VRD Designer Spotlight Interview with Molly Cook

June 1, 2023May 30, 2023 rosecards2 Comments

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

Rose Cards · villa rosa designs

Big Quilts? Yep, We’ve Got ‘Em!

March 16, 2023March 15, 2023 rosecards21 Comments

Hello Quilty Friends!

Happy Thursday to you!

Wow! What a difference a week can make! Last week the sun was shining and the temperature was above average here in PA. Today, there’s something like 5 inches on the ground and this morning it was a balmy 14 degrees. We had a nor’easter come up the coast yesterday. Here in PA, we were were only on the fringe of the storm, but we still got something like 5 inches of snow and the cold temps.

Yay winter.

No, not really. Mother Nature sure likes to play tricks on us, doesn’t she?

When it’s cold like this, I think about burrowing under a quilt and reading a good book, how about you? That got me thinking about our VRD Rose Card patterns and I wondered how many big quilt patterns we actually had. You know the ones I mean — throws big enough to share and quilts large enough for beds.

Well, I’m happy to tell you that Villa Rosa Designs really does have bed-sized quit patterns. This might be a surprise for many of you because a lot of our patterns are smaller quilts and throws, but we DO have big quilt patterns.

In addition to the snuggling under a quilt wish today, I know a lot of folks right now who have weddings coming up this year and as you know, quilts make one of the BEST wedding gifts. Table runners and wall quilts are great gifts if you know the happy couple’s taste and decorating scheme, but most quilters want to make big quilts as gifts for newlyweds.

What exactly constitutes a “big quilt”? This term probably means something different to every quilter, but for this list I chose dimensions 60″ x 80″ or larger as my criteria.

Here is my curated list of VRD Rose Card BIG QUILT patterns:

2M

This quilt finishes at 80″ x 80″ or you can add a border to make it 88″ x 88″. I am thrilled to say this pattern is one of our best sellers (and also one of my designs). Let me tell you the story behind 2M — I designed and made this quilt for my niece for her high school graduation. Her name is Morgan Madison — 2M. Nifty, huh?

Get the pattern HERE.

Beaded

This quilt measures 72″ x 80″ when finished. It makes a cozy quilt for 2 or would fit a twin bed. Beaded is a great way to show off your large prints!

Get the pattern HERE.

Button Box

This quilt is a generous 68″ x 81″ which will fit a twin bed or make a lovely cuddle quilt just for 2.

Get the pattern HERE.

Celebration

Here’s another great quilt pattern to feature your stash of large prints, finishing at 64″ x 80″. It will fit a twin bed and it goes without saying that Celebration makes a nice-sized quilt for 2.

Get the pattern HERE.

Daring Spirit

This quilt finishes at 63″ x 81″ when you add the optional border. It will fit a twin bed and makes a nice big throw, too. Check out our blog tutorial for Daring Spirit HERE.

Get the pattern HERE.

English Miss

This quilt features your favorite collection of 10″ squares and finishes at 63″ x 79″ (hey, it’s almost 80″ long). It makes a great throw and will probably work on a twin bed, too.

Get the pattern HERE.

Faith Road Home

This fun panel quilt finishes at 62″ x 80″. With its wide border, you have lots of room to show off your hand or machine quilting. It is big enough for a twin bed and it makes a wonderful large throw quilt for 2.

Get the pattern HERE.

Festivity

Here’s another pattern to use your 10″ squares, finishing at a generous 65″ x 82″. It would fit a twin bed and make a big comfy throw quilt to share.

Get the pattern HERE.

Florence

This quilt really rocks those large prints! It measures 60″ x 80″ which would fit a twin bed and, of course, makes a great throw quilt.

Get the pattern HERE.

French Braids

This quilt finishes at 63″ x 81″, but if you add the optional border, it will be 67″ x 85″. It will fit a twin bed as well as make a large throw quilt.

Get the pattern HERE.

Friendship

Another great-sized quilt for a twin bed or a large throw to share with someone special. It finishes at 65″ x 80″.

Get the pattern HERE.

