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.
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.
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.
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 Challengefor 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!
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.
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?
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!
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:
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…….
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!
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!
Hi everyone! Molly popping on to show you around the shop. Hold on tight, this might turn into a roller coaster ride!
Our quilt shop got started in a spacious 2 story building, just outside town near the air park, in 2019.
Remember when I said it was spacious? 4 years later and we are bursting at the seams — (no) pun intended.
Where should we start our tour of the shop? How about the front door? Here we have all our VRD Rose Card patterns on 4 large racks — with well over 500 patterns, those racks are bursting!
Nearby, we have a “dump” table where we toss FQ bundles that give you a taste of the fabric collections in the shop. Some of the bundles are also last chance bundles.
You still with me? Now we are moving into the main room in the shop where the fabric collections are mostly divided by designer: Tula Pink, Anna Marie Horner, Charley Harper, Art Gallery, Australian, Kaffe, 4th of July, Black & Whites, ombrés and of course our basics — Grunge, Palette, Canvas, Blossom, Spotted….
And to keep up with the “demand of cutting” we have 3 cutting boards— 2 are in the main room and 1 is in the side room. The side room area is mostly used for all your online order preperations.
Let’s head up the stairs and take a peek at our “employees only” area — Bonnie calls it “the scary place”. LOL! Upstairs has the same space as downstairs but that’s where the similarity ends. There are 2 long arms to quilt the many samples along with back stock and — of course — the area for the Facebook Live Sale on Friday nights.
Do you know about our Facebook Live events???
You can shop our quilt shop from the comfort of your home every Fry-day afternoon at 4 PM Pacific Time (7 PM Eastern Time). We’ll show you the latest patterns, kits, bundles, and collections as well as our latest markdowns. You can find more information about our Facebook Live Sales HERE.
Thanks everyone for joining me for the tour. Hope to see you at the shop soon — tell ‘em Molly sent 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!
Villa Rosa Quilts 