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Just Quilty Stuff · Tips and Tricks · villa rosa designs

11 Ways to Get Your Space Ready for a New Year of Quilting and Sewing

rosecards4 Comments

Hello Quilty Friends!

Happy Thursday to you!

I’ve been thinking of some ways I can move forward in 2024 with my goals (Did you miss last week’s post? You can find it HERE). I’ve been seriously thinking about how to get my studio in order, which is definitely part of my 2024 Goals. I wouldn’t be surprised if you have the same thoughts, so let’s brainstorm some ideas together!

For some unknown reason, I never seem to get time to actually clean up, organize, and declutter my space. I truly believe there are little pixies who come to my studio at night and have wild parties because there’s no way that I’m making this mess. LOL!

I think I just need to take a couple days (or years) — maybe a week end — to focus entirely on my studio. Whew! That’s going to be a challenge, though, because I try to cram as much as I can into each day — you know what I mean? To focus completely on one task for a week end would be totally foreign to me. Sigh….I don’t know why 24 hours just isn’t enough time to get everything done every day…….

Now, don”t freak out, but I’m going to show you some pictures of my studio. I’m totally embarrassed to show you any photos of my space, but maybe if I do, then it will motivate me to make improvements. So here goes!

Okay, there it is — my very messy studio. Gulp! I am really embarrassed, but hopefully looking at these photos will motivate me to make some changes because obviously my current organizing system at isn’t working for me. Part of my problem is way too many quilts and way too much fabric — there just isn’t enough room for everything. That means it’s time to purge. Scary……..

Before I dive into this huge undertaking, I think I need a game plan.  So here are 11 ideas to help get our sewing spaces ready for a new year of sewing! I bet you can come up with even more ideas so please share your thoughts in the comments.

Fabric and Supplies

1. Look at Your Stash: Take some time to go through your fabric stash and see what you really have. Sort your stuff into categories such as color, material, or project type. Maybe this will give you a better idea of what you have to work with.

2. Donate or Sell: If you come across fabrics that no longer spark joy or that you haven’t used in years, consider donating them to a local charity or selling them online. This way, someone else can put them to good use and that fabric isn’t just collecting dust. If you sell stuff, you will have extra space and extra money. Win-win!

3. Proper Storage: Invest in storage solutions that work for your needs. Clear plastic bins, shelves, or even hanging organizers can help keep everything neat and accessible. Be creative! What do you already have that you can use? Shop second hand. Psst! One of my favorite places to get bins and such is my local Dollar Tree store.

4. Label Everything: When storing your fabrics and supplies, labeling containers can be a lifesaver. It helps avoid the hassle of rummaging through everything when searching for specific items.

5. Streamline Notions: Just like with fabrics, it’s important to go through your sewing notions as well (buttons, zippers, threads, etc. ). Get rid of any duplicates or items that are no longer usable.

6. Keep Favorites Visible: If there are fabrics that inspire you every time you see them, make sure they’re easily visible in your workspace so they don’t get forgotten! 

7. Pegboards: Hanging tools on pegboards is a great idea! Not only does it keep everything organized, but it also makes things easy to find whenever you need them. Pegboards come in various sizes and can be customized to fit your specific needs.

Clutter-free Surfaces

1. Clean Your Sewing Table: Start by giving your sewing table a good wipe down. Dust off any debris or lint that might have accumulated, and use some mild cleaning solution to get rid of any stubborn stains or spills.

2. Clutter-Free Work Surface: Take a look at your work surface and remove any unnecessary items that may be cluttering it up. This could include scissors, pins, scrap fabric, or anything else that doesn’t need to be there while you’re working. Yeah, according to my photos, this is definitely something I need to do ASAP!

3. Organize Your Cutting Table: If you have a cutting table, make sure it’s well-organized so you can find what you need when cutting fabrics. Consider using storage bins or containers for keeping your rulers, rotary cutters, and other cutting tools neatly in one place.

4. Tidy Sewing Desk: Keep your sewing desk tidy. Small storage compartments or jars can help keep everything organized while still being easily accessible.

Storage Ideas for Your Thread Collection

1. Wall-Mounted Thread Rack: A wall-mounted thread rack is not only functional but also adds a decorative touch to your sewing room. It keeps your thread spools where you can find them and is even visually appealing (think arranging your thread in rainbow order!).

2. Drawer Dividers: Use drawer dividers to create separate compartments for spools of thread or other sewing sundries.

3. Bobbin Rings or Holders: Keep your bobbins organized by using bobbin rings or holders. These handy accessories prevent tangling and make it easy to see the color of each bobbin at a glance.

4. Clear Plastic Boxes: Invest in clear plastic boxes with compartments specifically designed for storing spools of thread. These boxes are often stackable, making them perfect for maximizing storage space in your sewing room. And we all need that, don’t we???

Sewing Zones

1. Cutting area: This is where you’ll prep your fabrics before diving into the fun part of sewing. Make sure you have enough space for a cutting table or mat where you can spread out your materials comfortably. Consider adding storage for rulers, rotary cutters, and fabric scissors nearby to keep everything within arm’s reach.

2. Sewing stations:  These are dedicated spaces where your sewing machines will live. Make sure that each station has enough room for the machine itself along with any additional equipment like sergers or embroidery machines that you may use. I’m hoping to set up a second sewing station in my space so I can have a friend or two sew with me in my studio.

3. Pressing station: Having a designated area for pressing fabrics is crucial in achieving professional-looking results. Set up an ironing board or invest in a sturdy pressing table that suits your needs. Keep essentials like irons, water spray bottles, and pressing tools nearby so that you don’t have to hunt them down every time.

Patterns

1. Purge: Bring all your patterns to the same place and decided which ones to keep and which ones to donate, sell, or discard.

2. Categorize by pattern type: One way to organize your sewing patterns is by grouping them together by topics. For example, you could have sections for bags, jackets, toys, accessories, quilts, pillows, etc. You could even subdivide categories into smaller groups like quilts could be subdivided into bed quilts, throw quilts, wall quilts, runners, etc. Grouping patterns with the same topics together will make finding what you’re looking for a lot easier when starting a new project.

3. Sort by difficulty level: If you have patterns that vary in complexity, maybe organizing them based on their difficulty level would work for you. You can have separate sections for beginner-friendly patterns and more advanced ones.

4. Use binders or folders: To keep your sewing patterns neat and easily accessible, consider storing them in binders or folders with clear sleeves or pockets. This allows you to flip through the pages without damaging the patterns and also makes it simple to locate specific designs. If you use clear sleeves and only put one pattern in each sleeve, you won’t have to pull out the pattern to see the fabric requirements (if they are listed on the back of the pattern).

5. Label everything: Don’t forget to label so that you can quickly identify what’s inside your boxes, baskets, drawers, or binders without having to search through every single one.

Books and Magazines

1. Purge: gather up all your books and magazines in one place and decide what to keep and what to donate, sell, or discard.

2. Alphabetical order: If you have a collection of books related to sewing techniques or reference guides, alphabetizing them can make finding specific information a breeze.

3. Subject-based organization: Another option is to group your books based on their topic such as applique, paper piecing, hand quilting, machine quilting, etc. Once you’ve gathered your books and you start to look through them, you’ll get a good sense of what categories you can divide them into.

4. Get control of your magazines: sort them by year or by magazine name. Or maybe tear out the patterns you want to keep and pass the rest of the magazine onto someone else.

Scrap Fabric 101

1. Scrap Fabric Bins: Transform old shoe boxes or plastic containers into storage bins for your fabric scraps. You can label them by color or sizes/shapes, making it easy to find what you need for future projects.

2. Fabric Scrap Garland: Turn your fabric scraps into a colorful garland by cutting them into strips and tying them onto a string or ribbon. Hang it up as decoration in your craft room or use it to jazz up a plain wall.

3. Scrap Quilts: Need I say more???

4. Fabric Covered Storage Boxes: Give plain cardboard boxes a makeover by wrapping them with scrap fabric using glue or double-sided tape. These stylish storage solutions are perfect for organizing smaller items like buttons, ribbons, and beads. Covered cereal boxes make great magazine and pattern storage!

