Tag: vrq

Just Quilty Stuff · Quilt Play · villa rosa designs

A Quilter’s Song for Christmas

rosecards9 Comments

Hi Quilty Friends!

Merry Christmas!

I hope Santa came and filled your stockings with loads of quilty goodies last night. And no lumps of coal.

I thought I’d keep things simple today as I’m sure you don’t have time for a lengthy blog post today of all days.

So, please enjoy!

A Quilters’ Song for Christmas

Feel free to sing along with me (sung to the 12 Days of Christmas)…..

PSST…. I wrote the lyrics myself (and had SEW MUCH fun doing that), so if you share, please include Tricia @ Villa Rosa Designs 2025 as the composer. Thanks.

On the first day of Christmas, Santa gave to me – a brand new sewing machine!

A bright pink sewing machine on a light pink background.
Image generated by WordPress AI

On the second day of Christmas, Santa gave to me – 2 yards of fabric and a brand new sewing machine.

Close-up of red and green fabric with Christmas-themed patterns, including snowflakes and flowers.
Image generated by WordPress AI

On the third day of Christmas, Santa gave to me – 3 thread spools, 2 yards of fabric, and a brand new sewing machine.

Three spools of thread in vibrant colors: red, multicolored blue and pink, and yellow, displayed on a wooden surface.
Image generated by WordPress AI

On the 4th day of Christmas, Santa gave to me – 4 Jelly Rolls, 3 thread spools, 2 yards of fabric, and a brand new sewing machine.

Four rolls of Jelly Rolls, featuring festive red and green fabric patterns, tied with white ribbons.
Images from Amazon

On the 5th day of Christmas, Santa gave to me – 5 new quilt books, 4 Jelly Rolls, 3 thread spools, 2 yards of fabric, and a brand new sewing machine.

A stack of quilting books with the top book titled 'Quiltmaker's 1000 Blocks', showcasing various quilt block designs on its cover.

Image from moi

On the 6th day of Christmas, Santa gave to me – 6 diff’rent Charm packs, 5 new quilt books, 4 Jelly Rolls, 3 thread spools, 2 yards of fabric, and a brand new sewing machine.

A collection of charm square packs featuring various themes for children's quilting, including food, superheroes, animals, and princesses, all labeled with their unique counts.
Image from Etsy

On the 7th day of Christmas, Santa gave to me – 7 rotary cutters, 6 diff’rent Charm Packs, 5 new quilt books, 4 Jelly Rolls, 3 thread spools, 2 yards of fabric, and a brand new sewing machine.

A collection of rotary cutters with orange handles and black accents, arranged in a row on a white background.
Image from Amazon

On the 8th day of Christmas, Santa gave to me – 8 fa-at quarters, 7 rotary cutters, 6 diff’rent Charm packs, 5 new quilt books, 4 Jelly Rolls, 3 thread spools, 2 yards of fabric, and a brand new sewing machine.

A variety of fabric pieces featuring sports themes, including soccer, baseball, basketball, and football patterns, arranged in a fan shape.
Image from Amazon

On the 9th day of Christmas, Santa gave to me – 9 king size quilt kits, 8 fa-at quarters, 7 rotary cutters, 6 diff’rent Charm packs, 5 new quilt books, 4 Jelly Rolls, 3 thread spools, 2 yards of fabrics, and a brand new sewing machine.

A collection of assorted quilting fabrics, including rolls, packs, and a quilt pattern book, arranged in a visually appealing layout.
Images from Etsy

On the 10th day of Christmas, Santa gave to me – 10 pairs of scissors, 9 king size quilt kits, 8 fa-at quarters, 7 rotary cutters, 6 diff’rent Charm packs, 5 more quilt books, 4 Jelly Rolls, 3 thread spools, 2 yards of fabrics, and a brand new sewing machine.

