Category: Rose Cards

Just Quilty Stuff · Rose Cards · villa rosa designs

Summertime Quilting and a Little English Paper Piecing (EPP)

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Hello Quilty Friends!

Happy Thursday!

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:

Get Mary Jane HERE

Get Amanda Jane HERE

Get Tabitha Jane HERE

Get Let’s Eat HERE

Get Slice of Summer HERE

Get Berry-Licious HERE

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!

You can pre-order Carolina’s new book HERE.

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:

  1. Paper or plastic templates in your desired shape/size
  2. Fabric shapes that are larger than your paper pieces
  3. Thread, needle, thimble
  4. Small scissors
  5. (Optional) Fabric glue stick if you are going to glue your Hexies like in Carolina’s video
  6. Something to store your supplies in

These Hexie paper templates are currently my favorite find:

Get your 1 1/2″ Hexie papers HERE.

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!

You could try Pentagons —

Or Elongated Hexies, which are kind of funky —

Maybe you’re more into Octagons —

Who wouldn’t want to make some Dresden Plates —

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!

Until next week —

Sew. Laugh. Repeat.

Always,

Tricia

Rose Cards · Tips and Tricks · Tutorials · villa rosa designs

July’s NEW Rose Card Patterns and VRD Crazy Stars Table Runner Tutorial

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Hello Quilty Friends!

Happy Thursday to you!

BIG NEWS today! With last Friday’s release of our brand new July 2023 Rose Card patterns, we now have over 600 patterns in our catalog!!!

Put on your party hats! Cue the confetti! Blow that party horn!

WAY TO GO, VILLA ROSA DESIGNS!!!

LET’S CELEBRATE!!!

Here are July’s Brand New AWESOME AMAZING SPECTACULAR FANTASTIC Rose Card Patterns:

You can get all 5 regular patterns, above, for the special low price of $8.95 HERE.

BUT WAIT! THERE’S MORE!!!

This month, we have TWO NEW Table Runners! Wahoo!!!

You can get Flower Market HERE and you can get Crazy Stars HERE.

Hey! Did you know you can get each month’s new Rose Card patterns delivered right to your mailbox???

You can go HERE to sign up to get the 5 regular patterns each month

Or,

You can go HERE to sign up to get the 5 regular patterns plus table runners each month.

And, don’t forget shipping for Rose Card patterns is always free.

VRD Crazy Stars Table Runner Tutorial

I thought it might be helpful to everyone if I did a tutorial of my new table runner, Crazy Stars. It was hard to figure out how to illustrate the pattern so it made sense. And, because I don’t trust my humble illustrations, I am going to show you step by step how to make the stars in Crazy Stars.

Step 1 The first thing you need to do is divide your charm squares into 4 stacks — one stack for each star. If you find that the colors end up a bit uneven, you can always add a few squares from your stash or even cut them from fat quarters or yardage.

Step 2 Layer a print charm square right sides together on top of a background square.

Step 3 Now the fun begins! Next use a ruler and draw a line from the bottom edge to the right edge. Place the ends of your diagonal line anywhere you’d like on those edges. Sew on the drawn line. Then open the unit and press towards the print square.

Step 4 Layer another print charm square right sides together on top of the background square. You will need to carefully line up the left and top edges. Please note you will see the right side of your first Star point square, just ignore it for now.

Step 5 Draw a diagonal line from the left edge to the bottom edge, while ignoring the print square on sticking out on the other side. Then open the unit and press. You will have a weird looking unit somewhat like the one in my photo, but your Star points might look different than mine because we probably started and stopped in different places along the edges.

Step 6 Repeat steps 2-5 to make 4 Star point units for one Crazy Star block.

Step 7 Turn a Star point unit over so that it is right sides down and the back of the unit is facing up. Do you see your background square kind of in the middle of the 2 print squares? Use the background square as your template and cut away the excess Star point print fabrics beyond the background square. Turn the unit right sides up again and you now have a perfect Crazy Star point unit. Trim the other 3 Star point units as well.

Step 8 You can reduce the bulk in each unit if desired. Fold back a star point until you see your stitching. Cut away the excess background and Star point fabrics 1/4″ away from the seam. I used my cutter and a ruler over the seam to protect it while I cut that 1/4″ seam allowance. Open the unit again and do the same thing for the second Star point. Repeat for the other Star point units.

Step 9 Now you have a fun and funky set of Star points to make into one Crazy Star block.

Step 10 Now it’s time to sew your Crazy Star block together like a Nine Patch. You will need 4 Star point units, 4 background squares for the corners, and a center print square.

Step 11 Repeat steps 2-10 to make a total of 4 Crazy Star blocks for the table runner.

Step 12 Then sew your Crazy Star blocks together into a row. You can twist and turn your blocks to see which star arrangement you like the best. Then layer your quilt, quilt it, and bind the edges. Don’t forget your label!

Well, that’s it for me. I hope this tutorial will make it a lot easier for you to put together your own Crazy Star Table Runners. Crazy Star blocks can be a lot of fun to make, so I hope you will give them a try.

Until next week —

Sew. Laugh. Repeat.