5. Scrap Fabric Wreaths: Use wire wreath frames as the base and tie on small pieces of fabric all around until the frame is completely covered. This DIY wreath ad

6. Bags and totes: Use your scraps to make bags and totes in a multitude of sizes and shapes. Bags and totes can used to store projects, take on the go, use in place of plastic grocery bags, and much more. 

7. Rag Rugs: Cut fabric scraps into strips and weave them together to make colorful rag rugs for your home decor. It’s an eco-friendly way to repurpose those leftover materials!

8. Pincushions: Imagine the possibilities!

Cleaning Habits and Routines

1. Start with a clear workspace: Before you begin sewing, take a few minutes to clear off your work area. Put away any tools or materials that are not in use, so you have plenty of room to work. Sounds like a good habit to start, doesn’t it?

2. Wipe down surfaces: Dust and debris can accumulate quickly in a sewing room, so it’s important to regularly wipe down your surfaces. Use a damp cloth or disinfectant wipes to keep things clean and hygienic.

3. Empty the trash regularly: Don’t let the scraps of fabric or discarded thread pile up next to you as you sew. Make it part of your routine to empty the trash bin frequently, keeping your space neat and tidy.

4. Organize your supplies: Invest in some storage containers or bins for all of your sewing supplies such as thread spools, bobbins, scissors, etc. Having designated spots for everything will make it easier for you to find what you need and to maintain an organized space.

5. Vacuum or sweep the floor: Fabric lint can easily accumulate on the floor around your sewing area, so give it a good vacuum or sweep every now and then to keep things looking fresh.

Better Lighting

1. Natural Light: Place your sewing table near a window to take advantage of natural light during the day.

2. Task Lighting: Invest in good task lighting options, such as adjustable desk lamps or floor lamps with flexible necks. This will help you focus light directly on your sewing machine or work area, reducing eye strain.

3. LED Bulbs: Consider using LED bulbs as they are energy-efficient and provide bright, white light that mimics natural daylight. They also last longer than traditional incandescent bulbs.

4. Overhead Lighting: Ensure that you have adequate overhead lighting in the room to provide general illumination when needed. Choose fixtures with adjustable brightness settings so you can control the intensity based on your needs.

5. Multiple Light Sources: Use multiple light sources around your sewing room to minimize shadows and ensure even illumination across your work area.

6. Dimmers or Smart Bulbs: Installing dimmers or using smart bulbs that allow easy adjustment of brightness levels.

An Ergonomic Sewing Room

1. Your Sewing Chair: Look for one that provides good back support and has adjustable height options. This way, you can ensure proper posture while you work your creative magic.

2. Adjustable Cutting Table: It’s important to have a surface at a comfortable height so that you don’t strain your back or shoulders while cutting fabric. Look for tables with height-adjustable legs or consider using risers to customize the height according to your needs.

3. Sewing Machine Height: Make sure your sewing machine is set up at the right height for optimal comfort. You don’t want to be hunching over or straining your neck while working. Adjust the table or use additional supports if needed.

Make Your Space Your Space

1. Inspiration boards: These are fantastic for keeping your creative juices flowing. You can pin up fabric swatches, color palettes, sketches, and anything else that inspires you. It’s like having a visual brainstorming session right in front of you! Plus, it adds a lovely touch to your sewing room decor.

2: Artwork: Hang up some beautiful prints or paintings that speak to your soul. Maybe vintage sewing illustrations, artistic photographs of sewing machines, or framed inspirational quotes about quilting. Surrounding yourself with art that speaks to you will definitely lift your spirits while you work.

3. Special Keepsakes:  Why not add some special keepsakes to your space? Maybe display a vintage thimble collection passed down from generations of skilled sewists in your family? Or use an antique jar as storage for small notions? Adding these personal touches adds character to your space and keeps those precious family memories alive.

I hope these ideas will help jump-start your journey of taking back your sewing space!Stay tuned and I’ll tell you more about my own journey in future posts.

VRD UPDATES

Just a few quick update on our recent projects:

12 Quilts of Valor Pattern Collection

The Quilts of Valor VRD Collection is finally available — you can get it HERE. You will definitely want to add this pattern collection to your Quilts of Valor patterns because all 12 quilts meet the QOVF size requirements. Additionally, a portion of the sales will be donated to the QOVF. You can visit the QOVF HERE.

12 Quilts of Christmas

I’m sorry we didn’t get this collection out in time for the 2023 Holidays, but you can be sure it’ll be out in plenty of time for Christmas in July 2024! Woohoo!

VRD Blog Hop

You bet we’re still having our 2nd VRD Blog Hop in 2024. We’ve just bumped it a little later in the year to March 2024. Stay tuned…….we’ll have more information coming soon.

I can’t think of any other updates right now, did I forget anything?

Well, that’s it for me this week. Fingers crossed that I squeeze in some time in the next week to begin taking back my studio from those wild partying pixies!

Sew. Laugh. Declutter. Repeat.

Always,

Tricia @ VRD

Quilting Partners · Rose Cards · villa rosa designs

NEW January 2024 Villa Rosa Rose Card Quilt Patterns and Quilting Together

rosecards6 Comments

Hello Quilty Friends!

Happy Thursday to you!

I hope January is off to a good start for you. I’ll bet you have some great quilting plans for this year. Me too! In fact, I am already getting started on some. Yay!

What about New Year’s Resolutions? Do you make any? If you do, how hard is it for you to keep them? 

I don’t really make “Resolutions” anymore because they’ve always been so specific and of course, that just set myself up for failure — sigh…….I guess I’m just not disciplined enough. So, instead of Resolutions, I make “Goals” for the New Year. The great thing about Goals over Resolutions for me is that my goals are not carved in stone and can change over time, can become completely irrelevant, or even get carried over into the next year. Know what I mean?

That being said, here are my Goals so far for the New Year:

  • Eat more healthfully and get more active
  • De-clutter, downsize, and organize
  • Finish more projects
  • Use my stash more efficiently
  • Save more money
  • Stick to a regular daily work schedule
  • Find more time for creativity
  • Change what I can and accept what I cannot change
  • Be kind

I find that if I actually write my Goals down and review them once in a while, then I am more likely to accomplish them, or at least break them down into smaller steps so I am working my way towards the finish line. I keep a list of my Goals (written in pencil) in the front of my yearly planner. Sometimes I add more Goals throughout the year, change a Goal completely or even erase it if it no longer makes sense to me. Basically, I think it really all boils down to beginning and maintaining new habits.

Speaking of the New Year, it’s the Thursday after the first Friday of the month, which means NEW Rose Card Quilt Patterns! Yay!

January 2024 VRD Rose Card Quilt Patterns

January’s patterns are awesome, aren’t they? Lucky you, you can get the set of 5 patterns for the special price of $8.95 HERE.

Please join me in warmly welcoming our newest designers, Rachelle of Rachelle Handmade and Deanne of Creative Sewlutions! Welcome Rachelle and Deanne! Hopefully soon, we’ll have Designer Spotlights here on the blog so everyone can get to know the two of you better. 

Yep, there’s a new table runner pattern for Janaury, too. It’s called Snowberry and you can get it HERE.

Did you know you can get the New Rose Card patterns delivered right to you mailbox every month? You can sign up to get just the 5 monthly patterns HERE or you can get the 5 monthly patterns plus table runner(s) HERE.

But wait — there’s MORE!

If you missed last week’s blog post, I debuted our very special NEW Collection of patterns in partnership with the Quilts of Valor Foundation (QOVF). The collection features 12 Rose Card patterns that meet the size requirements for a QOV quilt. And of course, they are FAST and FUN patterns! 

You can get the collection of 12 QOV patterns for the amazing price of $14.95 HERE. AND, a portion of the sales will be donated to the QOVF. It’s a win-win-win for you, for the QOVF, and for Villa Rosa Designs! 