Hey Day

Grab your favorite 2 1/2″ strip set and whip this fun quilt up in no time! It finishes at 60″ x 80″, which will fit a twin bed and it makes a nice sized throw quilt to snuggle under together.

Get the pattern HERE.

June Bugs

This quilt is just as fun as its name and measures a nice 66″ x 82″. It will fit a twin bed and also make a terrific throw for a pair of Entomologists.

Get the pattern HERE.

Lady Taylor

This classic quilt finishes at 65″ x 85″ and uses either fat quarters or 10″ squares. It will fit a twin bed and makes a generous sized quilt for 2.

Get the pattern HERE.

Lantern

This is a fun modern quilt pattern and it measures a nice 60″ x 84″. It is perfect for 2 to share and fits a twin sized bed.

Get the pattern HERE.

Lazy Goose

Here’s another modern quilt pattern great for using your large prints. It measures 64″ x 80″, which makes it great for a twin bed or as a comfy quilt for 2 to wrap up in together.

Get the pattern HERE.

Lindy

This quilt finishes at a generous 72″ x 84″, making it a large twin or a big roomy throw quilt.

Get the pattern HERE.

Make Mine Plaid

A fun quilt to make you smile! It measures 64″ x 80″, which makes a nice large throw quilt and fits a twin bed too.

Get the pattern HERE.

Party Girl and Party Girl Remix

These 2 quilts are nicely sized at 72″ x 90″. They work as a large throw quilt for 2 and fit a twin quilt.

Get the pattern for Party Girl HERE.

Get the pattern for Party Girl Remix HERE.

Peace

Grab your favorite 2 1/2″ strip set to make this good sized quilt, which finishes at 65″ x 80″. It makes a big throw or a nice twin quilt.

Get the pattern HERE.

Point of View

This large quilt measures a generous 72″ x 96″ when finished. It will fit a twin bed and makes a quilt worthy of cuddling with company.

Get the pattern HERE.

Positive Sign

This quilt is perfect for a collection of fun and bright prints and finishes at 65″ x 85″ with the added border. Share this one with your favorite sweetie or use it on a twin bed.

Get the pattern HERE.

Quartz

Who doesn’t love a classic Log Cabin quilt? This one finishes at 60″ x 80″ and makes both a twin quilt and a nice sized throw quilt.

Get the pattern HERE.

Railroad Tracks

This quilt also uses your favorite 2 1/2″ strip set, finishing at 64″ x 84″. It makes a perfect twin quilt and a roomy throw for 2.

Get the pattern HERE.

Star Queen

This graphic modern quilt is our largest pattern offering at 90″ x 90″. This will fit a queen bed or it makes a quilt big enough for the whole family to cuddle under.

Get the pattern HERE.

Tibet

This quilt features a unique modified 4 Patch block and measures 64″ x 88″ with the optional border. It will fit a twin bed and make a wonderful quilt for 2.

Get the pattern HERE.

Wanda

This beautiful quilt finishes at 66″ x 86″ with the optional border. It makes a great twin bed quilt and a classic throw quilt.

Get the pattern HERE.

WOW! There were even more large quilt patterns than I thought there were in our VRD Rose Card catalog!

Which one is your favorite?

Like chocolates, I’m not sure I can pick just one.

So far I have done Baby/Children’s quilts and now Large Quilts. What other pattern categories would you like to see on the blog in the future?

Think about it and let me know — we want this blog to be relevant to you, the readers.

Well, that’s it for me today. Take care.

Until next Thursday —

Sew. Laugh. Repeat.

Always,

Tricia @VRD

Rose Cards · villa rosa designs

Baby Quilt Time of Year!

March 2, 2023March 1, 2023 rosecards2 Comments

Hello Quilty Friends!

Happy Thursday to you!

I don’t know about you, but a surprising number of people I know are expecting new babies in their families in the near future. It’s a bummer I don’t have anyone in my family expecting because there is nothing more wonderful than making a baby quilt for a new little bundle of joy.

This topic got me thinking about Villa Rosa Designs and our baby quilt patterns. I decided that it would be fun to share our awesome VRD Rose Card baby quilt patterns with you, just in case you have someone expecting a new little one and you need to whip up a baby quilt.