Always,

Tricia

Guest Bloggers · Rose Cards · Tips and Tricks · Tutorials · villa rosa designs

VRD Gallant Rose Card Quilt Tutorial

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Hello Quilty Friends!

Happy Thursday to you!

PSST!

Hey, it’s me, Molly! I’m stealing the blog from Tricia this week!

I hope everyone had a fun (and safe) 4th of July!

You know, every year around this time, with patriotic things everywhere, I start thinking about Quilts of Valor. I know, making QOV quilts is something you can do any time of year, but when those brand new red/white/blue fabric collections start rolling in, it’s kinda like a screaming billboard to make a patriotic quilt.

So as we are unpacking the red, white, and blue collections here in the shop (want to see what the VRD shop in CA looks like? Go HERE), Gallant was calling my name (yelling?) to make it from one of these awesome new patriotic collections.

Get Gallant HERE.

Gallant was designed by our very own Tricia to meet the criteria for a Quilt of Valor quilt. The quilt on the cover of the Gallant Rose Card was presented to her cousin, Lisa, in 2022 at a family reunion QOV presentation.

You can read the blog post about the QOV presentation HERE.

Tricia’s cousin Lisa being presented with her Quilt of Valor.

So let’s get started! You will be amazed at how many different ways you can arrange the Gallant blocks — you can make this quilt over and over and you’ll never get bored.

VRD Gallant Quilt Tutorial

Making the Blocks

Gallant calls for red and blue fat quarters along with a background and an accent fabric for the top and bottom border to help make the size perfect for a Quilt of Valor (check out QOV quilt requirements HERE). Sounds easy enough, right?

After a lot of deliberation, I decided to use fabrics from the Liberty collection by Robert Kaufman and “Blossom on White Uncle Sam” fabric by Riley Blake for the background. Isn’t that a perfect background name for our quilt? LOL!

It didn’t take long to cut all the pieces for the blocks. And while I was cutting, I organized my pieces by color and size to make it easier to sew.

After you have all your pieces cut out, it’s time to get sewing!

Get ready, because these blocks almost sew themselves! Hah!

Lay out your A B C D cut pieces to make each block easier to sew. You can stack up all the A’s, B’s, C’s, and D’s like I did below — this will make things go even faster.

Now sew the four pieced strips together into one unit –ABCD. Then add the last red strip to the side of D. Make 36 blocks. Like I said before, they go together really fast!

Laying Out the Blocks

Now on to the most fun part of making Gallant!

Seriously, there are so many layouts for these blocks that it was hard picking the one I liked best. (The first photo on the top left is the layout Tricia chose for her Gallant quilt.)

Here is the layout I went with:

Finish Your Quilt

Sew your blocks together in your chosen layout. Warning! Shuffling the blocks around can be very addictive. LOL!

Finally, add the borders to the top and the bottom of the quilt.

Quilt and bind.

And don’t forget your label.

DONE!

Now find someone to gift your Gallant quilt to!

A Quilt Challenge for You

Did you like the fabrics I chose for my Gallant quilt? If so, I’m going to challenge you to make a Gallant quilt to gift to your favorite veteran or to your local Quilts of Valor organization!

We have Gallant quilt kits HERE at the shop, featuring the same fabrics as my quilt. So grab your Gallant kit and make your own quilt.

How many different layouts can you create with your blocks???

By the way, we always LOVE seeing what you do with our VRD patterns and kits, so if you are on our VRD Facebook page, please post a picture of your Gallant quilt!

If you’re not hanging out with us on Facebook, you should be! LOL!

That’s all for now.

Until next week —

Sew. Laugh. Give. Repeat.

Later,

Molly

Just Quilty Stuff · Rose Cards · villa rosa designs

Villa Rosa Designs Rose Card Patterns — Table Runners All Through the Year

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Hello Quilty Friends!

Happy Thursday!

Here we are at the end of June with Independence Day sneaking up on us. I just realized that I need to start thinking about Christmas projects if I’m going to give any handmade gifts or quilts for the holidays this year. One of my favorite gifts to give are table runners.

I seem to remember a blog comment one time asking for a blog post about table runners. So I thought I’d share with you a rundown of our VRD Table Runner Rose Card Patterns arranged all through the year.

Wouldn’t it be fun to start a tradition of gifting a series of table runners to a special loved one or friend (or maybe even yourself!?!)? Maybe you’d only do one for each season. Or maybe you’d do the full 12 months. Whether you’d gift one every holiday, every month, every Christmas, or just because –imagine the delight of the recipient!

Isn’t that one of the biggest joys of quilt-making — the giving?

Let’s take a tour through the year with Villa Rosa Table Runners.

