for me this week. If you managed to get through the entire post, I applaud you. KUDOS! Hope you’ll join me for the Summer Challenge.

Sew. Laugh. Make. Repeat.

Always,

Tricia @ VRD

Quilt Shows and Trade Shows · Rose Cards · Tips and Tricks · villa rosa designs

A Local Quilt Show (YAY!) and More Info About the Upcoming VRD Small Project Summer Challenge

June 4, 2026June 4, 2026 rosecards4 Comments

Hello Quilty Friends!

Happy Thursday to you!

I’m SO excited to say that spring has finally sprung here in northwestern PA. The weather has been sunny and comfortable for almost a week with – gasp! – no rain. I’ve even been able to get outside more – I’ve done some weeding and weed whacking and I’m about ready to plant my mini veggie garden on the back porch.

A decorative spring-themed graphic featuring text that reads 'Spring is in the Weeds' along with colorful flowers, a silver bucket filled with greenery, a trowel, and gardening gloves, against a garden backdrop. — *image by moi with the help of AI*

Sigh……I used to have a big garden in the middle of the yard but I got so frustrated with the critters eating everything before it had a chance to grow that I gave it up and have since moved to a small 2 foot x 4 foot raised garden box. Eventually I want to add another box, but right now I’m not quite sure where it would go on the porch. Right now, I just love to have something growing so I can watch it and enjoy a little bit of fresh produce. I also have 3 small flower gardens as well, 2 of them are weeded and in good shape while my third is only partly weed right now.

Right now I am planning to plant a yellow grape tomato, cucumbers, peppers, and beans in my little garden. Even though my garden is small, I’ve discovered a fantastic gardening book that makes so much sense to me. Have you ever heard of (or read) the gardening book, Square Foot Gardening? I just love it – it breaks a garden into 12″ square spaces so you can plant more in less space. For example, my 2×4 garden box gives me 8 square foot spaces to plant. And the book tells you what kind and how many seeds/plants you can put into a 12″ square plus so much more. Are you having a garden this year? What are you planting?

Cover of the 4th edition of 'Square Foot Gardening' featuring gardening plants and tools, highlighting its efficiency in growing food from limited space. — Square Foot Gardening book

After some time battling weeds that seemed determined to take over western Pennsylvania, I decided it was time for a change of scenery. So I brushed the dirt off my shoes, left Mount Cluttermore behind (my studio, formerly known as The Dungeon, has officially been renamed), and headed to a quilt show where the only things growing were creativity and inspiration.

Hands All Around Erie Quilt Guild Quilt Show

Of course, I couldn’t go to the quilt show alone. I had to share the fun! So I grabbed Robin and Mary Lee on the way. I felt like I hadn’t been to a quilt show in forever, so I was really excited. Not only were there lots of great quilts to see, there were vendors, too.

Yay quilts! Yay shopping!

Oops…I’m very easily distracted. LOL!

The first thing I saw when entering the show was an entire corner devoted to the Basket Raffle – oh goody! I rarely win anything, but I had to buy some tickets just in case. The baskets were wonderful and completely overstuffed with fabric, notions, precuts, gifty things, and even wine. One of the first baskets I saw looked even had a VRD quilt kit – my Slice of Summer table runner as a kit, another kit, a bundle of fat eighths…….plus a bottle of wine. Nice!

A wicker basket filled with summer picnic items, including fabric squares, a bottle of wine, and craft kits for a table runner and popsicles, topped with a red ribbon.

Slice of Summer digital pattern HERE or print pattern HERE

Of course, I didn’t win anything. But that’s okay – those who did won gorgeous curated baskets. No, I’m not jealous – I have only to look around my humble studio, Mount Cluttermore, to find my own basket goodies. I could make my own baskets full of quilty stuff, but then I’d just have a mountain of baskets instead of a mountain of fabric. Oh well, at least I’ve got the goodies even if I don’t have the wine.

I tried to focus on the quilts first. Robin and Mary Lee went ahead of me and went back and forth between the quilts and the vendors as I took the time to photograph all the quilts that inspired me or caught my eye. I’ve often found that photographing quilts helps me to remember what inspired or surprised me at the show – whether it’s a block, the quilting, fabric choices, layout, or even the color palette.

The only thing that frustrates me is that quilt makers don’t always include enough information on the quilt information tag. Sigh…

If I could offer one piece of advice to anyone entering or displaying a quilt in a show, it would be this: please include the pattern name, book name, or indicate if the design is original. You can bet that at least one person viewing your quilt is going to fall in love with it and want to make their own version. That’s one of the highest compliments a quilt maker can receive, isn’t it?