This collection of QOV patterns is sew inspiring that I challenge you to get together with a group of your quilty pals and make some quilts to donate to your local QOV organization. You can check HERE to find your closest QOV chapter. Maybe you’ll join and support the QOVF’s mission to get quilts into the hands of veterans and active service members.

Quilting Together

I know I’ve talked about getting together with your quilt posse before, but with a brand new year, it’s time to make some plans to quilt together. Quilting together is not a new idea at all, our grandmothers and their grandmothers gathered together to make quilts as well as to work on hand-sewing projects. Quilting circles were very popular during the Civil War, while women and girls did their part for the war effort by sewing for the soldiers, often their fathers and sons, neighbors and friends. My point is that quilting together is an important part of quilting and sewing and has been for generations.

This vintage photo shows a group of women hand-quilting a Double Wedding Ring quilt in the 1930’s or 1940’s. See the young lady at the end on the left, she’s a lefty like me. Just sayin’!

Here are some great benefits we get when we quilt together:

  • Social Connection, Community, and Friendship
  • Sharing and Collaboration
  • Learning New Skills
  • Improving Existing Skills
  • Teaching Others
  • Self Esteem and Confidence
  • Stress Relief and Relaxation (for some quilters, anyway)

Quilt Guilds are a continuation of the quilting bees and sewing circles of the past. I’ve been a member of the Free Spirit Quilters for quite some time now. And I know I’ve talked about my Friday Quilt Class/Group here on the blog before and how important those ladies are to me. Additionally, I have several friends (yes, I have friends [eye roll here]) with whom I get together to sew. It might be hand-sewing hexies while watching tennis or mysteries on TV or sewing all day in a friend’s newly set-up quilt room. And as part of my decluttering, downsizing, and organizing goal, I hope to get a second workspace set up in my studio so I can have a friend over to quilt with me in my space, too.

When I was a Girl Scout a long time ago, I can remember singing the song “The More We Get Together.” Do you remember this song? 

The more we get together,

Together, together,

The more we get together,

The happier we’ll be.

For your friends are my friends

And my friends are your friends.

The more we get together,

The happier we’ll be.

Written by Irving King

This is Quilting to me.

Sew. Laugh. Quilt Together. Repeat.

Always,

Tricia @ VRD

Quilting Partners · Rose Cards · villa rosa designs

The 12 Quilts of Valor VRD Rose Card Pattern Collection

rosecards8 Comments

Hello Quilty Friends!

Happy Thursday to you!

Image by starline on Freepik

I hope your New Year is off to a great start! I’m excited about all the cool stuff we’ve got planned for Villa Rosa Designs for 2024. All you need to do is stay tuned here on the blog. :)

Last week we wrapped up our 5 week December Accessory Sew Along (SAL). I hope you enjoyed the series, even if you didn’t get a chance to make your projects yet. As promised, I added links to the SAL along the right side of the blog along with a link to the collection. You can find the December SAL section right under our Quilting Partners. Now you can participate in the 2023 December SAL whenever it works for you. I hope you do because the projects are fast and lots of fun. Feel free to add your own touches to make them your own. I am looking forward to seeing your finished projects on our VRD Facebook page.

12 Quilts of Valor Collection

Drum roll please..…………………..

Cue the fireworks! 

Image by brgfx on Freepik

We are absolutely thrilled to kick off 2024 with the debut of our 12 Quilts of Valor Rose Card Pattern Collection in partnership with the Quilts of Valor Foundation (QOVF)! 

Get your QOV collection HERE.

It took a little more time to finish the collection than we had originally anticipated, but here it is — a super way to start off the new year! Yay!

We are partnering with the Quilts of Valor Foundation to help get more quilts made and into the hands of veterans and active service members. Each of the 12 quilts in the collection meet the size requirements for a Quilts of Valor quilt. AND, a portion of the sales will be donated to the Quilts of Valor Foundation!

If you’re a follower of the blog, then you already know how near and dear my local Quilts of Valor chapter, PA Stitchers of Valor, is to my heart. I’m SEW PROUD to say that the founder and leader of my local group, Collene Munn, was recently honored as a 2023 Difference Maker. You can read the article HERE.

Here is Collene’s overview of the past year on the PA Stitchers of Valor Facebook page:

2023 was a great year for PA Stitchers of Valor, we celebrated our 6th Anniversary with the Quilts of Valor Foundation in April and awarded our 500th Quilt of Valor in May and our 600th Quilt of Valor in November! We have been busy but have been honored to recognize almost 140 Veterans in one year!! We have help[ed] start a new group in Andover/Ashtabula Ohio and have another one looking to join after the first of the year in [the] Franklin/Oil City area. We have lost a few members due to these new groups starting but are happy for both of them. I am excited to see where 2024 takes us! If interested in joining or helping our group in any way please reach out to me. Happy New Year PA Stitchers of Valor thank you for a great year!!!

— Collene Munn, 1 January 2024

Thank you, Collene, for everything that you do!

And thank you to everyone who gives their time, supplies, and skills to recognize and honor our veterans and service members with a Quilt of Valor.

You can get involved! 

Here’s How:

  1. Find your local or closest organization HERE. There are 577 chapters in the United States, so chances are there’s one near you. Become a member and volunteer.
  2. Get your VRD 12 Quilts of Valor Collection for an amazing $14.95 HERE. Remember, all 12 quilts meet the size requirements for a Quilt of Valor quilt and a portion of every sale is donated to the QOVF.
  3. Make a quilt and donate it to your local chapter. Make sure you read the quilt requirements are HERE.
  4. REPEAT!

National Sew Day is February 3rd, so ask around your area to find out where you can help make quilts for QOV. My local chapter will have 2 different locations this year for Friday and Saturday. I’m making plans to be there. 

Sew. Laugh. Make a difference. Repeat.

Always,

Tricia @ VRD

December 2023 Accessory Sew Along · Rose Cards · Tips and Tricks · villa rosa designs

Villa Rosa Designs Accessory Rose Card Pattern December Sew Along Week 4 — Olivia Jane

rosecards1 Comment

Hello Quilty Friends!

Happy Thursday to you!

Oh My Goodness! It’s 4 days until Christmas Day. Wow! That’s so hard to wrap my head around. I hope you are more ready for the holidays than I am……I am so far behind now, I don’t know how everything is going to get done unless I forgo sleep until the 25th….

Happily, our December Sew Along gives me the chance to slow down a little bit and enjoy sewing something really fun. 

I am sorry, but it’s probably a little late to join in the fun of our December Sew Along at this point as we are now on Week 4 out of 5 weeks. However, you can still order the set of 5 Accessory patterns HERE and do the SAL at your own pace as I will add the December SAL along the right side of the blog so you can find the individual posts easily.

If you missed the December Sew Along projects so far, you can find them here:

Amanda Jane

Savannah Jane

Catrina Jane

Olivia Jane

VRD December Sew Along Week 4
Olivia Jane is one sassy lady! Variety is the spice of her life. She has too many interests and hobbies to count and makes these cute patchwork totes in multiples just to keep her life organized. They are quick and fun and Olivia Jane can use charm square packs, fat quarters, and even her scraps and stash to whip up these great little totes. Each bag that she makes in truly one of a kind! Olivia Jane keeps a few bags empty so she she can take them shopping, antiquing, to her quilt guild meetings, to knitting club, or to her multiple book clubs. Whew! Trying to keep up with Olivia Jane is a difficult task for all her friends. To thank her besties for everything they do for her, this year Olivia Jane is making these fun bags for everyone. Of course, she started them early in the year so she would be ready for holiday gift-giving. Just one more to go.....

Your Sew Along Challenge this week is to make your very own Olivia Jane tote bag.

That’s right — this week, for Week 4 of our December Sew Along, you need to have your pattern pack in hand. Grab your supplies and create your own one of a kind unique Charm Square Patchwork Tote Bag.