January

Get Blizzard HERE

Get Ice Jam HERE

Get Snow Goose HERE

Get Winter Branches HERE

February

Get Love Notes HERE

Get Smitten HERE

March

Get Clover HERE

Get Lucky (the pattern) HERE

April

Get After the Rain HERE

Get Amen HERE

Get Fly Away HERE

Get Lil’ Umbrellas HERE

May

Get Bloom HERE

Get Flora HERE

Get Macarons HERE

Get Nana’s Aprons HERE

Get Pretty Posies HERE

June

Get Berry-Licious HERE

Get Blissful HERE

Get Blueberry Cobbler HERE

Get Fruit Salad HERE

Get Goody Goody Gumdrops HERE

Get Penny Candy HERE

Get Pinwheel Picnic HERE

July

Get Cotton Candy HERE

Get Firecracker HERE

Get Sew Charmed HERE

Get Unfurled HERE

August

Get Cabana HERE

Get Slice of Summer HERE

Get Sunny Day HERE

September

Get Coffee Break HERE

Get Housewarming HERE

Get Leaf HERE

MAPLE GROVE

Get Maple Grove HERE

Get Mod Tiles HERE

October

Get Bat Dance HERE

Get Cake Day HERE

(I included Cake Day for October since my birthday is in October! LOL!)

Get Harvest HERE

Get Pumpkin Hollow HERE

November

Get Baskets HERE

Get Griddle HERE

Get Let’s Eat! HERE

December

Get Blessings HERE

Get Gift Wrapped HERE

Get Merry Trees HERE

Get Peppermint & Holly HERE

Get Season’s Greetings HERE

Get Sugarplum HERE

I hope you enjoyed this curated selection of VRD Table Runners arranged by months of the year. Maybe these runners will inspire you like they’ve inspired me. I’m thinking “Table Runners Through the Year” would be a really fun trunk show or guild program. What do you think? Something to add to my to-do list?

Well, that’s it for me this week.

Until next Thursday —

Sew. Laugh. Repeat.

Always,

Tricia @VRD

Rose Cards · villa rosa designs

Our 20 Best Selling Wholesale VRD Rose Card Patterns Right Now

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Hello Quilty Friends!

Happy Thursday!

With 595 (Yes, I actually counted them. LOL!) Rose Card patterns currently in our VRD catalog, I thought it would be fun to show you our top selling Rose Cards. Please keep in mind these are the top patterns on our Wholesale website, which means these are the Rose Cards being purchased by your local quilt shops, online shops, and other retailers. Interestingly enough, this list changes constantly, so by the time this post launches, this list will most likely have been updated. Just sayin’………

I wonder how many of these top sellers you already have in your Rose Card collection? Scroll through the list and let’s find out!

Get Sisterhood HERE

Get Pumpkin Hollow HERE

Get Solar Flare HERE

Get Grand Prize HERE

Get October Sky HERE

Get Liberty HERE

Get Cat City HERE

Get Dainty Machines HERE

Get 2M HERE

Get Splendor HERE

Get San Julian HERE

Get Fernanda HERE

Get Hillside Charm HERE

Get Daring Spirit HERE

Get Firecracker HERE

Get Hypnotized HERE

Get Quilters Palette HERE

Get Slice of Summer HERE

Get Notches HERE

Get Pumpkin Patch HERE

Soooooo, how many of these top sellers do you have? Me, I have all of them, of course. LOL! I provided the link under each pattern cover to make it easy for you to purchase the ones you don’t have yet. Remember, Rose Card patterns retail for $2 and shipping is free for patterns.

Now I’m curious — how many of these awesome Rose Card patterns have you actually made? So far, I’ve made Sisterhood, Pumpkin Hollow, Cat City blocks, 2M, Splendor, Hillside Charm, Daring Spirit, Firecracker, Hypnotized, and Slice of Summer. Of course, some of these are my own VRD patterns, so I already have a head start. LOL!

We’ve even done tutorials here on the blog for several of these patterns too:

Splendor

Hillside Charm

Daring Spirit

Hypnotized

Cat City block

If you are a retailer, these Rose Cards are the patterns that are the Wholesale VRD hot sellers right now and you should have these for sale in your shop. Just making a suggestion…….

You can find the VRD Wholesale website HERE.

Well, that’s it for me this week. Don’t forget to grab these Rose Card top selling patterns because you can never have enough Rose Cards. They really are like candy without calories — all 595 of them!

Until next Thursday —

Sew. Laugh. Collect Rose Cards. Repeat.

Always,

Tricia @VRD

Designer Spotlights · Rose Cards · villa rosa designs

VRD Designer Spotlight Interview with Heidi Cook

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Hello Quilty Friends!

Happy Thursday!

I hope you all enjoyed last week’s photo tour of the Villa Rosa Quilt Shop with guest blogger Molly Cook. I certainly did as I’ve never seen the shop in person. Thanks, Molly! We look forward to you popping in on the blog again soon!

I’m happy to say I’m now a few weeks post knee replacement surgery and my knee is doing great. It’ll be a little while before I go bowling or line dancing, but I’m on the mend now.

Today I am excited to interview Heidi Cook, who is one third of the Villa Rosa Designs Cook Family designer trio, along with sister, Molly and Mom, Tamara.

Tricia: Hi Heidi! Thanks for taking the time to do an interview for the blog!

Heidi: Sure, glad to help out.

Tricia: Tell us about yourself.

Heidi: I live in Nevada County, California and I’m the youngest of 4 kids. And we were all home-schooled.

Tricia: Wow, that must have kept your Mom really busy. Anything else?