As a quilt designer, I especially appreciate seeing examples of my patterns hanging in a quilt show. When the maker includes the pattern name and designer information, that’s pure gold. Not only does it give credit where credit is due, but it also helps other quilters find the pattern if they’re inspired by the quilt.

On the other hand, when I spot one of my designs on display without any attribution, I have to admit it makes me a little sad. So when you’re filling out that quilt information tag, please include as much information as possible. You never know…the pattern designer might be walking through the show admiring quilts right alongside you.

I did find several VRD pattern quilts on display, which made me very happy. Including my own Sisterhood! Woohoo! The top 3 VRD quilts were made by Mary Beth Cook and Sisterhood was made by Jean Malthaner. Panama City was made by Mary Beth Cook.

A quilt displayed on a hangar, featuring a pattern of alternating squares with floral designs and dark stripes, showcasing intricate stitching. — Fandango

A colorful quilt displayed on a wall, featuring a patchwork design with floral and geometric patterns in shades of pink, green, yellow, and white. — Fandango

Colorful quilt displayed on a gray backdrop, featuring a geometric pattern of triangles in various vibrant colors including red, blue, green, pink, and black. — Sisterhood

A colorful patchwork quilt displayed at an exhibition, featuring various rectangular fabric pieces in vibrant shades, surrounded by a dark border. — Sisterhood

Fandango – digital pattern or print pattern

Gridwork – digital pattern or print pattern

Wellington – digital pattern or print pattern

Messages – digital pattern or print pattern

Sisterhood – digital pattern or print pattern

Panama City – digital pattern or print pattern

Now here’s a slideshow for you of my favorite quilts in the quilt show (no, I didn’t photograph every quilt, just most of them). The photo with the maker’s name follows the photo of the quilt. Huh! Sorry but occasionally, you will find my fingers in the photo. Also, I apologize for the fuzzy maker images. I am clearly an amateur photographer.

Well, I hope you really enjoyed the slide show. Aren’t they really great quilts? It was a super show and hopefully the first of many this year. I will must have to find out where all the quilt shows are in my neck of the woods for the rest of the year.

I was hoping to talk about the vendors, too as well as information about the Small Project Summer Sew Along, but I had a family emergency while I was writing the blog and we are still in the ER 4+ hours later. I am sorry I won’t get to share more with you this week, but truly I am exhausted and I have no idea what time we will get home tonight. I’m actually wrapping up the blog on my iPad while sitting beside the bed in the ER cubicle next to my Dad.

So stay tuned next week for the second part of the Quilt Show along with the scoop on our upcoming Sew Along. And new VRD June Rose Card quilt patterns. Lots to come back for next week.

See you right here next week!

Until then –

Sew. Laugh. Repeat.

Always,

Tricia @ VRD

Just Quilty Stuff · Quilt Shows and Trade Shows · villa rosa designs

Yummy Breakfast and a Quilt Shop Hop in Chicago after the H&H Americas Show

May 22, 2025May 21, 2025 rosecards10 Comments

Hello Quilty Friends!

Happy Thursday to you!

There was more I wanted to share with you last week about the H&H Americas Show, but I ran out of time. LOL! So I thought I’d continue with “the rest of the story,” as Paul Harvey used to say.

Right across from our VRD booth was the Oliso booth. I’m sure you know what Oliso is, right? They create really amazing irons for quilting that actually lift up so you won’t scorch your fabrics. Well, when I wasn’t busy talking to all the wonderful folks who stopped by our booth, I must admit that I was eyeing their gorgeous irons. They come in super yummy colors – pink, blue, yellow, and lavender.

At the end of the show, I just had to go over to their booth to chat and before I knew it – a brand new blue Oliso iron was going back home to Pennsylvania with me. Huh…. How’d that happen??? (Eye roll here.)

Turquoise Oliso iron with an auto-lift feature for quilting, shown from the side.

I haven’t taken her out of the box yet (yes, she is a “her”), but will be doing that very soon, I promise you. Just as soon as I find my pressing station – I seem to have lost it somewhere. Has anyone seen it?

I think a wild band of pixies tossed my sewing studio when I was in Chicago at the H&H Show. At least, that’s what I’m telling people.

Another fun thing I brought home was a bottle of Made By Hand gel lotion, made by Mary Ellen Products, who is also the maker of Best Press. I’m looking forward to giving it a try – just as soon as I find it again. It’s supposed to help sore fingers and arthritis, too.