And if you don’t have any babies on the way in your family right now, it’s never a bad idea to have one or two baby quilts tucked away for the future…. Just sayin’.

I went through ALL of our VRD Rose Card patterns and found sew many patterns that would be appropriate as a baby quilt. Whoa! I found way more than I was expecting to. Be warned there A LOT of baby quilt patterns here.

By no means is this a complete list of any Rose Card patterns that would work for baby quilts, this is just a list that I pulled together based on the name of the pattern, the size, and the fabrics of the quilt on the front of the pattern.

I divided the patterns by each VRD designer in alphabetical order (thank you to all of my English teachers through the years!) and even included a link in case you are interested in adding any of the patterns to your Rose Card collection. I got your back (wink, wink…).

I hope you enjoy these wonderful baby quilt patterns — it’s a long list.

See a quilt you like but not interested in (or need to) make a baby quilt sized quilt? It’s sew simple to make the quilt larger by adding a border, another row, or more blocks. Just remember to increase the fabric requirements so you don’t run short on fabric.

Bring on the Baby Quilts!

Cook Family Designs

Corners

A fun quilt with room to add your own novelty print squares! Finishes at 39″ x 46″. You can find the pattern HERE.

Cuddly Friends

Great use of a fun panel! This sweetie finishes at 45″ x 53″ and you can buy the pattern HERE.

Game Play

This cutie really scores! Use a novelty collection….or not. Finishes at 38″ x 46″ and you will find the pattern HERE.

Puppy Love

Grab your fav panel and a stack of coordinating 5″ squares! This quilt goes together really fast and finishes at 45″ x 54″. Buy the pattern HERE.

Sew Cute

Big printed squares and 4 Patch blocks make this baby quilt easy peasy to put together. It finishes at 45″ x 60″. Grab the pattern HERE.

Storybook

A fun way to feature a fabric book in quilt format! This quilt finishes at 48″ x 51″ and you can find the pattern HERE.

Keri G

Paddywhack

Try your hand at something new — raw edge applique! This cutie finishes at 42″ x 52″. Purchase the pattern HERE.

Pitter Patter

This little sweetie features raw edge applique hearts and finishes at 40″ x 54″. Get the pattern HERE.

Melissa Milligan

Animal March

This nice-sized quilt uses novelty fabric or a panel with printed squares. It finishes at 51″ x 51″. Find the pattern HERE.

Orphan Quilts (moi)

Baby Cakes

This fun quilt uses a handful of 10″ squares along with some companion fabrics and finishes at 42″ x 53″. You can buy the pattern HERE.

Bear Hugs

This farmhouse style baby quilt requires a bundle of fat quarters and a border and finishes at 42″ x 48″. Find the pattern HERE.

Bunny Hop

This adorable quilt is quick as a wink to make up using a novelty print and some strips. It finishes at 42″ x 50″. Get the pattern HERE.

Giggles

The name of this quilt just makes me smile! It finishes at 40″ x 48″ and uses 5″ squares. You can buy the pattern HERE.

Lollipop

This quilt can be a real stash buster or you can use packs of mini charms. It finishes at 42″ x 50″. Pattern available HERE.

Nursery Rhymes

Big pieces make this quilt large print friendly and it finishes at 39″ x 52″. You can find it HERE.

Playdate

Primary colors are always a great choice for a baby quilt! This one goes together fast, uses a collection of 2 1/2″ strips, and finishes at 40″ x 52″. Get the pattern HERE.

Simple Simon

This is probably the quickest baby quilt I’ve ever designed. Pick your novelty print, sprinkle in some coordinating strips, sew a few seams, and done! It finishes at 42″ x 48″. Grab the pattern HERE.

Tic Tac Toad

Don’t you just love the name of this quilt??? It is just as fun to make as the name and fat quarter friendly too! The quilt finishes at 48″ x 48″. You can find the pattern HERE.

Tumblebug

I chose to make this quilt with sweet pastel strips, but any style or colors will work great for this baby quilt. It finishes at 40″ x 52″. Get the pattern HERE.

Running Doe

Baby Goose

This is one of my favs — a great way to use an awesome novelty or large print! It finishes at 42″ x 48″ and you can find it HERE.