Heidi: I raised pigs for 5 years for our local Nevada County Fair.

Tricia: Cool, I was in the 4-H here in PA, but it was a cooking 4-H. Boy, that was a long time ago! LOL! Where/how did you meet Pat Fryer, Rose Queen and owner of Villa Rosa Designs?

Heidi: I met Pat at our local quilt guild.

Tricia: When did you learn to sew/quilt?

Heidi: I started sewing at age 9 when I joined the Junior Quilters through our local quilt guild and I started sewing for community service.

Tricia: 9 years old? WOW! So you’ve been sewing for quite a while, then?

Heidi: Yep, 18 years.

Tricia: I know you and Molly sew, but how about your other 2 siblings? Do they sew, too?

Heidi: The oldest, Naomi, started sewing first and she works at a fabric shop in Arkansas. My brother, who is between Molly and me, sewed till he got married.

Tricia: Wow! That is amazing! How long did you sew before designing your own quilts and patterns?

Heidi: I started designing my own quilts with scraps but it was officially about 8 years before I actually came out with my own patterns.

Tricia: What’s your favorite part of quilting/designing?

Heidi: Picking out the fabric, of course! LOL!

Tricia: Yep, that’s definitely one of my favorites too! What about your least favorite?

Heidi: Cutting it out.

Tricia: Do you have a favorite pattern from those you’ve designed?

Heidi: No! They are all my children — how could I pick just one as my favorite — they are all my favorites.

Tricia: Here are Heidi’s VRD Rose Card patterns to date. You can find them HERE.

Tricia: Wowzer, Heidi! You certainly have a lot of quilt patterns! And I see a theme in all their names — food. Am I guessing right that you like to cook?

Heidi: You guessed right! LOL! I not only cook, but I love to garden too!

Tricia: What else do you do when you’re not quilting or sewing?

Heidi: I like to play coed softball and keep score for the senior softball league.

Tricia: Any advice for quilters who want to become quilt designers?

Heidi: Graph paper is your best friend!

Tricia: Just so you know, dear readers, Heidi is a big part in prepping for the shows whether it’s the Facebook live sale or the quilt shows. Thanks, Heidi! It’s been great getting to know you better and we all look forward to your upcoming “foody” Rose Card patterns.

Heidi: Thanks for having me!

What fun to get to know another of our amazing VRD Designers! Take care and don’t forget to scoop up some of Heidi’s delicious patterns!

Until next Thursday —

Sew. Laugh. Repeat.

Always,

Tricia @VRD

Designer Spotlights · Just Quilty Stuff · Quilt Stories · Rose Cards · villa rosa designs

VRD Designer Spotlight Interview with Molly Cook

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Hello Quilty Friends!

Happy Thursday to you!

I am sew excited to be interviewing Molly Cook, who is not only a VRD designer, but also works at the Villa Rosa Designs quilt shop in Grass Valley, California. Molly is actually part of a designing trio called the Cook Family, which is made up of Molly, sister Heidi, and Mom Tamara.

Molly Cook, standing in front of a version of her Vineyard VRD Rose Card pattern.

Tricia: Hey Molly! Thanks for taking some time to chat on the blog today.

Molly: Hello!

Tricia: Ready?

Molly: Sure, let’s get to it.

Tricia: How did you meet Pat Fryer, the owner and “Rose Queen” of Villa Rosa Designs, or how did you become part of the VRD family of designers?

Molly: I met her at a guild meeting and she saw my show and tell that I designed by myself.

Tricia: How did you discover quilting?  How long have you been quilting?

Molly: My Grandma started teaching her grandkids to sew around the age of 10, so I’ve been sewing for 11 years.

Tricia: What’s your favorite quilt block(s)?

Molly: Any block that’s simple! LOL!

Tricia: I hear you — I love easy blocks, too. How did you make the leap from being a quilter to becoming a quilt designer?

Molly: I’ve been sewing for community service for years. Working with what I had, I ended up improvising on patterns.

Tricia: That’s really cool, Molly! Can you tell us a little bit about your design process?

Molly: I just gather fabric and lay it out and see how things fit together.

Tricia: What is your favorite/least favorite part of the quilt-making process?

Molly: My favorite is designing patterns and sewing them together. My least favorite thing is binding.

Tricia: I totally agree with you. Binding is definitely my least favorite part of the quilt making process, too. What are your top 3 favorite quilting tools? 

Molly: My top 3 quilting tools are my rotary cutter, my rulers, and my scissors.

Tricia: I’m not sure I can pick just three favorite tools! LOL! What are you working on now?  Any new patterns in the works?  Can you give us a sneak peek?

Molly: I have a couple of new patterns in the works. I’m working on writing them up and making them easy to understand.

Tricia: Here are Molly’s VRD Rose Card patterns to date. You can find them HERE.

Tricia: Wow, Molly! You are one prolific designer! And there’s lots of variety in your patterns. Do you have a favorite pattern that you’ve designed?

Molly: My favorite pattern would be Lickety Split, but Brickwork almost ties with it.

Tricia: What’s your favorite book? 

Molly: I love Ted Dekker and Frank Peretti books.