A collection of green scissors arranged in a pattern, showcasing their design and features.
Image from Amazon

On the 11th day of Christmas, Santa gave to me – 11 fabric markers, 10 pairs of scissors, 9 king size quilt kits, 8 fa-at quarters, 7 rotary cutters, 6 diff’rent Charm packs, 5 more quilt books, 4 Jelly Rolls, 3 thread spools, 2 yards of fabric, and a brand new sewing machine.

A set of colorful fabric markers arranged in a row, featuring various vibrant colors including brown, green, yellow, red, pink, and blue.
Image from Amazon

On the 12th day of Christmas, Santa gave to me – 12 yards of backing, 11 fabric markers, 10 pairs of scissors, 9 king size quilt kits, 8 fa-at quarters, 7 rotary cutters, 6 diff’rent Charm packs, 5 more quilt books, 4 Jelly Rolls, 3 thread spools, 2 yards of fabric, and a brand new sewing machine!

A stack of fabric bolts with various colors and patterns, labeled 'Light', 'Medium', 'Bright', 'Royal', 'Denim', and 'Navy' on the left, and a selection of swirled pattern fabrics in different colors on the right.
Images from Etsy

Have a wonderful Happy Jolly Safe MERRY CHRISTMAS!

From all of us here at Villa Rosa Designs

Christmas Quilting · Curated Rose Card Pattern Lists · Rose Cards

Last Minute Quilted Gifts to Make Before Christmas and Holiday Gift Idea #5

rosecards2 Comments

Hello Quilty Friends!

Happy Thursday to you!

7 days left……..

You’re in the homestretch now! Are you ready?

Nope, not me. If I finish getting ready for this year before next Christmas, maybe I can say I’m early for 2026? Hmmm, not sure it works like that. LOL!

You know, there is still time to make a handmade quilty something something with the help of your favorite elves at VRD this weekend with days to spare before the 25th.

Hang on a sec while I pop on my lil’ elf hat and I’ll be your holiday helper today. Huh. Wonder where those pointy ears came from? They weren’t there yesterday……..

A cheerful animated character with blonde hair, glasses, and pointy ears, wearing a green hat and a cozy scarf, smiling warmly.
Little ol’ me…… by moi

Okay! I’m ready now – let’s do this!

Last Minute Quilted Gifts to Make Before Christmas

I’ve looked far and near to bring these fast little projects here to make your holidays more merry with lots of good cheer!

Quick Table Runners

Yes, indeed, there IS enough time this weekend to whip up a table runner. Really. Let me show you the way with these 5 great runners:

Perfect Trio – 3 fabrics and minimum piecing gets you to the finish line faster.

Cover image of the 'Perfect Trio' quilt pattern featuring a brick background with three fabric panels in varying colors and patterns, labeled with the designer's name.

Digital Pattern HERE or Print Pattern HERE

Ripple Runner – Dive into your stash for a selection of medium/dark and light prints along with a tonal coordinate and this runner is halfway done. Or use only 3 fabrics – light, medium, and dark. It’s up to you!

A beautiful quilted table runner displayed on a wooden surface, featuring a ripple design in shades of blue and cream.

Digital Pattern HERE or Print Pattern HERE

Macarons – A pack of 5″ Charm Squares and a background fabric. Sew, sew, flip. Layer, quilt, bind. Done.

A quilted table runner named 'Macarons', featuring a colorful patchwork design with various fabrics in shades of coral, teal, and blue, displayed on a wooden surface.

Digital Pattern HERE or Print Pattern HERE

Season’s Greetings – A bundle of fat sixths (or fat quarters) and some quick piecing make this fun runner go as fast as a reindeer on Christmas Eve.

A festive quilted table runner featuring a mix of patterned fabrics in red, black, green, and white, with a holiday theme. The design includes snowflakes, candy canes, and other seasonal motifs, bordered with bright red trim.

Digital Pattern HERE or Print Pattern HERE

Mod Tiles – Another fun and fast 5″ Charm Square runner with lots of panache. Add some cool yule fabrics or customize for any time of year.