Cabin Fever

Think modern farmhouse for this sweet baby quilt which finishes at 37″ x 47″. Buy the pattern HERE.

Duffy

This adorable quilt features a focal fabric and some coordinating half yards. It finishes at 36″ x 48″. Grab the pattern HERE.

Luv Ya

Hearts are so appropriate for a bold baby quilt! This one finishes at 45″ x 63″ and you can find the pattern HERE.

Sewl Sister

Color Cat

A fun little quilt for a baby with a furry sibling or two…. It finishes at 32″ x 48″. You could make the quilt a bit larger by adding another row of cats or even a larger border, just remember to buy additional fabric. Find the pattern HERE.

Villa Rosa Designs

Angel Face

Babies are truly a gift from Heaven! This fast-to-make quilt frames big blocks made with your favorite novelty fabric. It finishes at 38″ x 50″ and you can get the pattern HERE.

Be My Baby

Fat quarter friendly and quick to make, this quilt finishes at 43″ x 44″. You can buy the pattern HERE.

Busy Bee

Use that fat quarter bundle we all know you’ve been hoarding to sew up this fun quilt that finishes at 45″ x 54″. Get the pattern HERE.

Cherish

Here’s another sweet baby quilt featuring a theme fabric and a handful of fat quarters. It finishes at 41″ x 57″. Purchase the pattern HERE.

Child’s Play

Large pieces and fat quarters make this pattern a keeper! This quilt finishes at 39″ x 45″. Find it HERE.

Darcey

A fun little quilt using 10″ squares. It finishes at 42″ x 54″ and you can buy the pattern HERE.

Emma Grace

Another cutie! This quilt uses 5″ squares and finishes at 40″ x 45″. Get the pattern HERE.

Gypsy

A pack of 10″ squares will make 2 of these baby quilts — fraternal twins! The quilt finishes at 47″ x 56″ with the optional border. Get the pattern HERE.

Happy Child

Some fat quarters and a few coordinates are all you need to put this fun quilt together! It finishes at 43″ x 56″ and you can buy the pattern HERE.

Night Light

Four Patch blocks and 5″ squares make this quilt not only fun but fast. It finishes at 36″ x 45″. Grab this cutie HERE.

What a great collection of quilts!

Any one of them would make a sweet baby quilt for a special little one either now or down the road. Hopefully, you’ve got some great ideas for whipping up a few baby quilts for gifting now or stashing away for the future.

Well, that’s it for me for this week.

Take care and I’ll see you next Thursday!

Until then —

Sew. Laugh. Repeat.

Always,

Tricia @ VRD

Panel Quilts · Quilting Partners · Rose Cards · Tips and Tricks · Tutorials · villa rosa designs

VRD Hillside Charm Quilt Tutorial and the NEW November Rose Card Patterns

November 10, 2022November 9, 2022 rosecards1 Comment

Hello Quilty Friends!

Happy Thursday to you!

After talking about our VRD Rose Card patterns featuring quilt panels a couple weeks ago, I thought it would be fun to do a series of Panel Quilt Tutorials for you. You can find the Panel post HERE.

There’s no way I would be able to do ALL of the Rose Cards I featured in the Panel post, but I thought it would be fun to do some of my favorites. I hope these Panel Quilt tutorials will inspire you to reduce your own stash of panels by making quilts — what an unusual thing to do with fabric, right???

So let’s make Hillside Charm! I just really love this Panel pattern — it looks great with whatever panel and fabrics you use. Don’t have 5″ charm squares? Cut fat quarters, scraps, or even yardage into the number of squares you need. Want to make it bigger? Add another border? Want it smaller? Don’t add the extra border. LOVE LOVE LOVE Hillside Charm! You can buy the pattern HERE.

Right now we even have some great Hillside Charm kits for sale on the website — Halloween, Christmas and more — so check them out HERE.

Before we jump into the tutorial, I have to do a SHOUT OUT to Hoffman Fabrics and a big thank you to them for providing the fabrics for this Hillside Charm Quilt. The collection is called Wading with Water Lilies. Isn’t it beautiful? In addition to the gorgeous digitally-printed panel and coordinates, I also used some of the basics from the 1895 Watercolors collection and 885 Dot Batiks collection.