Please make sure to join us on the Villa Rosa Facebook page to share your project this week and to check out the projects of your fellow VRD enthusiasts. The “social connection” is what makes sew alongs SEW much fun! Show us your fabrics! Any tips or hints for construction? Anything you need help with or don’t understand? Did you customize your project? Maybe you’re making 10 of them for Christmas! Please share because we ALL want to see your Sew Along “sew and tells.”

Villa Rosa Designs Facebook Page — you can use this link to take you to the VRD Facebook page. Make sure you are signed into your Facebook account and on the VRD page you can “like” us to join in the fun. The more folks that join in, the more fun it will be!

Before we get to my Olivia Jane tote bag, I wanted to talk a little bit about the pattern. Olivia Jane is a great pattern to add your own touch or to use your own finishing techniques. The pattern even gives you 3 different options for sewing your squares together! The tote works up quickly and it’s fun to play around in your charm squares and stash — we all need a reason to dive back into our own stashes, right? Or, head to your local quilt shop and gather up a beautifully-coordinated collection of fabrics to use for your tote bag. Whatever you do, Olivia Jane will be right by your side.

One of the cool things about bag-making is that there are a lot of different techniques to explore as well as a lot of different ways to get to the same end results. If you’re reading between the lines here, what I’m really saying is that I don’t follow directions very well — Mea Culpa….

Tricia’s Olivia Jane Sew Along Project

Here is my finished Olivia Jane tote! I just love how it turned out. Isn’t it adorable??? This would be a great tote for carrying books to/from the library, going to quilt guild meetings, or whatever. With its open top design, though, I wouldn’t use it as a purse because my wallet and personal items wouldn’t be secure. But beyond that, anything goes!

Here are my fun and sunny fabrics! I looked through my stash of partial charm packs and this blue and yellow one begged to be used. I added the leftover floral print for the lining and the tonal yellow for the strap. Ready to go!

The first thing I did was to sew my charm squares together. I chose to alternate my blue and yellow squares. Do likewise of you want or not. It’s your tote! Don’t forget to read over the pattern because it gives 3 different variations for the charm square arrangement on the front of the tote.

Shhhh, but I deviated from the pattern a little bit. I decided that I wanted a sturdier tote that would hold up to what I usually put in my tote bags like books and sewing projects on the go. I added a layer of Pellon Decor Bond, which is my favorite fusible interfacing for bags and totes. I fused Decor Bond to the back side of my charm square bag front, my lining fabric, and the strap. I really like this product because it gives my bags and totes body so they stand up without wilting. Love that.

Another option would be to add a layer of batting in your tote to give it a little bit more body. But wait — there’s more! Other possibilities include Soft and Stable foam from byAnnie’s, Flex-Foam from Pellon, or Bosal’s In-R-Form Plus fusible foam stabilizer.

Another adaptation I made was to add an inside pocket because you can never have enough pockets! 

I sewed 4 leftover charm squares together into a Four Patch block. Then I sewed the pieced pocket front right sides together with a same-size square of leftover lining fabric. I sewed around both sides and the bottom, leaving the top open. Then I turned my pocket right sides out and pushed out the corners. I pressed it well, folded the top edge down, and folded it down again to encase the raw edges. This little trick gives you a sassy little strip of fabric at the top of your pocket. 

Next I measured about 2″ up from the center bottom of the lining fabric and centered my pocket on the lining. (Yup, that’s a friction pen I’m using to mark my lines on the lining fabric. With a quick press of my iron, the lines will disappear!) Finally, I sewed around both sides and the bottom of the pocket. Done! Now I have a place for a bottle of water or my keys or a small notebook…or whatever fits. LOL!

I also added a little fun to my strap by using one of the gazillion fancy stitches on my sewing machine. I stitched this really cute spiral design down the center of my strap. It actually helps to keep the strap from stretching; however, it looks like a fancy-shmancy embellishment. 

Adding little details like this to any bag or tote raises the bar for its uniqueness. Little details like this are also the difference between a 2nd place and a first place finish at your local fair or show. Just sayin’……

The last thing I did to change up Olivia Jane was to box the corners of the bottom of my bag. This gave my bag a flat base so it could stand up, which works better for me and my stuff.

Boxed corners aren’t hard to do. First you make sure the inside of the lining or bag is on the outside and then fold the bottom of your bag so that the side seams create a point like you see in the first photo above. I decided to use 1.5″ as my measurement for making my boxed corners because I didn’t want to make the bag much smaller in size. In the second photo you see my Frixion pen line, which is measured 1.5″ from the point. Then simply sew on the line, back-stitching at each end. Repeat for both sides of the lining fabric as well as the the corners of the charm square bag front. Some people trim away the waste triangle at each side, but I leave them there to add a little extra support to the bottom of my bag.

There are actually lots of other things you can do or add to your Olivia Jane tote to make yours individual to you. You could add a flap and magnetic snap, velcro, or a button to secure the top of the bag. You could add more pockets — even on the front and back of the tote. Make 2 straps instead of just one or use ready-made bag handles as another option. Make the strap(s) longer or shorter to suit your needs. Make the bag bigger by adding more charm squares — just remember to make the lining fabric the same size. Another idea would be to use batting on the inside of your bag and practice your free motion quilting to quilt the front of the bag and the batting together. All of these options make bag-making really fun because you can start with the same pattern and end up with totally different bags.

My sewing partner….Griffin. He’s the studio supervisor, of course!

Okay, now it’s your turn! I hope you will enjoy making your Olivia Jane tote!

Time to get your Patchwork Tote made this week (between Thursday December 21at and Thursday December 28th) and share it on the VRD Facebook page. I’ll see you there and I can’t wait to see what you make and hear your Olivia Jane sewing story! Let’s add where you’re from, too! It’s lots of fun to see where all our VRD friends hail from!

See you next Thursday for Week 5 of our December Sew Along.

(PSST! If you’re one of those work ahead kind of folks — our Week 5 project is Petula Jane which will officially begin next Thursday, December 28th. Feel free to have at it, but please don’t post any of your photos or progress on Petula Jane until after next week’s blog post. Between now and then, let’s focus on Olivia Jane. Thank you!)

See you on the VRD FB page!

Sew. Laugh. Repeat.

Merry Happy Jolly Holidays to You and Yours.

Always,

Tricia @ VRD

December 2023 Accessory Sew Along · Rose Cards · Tips and Tricks · villa rosa designs

Villa Rosa Designs Accessory Rose Card Pattern December Sew Along Week 3 — Catrina Jane

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Hello Quilty Friends!

Happy Thursday to you!

Are you ready for another fun Accessory pattern project for Week 3 of our December Sew Along? I really hope that you are sewing along with me. These accessory Rose Card patterns are not only fun, but fast, too! Of course, I’ve only picked 5 for this Sew Along, but there are more. You can find all of our current Accessory patterns HERE. Don’t forget that we are planning to add more Accessory patterns in 2024, so you’ll have to stay tuned….

Did you order your set of 5 patterns for the December Sew Along yet? There’s still time for you to jump in (you’d better get cracking,though!) and sew along with me.

Or you can save the projects for when you’re ready to do a little fun sewing after the hustle and bustle of December. I will add the December Sew Along to the right side of the blog so you can find the posts whenever you’re ready to sew. That’s definitely one of the cool things about an online Sew Along, you can do it anytime you’re ready, even in the middle of the night wearing your pajamas and eating a bowl of ice cream.

Get your pattern set HERE.

If you missed the December Sew Along projects so far, you can find them here:

Amanda Jane

Savannah Jane

Catrina Jane

VRD December Sew Along Week 3
Catrina Jane is a scrap saver, but more importantly, she is a scrap user. Quilts are just not complete until you use at least 100 different prints in them. One background fabric??? Absolutely not -- when 57 are better! Catrina Jane dove into her stash of scraps and small pieces and whipped up a dozen of these delightful little Pattern Card Holders! Now to decide which quilty pal gets which one. Decisions....Decisions.... And of course, Catrina Jane plans to slip a few Villa Rosa Designs Rose Cards into her cute little Pattern Holders before gifting them.

Your Sew Along Challenge this week is to make your very own Catrina Jane Pattern Card Holder.