A vibrant quilted table runner titled 'Mod Tiles', featuring a patchwork design with various colorful fabrics, set against a yellow background with black accents.

Digital Pattern HERE or Print Pattern HERE

Scarves

VRD has 2 great scarf patterns that go together faster than Rudolph scarfs down (pun intended) Christmas cookies!

Savannah Jane – Grab your favorite 5″ Charm Square pack (I like the flannel ones for this scarf) and get sewing for an afternoon. No batting, backing, or binding required.

A stylish display of the 'Savannah Jane' charm square patchwork scarf patterns. The image features multiple scarves showcased on mannequins, highlighting different fabric combinations and patchwork designs.

Digital Pattern HERE or Print Pattern HERE

Inessa Jane – Your favorite go-to Infinity scarf pattern. There’s enough time to make more than 1….

A digital pattern cover for the Inessa Jane Infinity Scarf, featuring three different styles of the scarf displayed on mannequin busts. The background has geometric designs in green and red, and the title is prominently displayed above.

Digital Pattern HERE or Print Pattern HERE

Tote Bags

Tote bags are great for anyone, whether they are quilters or not. Simply personalize the fabric choices and each bag will be a one and only original, just like the receiver.

Olivia Jane – 5″ Charm Squares save the day again! Just add coordinating fabric for the lining and strap. If you’re feeling really ambitious – you could even add a pocket.

Image of the 'Olivia Jane' Charm Square Patchwork Tote pattern featuring three bag designs labeled as View A, View B, and View C, along with fabric swatches.

Digital Pattern HERE or Print Pattern HERE

Tabitha Jane – A bundle of your favorite fat quarters and a little time gets this tote done quicker than Santa slides down your chimney.

Colorful graphic showcasing the 'Tabitha Jane' reversible tote bag design, featuring multiple fabric patterns and descriptions of fabric requirements and finished size.

Digital Pattern HERE or Print Pattern HERE

Snack Mats

ANY VRD Snack Mat pattern makes a cute and quick gift for the holidays and as a bonus – each pattern actually makes 2 Snack Mats! You can find all 12 of our Snack Mat patterns (both digital and print format) individually HERE.

Good Tidings to You –

Did you know all 12 Seasonal Snack Mat patterns are available as a print collection now?

A collage of 12 seasonal snack mat patterns displayed with colorful designs, including motifs like hearts, shamrocks, and holiday themes, featuring text that reads '12 Seasonal Snack Mats' at the top.

Get the set of 12 print Snack Mats HERE.

Place Mats

To round out our fast as fast can be VRD patterns, we even have a couple Place Mat patterns available. Look for more to come down the road.

Dinner Party – 4 fat quarters makes 4 place mats! Just play switcheroo. If you use the envelope finishing technique, there is no need for binding.

A colorful quilted placemat set featuring festive patterns in red and gray, labeled 'Dinner Party' with designer credits at the bottom.

Digital Pattern HERE or Print Pattern HERE

Let’s Eat! – Grab some panel squares or a theme fabric with a few coordinates for these fun Place Mats. A little cutting, a little sewing and – voila! – Place Mats!

A visually appealing sewing pattern cover titled 'Let's Eat!' featuring several quilted place mats with botanical designs, including butterflies and ferns, framed in black. The design promotes holiday cooking and gatherings.

Digital Pattern HERE or Print Pattern HERE

In a Hurry???

Here’s a flurry of ideas when you need the gifting done yesterday……..

  1. No time to make a project, but you’d still like to? Simply place the fabrics and the pattern together in a pretty box or bag and wrap it up with the promise that it will be completed after the holidays.
  2. Give a kit. Have an extra VRD pattern or 2? Then create your own kit to gift to a quilty pal – gather the fabrics needed for the project and wrap them along with the pattern. Instant gift!
  3. Gift Certificates always work in a pinch. Find them here – Villa Rosa Designs, 3 Aunts Quilt Shop, Running Doe Quilts
  4. Take your quilty pal to your local quilt shop and let them pick some goodies out. Of course, you can pick something out too! Don’t forget lunch — all that fabric shopping makes one very hungry…….
  5. A subscription to a favorite quilting magazine is always appreciated. Just make sure your quilty friends doesn’t have that one before you buy it.