YAY! We have the panel and some of the coordinates on the website. You can find them HERE. Grab them now because when they’re gone, they’re gone!

The gorgeous panel. Just look at the amazing array of colors that digital printing can create!

Here are the accents I used from 1895 and 885.

Now you’ve seen the fabrics, lets get to the tutorial!

Hillside Charm Tutorial

The first thing I did was trim the panel to the dimensions listed in the pattern. Sigh……I really hated cutting anything off this amazing panel but if I wanted to make the quilt, it had to be done. So I did it. I also cut out the squares and the strips. The pattern actually calls for a pack of charm squares, but since I didn’t have an actual charm pack, I went ahead and cut the squares I needed. I won’t have as much variety as I would have with a charm pack, but it will still be beautiful. Sometimes, less is more.

Next I sewed the side strips on to the panel. Then I sewed squares to the ends of the top and bottom strips before sewing them into the panel. It’s already taking shape. I’m really excited about this quilt — it is going to be really gorgeous!

Time to sew my charm squares into strips for the next border. I just had to make sure not to sew 2 of the same fabric side to side. Easy peasy.

Here you can see that I took the time to pin the pieced charm square strip to the framed panel. This is an important step because I don’t want my quilt to be a funny shape. Nope, I like ’em squared up as much as I can as I go along. And one of the best ways to do that is to match your centers and your ends and pin generously.

Yay! Let’s sew the pinned charm square side borders on. Sigh….I must admit I hate removing my pins as I sew and I am guilty of sewing over my pins. Mea culpa.

Here are the pieced charm square borders added to the sides. I am so excited how this quilt is coming together.

Now let’s add the top and bottom charm square pieced strips. Pin, pin, pin. Sew, sew, sew. I really like how the pieced border is giving the look of Four Patch blocks in the corners. Tricky, tricky!

More side borders to add. This time I have to be more careful with the placement of the squares so that I don’t accidentally line up 2 of the same fabric, especially since I’m not using as much variety as a charm pack would provide (although, nowadays there are lots of duplicates in a charm pack because fabric collections are a lot smaller than they used to be).

Here are my last borders — the top and bottom pieced borders. Now you can see the rectangles of the blue/green marbled fabric at each corner, mimicking the inner blue/green marbled inner border. Cool detail!

DONE!

I can’t wait to see your Hillside Charm Quilts! You can email your Hillside Charm photos me at tricia@villarosadesigns.com and I’ll share them on the blog and Facebook.

Thanks for sewing along with this tutorial. Stay tuned for another tutorial next week.

**Wait! I can’t go yet without showing you the NEW November Rose Card patterns.**

Check out these awesome new patterns. If you attended Quilt Market or Festival last week, you already had a sneak peak. Lucky you!

Oh look! Another Panel quilt! You can buy the November set of 5 Rose Cards HERE for $8.95.

This is my new table runner, Baskets, for this month:

You can buy the Baskets pattern HERE.

As always, shipping is free.

I hope you find a little time to get sewing because the Holidays are right around the corner and if you are like me, you have a long list of quilty gifts you want to make even though you know you’ll never get them all finished. The New November Rose Cards could help you jump start your holiday sewing! Just sayin’….

Until next Thursday —

Sew. Laugh. Repeat.

Always,

Tricia @VRD

Quilt Stories · Rose Cards · villa rosa designs

A Quilts of Valor (QOV, QOVF) Presentation

August 18, 2022August 17, 2022 rosecards2 Comments

Hello Quilty Friends!

Happy Thursday to you!

I hope your week is going well and you’ve found a few moments to quilt during the hustle and bustle of the end of summer and back to school. I remember those endless days of school shopping — new shoes, clothes, school supplies, etc., etc…. Sadly, there are no more kiddos in my family — my nieces Meghan and Morgan are all grown up. Yet, for some reason I still cannot resist grabbing up extra pens, pencils, tablets, and other supplies. Maybe I miss those days, or maybe in my own mind, I’m still a student.