Tricia: Type of music/musician? 

Molly: Christian music.

Tricia: Movies and TV?

Molly: Lord of the Rings movies and I’m a Marvel Superhero girl!

Tricia: That’s so cool! What do you do when you’re not quilting/designing?

Molly: When I’m not quilting, you can find me reading a book, babysitting, or crocheting.

Tricia: You stay busy, don’t you? Do you have any advice to quilters who want to become quilt designers? 

Molly: Just dive in. Find fabrics you like and go for it. Don’t start with a complex pattern — you won’t enjoy quilting if it’s got a lot of pieces or is hard to follow with all it’s instructions.

Tricia: That’s super advice, Molly! It’s been great chatting with you. Thanks sew much! We all look forward to seeing those new patterns you’re working on really soon.

Molly: Thank you for having me on the blog!

There you have it, Quilty Friends!

How cool is it to get to know the quilt designers behind your favorite VRD Rose Card patterns?

Awesome Applesauce! Molly is going to be our guest blogger next week while I take a few weeks to get my knee replaced and begin the recuperation process.

Well, that’s it for this week. Be sure to tune in next week to see what Molly has in store for you!

Until next Thursday —

Sew. Laugh. Repeat.

Always,

Tricia @VRD

Quilt Block Basics · Rose Cards · Tips and Tricks · villa rosa designs

Quilt Block Basics — Four Patch and Nine Patch

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Hello Quilty Friends!

Happy Thursday!

The sun is shining and it’s a beautiful day here in my little corner of Pennsylvania! I hope your day is looking just as bright. Make sure you do something fun!

Today we are wrapping up our foray into the Basics of Quilt Blocks. There are, of course, more quilt block units out there, but the ones we’ve covered are the basic ones — at least in my opinion.

Any discussion of Quilt Block Basics would not be complete without Four Patches and Nine Patches.

Quilt Block Basics — Four Patches and Nine Patches

Four Patch
Nine Patch

Four Patch and Nine Patch blocks are probably two of the easiest quilt blocks to make. That’s probably a good reason why these blocks have been some of the most loved quilt blocks in history! From beginners to advanced quilters — these blocks have stood the test of time for centuries.

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it before, but I collect vintage and antique textiles. I do have antique quilts and tops, but my favorite part of my collection is the piles and piles of orphan quilt blocks (I consider any block not housed in a quilt to be an orphan quilt block).

Speaking of orphan quilt blocks — did you know I wrote a book about putting antique and vintage quilt blocks into new quilts? It was my very first quilt book! LOL!

Get Orphan Block Quilts HERE

Anyway, in my quilt block collection, I have tons of Four Patch and Nine Patch blocks dating from the mid 1800’s all the way to the mid 1900’s. 100 years of quilt blocks — that’s a lot of Four Patch and Nine Patch blocks!

Four Patches and Nine Patches can stand alone as individual quilt blocks, of course, but they are also fantastic quilt block units, too! AND they can act as frames where you can insert other block units into the squares to create even more blocks! The options are endless (OH NO! I hear my EQ8 calling me….again!).

Let’s take a look at some blocks featuring Four Patch and Nine Patch units.

Four Patch Blocks

Bow Tie
Crockett Cabin Quilt
Double Four Patch or Sixteen Patch
Economy
Shooting Star
Windmill
Carrie Nation Quilt
Square Upon Squares
World’s Fair

Nine Patch Blocks

Attic WIndow
Button
Contrary Wife
Double Nine Patch
Ohio Star
Plus Sign
Ribbon Star
Road to California Variation
Shoofly

You can also mix Four Patch and Nine Patch units together into blocks!

Mixed Blocks

Four Patch Chain
Green Chains
Red Cross
True Blue
Water Wheel

I am not going to reinvent the wheel by doing tutorials for assembling Four Patch and Nine Patch units as there are a lot of them out there on the Internet. Instead, here are some fun quilt designs using a few of the blocks above.

A Few Simple Four and Nine Patch Quilt Ideas for You

Bow Tie
Double Four Patch or Sixteen Patch
Carrie Nation Quilt
Button
Contrary Wife
Double Nine Patch

Now we’re going to move right into my curated Four and Nine Patch List of Villa Rosa Designs Rose Card Quilt Patterns. I anticipate there will be a lot, so stay with me all the way to the end or you might lost along the way.