That’s right — this week, for Week 3 of our December Sew Along, you need to have your pattern pack in hand. Grab your supplies and create your own one of a kind unique 2 Pocket Pattern Holder.

Please make sure to join us on the Villa Rosa Facebook page to share your project this week and to check out the projects of your fellow VRD enthusiasts. The “social connection” is what makes sew alongs SEW much fun! Show us your fabrics! Any tips or hints for construction? Anything you need help with or don’t understand? Did you customize your project? Maybe you’re making 10 of them for Christmas! Please share because we ALL want to see your Sew Along “sew and tells.”

Villa Rosa Designs Facebook Page — you can use this link to take you to the VRD Facebook page. Make sure you are signed into your Facebook account and on the VRD page you can “like” us to join in the fun. The more folks that join in, the more fun it will be!

Tricia’s Catrina Jane Sew Along Project

Like Catrina Jane, I perused my own oversized stash and settled on these fun fabrics. The red and blue floral is an older Minnick and Simpson print. Then I added a tonal red and a creamy white to the mix. Yes, you can make a Pattern Holder out of a single fabric, but also like Catrina Jane, I love a scrappy but coordinated look. 

Now to cut out all the pieces and get sewing!

After I made my tab, I centered it on the left side of the main print. Nope, I didn’t measure a thing! My secret to finding the center of pretty much anything is to fold it in half and make a crease at the center. Then I just line up the creases and done. Easy Piezy!

Once I centered the tab on the main print, I placed the pocket fabric right sides together on top on both sides of the main print. If needed, go ahead and add a couple pins to hold things in place. Then I stitched the sides. I pressed my seams towards the main print on the back and voila! My tab ended up in the right place. Whew!

Now let’s place the lining fabric right sides together with the main print/side pockets. I learned a great little tip a while back at my quilt guild — at the corners, instead of trying to make them 90 degrees, pivot and stitch a couple stitches at the corner to gently round the corner instead of making a sharp corner. It makes a much nicer, smoother, and sharper corner than turning 90 degrees! Try it sometime. Don’t forget to leave an opening for turning your Pattern Holder right sides out.

I turned my Holder right sides out and used my handy dandy chopstick to gently push out the corners. I also like to run my chopstick along all the seams on the inside to help the seams to behave.

Time to fold over the pockets and sew. The directions called for using a zig zag stitch, but I chose to use a straight stitch on mine. Do the same if you like, or maybe you’ll explore some of the million embroidery and fancy stitches on your machine. 

Instead of velco, I decided to put a cute little red snap to secure my Pattern Holder. Fun, fun, fun!

The very last thing to do is to fill up the pockets with cards!

Wouldn’t this be a great little gift for your favorite quilting friends? Add a couple Rose Card patterns inside and instant swoon-worthy gift. The Pattern Holder takes around an hour to make, depending on your finishing options, so it truly is a great last-minute gift idea.

Some Fun Ideas to Personalize Catrina Jane:

  1. Add ric rac, buttons, or other embellishments.
  2. Add a monogram or initials to the front cover if your machine can do that.
  3. Try a fun button as a closure instead of velcro or a snap.
  4. Add a few small pockets to the front cover and/or inside to stash cash, a credit card, or even more Rose Card patterns.
  5. Make it bigger to hold more cards — with 4 pockets instead of 2. You would need to basically double the width of the lining and main fabric while keeping the length the same. Hmmm. Maybe I’ll try this idea sometime.
  6. Shrink it down and use it to hold business cards.
  7. What else could you stash inside the pockets? How about handmade note cards? Wouldn’t that be a sweet gift to yourself or someone else?
  8. Add a layer of fleece or batting to make a firmer Pattern Holder.

Okay, now it’s your turn!

Time to get your Pattern Holder made this week (between Thursday December 14th and Thursday December 21st) and share it on the VRD Facebook page. I’ll see you there and I can’t wait to see what you make and hear your Catrina Jane sewing story! Let’s add where you’re from, too! It’s lots of fun to see where all our VRD friends hail from!

See you next Thursday for Week 4 of our December Sew Along.

(PSST! If you’re one of those work ahead kind of folks — our Week 4 project is Olivia Jane which will officially begin next Thursday, December 21st. Feel free to have at it, but please don’t post any of your photos or progress on Olivia Jane until after next week’s blog post. Between now and then, let’s focus on Catrina Jane. Thank you!)

See you on the VRD FB page!

Sew. Laugh. Ho. Ho. Ho. Repeat.

Always,

Tricia @ VRD

December 2023 Accessory Sew Along · Quilt Stories · Rose Cards · Tips and Tricks · villa rosa designs

Villa Rosa Designs Accessory Rose Card Pattern December Sew Along Week 1 — Amanda Jane

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Hello Quilty Friends!

Happy Thursday to you!

Are you all geared up and ready for our fun December Sew Along? It’s not too late to join us if you haven’t gotten your Sew Along pattern set yet. You can get the set of 5 patterns HERE for the special price of $8.95.

This week, we are kicking off Week 1 of our December Sew Along with our Amanda Jane pattern.

Amanda Jane

VRD December Sew Along Week 1
Amanda Jane is a super busy and hard-working gal.  It's hard enough to find time in her crazy life to spend some quality time doing her favorite hobbies and interests, so losing important items like her scissors and measuring tape are totally out of the question!  Amanda Jane has it all covered in her cute and sensible work apron featuring 7 pockets!  Hello supplies!  And good bye wasted time looking for notions.  Amanda Jane loves her work apron sew much, she just might make a different one for each day of the week, just because she can!  And one for each of her crafty besties for the holidays, too!

Your Sew Along Challenge this week is to make your very own Amanda Jane work apron.

That’s right — this week, for Week 1 of our December Sew Along, you need to have your pattern pack in hand. Grab your supplies and create your own one of a kind totally you Amanda Jane apron.

Please make sure to join us on the Villa Rosa Facebook page to share your project this week and to check out the projects of your fellow VRD enthusiasts. The “social connection” is what makes sew alongs SEW much fun! Show us your fabrics! Any tips or hints for construction? Anything you need help with or don’t understand? Did you customize your project? Maybe you’re making 10 of them for Christmas! Please share because we ALL want to see your Sew Along “sew and tells.”

Villa Rosa Designs Facebook Page — you can use this link to take you to the VRD Facebook page. Make sure you are signed into your Facebook account and on the VRD page you can “like” us to join in the fun. The more folks that join in, the more fun it will be!

Tricia’s Amanda Jane Sew Along Project

I’m really excited to show off my Amanda Jane apron!

I had this adorable gnome Christmas fabric in my stash — it’s been begging to be made into something fun — and I thought it would be an awesome starting point for my apron! Not sure where it came from originally, but it is totally too cute NOT to use.

Who’s gonna rock Christmas in her apron this year, yeah??!!

Next I paired some coordinates straight outta my stash. What do you think? I wasn’t sure about the green, but I tried some other greens and this was the one that looked the best. Besides, I’m going to use the green on the back, so it really doesn’t have to be perfect. The teal was a complete no-brainer. And it had to have red polka dots, am I right here?

Hmm. I think I’ll use the red as the main fabric instead of the gnomes. And the gnomes as the big pocket so I’ll get to see more of the gnome fabric, because it really is all about the gnomes. The green definitely works as the back. Finally, the teal would make a great strap. What do you think? Oh! Then I’ll have a red pocket and a green pocket on the front. Cute. Let’s do this!

Well, I’d better stop chit chatting and starting cutting out my pieces.

Okay, I’m back. I got everything cut out, which wasn’t too hard, but I did have to dig out my really big square ruler to rotary cut my large pieces.

Here’s my gnome pocket, folded and ready to go. I’ve got the smaller pockets cut from leftovers of the red and green pinned and ready to stitch onto the gnomes.

You know, if you wanted even more color and fun, you could raid your scraps to find some coordinating fabrics for the smaller front pockets. Wink, wink. Just sayin’……

I know, I know…..I’d better get back to work. Can’t wait until I have a fun apron to use soon.