Last weekend after lots of hard work, we had my Mom’s annual family reunion at our local fire hall. She and my Aunt Helen worked really hard to get it organized. And even though we were all worried about how many folks would be able to make it, the reunion came together and there was a great turn out with cousins coming from as far away as California to our little corner of Pennsylvania.

This year’s reunion was a special one for me — I had organized a Quilts of Valor presentation with my local QOV organization, PA Stitchers of Valor. Collene Munn, who is the force behind our local organization, came to my family reunion along with volunteer husband and wife, Jason and Linda. With their help, we celebrated and honored 4 veterans in our family — my cousins Lisa, Michael, Ron Sr., and Ron Jr. My Dad, my sister Tracy, and I helped with the presentation while my niece Morgan was my photographer.

If you’ve never seen a Quilts of Valor presentation, then you truly have missed witnessing something very special. It’s common for tears to flow and hugs to be shared. Sometimes it’s the first time that family members even get to hear what their veteran or service member actually did during their service. Sometimes the presentation is the moment when a veteran can finally talk about what they might have experienced. Perhaps this is the first time a veteran has actually been thanked for their service. The actual presentation might only last an hour, but the significance of receiving a Quilts of Valor could last a lifetime.

I am very proud to share that I personally made 3 out of the 4 quilts presented. You might recognize 2 of the quilts because they are Villa Rosa Designs Rose Card patterns. The 3rd one I made will be a new Rose Card which will be available soon. I would have made the 4th quilt, but I just ran out of time, so the 4th quilt was made and donated by QOV volunteers.

Allow me to share photos from our family Quilts of Valor presentation.

Each veteran was called up individually while Collene shared a short description of their service. And while each veteran was called up, the veteran’s quilt was displayed behind them usually by a family member and a volunteer. Here, you can see my cousin Lisa with her quilt displayed behind her. This quilt you will see again soon as a new Rose Card pattern called Gallant.

My cousin Michael (Lisa’s big brother) was called up next. His quilt is the Rose Card pattern, Salute, which is one of my patterns. You can buy the Salute Rose Card pattern HERE.

My cousin Ron Sr. was next. You will recognize his quilt as the VRD Rose Card pattern, Daring Spirit. In fact, this is the same quilt from the Daring Spirit tutorial I wrote for the blog a few weeks ago. I am notorious for combining different things into the same project to maximize my time. You can find the Daring Spirit tutorial HERE. You can buy the Daring Spirit Rose Card pattern HERE.

And our final recipient was my cousin, Ron Jr., who is Ron Sr.’s son. This beautiful scrap quilt was made and donated by QOV volunteers. Are you interested in making a quilt to donate to QOV? Or perhaps getting involved in another way? You can visit their website for more information: www.QOVF.org.

Once all the recipients were seated, then it was time to wrap each veteran in their quilt with a quilter’s hug. 2 people hugged each veteran — one a family member and one a quilter as they wrapped the quilt around the veteran. This was an incredibly emotional moment.

At the end of the presentation, each veteran received a certificate and a pillowcase.

Then there were lots of hugs and hand-shaking. What an amazing event to share at my family reunion this year! I know that there are more veterans and service members in the family, so I hope we can do this again next year.

I encourage each and every one of you to connect with the veterans and service members in your family and community. Nominate them to your local Quilts of Valor organization. Make and donate quilts. Volunteer. And above all, go to QOV presentations in your community to support local veterans and service members.

Visit www.qovf.org for more information and to get involved.

Well, that’s it for this week.

Until next Thursday —

Sew. Laugh. Repeat.

Always,

Tricia @VRD

Quilt Play · Rose Cards · villa rosa designs

Flowers, Electric Quilt, and NEW Villa Rosa Designs Rose Card Quilt Patterns

August 11, 2022August 10, 2022 rosecards2 Comments

Hello Quilty Friends!

Happy Thursday to you!

I hope you are all having a great week so far! Me, it’s been a bit rocky in my basement studio/office, which I fondly call my “dungeon.” After a really dry July, early August has been really wet. And I mean wet!