VRD Rose Card Patterns Featuring Four Patches and Nine Patches

Get Akito HERE

Get Antique HERE

Get Bat Dance HERE

Get Be My Baby HERE

Get Beatrice HERE

Get Bee Charming HERE

Get Blizzard HERE

Get Blueberry Cobbler HERE

Get Carefree HERE

Get Carnival Glass HERE

Get Celebration HERE

Get Charismatic HERE

Get Charity HERE

Get Cidermill HERE

Get Color Box HERE

Get Columbia HERE

Get Country Life HERE

Get Crackers HERE

Get Daring Spirit HERE

Get Early Dawn HERE

Get Electron HERE

Get Elementary HERE

Get Giggles HERE

Get Gingersnap HERE

Get Grandmother HERE

Get Imperial HERE

Get Indigo Bay HERE

Get Jardena HERE

Get Kalinda HERE

Get King’s Ransom HERE

Get Kit & Caboodle HERE

Get Klondike HERE

Get Lollipop HERE

Get Love Notes HERE

Get Lovers Lane HERE

Get Macarons HERE

Get Malaysia HERE

Get Monterey HERE

Get Nana’s Aprons HERE

Get Night Light HERE

Get Oakmont HERE

Get Orange Waves HERE

Get Outback HERE

Get Peace HERE

Get Penny Candy HERE

Get Peppermint & Holly HERE

Get Phoebe HERE

Get Pinwheel Picnic HERE

Get Pixelation HERE

Get Polo HERE

Get Pride HERE

Get Raspberry Cream HERE

Get Ruby Road HERE

Get Saffron HERE

Get Salute HERE

Get Senior Prom HERE

Get Soul Mate HERE

Get Special Event HERE

Get Star Rail HERE

Get Starfire HERE

Get Tic Tac Toad HERE

Get Transcendent HERE

Get Twinkle HERE

Get Viaduct HERE

Get Waverly HERE

Get Whirlaway HERE

Get Wild Rover HERE

Get Wild Thing HERE

Get Winchester HERE

Get X Ray HERE

WHEW! Did you make it all the way through the whole list? I hope I didn’t lose you somewhere along the way. LOL!

I really hope you found this Quilt Block Basics series to not only be interesting but also helpful and informative. As a designer, when I look at a quilt, I try to isolate the quilt block (or blocks) to identify the pattern if the name doesn’t jump out at me at first. Knowing the different units that make up quilt blocks helps me to do that. It also helps me to take these different units, mix them up, and magically end up with new quilt block designs and variations so that I can keep creating new quilt patterns.

Until next Thursday —

Sew. Laugh. Repeat.

Always,

Tricia @VRD

Quilt Block Basics · Rose Cards · Tips and Tricks · Tutorials · villa rosa designs

Quilt Block Basics — The Hardworking Rail Fence Unit

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Hello Quilty Friends!

Happy Thursday!

We’re getting close to the end of this series on the Basics of Quilt Blocks — just one more post next week and we’ll be moving on to other topics. I originally called it a mini series and expected it to be maybe 3 posts, but I am having so much fun with it, that it ended up turning into a much longer series. Personally, I love any idea that inspires me to play with my EQ8 software and to go through our VRD Rose Card Pattern Catalog and look at all the patterns with fresh eyes. I hope you’ve gotten a lot out of this series too.

If you’ve missed any posts in this series or if you just want to visit it again down the road, I added the series to the right side of the blog for you, right beneath the 2022 Basic Quilting Skills Series.

What’s our Quilt Block Basics unit for today??? RAIL FENCES!

Quilt Block Basics — Rail Fence

Rail Fences — YAY!

Whether you like 2, 3, 4, 5, or more logs, Rail Fence units and blocks are workhorses in the field of making quilt blocks (workhorse and field….get it???). Sigh…… I know, I know. I’ll stop here before I go overboard with the farm puns and cliches. I’m sure you’ve heard them all before anyway.

Sew, what’s a Rail Fence? You newbies might ask.

For the purpose of this series, we’re going to focus on 2 and 3 Rail Fence units with equal sized logs and finished squares. Keep in mind, though, that Rail Fence blocks can contain more than 2 or 3 logs, logs do not necessarily have to be the same width, and finished blocks do not have to be square.

2 log Rail Fence unit
3 log Rail Fence unit

Rail Fence units can stand alone as individual blocks or can be successfully combined with other basic block units to make even more quilt blocks. Rail Fence is the strong, silent type that fades into the background allowing others to be the stars of the show, but without Rail Fence, something would definitely be missing.

Rail Fences can be created with other methods when making quilt blocks. Sometimes a Rail Fence is actually a secondary design or a happy accident.

If you are getting the impression that I really like Rail Fences, then you are correct. One of the very first quilts I ever made from a pattern in the book, The Weekend Quilt by Leslie Linsley. That was the book that made me want to make quilts!

My quilt was a Rail Fence double-sized quilt will 4 shades of blue. I was sew proud of my piecing! It was the first time I’d sewn strip sets together and then cut them into blocks. At the time I didn’t know how to machine quilt yet, so I sensibly tied my quilt with white crochet thread and I used it for years on my bed.

Let’s take a look at some quilt blocks featuring Rail Fence units.

Apple Pie
Coxey’s Camp
Grecian Square
Monkey Wrench
Odds and Ends
Rail Fence
Roman Stripe
Simple Autograph Block
Split Stripe

These 9 blocks are really just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to blocks with Rail Fence units.

How to Make a Rail Fence Unit

To make a traditional 2 log Rail Fence unit, first you need to know the finished size of your unit. So, let’s say our unit will be 6″ finished. To figure out what dimensions to cut our pieces, we will divide our finished size by 2 (6 divided by 2 = 3). But we need to cut our logs the same width of our finished unit, so we will need 2 logs 3″ x 6″ — BUT WAIT! — we need to add our seam allowances before cutting. That means we need to cut 2 logs 31/2″ x 6 1/2″. Then simply sew the 2 logs together along one long edge. Voila!