A bottle of Made By Hand hand therapy gel from Mary Ellen Products, labeled with benefits including relief for nicks and scratches, soothing for swollen hands, and softening dry skin.

Breakfast

After the show was over on Friday, it didn’t take us long to pack up and head out.

The funny thing is, when I’d made my travel plans, I thought the H&H Show lasted longer than it actually did (found this out later), which accidentally gave Pat and I an extra day before we both headed back home in opposite directions on Sunday. So Pat suggested we go out to breakfast and on a shop hop on Saturday! Yay!

She totally had me at breakfast! And quilt shops – joy oh joy!

Let’s start with breakfast!

Exterior view of Gail's Carriage Inn, featuring a green roof, brick facade, and a sign displaying the restaurant's name. — *image from the website*

We went to Gail’s Carriage Inn, which wasn’t far from where we were staying. Gail’s is known for their iconic “spuds” which is an omelet with your choice of fillings totally encased in hash browns. Is your mouth watering yet?

But wait! There’s more!

How about a duo of the lightest fluffiest buttermilk pancakes on the side?

Plate of a crispy hash brown omelet encased in hash browns, served with fluffy buttermilk pancakes on a side plate, with a glass of Dr. Pepper in the background.

Yup, that is exactly what I had for breakfast……….and leftovers for dinner. What can I say????? It was totally amazing! Pat had a lovely scramble and somehow managed to clean up her plate.

After dropping my leftovers back at the house, we were off on our Shop Hop adventure.

Shop Hop

The first quilt shop we visited was Sew on Central.

Exterior view of Sew on Central quilt shop, featuring a green awning with the shop's name prominently displayed, along with decorative elements and entrance. — *image from the website*

Sew on Central was right in the middle of everything in Evanston. Located in an active busy downtown, the shop had a bright and fun vibe. In fact, when we stopped in, there was a kids’ sewing class going on in the back of the shop. It wasn’t a huge shop, but it was a hive of activity and it totally made me smile. I even heard a Mom ask her kiddos if they wanted to sign up for sewing camp in the summer. How awesome is that??? What a way to bring new quilters into the world of quilting and sewing!

Our second shop was Quilter’s Heaven .

Exterior view of Quilter's Heaven shop, featuring large windows displaying colorful quilts and sewing supplies, with a sign indicating the store's name and contact information. — *image from the website*

Quilter’s Heaven was a traditional quilt shop located in a shopping center in Northbrook. In addition to fabric and supplies, it featured sewing machines, long arm quilting services, and classes.

Our next stop was Linda Z’s Sewing Center.

Linda Z’s was a really unique shop as it had been in business for over 50 years. The shop was 2 stories and even had an elevator with quilts hanging in it to enjoy (of course!) as you zipped up to the second floor or came down again – cool! This shop featured sewing machines as well as a large classroom for teaching – including classes in sit down long arm quilting. Wow! And did I mention the FABRIC???

Check out their rainbow batik wall below – the batiks even had their own room on the first level!

A colorful display of fabric rolls organized in a vibrant gradient from red to yellow and green shades in a quilt shop.

Amazing, right? The second floor had A LOT more fabric, including a selection of garment fabrics, too. I mention this because of the cosplay stuff at the H&H Show.

Our last quilt shop was Warman Cozy.

A cozy quilt shop entrance featuring a glass door with the words 'Warman Cozy Quilt Shop' and a decorative blue chair on the porch. A small black dog sits in front of the entrance, adding charm to the scene. — image from the website

Warman Cozy (don’t you love the play on words???) is a wonderful quilt shop tucked into a quiet corner of the Ice House Mall in Barrington.

Right across the walkway was a really cool antique shop and we just had to stop in and admire the antiques for a few minutes before stepping into Warman Cozy. Warman Cozy was a bright and modern shop with a thoughtfully curated selection of modern fabrics along with lots of sample projects to inspire you. I certainly had too much fun in this shop. LOL!

I really enjoyed our Shop Hop, because not only did I get to drool over fabric, but I also got to spend time with Pat. And I added lots of fun stuff to my already-overflowing stash back in gool ol’ Pennsylvania. But, isn’t that the whole point of a shop hop – to buy fabric? Tehehe………..