In 5 days, water has rolled into my studio casement window THREE TIMES! In 5 days! I have spent most of my time emptying the dehumidifier, moving fans around, washing-drying-rewashing-drying again all the blankets we’ve been able to find for soaking up the water. ARGH! Luckily, the water didn’t completely flood my space, it only got about halfway across the room, almost to my computer desk. It’s been kind of stressful here. I shouldn’t be complaining because others are faring much worse than I am, but it’s been a lot of work to stay on top of the water once the deluges hit. Talking to my family, we don’t think this much flooding in the basement has happened in 20 years. What a fluke (I hope).

Now let’s turn our thoughts to something really fun and seasonal. Sadly, our container garden and other plants did not grow much during the super dry month of July, but all of a sudden everything is growing by leaps and bounds, although the marigolds don’t look so happy.

We planted our garden and plants a bit late this year and now that things are finally growing like crazy, I just hope that they’ll have enough time to bear fruit (or veggies). I would really like some fresh produce that I grew myself on the back porch! Yum yum yummy!

Speaking of flowers and plants, I’m particularly proud of my Black-Eyed Susans, which is one of my all-time favorite flowers, along with Sunflowers and Daisies. I wonder……how many Black-Eyed Susan, Sunflower, and Daisy quilt blocks are there in Electric Quilt 8. Any guesses? Hmm. I haven’t checked yet, so I think I’ll guess 35 total. So let’s see! Hang on, I’ll be right back. Let me check.

I found 6 Black-Eyed/Brown-Eyed Susan quilt blocks. Not too shabby!

Next I counted 34 Sunflower blocks. Nice!

And then I discovered at least 40 Daisy blocks. Way cool!

Well, my guess was a bit low. How about your guess?

Sew, let’s have some fun and play with flower blocks a little bit!

Here are some really fun quilts with Black-eyed Susan blocks. EQ8 ROCKS!

Check out these awesome Sunflower quilts — are you inspired yet???

Now, how about a trio of Daisy quilts?

WOW! I really love love love EQ8 — it is sew sew fun just to explore different blocks and make quilts on the computer screen, whether I ever make them into real quilts or not!

Aren’t you inspired to make your own flower quilt now? I challenge you to create a quilt featuring your favorite flower! I dare you!

I’d love to revisit flower quilts down the road and include the quilts of our VRD fans. Sew, please send me your flower quilts — er, a photo of your flower quilt along with a short description/story of your quilt. If I choose your quilt and story for the blog, I promise I’ll send you a little surprise in the mail! You can email your flower quilt images to me at tricia@villarosaquilts.com.

NEW AUGUST VILLA ROSA DESIGNS ROSE CARDS

Yay! It’s that time of the month again — no, not THAT time of the month. LOL! It’s the beginning of a new month and that means a NEW collection of Villa Rosa Rose Cards!

Here they are — our new August Rose Cards!

You can order the August set of 5 Rose Cards HERE. Go ahead, I know you want to.

But wait — there’s more! Tehehe.

Here’s my NEW August Table Runner, Slice of Summer.

Cute, huh? You can get your own Slice of Summer Rose Card HERE.

Sew, there you have it — our awesome new August patterns! Can’t wait to see what new patterns next month will bring…….

Until next Thursday —

Sew. Laugh. Repeat.

Always,

Tricia @VRD

Designer Spotlights · Quilt As Desired · Rose Cards · villa rosa designs

VRD Designer Spotlight Interview with Shankari Paradee of Sewl Sister

July 14, 2022July 13, 2022 rosecardsLeave a comment

Hello Quilty Friends!

Happy Thursday to you!

I am sew excited to be interviewing Villa Rosa Designs’s NEWEST Designer, Shankari Paradee. of Sewl Sister www.sewlsister.com today.

Tricia: Hello Shakari! Welcome to Villa Rosa Quilts!

Shankari: Hi Everyone! Glad to be here.

Tricia: Let’s get started!

Shankari: All right, let’s go!

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?

Shankari: I went to a quilt retreat in Texas, where I met Catherine Cureton of Running Doe Quilts. She has several patterns with Villa Rosa Designs and encouraged me to connect with Pat. It took us a minute to get together as we all had busy schedules but we made it happen!