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 2-log.jpg

To make a 3 log Rail Fence, instead of dividing the finished size by 2, we will divide it by 3 (6 divided by 3 = 2 and we need to add our seam allowances, too). So, we will need to cut our logs 2 1/2″ x 6 1/2″. Decide in which order to sew your logs (whether you decide to use 2 or 3 fabrics in your unit) and sew the 3 logs together along the long edges.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 3-log.jpg

A Few Simple Rail Fence Quilt Ideas for You

Here are two simple Rail Fence quilt designs using 2 different color combinations. But just imagine what you could create if you used multiple blocks, added more colors, etc. WOW!

Time to take a look at my curated collection of Rail Fence VRD Rose Card Patterns!

Features a skinny center log.

Get Ascot HERE

Uses a 5 log Rail Fence block.

Get Basket Case HERE

4 log Rail Fence blocks.

Get Beatrice HERE

Get Bits and Pieces HERE

Get Bride’s Dream HERE

Get Bunny Hop HERE

Both 2 and 3 log Rail Fence blocks!

Get Busy Bee HERE

5 log Row Fence blocks.

Get Chutes & Ladders HERE

Rail Fence blocks turned on their sides.

Get Cobblestones HERE

Get Dapper HERE

Slightly elongated 3 log units.

Get Firecracker HERE

Get First Night HERE

Unique configuration and controlled colors make such an interesting design.

Get French Braids HERE

Get Fruit Salad HERE

See how the Rail Fence units recede?

Get Gridwork HERE

Get Infinite HERE

Get Inglenook HERE

Get Jubilee HERE

4 log Rail Fence blocks.

Get Limelight HERE

Get Melinda Jo HERE

Get Native HERE

Get Panama City HERE

Get Playdate HERE

Get Polka HERE

Very clever color placement!

Get Positive Sign HERE

Love Melissa’s scrappy traditional Rail Fence design!

Get Rail Fence HERE

Thin center log.

Get Ripple Runner HERE

Fat center log.

Get Royal Sunset HERE

Another fat center log.

Get Saratoga HERE

Get Scallywag HERE

Get Shadow Dancer HERE

Stack up those Rail Fence blocks!

Get Snow Ruby HERE

One of my favorite Rail Fence variations!

Get Social Climber HERE

Get Specks of Color HERE

Get Spin Cycle HERE

Skinny center logs.

Get Split Charms HERE

Get Standing on the Corner HERE

Get Sugar & Spice HERE

Get Tumblebug HERE

Get Vienna HERE

Get Village Glade HERE

Fat center logs.

Get Waterside HERE

Get Winter Garden HERE

Stack ’em up!

Get Zelda HERE

That’s another wrap! Time to sign off and get back to making quilts………in my dreams, anyway. LOL!

Until next Thursday —

Sew. Laugh. Repeat.

Always,

Tricia @VRD

Quilt Block Basics · Rose Cards · Tips and Tricks · Tutorials · villa rosa designs

Quilt Block Basics — Square in a Square and NEW VRD Rose Cards for May 2023

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Hello Quilty Friends!

Happy Thursday!

Before I forget I want to wish all you Moms, Grandmas, Aunties, Cousins, Step Moms, Pet Moms, Dads, Caregivers, Teachers and ANYONE who has touched the life of a child a very special Mother’s Day.

Thank you for everything you do everyday. Although you might not get a thank you or an acknowledgement, those little everyday things mean more than you will ever know.

Quilt Block Basics — Square in a Square

This week we are going to talk about the Square in a Square unit.

You may also know this unit as the Diamond in the Square quilt block.

Often, you will see this unit combined with other quilt block units to create really cool quilt blocks. The unit usually has an unpieced square in the center, but sometimes you will see that center square filled in with a pieced unit or block, which makes Square in a Square not only a unit, but also a frame.

Why am I telling you all this? Just food for thought if and/or when you are designing your own quilt blocks!

Let’s take a look at some Square in a Square blocks.

Contrary Wife
Economy Patch
Kansas Star
King’s Crown
Monkey Wrench
New Album
Rolling Squares
Rolling Stone
Susannah

I find the Square in a Square unit to be a very good tool in my designer’s quilt toolbox because it can really add a lot of POW to a quilt block. Wouldn’t you agree?

Let’s take a couple minutes and play with this unit. Only a couple minutes, mind you, or I might get lost in Electric Quilt 8 all day. Seriously, I’m not kidding….

Here is our single unit again:

Here are 4 units together in a 4 Patch block:

And here are 9 units together in a 9 Patch block:

You can see how complex looking the 9 Patch version (our Kansas Star block from above) is, just by repeating the Square in a Square unit. And I added another color just for fun, which can add a whole other dimension. Do you see the star in the middle?

Let’s play with our color placement now. Same block, 3 different ways!

Now let’s go crazy and add a few other Quilt Block units that we’ve already explored — HSTs, Hourglass, and Flying Geese.