I think it would be great for wrapping gifts this holiday season. I’m always losing my scissors and tape in piles of paper…. What are you going to do with your apron?

Now I’ve got my big gnome pocket layered on my red dot fabric. I don’t know if you can see in the photo, but I’ve already got my sewing lines marked to create the large large pockets. I think it’s cool that one of the sewing lines goes right through the middle of my little red polka dot pocket to divide it into 2 smaller pockets. Nice! Now all the stuff I cram into the red pocket is less-likely to fall out when I bend over while wrapping.

Tags! Tags, anyone? I’ll know exactly where to find ’em when I need them. And I can tuck a pen or two in my handy dandy apron, too. Wow! I’m going to be the Inspector Gadget of Gift Wrapping this year!

Next I layered my apron front and back Right Sides Together (RST) and sewed along the bottom and the sides. Fingers crossed, I sewed relatively straight…. The I turned it right side out, smoothed and pressed the edges. And for a nice finish, I stitched about an 1/8″ inside the outside edge on both sides and the bottom of the apron.

Moving on to the strap — my goodness, that is a lot of strap. I think I could wrap my little house up in this strap. Wow! This step took me some time, but I nailed it!

AHA! Here I pinned my layers together with the apron sandwiched in between the long folded edges of the strap. To find the center of the apron, I folded it in half and marked the center top. Then I folded that long long strap in half and found the center, too. Finally, I matched up the centers and pinned that crazy strap into submission.

That strap seemed to have a mind of its own, though — it kept slithering away from me. Ugh! I think I need MORE PINS!

Huh! It worked! I got the apron pinned into the strap folds, sewed it, and it all worked. And it looks so so cute. Really! And it wasn’t difficult, once I got the hang of it. Take that, you crazy strap!

The final test — does it fit???

It fits! It actually fits me AND the strap wraps around my body back to the front just like in the photo on the front of the pattern — I won’t have to be a contortionist to tie it in the back, like most aprons! Awesome! I’m no skinny Minnie either — I’m a plus-size kind of gal and it fits me perfectly! I am thrilled.

Okay, now it’s your turn!

Time to get your apron made this week (between Thursday November 30th and Thursday December 7th) and share it on the VRD Facebook page. I’ll see you there and I can’t wait to see what you make and hear your Amanda Jane sewing story! Let’s add where you’re from, too! It’s lots of fun to see where all our VRD friends hail from!

See you next Thursday for Week 2 of our December Sew Along.

(PSST! If you’re one of those work ahead kind of folks — our Week 2 project is Savannah Jane which will officially begin next Thursday, December 7th. Feel free to have at it, but please don’t post any of your photos or progress on Savannah Jane until after next week’s blog post. Between now and then, let’s focus on Amanda Jane. Thank you!)

See you on the VRD FB page!

Sew. Laugh. Repeat.

Always,

Tricia @ VRD

December 2023 Accessory Sew Along · Rose Cards · villa rosa designs

December Sew Along with Villa Rosa Designs Accessory Rose Card Patterns

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Hello Quilty Friends!

Happy Thanksgiving to you!

I will keep this post short and sweet so you can get back to your family and friends. And pie, don’t forget the pie. With lots and lots of whipped topping. Yum!

You can find my FREE Pieced Turkey Quilt Block Tutorial from 2022 HERE.

Let’s jump right in!

For the month of December, I thought it would be fun to do a VRD Sew Along with some of our Accessory Rose Cards. Are you familiar with our accessory patterns? They are quick and fun small projects to use up your stash…..or an excuse to head to your local quilt shop and buy more fabric just for these great little projects. You can find all of our current accessory patterns HERE.

They make great last-minute gifts you can whip up in a hurry for family and friends……or even just for yourself. Who doesn’t love an excuse to do some holiday sewing in December, when everything is so fast-paced? We all need to slow down a little bit and get a touch of sewing in, don’t you think? And you may just be seeing more smaller accessory patterns coming in 2024 — think mug rugs, bags, place mats, pillows, and more.

Speaking of 2024, we certainly have some exciting things coming for Villa Rosa Designs! Watch for our second Fast and (Even More) Fun Blog Hop coming in January/February 2024. I am still working on the dates right now, so stay tuned….

So, let’s keep this post moving!

Accessory Sew Along

What’s a Sew Along, anyway? It’s simply an opportunity for quilters and sewists to sew the same projects together from wherever they are. The magical Internet makes it so easy for us to sew together without getting together physically. We will all sew the same project each week and post our photos on the Villa Rosa Designs Facebook group. Sounds like fun, doesn’t it?

I have selected 5 patterns for us to make together for the month of December. Here are the dates and the projects along with the links to purchase the patterns at Villa Rosa Designs. Maybe you have a few already and only need certain ones. If so, just follow the individual links to the patterns you need below OR you can grab the whole set of 5 patterns for the special price of $8.95 HERE. Don’t forget — shipping is always free for patterns!

All 5 patterns for the Sew Along for $8.95!

What are you waiting for? Get your patterns now and start organizing your fabric for each of the projects so we can SEW ALONG together, starting next Thursday, December 2nd.

November 30th — Amanda Jane (7 Pocket Apron)

December 7th — Savannah Jane (Charm Square Patchwork Scarf)

December 14th — Catrina Jane (Rose Card 2 Pocket Pattern Keeper)

December 21st — Olivia Jane (Charm Square Tote Bag)

December 28th — Petula Jane (Roll and Go Place Mat and Napkin)

I hope you’ll join us for some much-needed sewing fun in December! And ask a quilting/sewing friend, so you can double your fun! If you haven’t joined our Facebook group, please do so now — that way we can all post photos of our Sew Along projects, give each other high fives, and oohh and aahh over each other’s fabric choices for each project! You can find our FB group HERE.

And don’t forget to subscribe to the blog so your weekly Villa Rosa Quilts blog posts will be delivered right to your email inbox. How easy is that???

Here’s to a December filled with sewing and giving. Love and laughter. And cookies. We must have cookies….

See you next Thursday for our first Sew Along project — Amanda Jane!

Sew. Laugh. Repeat.

Always,

Tricia @ VRD

Just Quilty Stuff · quilt festival · quilt market · villa rosa designs

Antique/Vintage Quilts from the American Quilt Study Group Display and My Favorite Finds at Quilt Market and Quilt Festival

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Hello Quilty Friends!

Happy Thursday to you!

I’m still in Quilt Market/Festival mode and boy, have I got some goodies to show you today, including another slide show of quilts! I’d like to point out that this demonstrates how far-reaching and important Quilt Market and Festival really are — it literally takes weeks to “unpack” your brain afterwards. That can include looking through literature from companies, sifting through all your goodies, contacting new contacts, making connections about orders or new projects, and so much more. I am most definitely still decompressing from Market and Festival. Whoah! Squirrel……….

American Quilt Study Group Display

One of my favorite quilt displays at Market and Festival this year was by the American Quilt Study Group (AQSG). The display had a wonderful title — “Every Quilt Tells a Story”. It was a really interesting display with quilt examples ranging from the 1850’s up to circa 1980 — that’s one really broad stroke in quilt history! Some of my favorites on display were the double knit polyester quilts, believe it or not! I’ve always wanted to adopt a double knit quilt because the whole idea of working with such fabric always fascinated me.

As many of you know, my personal roots in quilt-making began with collecting antique and vintage textiles long before I taught myself to quilt after I graduated from college. I came to quilting through the side door, so to speak. Quilting, for me, was a perfect merger of my love of the antique and vintage as well as history and textiles. And OH THE STORIES our quilts could tell us….

So, this display was very near and dear to my heart. I even managed to be in the right place at the right time and participated in a quilt walk talk. It was great to hear more about each quilt as well as the collector/owner.

And while I was there, I even joined AQSG! I’m excited to learn more about my own textile collection and to see how I can contribute to the AQSG existing body of knowledge. You can learn more about the AQSG (and how to join) HERE.