Check out my shop hop goodies below. I found some great yardage along with fat quarters and a bunch of 2.5″ mini charm packs. Mini charms are hard to come buy in my area, so when I see them, I snap them up. I like to use them to make EPP hexies with. Of course, I have no idea what those hexies will turn into, though.

A vibrant collection of quilting fabrics and mini charm packs scattered on a crafting table.

Now I need to get busy and and turn that beautiful fabric into finished projects. I wonder how long that will take?

I hope you get a little time to work on a new project this week, as well as an old one. I’d love to hear what you’re working on in the comments. 🙂

Have a great week.

Until next Thursday –

Sew. Laugh. Repeat.

Always,

Tricia @VRD

Quilt Shows and Trade Shows · Quilting Partners · Rose Cards · villa rosa designs

H&H Americas Show in Chicago

May 15, 2025May 14, 2025 rosecards3 Comments

Hello Quilty Friends!

Happy Thursday to you!

I’m now back home after the H&H Americas Show last week in Chicago and I’m trying to get everything caught up, which to be honest, I probably never will completely, but I’m sure going to try.

H&H was a really busy show. The show vibe was very vibrant and youthful with a unique blend of quilting, wool, fiber arts, and cosplay. I found it really interesting to see one area spill into another such as quilted garments in cosplay.

One of my favorite parts of the show was the opportunity to work with our VRD owner and Rose Queen, Pat. As I live in Pennsylvania while Pat and the VRD shop are in California, we usually only get to work together in person in Houston for Quilt Market. So, some extra time this year being face to face was amazing!

A booth display at the H&H Americas Show featuring colorful quilts and fabric designs by Villa Rose Designs, with a table showcasing various quilting products.

The VRD booth was insanely busy during the show and I want to thank everyone who stopped by. We LOVE our shops! Here’s a big thank you hug to all of you who came by the VRD booth to chat, share stories, and show quilts. Your energy is what keeps us going!

About H&H

H&H Americas is a relatively new trade show in the US for handmade industry businesses and professionals. The Americas show stemmed from the H&H Cologne (Germany) show. Let me share some of the numbers from this year’s show:

Over 550 booths
5000+ professionals attended
48 countries, 50 US states, and 2 US territories

Awesome applesauce!

Good news! In 2026, H&H is adding a Fiber+Fabric Craft Festival for consumers from April 30-May 3 in Chicago. So that’s something new to look forward to next year.

Upcoming Shows

Of course, in October 2025, Fall International Quilt Market will be in Houston, TX. It will be followed by Quilt Festival October 9-12, also in Houston. If you’ve never had the chance to attend a Festival, I highly recommend it. It’s the perfect place to see hundreds (or more) quilts on display along with tons of great vendors. It is overwhelming and wonderful at the same time!

I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of the Road to California show? Well, to make everything even more exciting in 2026, Road to California is debuting their Road to California Quilter’s Conference & Showcase event in January.

Spring International Quilt Market will return in April 2026 in St. Louis, Missouri. So far, I haven’t heard anything about Spring Quilt Festival for 2026, but if I hear anything, I’ll let you know.

Wowzer! Sew much is happening in the world of quilting!

Cool Stuff

Whenever I attend a show, I always like to share cool stuff I find, booths I visit, folks I see, and any trends I notice with you. Please enjoy!

Here are the booths of a few of our quilting partners. I apologize, but I didn’t get a lot of time to snap photos of our quilting partners.

A vibrant quilt display featuring colorful fabric and quilted items at a trade show booth, showcasing various patterns and designs. — **Hoffman Fabrics**

A booth at the H&H Americas Show featuring colorful quilt displays, with a woman sitting at the table and attendees browsing nearby. — **Hoffman Fabrics**

Display of various quilt blocks featuring colorful designs and patterns at the Banyan Batiks booth. — **Banyan Batiks**

The fun thing about the Banyan display is that it includes a quilt block from our VRD pattern, Waverly (top left block). Also in the display are 2 blocks from my friend, Cathey Laird of Cathey Marie Designs (the Bumblebee on the left of the sign and the House block to the right of the sign). What fun!

I stopped by to see my pals at Best Press and get some of their new Lemon Mist scent. I cannot find it anywhere around here, not even on Amazon so I bought the rest of the Lemon Mist bottles they had and also grabbed a refill bottle of Peaches and Cream. I should be set with Best Press for a while.

A booth display for Mary Ellen's Best Press at a quilting show, featuring colorful quilted decorations, various sizes of spray bottles, and a floral tablecloth.