MUST. STOP. NOW. Or else I’m going to forget all about writing the rest of this blog post and keep playing in my EQ8 for the rest of the day. LOL!

How to Make a Square in a Square Unit

This unit is a breeze to make.

My favorite method uses a large square and 4 smaller squares, so I don’t have to worry about working with fiddly triangles and stretchy bias edges.

But, how do you know what size squares to cut???

Math…….math…..math, of course! There is a nifty little formula to figure out the sizes of squares needed. You can also find cutting charts too, but what’s the fun in that???

  1. You need to know your finished size. So let’s say I want a finished size of 6″ for my unit.
  2. Next you need to add 1/2″ to your finished size and that is the size of your large center square. So, if I want a finished block of 6″, then I need a 6 1/2″ square for the center.
  3. For the 4 small squares, you will need to divide the size of the finished unit in half (6″ divided by 2 = 3″) and add 1/2″ (3″ + 1/2″ = 3 1/2″). So for a 6″ finished block, I need to cut 4 squares 3 1/2″. Easy Piezy! (Maybe you’re wondering why I add the 1/2″? The 1/2″ is what you add to a finished size to account for your seam allowances. We add 1/4″ for each side which equals 1/2″ in total needed for seam allowances.)

Okay, what about an 8″ finished unit or block? I would need to cut 1 large square 8 1/2″ and 4 small squares 4 1/2″.

What about a 2 1/2″ finished unit? Then I would cut the large center square 3″ and the 4 small squares 1 3/4″.

Cool, huh???? Quilt Math never fails to amaze and amuse me (wink, wink).

So, let’s make the block now:

  1. Layer a small square right sides together in one corner of a large square. Draw a diagonal line from corner to corner. Sew on the line. Repeat for the opposite corner. Cut 1/4″ away from each sewn line. Press open.
  2. Repeat with the other 2 opposite corners.

I do want to take a moment to point out that you can get a Square in a Square look by using different units like HSTs, Flying Geese, and more. Just something to think about….

But wait! There’s more….

If you aren’t completely sold on my method, you have other options —

There is a cool Creative Grids ruler, you can find it HERE.

It’s Sew Emma has even created Square in a Square foundation papers in both THREE INCH and FOUR INCH sizes.

Next let’s check out my Square in a Square curated list of patterns!

Square in a Square VRD Rose Card Patterns

This clever quilt actually uses Hourglass units to achieve a Square in a Square.

Find Downtown HERE

Like Downtown, Duffy uses a different unit (Flying Goose) to create the look of a Square in a Square block.

Get Duffy HERE

Hidden Gems uses HSTs to achieve the look of Square in a Square blocks.

Get Hidden Gems HERE

Again, this one uses HSTs to get the Square in a Square look.

Get Indigo Bay HERE

Point of View uses 4 Square in a Square units in each block.

Get Point of View HERE

Raspberry Cream uses HSTs, too!

Get Raspberry Cream HERE

Sky Diamonds uses HSTs with a quick Flippy Corner to make a really unique Square in a Square variation.

Get Sky Diamonds HERE

A Square in a Square variation with pieced corners.

Get Square Box HERE

I am including Twisted in my list because you get the affect of Square in a Square blocks with the Pinwheels, although it actually uses Y Block units.

Get Twisted HERE

I’m including this one because you get the Square in a Square affect on point — it uses HSTs and careful color placement.

Get Underground HERE

The large center Square in a Square unit is made with HSTs.

Get Whiplash HERE

Winchester uses HSTs to get the center Square in a Square unit.

Get Winchester HERE

A fun list of patterns, isn’t it? Don’t forget that when you order Rose Card patterns on the Villa Rosa website, it’s always free shipping for patterns. Always.

New Villa Rosa Designs Rose Card Patterns for May 2023

Moving on, do you know what day it is????

It’s the first Thursday after the first Friday of the month, which means NEW PATTERNS! YAY!!!

Here are the 5 regular patterns for May. Aren’t they great? Some nice variety in patterns and interesting options, wouldn’t you say?

Bubbles by Sugar Pine Quilts uses a fun bright collection of fat quarters and a background fabric.

31 is a new vertical panel quilt with a fun border. Join me in wishing VRD designer Molly Cook a Happy 31st Birthday this month.

Tiramisu is a very cool quilt featuring either 12 or 20 fat quarters. You get to decide which size of quilt you want with this one.

Happy Thoughts is my latest throw quilt pattern and it uses a focal or theme fabric and coordinating 5″ charm squares.

Tres Leches looks as yummy as its name! This quilt uses yardage.

You can get all 5 patterns HERE for the special price of $8.95. Yep, and the shipping is free.

And here’s my new Table Runner Rose Card Pattern for May called Fly Away.

When I was designing and then later making this runner, I kept thinking about the movie, Fly Away Home, so in homage to that great movie, I named my runner Fly Away. By the way, you can find the movie HERE.

Well, I guess that does it for me this week.

Please spend time with the ones you love this week end for Mother’s Day. Wouldn’t a quilt be a nice gift to show your loved one how much you care??? Just sayin’…………..

Until next Thursday —

Sew. Laugh. Repeat.

Always,

Tricia @VRD