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

Shankari: I’ve been sewing since I was a little girl, starting with hand sewing doll clothes. I grew up with sewing in my family. When I moved to Oklahoma from Canada in 2006, my parents gifted me a beautiful 1960’s Viking sewing machine. I pieced and quilted my first quilt on that machine. I now own a long arm and started my long arm journey in 2016.

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

Shankari: Friendship block is one of my favorites. I love the half-square triangle block because it’s such a simple block and you can use it to make so many other different blocks.

Tricia: I really like that block too. And you’re right — there are sew many different variations. How did you make the leap from being a quilter to becoming a quilt designer?

Shankari: Once I got comfortable with piecing, I felt confident to venture out into the design world. I’ve only been designing for a couple of years and I have learned so much!

Tricia: You’re right — being a designer is all about learning, isn’t it? Can you tell us a little bit about your design process?

Shankari: Sometimes, I just doodle a design and it turns into a quilt design. Sometimes, I am looking for a specific style or feel and I go with my instincts on what I feel looks good. I also talk to other quilty friends to see what their thoughts are on my design. It’s always nice to have perspective.

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

Shankari: I like it all and I think my least favorite would have to be binding.

Tricia: I am with you, Shankari! Binding is not my favorite part of designing and making quilts. What are your top 3 favorite quilting tools? Why?

Shankari: I love my rotary cutter, it makes cutting fabric so much easier. I could not live without various sized cutting mats. I can use smaller ones while traveling and teaching classes and I have two large ones on my sewing table. Binding clips are a life-saver! They help make the binding process easier.

Tricia: For me, I couldn’t live without my computer, Electric Quilt software, or my rotary cutter! What are you working on now? Any new patterns in the works? Can you give us a sneak peek?

Shankari: I am working on a pattern for VRD coming up and I have another one coming up with a group of quilters that will be out in celebration of Jelly Roll Day in September. You can always check out my Instagram for sneaky peeks! LOL! @hellosewlsister

Tricia: These are Shankari’s Rose Card patterns, you can purchase them HERE.

Shankari’s current patterns at Villa Rosa Designs

Tricia: You just had 2 new patterns come out in July, didn’t you?

Shankari: Yes, I did — Dainty Machines and Optic.

Tricia: Great patterns! You can find them here for purchase — Dainty Machines and Optic. Let’s shift gears a little bit — what’s your favorite book?

Shankari: Right now — One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle

Tricia: Type of music/musician?

Shankari: Ed Sheeran

Tricia: Movie?

Shankari: Sense and Sensibility

Tricia: Hah! I’m a Janite too! TV show?

Shankari: Downton Abbey

Tricia: Me too! What do you do when you are not quilting/designing?

Shankari: I’m usually running around with my kids or spending time with my family. 😊 I also moonlight as a cardiac nurse.

Tricia: Kiddos and nursing? When do you even have time for quilting? Do you have any advice to quilters who want to become quilt designers?

Shankari: Don’t get bogged down by other designers and what they are doing. It’s easy to feel like you’re just another quilter in the quilt pond, and there’s room for all of us. Just design from your heart and “sewl”. Design what feels good for you and you can’t go wrong.

Tricia: Anything else you’d like us to know about you?

Shankari: I love to work with scraps and I’m on a mission to create a world with no landfill fabric. I like to keep my quilt patterns as least wasteful as possible on fabric, and use simple cuts of fabric. I love teaching sewing and quilt-piecing. If I can do it, you can too and I can teach you how. I have at least 8 sewing machines to my name, maybe that’s not too many?! Feel free to reach out and connect with me on social media or email:

www.sewlsister.com

www.instagram.com/hellosewlsister

www.facebook.com/hellosewlsister

Hellosewlsister@gmail.com

Tricia: Thank you sew much, Shankari, for taking the time to tell us about yourself. We are all looking forward to your upcoming VRD patterns!

Shankari: Thanks for having me on the blog!

There you have it, Quilty Friends!

How cool is it to get to know the quilt designers behind the VRD Rose Card patterns? Stay tuned for more Designer Spotlight Interviews coming soon.

Well, that’s it for this week.

Until next Thursday —