I hope these last minute ideas help you to wrap up your gift list so you can make cookies. Lots and lots of cookies.

PSST! Send some cookies my way, please. Anything chocolate……..

Holiday Gift Idea #5

Ho! Ho! Ho! Here’s my last holiday gift idea for you for 2025.

SOCKS!

Yup – socks! For quilters of course!

Check out these fun options out! Although there are lots more available, I tried to select ones that would arrive before the 25th. Socks are SEW much fun, especially when you are sewing, of course.

A pair of beige socks featuring the phrases 'Sew Much Fun' and 'Sew Little Time' along with illustrations of a sewing machine and colorful sewing thread designs.

Get ’em HERE

Colorful quilted pattern knee-high socks worn on a model's legs.

Get ’em HERE

Colorful pink socks with blue accents featuring playful sewing-themed graphics and white text that reads 'YES! I REALLY DO NEED' on one sock and 'ALL THESE SEWING MACHINES' on the other.

Get ’em HERE

A pair of gray socks featuring various sewing-themed illustrations, including sewing machines, spools of thread, scissors, and pins.

Get ’em HERE

Well, that’s it for me.

I hope your holidays are the merriest, the holliest, and the jolliest yet.

Sew. Laugh. Get your Merry on. Repeat.

Always,

Tricia @ VRD

Free Quilt Blocks and Patterns · Just Quilty Stuff · Rose Cards · Tutorials · villa rosa designs

A Christmas Gift For You – A Little Holiday Quilt Pattern and Tutorial to Bring You Joy and Holiday Gift Idea #3

rosecards4 Comments

Hello Quilty Friends!

Happy Thursday to you!

And Happy December!

A snowy forest scene featuring tall evergreen trees, with the word 'December' prominently displayed in the center.

Huh! I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that all of a sudden it’s December. Sew much to do and sew little time……

Don’t get me wrong, I’m really excited about December starting. My quilty cuz, Kim (Hey You!), and I both purchased Quilty Christmas Advent Boxes last year in 2024, but we were both a bit disappointed so we decided to create boxes for each other this year instead of hunting around to find another one we liked. What fun!

It’s been a blast picking out fun things for Kim. Of course, I panicked at the end of November because I wasn’t ready yet! LOL! But in a flurry of wrapping paper and covered in tape, I got all 25 items wrapped up and they all fit inside the box.

We met a a local restaurant on Saturday and exchanged our boxes. Kim’s box for me was a fun surprise – the goodies in the box were all stacked up (and wrapped in Christmas sloth paper) – they didn’t fit inside the box and were sticking out all over. Joy oh joy! She didn’t even bother with a lid. Oh my! What fun December is going to be – enjoying a little Christmas every day – both the giving and the receiving as well as the sharing.

In addition to Kim’s box, I also created a box for each of my parents. I had to hustle to get all of their goodies (that’s 50 gifts) wrapped in 1 day on December 1st before dinner so we could start our December tradition on the right day. Wow! I was so tired after all of the wrapping that I didn’t put numbers on everything like I should have. Oh well, Mom and Dad will just have to reach in and pull one out to open each day until Christmas Day instead of having to hunt through their boxes every day for the right number package. And by the way, everything fit nice and neat inside their boxes and the lids closed perfectly. Just sayin’, Kim…. LOL!!!

A Gift For You

When I was trying to decide what to do this week on the blog, I had a brilliant idea – why not create a special little holiday quilt for you, our readers and VRD friends? Without you, there would be no VRD. We appreciate you each and every day. Thank you for loving VRD as much as we do.