I even caught up with a few quilty pals –

Here I am with Swan of Swam Amity Studios, who is the designer of my favorite machine quilting gloves. Swan also designs patterns and teaches classes. She kindly took the time to show me the Designers Showcase section at the show which featured 18 different designers.

Two smiling women posing for a selfie in front of a colorful quilt display at a quilting show.

Here is Swan’s mini booth at the Designer Showcase.

A colorful quilting booth featuring designs by Swan Amity and Larkspur Lane Designs, showcasing various quilted items, including wall hangings and pillows, with a vibrant display of fabrics and patterns.

I also got some time to chat with Christa Watson of Christa Quilts. Christa is an amazing machine quilter, teacher, pattern designer, fabric designer, and author. We are standing in front of Christa’s booth in the Designer Showcase area. She has a fun modern aesthetic and is definitely NOT afraid of color. LOL!

Two women smiling together at a quilting show, standing in front of colorful quilts and quilt patterns displayed on a wall.

I found this really fun designer booth, Whole Circle Studio, in the showcase section, too, and I just had to snap a few photos to share with you. Sherri, the owner, created an amazing miniature quilt shop featuring teeny tiny patterns and quilts (all her designs, of course). What a showstopper!

Display of Whole Circle Studio showcasing colorful quilt patterns, embroidery kits, and a miniature quilt shop setup.

A colorful quilt display featuring various mini quilts and quilting supplies on wooden shelves, showcasing vibrant patterns and designs geared towards quilting enthusiasts.

I stopped by the Purple Moose Designs booth in the Designer Showcase and I discovered a cool new quilting card game called Quilter’s Block Party. It’s kind of like Pictionary for quilters. Can’t wait to try it out with my Friday gals.

Cover of the Quilter's Block Party card game, featuring colorful quilt block designs and a playful typography that states 'Quilter's Block Party!'

I must admit that the show layout was a lot different than I am used to and I got lost frequently, trying to find specific booths or simply the ladies room – LOL! On one of my meanders, I found a fabulous Kaffe Fasset display with his quilts and knitted items. I couldn’t tell you where I found it – by that time I had no idea where I was. Kaffe and Brandon Mobly were there at the show, but I never really got a chance to say hi. Please enjoy.

A colorful quilt display by Kaffe Fassett featuring various patterns and fabrics, beside a poster for the Kaffe Fassett Glorious Colour & Design Exhibit.

A vibrant display of quilts featuring colorful patterns, including a wall quilt with floral designs and a garment hanging among the fabric backdrop at a quilting show.

During the show, there was a cosplay contest as well as a cool cosplay display. Check out these awesome costumes. Which one is your favorite?

Two colorful costumes displayed at a cosplay event, featuring a glamorous pink gown adorned with stars and a rich red dress with intricate details.

Two mannequins dressed in elaborate cosplay outfits, one in a pink traditional-inspired costume with a decorative headpiece and holding a large umbrella, and the other in a Victorian-style dress with ruffles, showcasing intricate design details.

What’s Trending

Whenever I am at a show, I try to see what’s new and upcoming and what’s trending. Here is a list of the things I noticed at the show:

Mini, Mini, Mini — mini quilts, mini animals, everything is getting smaller
Quilted jackets and wearables
Combining different crafts such as cosplay and quilting or wool and quilting
Small handwork projects and kits everywhere — handwork is hot!
Animals — stuffed, patchwork, knitted, quilted, etc., etc.

One thing I was quite fascinated with was the use of puffy batting in machine quilted quilts on display at the Art Glass Fabric booth. Not sure if this is going to be trending or if it was just to catch attention (which it did). Have you seen or heard anything about puffy batts making a comeback?

Well, I guess that’s it for me this week. My final photo is an aerial view of Chicago and Lake Michigan as I was headed back to Pennsylvania.

Aerial view of Chicago featuring a mix of buildings, green spaces, and Lake Michigan in the background.

Take care and make time this week for some quilting. With all the inspiration from the show, I hope to get some quality time with my sewing machine, too.

Until next week –

Sew. Laugh. Be inspired. Repeat.

Always,

Tricia @VRD

[…] Now I’m going to finish last week’s post about my quilt show trip, so if you missed the beginning…

I hope everything turned out good from the ER. I know we have had that experience in the past.

Hey Donna,instead of waiting for next week, I think I'll just add another blog post maybe Friday to do everything…

Thank you so much for the slide show. I rarely get to quilt shows anymore. Looking forward to hearing about…

Hey Donna, the details will be up shortly, so stay tuned.