VRD Brickwork Quilt Tutorial

March 27, 2025March 26, 2025 rosecardsLeave a comment

Hello Quilty Friends!

Happy Thursday to you!

Although it’s really March 26th as I write this post, it sure feels more like April Fool’s Day here in NW PA! Mother Nature is laughing loudly at us because this morning we woke up to a layer of snow on the ground. Of course, it’s already beginning to melt away as the temperature increases a bit, but it was certainly a deja vu moment. Just another crazy weather day….

So, I definitely think it’s a fitting day to do a new tutorial for you featuring a beautiful blue and lavender batik collection.

VRD Brickwork Quilt Tutorial

Brickwork is a super fun fast fat quarter quilt designed by our VRD designer, Molly Cook. Don’t know Molly? Check out an interview with Molly HERE.

Get your digital pattern HERE or your print pattern HERE

We do have a few different Brickwork kits available (sorry, not the fabrics used in this tutorial, though) – you can find the kits HERE

For this tutorial, we’re using yummy batik fabrics from the Hoffman collection Dragonflies at Dusk. I just love these gorgeous blues and lavenders – perfect for a snowy day like today.

Who am I kidding??? I just love the saturated colors, smooth hand, and interesting designs of batiks regardless of the weather outside. LOL!

Let’s get started with our cutting. If you feel comfortable layering a couple fat quarters with the right side facing up, the cutting goes super fast. But if you are only comfortable cutting one layer at a time, that works great too. You do you.

Next you need to pair up 2 matching smaller rectangles with a different larger rectangle. Sew the larger rectangle between the 2 matching smaller rectangles. This is a great block on which to practice your chain piecing skills.

Once you have all of the blocks pieced, head to the ironing board and press everything. It doesn’t matter how you choose to press these ones, just be consistent.

After pressing the blocks (sorry, for some reason I didn’t snap a photo of this step), we’re heading to the design wall (ie: a flannel-backed tablecloth – LOL!) to arrange our blocks.

Okay, now the real work begins – rearranging the blocks so we have a nice balance of colors and lights/darks. The funny thing is that sometimes this process takes longer than actually making the blocks added to the actual time spent sewing the blocks. Just take your time and keep arranging until you are happy with what you see.

This quilt did give us some challenges, though, because the fabrics looked either light or dark and we didn’t have a lot of medium values to balance things out.

Here are some photos showing subtle changes in block placement while we try to achieve a better balance of colors. Bear with us while we keep changing blocks around….

Finally! We found a pleasing block arrangement and then it was time to sew the blocks together into rows and then sew the rows together.

Here is the finished Brickwork quilt top! Now to layer it with batting and backing, quilt it, bind it, and label it. Not sure how to do all of that? You can check out our 2022 Basic Quilting Skills Series over on the right side of the blog for useful tutorials on

Batting, Backing, and Preparing a Quilt for Quilting

Quilt As Desired

Squaring Up Your Quilt

Binding 101

Label Your Quilt

Of course, if you’re interested in learning more about Free Motion Quilting (FMQ), we just wrapped up a 7 part series about Beginner FMQ, which is also located over on the right side of the blog.

I want to thank my pal, Robin, for helping me with this tutorial – thanks, Robin!

Have fun making your very own Brickwork and I look forward to seeing your quilts on our VRD Facebook Page.

Well, that’s it for me. Take care and find a little time to quilt this week.

Until next time –

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.