Without further ado, here’s the slide show showing the quilts I was particularly drawn to. Again, please note the quilt information is the slide after the quilt.

Pretty awesome, huh? Which one was your favorite?

Speaking of antique and vintage quilt stuff, let me show you some of my favorite finds at Market and Festival.

Favorite Market and Festival Finds

Probably my most special find was Harold the antique quilt with the opened feed bags for a backing. Did you miss my story, “The Quilt that Followed Me Home”? You can find it HERE.

Then there’s the HUGE collection of antique and vintage Orphan blocks I found at 3 different antique quilt vendors — Quilts From Mulberry Lane, Tenny Roche Vintage, and Legacy Quilts . I can’t wait to play around with these….

Speaking of antique and vintage quilty stuff, I also found this incredible piece of Hawaiian quilting at the Lavender and Old Lace Co booth. It is hand-appliqued and completely hand-quilted. Maybe it was going to be a pillow square? Who knows? There probably isn’t any way to find out how old it is because it’s a solid red on muslin, but it definitely isn’t recent. It had a wide red silky blanket binding applied with some kind of fusible product all around the edges. The blanket binding pulled right off, but it did leave some red staining here and there. Ho hum, just part of the piece’s history. I plan to square it up, bind it in a vintage red fabric, add a hanging sleeve on the back, and a label. I don’t know the name of the block yet, but I will enjoy doing some research into Hawaiian quilting.

Of course, I had loads of fun shopping in our very own VRD booth! Being that I live in PA and the VRD quilt shop is located in CA, it was kind of like visiting the shop (at least a mini mobile one). I grabbed a couple kits I’d had my eye on — Pascali and Picture Perfect.

It’s your lucky day, too — we still have kits left for both patterns!

Pascali in True Blue HERE

Or maybe you’d just like the Pascali pattern? Physical Pascali HERE, Digital Pascali HERE

Picture Perfect in California Parks (the one I bought) HERE

Picture Perfect in Dwell in Possibilities HERE

Or maybe you’d just like Molly’s Picture Perfect pattern? Physical Picture Perfect HERE, digital Picture Perfect HERE

I spent time during Festival helping Molly and Heidi to keep the half and full yards of fabric organized in the plastic bins. I had never seen (or felt) the Charley Harper fabrics up close and personal before now. The fabric was so smooth and silky and the images so colorful and crisp!

Of course, after handling it for days, I just had to take my first Charley Harper fabrics home. It was hard to decide which fabrics to start with, so I ended up putting together a winter collection, a fall collection (’tis the seasons…..), and the last photo shows 2 random prints I fell in love with. It was really fun to mix and match the prints from different collections together. I am looking forward to creating a new VRD pattern (you know, in the next 50 years or so) using my Charley Harper fabric finds.

Pat, our VRD Rose Queen, has used Charley Harper fabrics in a couple patterns already, Newsflash and Jolie. Of course, the kits are long gone, but you can still get the patterns — physical Newsflash HERE or digital Newsflash HERE and physical Jolie HERE or digital Jolie HERE. And you can shop our VRD Charley Harper fabrics HERE.

Charm Squares and Fat Quarters, oh my!!! What more can I say???

PSST! The fat quarter rolls were from our VRD booth, you can see our VRD bundles HERE.

Have you ever been to Phoenicia in Houston? It’s an amazing specialty grocery store through the park and a block away from the Convention Center. Totally worth the short walk. Specialty grocery just doesn’t do the store justice — it’s a restaurant, coffee shop, bakery, meat and fish store, fresh foods, international foods, hot foods, cold foods, salad bar, fresh fruits/vegs, wine and beer, gifts, and so much more. I haven’t been here since 2019. I had so much fun wandering the aisles upstairs and down. I found some great goodies to take home for my family and even some special stuff for myself. I LOVE Turkish Delight. Have you ever tried it? I go all the way to Houston to find my favorite Koska brand from Turkey. And there were even some new flavor combinations, too!

Here I am sitting out front at one of the little bistro tables enjoying a S’mores cappuccino ( light on the coffee, heavy on the chocolate) and an amazing chocolate eclair. Yum!

Speaking of food, I get really excited to go to Quilt Market (and now Festival) just to have one of the most amazing Texas-sized stuffed baked potatoes. Yep, you heard me right — baked potatoes. I’m talking butter, brisket, cheese, BBQ sauce, sour cream, real bacon, and chives. Yum yum yummy! You can’t beat it for the most filling lunch ever. It’s not cheap, but it’s oh so satisfying.

Here I am digging into my tater……

So grab your own ginormous potato next year at the Food Court and tell ’em Tricia from PA sent you. I think they should keep a world map and a USA map on display (and color in the countries/states) to show all the places where potato lovers come from. Just sayin’……..

When I went to Houston, I took along a little hand-sewing wool felt project for the airport and on the plane. Of course, while I was taking everything in, I was drawn into the wool booth, Yellow Creek Quilt Designs — blame it on the Gnome piece that reached out and grabbed me. Ha Ha! Of course, I bought the pattern for the Gnomes well as a few others. And at another booth, Penny Lane Primitives, I bought this adorable snowman candle mat kit.

Well, I guess that’s it for me this week. I’ve got to get back to work on our upcoming 12 Quilts of Christmas collection! Stay warm and get quilting! And get some rest so you’re ready to first eat turkey next week then shop until you literally drop.

See you next Thursday on Thanksgiving —

Sew. Laugh. Repeat.

Always,

Tricia @VRD

Just Quilty Stuff · quilt market · Rose Cards · villa rosa designs

NEW November VRD Rose Card Quilt Patterns and International Quilt Festival Quilts

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Here I sit at the Hobby airport grabbing some lunch while I wait for my flight back to good ol’ Pennsylvania. Wow! What an awesome Quilt Market and Festival! I am so excited to get back to my studio and get to work on new projects — my head is just exploding with inspiration and ideas.

I did figure out how to get Harold the quilt home — I bought a duffel bag at WalMart since I’d only brought one suitcase and “2 bags fly free.” The only problem with the duffel is that with only Harold in it, it was kind of empty so I just had to shop for awesome cool stuff at Festival to fill it up so Harold wouldn’t be lonely on the trip home. So sad, huh? I’ll be showing you some of my favorites in next week’s post, so stay tuned……

Now let me show you our NEW VRD Rose Card patterns for November.

NEW November Villa Rosa Designs Rose Card Quilt Patterns

Yay! It’s the Thursday after the first Friday of the month and you know what that means — NEW PATTERNS!

Aren’t they great??? As always, you can get the set of 5 regular patterns for the special price of $8.95 HERE.

We’re happy to welcome our newest Villa Rosa Designs designer — Deanne Moore of Creative Sewlutions. Most of you are probably already familiar with her classic Oh Henry pattern — Deanne selected the most popular size for her Rose Card Oh Henry pattern. Find the kit, featuring fabric from Wild Wander, HERE. And Deanne’s other new pattern, Messages is just tons of fun, isn’t it?

Peking Duck is an awesome pattern by Heidi to showcase those gorgeous large prints you just cannot cut up. I’m thinking Charley Harper fabrics would look great in her pattern, what do you think?

Molly’s fast and fun pattern Underline would also look great with larger prints or novelties paired with an accent. This is a good size for a kid’s quilt. You can find the kit HERE.

And don’t forget Farmhouse Blues, my new November pattern. I was sew inspired by the blue and white Moda collection, Blueberry Delight, that I just had to design a quilt around it. I had the most fun photographing it on my Dad’s vintage tractor. I think this is one of my best cover photos ever.

Here’s the original uncropped photo for the Farmhouse Blues cover. Definitely one of my favorite covers ever!

Molly created a sample using the red, white, and blue collection, Patchwork Americana by P&B. You can find the kit HERE.

Molly’s version of Farmhouse Blues, available as a kit.

I’m sorry that we don’t have a table runner for this month — there just wasn’t enough time to get everything ready and to press before Market and Festival. We will have a runner coming for December, though, so hang in there.

Now let’s get back to Quilt Market and Festival!

Quilts of Quilt Market and Festival

During Festival, I was able to spend quite a bit of time enjoying the quilts on display. Oh my goodness, talk about amazing and inspiring! I was really blown away with the creativity and skill. Truly amazing! Pair all of the quilts with all of the shopping and you have an amazing experience. If you haven’t attended Festival, I really urge you to go to one sometime, you won’t be sorry. I do suggest that you plan for at least 2 days, although staying for the entire show would be awesome. There is absolutely no way you can see and experience everything in just one day. It really is sensory overload, so a couple days is a must so you don’t get too overwhelmed.

Anyway, I thought I’d share some of the amazing quilts on display. In the image after each quilt, I’ve included the maker information. Please enjoy my little slide show!

Well, that’s it for me this week. I hope you stop in next week for another little slide show and my favorite finds from Quilt Market and Festival. Until then, spend some quality time with your sewing machine!

Sew. Laugh. Repeat.

Always,

Tricia @VRD

quilt market · Quilt Stories · villa rosa designs

Villa Rosa Designs Quilt Market NEWS, Quilt Festival, and the Quilt that Followed Me Home

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Hello Quilty Friends!

Happy Thursday to you!

As I sit and write this post, sadly, Quilt Market is over. I must apologize that I did not pop onto the blog to talk about anything going on here at Market in Houston, TX. But it just all went so fast!

Working in the VRD booth was lots of fun! I just loved chatting with folks when they stopped by the booth and I spent a lot of time hustling to pack up patterns (we all did!). And time just zipped by. By the end of each day, I put on well over 10,000 steps and I was plumb worn out.

I also must admit that I only took maybe 2 photos during the whole of Quilt Market. Sad, sad, sad, I know. It’s okay, you can roll your eyes at me, I don’t mind….

Here’s a photo of Market looking down from the second floor back in the good ol’ days before the Pandemic.
Here’s an old photo of the VRD booth from 2018. This year’s booth was set up a little different, but still had all the same components — current quilts on display, fat quarter bundles and kits, and our patterns (of course).

One of the very best things about Quilt Market is getting out there and networking with real people. It was great meeting lots of new folks and catching up with people I work with online so we could actually meet face to face.

Of course, it’s also a great time to connect with old friends. I had lunch with my pal Cathey Laird from Cathey Marie Designs. Catherine of Running Doe Quilts (one of our VRD designers) stopped by — it was so nice to see her again. I also met our newest VRD designer, Deanne Moore of Creative Sewlutions. An old quilt guild friend, Sondra Raby of Art Quilts by Design, was here doing demos and I at least got to say hi as she was running off for her next demo. I caught up with Christa Watson of Christa Quilts, a favorite machine quilter, author, and fabric designer and Vanessa Goertzen of Lella Boutique, who is also a fabric designer and author. This is what Quilt Market is all about — meeting people and making connections. If you ever have the opportunity to attend a Quilt Market, I totally say “Go For It” — you won’t be sorry.

Although Market is over, the good news is that we’re rolling right into Quilt Festival and I promise to take lots of photos, including of the VRD booth, too. If you’re coming to Quilt Festival here in Houston, TX, don’t forget to stop and shop at our Villa Rosa Designs booth #801. You won’t believe the “dump” table which is piled sky high with fat quarter bundles. Oh. My. Goodness. It’s a quilter’s paradise.

A smiling Molly!
Kits, kits, and more kits. And quilts! Oh my!
Majestic Bundle Mountain — AKA, the “Dump” table.
Here’s our VRD Rose Queen, Pat.
Bolts just waiting for you at the booth.
Kits, kits for everyone!

One of the coolest things about Festival, besides that it’s my first one, is that I finally get to meet Villa Rosa Designs designers Molly and Heidi Cook (it’s Heidi’s first Festival too) in person! Yay! Oh, the mischief we could get into together…. Sigh…..poor Pat.

And here’s a really funny thing — my friend, Gaynel, from my neck of the woods, is coming to Festival on Friday. What a long way for us to come just to meet for lunch, huh? LOL!!!

Now, let’s move on to some awesome announcements we made at Market about what’s NEW at VRD!

Villa Rosa Designs NEWS

I am happy to share some great new stuff coming soon with Villa Rosa Designs with you!

Designer News

Kate Griffin will be returning to Villa Rosa Designs. Some of her wonderful patterns are coming out of retirement, so stay tuned for more information….

Deanne Moore, designer of Creative Sewlutions patterns, is joining the VRD Family! Check out her 2 patterns coming in November, Oh Henry and Messages. You can visit Deanne’s website HERE.

New Pattern Collections

Coming in November, we will have 2 brand new exclusive 12 pattern collections!

We are delighted to announce we are partnering with the Quilts of Valor Foundation to bring you a collection of existing VRD patterns that meet the size requirements for QOV quilts. A portion of every sale will be donated to QOVF.

We will also be offering a brand new “12 Quilts of Christmas” pattern collection just in time for the 2023 holidays! This collection will feature 12 new holiday patterns for projects ranging from table runners to place mats to throw quilts and more featuring designs of many of our wonderful VRD designers.

Coming in 2024

Back by popular demand!

Coming in January/February 2024, we will host our second Fast and Even More Fun Blog Hop. More information to follow soon!

The Quilt that Followed Me Home

You know the saying — “what happens at Quilt Market (or wherever you are), stays at Quilt Market”? Nope, not this time — this story is meant to be shared.

Every time I attend a Quilt Market, the first place I literally visit besides our Villa Rosa Designs booth is Quilts from Mulberry Lane and my friends Carolyn and Don Springer. You can visit their website HERE.

I think I met these dear folks way back at my first Market in 2010 when my first book, Orphan Block Quilts, debuted (psst — this was also when I met Pat Fryer, our VRD Rose Queen, and you know how that turned out).

As most of you know by now, I personally LOVE antique and vintage quilt and textile stuff, so of course I found my way to Mulberry Lane. Anyway, when I stopped to check in with Carolyn and Don, they couldn’t wait to tell me about this interesting quilt that had found its way to them. The quilt had opened feed bags on the back of it and one of the bags was still very easy to read. They knew of my love for feed sacks and knew I’d be interested. Sadly, there was no provenance.

It really warmed my heart that they thought of me! They are such kind people. Don showed me the quilt back first. What an interesting find, for sure. I’d heard of people using opened feed bags for utility purposes such as quilt backs, sheets, underwear, etc., but I’d never really seen it in person. Until now. Then Don finally showed me the front and it had humble Snowball blocks in plaid and stripe shirtings with a few Indigos thrown in for good measure set side by side. I’m thinking perhaps circa 1920’s-1930’s. As a reference point, I have my grandpa’s Nine Patch quilt which was made by his mother when he was a young man and it also features shirtings and such. Very similar quilts. Also as a reference, printed design feed sacks weren’t available until the late 1930’s.

It definitely needed a good bath, but Don said they were concerned about washing it because of the printing on the back feed bags and they were concerned it might fade or wash out. It’s well-loved with typical wear and tear and could use a new binding. But all in all, this quilt still has a lot of love to give.

The Springers gifted this quilt to me. I was so so touched by their desire to put this quilt into the hands of someone (me) who would love and cherish it. We named him Harold (I have a quirky habit of naming everything).

Then the weather turned chilly here in Houston and Harold fulfilled his purpose once again and warmed me during the cooler nights — I definitely did not bring any cooler weather clothing with me (by the way, Wednesday morning we had 8 inches of snow on the ground at home in Pennsylvania — way way too early). Thank you Harold! And thank you to my dear friends, the Springers, for their kind generosity.

Now to figure out how best to get Harold back home to Pennsylvania….

I did grab a few quilt blocks and feed sacks from the Springers, too. Adding to my stash, of course because one can never have enough stash. I bought the blocks because they had feed sack fabrics or other interesting vintage fabrics in them.

Here I come, Quilt Festival!

See you next Thursday right here. Same place, same time —

Sew. Laugh. Repeat.

Always,

Tricia @VRD