I decided to call the little quilt I created for you, Quilt Joy. It is a happy little thing and I am looking forward to quilting and binding it. I already have someone as the recipient.

So, let’s make a quilt together!

Quilt Joy Little Quilt Tutorial

Colorful patchwork quilt design featuring a grid pattern in red, green, and white.
Quilt Joy, a little quilt by Tricia Maloney, finishes at 24″ x 24″

Quilt Joy Free Pattern Download

Little Joy quilt pattern Dec 2025Download

The first thing we need is our fabric, of course! For this little sweetie, I’m using a 5″ charm pack from my stash. Because I’ll need some more red, I’m adding a 2.5″ charm stack, too. And a background fabric. I’m going to make my little Quilt Joy in traditional red, green, and white, but you can make yours in any color combination or even really scrappy.

If you celebrate Hanukkah or Kwanza, you can totally use special colors for your celebrations.

I think I’ll make a blue, white, and silver one for January – but that’s getting a little ahead of myself, isn’t it?

A stack of fabric pieces including a charm pack with holiday patterns and a white fabric, placed on a green cutting mat.

Cutting doesn’t take much time at all! I promise. I cut my 5″ charm squares into 4 – 2.5″ squares. Zip Zap Zoop – done!

Red fabric pieces cut into small squares on a cutting mat with measurements.
A variety of fabric pieces laid out on a cutting mat, including red patterned squares, green squares with pine tree designs, and strips of white fabric.

Now let’s make some Nine Patch blocks. Easy peasy.

A collection of red and white quilt blocks arranged on a crafting surface, showcasing various patterns and textures.

In one of my Nine Patch blocks, I added a green square in the center. This block will be in the center of my quilt.

Two completed Nine Patch quilt blocks featuring a mix of red and white fabrics, with one block incorporating a green Christmas tree print.

Okay, now let’s sew 3 blocks together with sashing in between the blocks. We need to make 3 rows.

Three rows of Nine Patch quilt blocks in red and white fabrics, featuring holiday patterns.

Next we need to use 3 sashing strips along with 2 green accent squares to make a sashing row. Make 2 rows.

Two strips of white fabric with green checkered patches sewn in the middle, resting on a light-colored fabric background.

Now we are going to sew the sashing rows between the block rows. Isn’t this looking sew sew cute???? I am just loving this little cutie!

A quilt block featuring a festive red and white nine-patch design with various Christmas-themed fabrics and green accent squares.

Add a border strip to each side of the quilt.

A patchwork quilt block featuring a grid pattern in red and white fabric, with various Christmas-themed prints and patterns.

Now sew a green accent square to each end of the 2 remaining borders. Then sew to the top and bottom of the quilt.

A patchwork quilt featuring red and white squares in a Nine Patch pattern, with seasonal holiday-themed fabrics.

Isn’t it just too adorable for words???? And in the classic traditional of Villa Rosa Designs, you can put the quilt top together in a few hours, including the cutting.

Here’s Quilt Joy for our friends who celebrate Hanukkah:

A colorful quilt design featuring a grid pattern with alternating squares in shades of blue, yellow, and white.

And here’s Quilt Joy for our friends who celebrate Kwanza:

A colorful quilt pattern featuring red and green squares arranged in a checkerboard design, set against a black background with a red border.

Happy Happy December to You!

Holiday Gift Idea #3

For the past few weeks, I’ve shared a fun gift idea at the end of the blog for you. My Holiday Pick this week – #3 – is hot off the press – literally!

A colorful collage showcasing 12 seasonal snack mat designs by Villa Rosa Designs, featuring various patterns and motifs suitable for different occasions throughout the year.

Get yours HERE

Many of you have been waiting for the collection of all 12 Seasonal Snack Mats from 2024/2025 to be released as a set and it is finally here – just in time for the Holidays! YAY! I am SEW excited!!!

Please note that at this time, it is only available as a print collection; however, each Snack Mat pattern is available individually as a digital pattern as well as a print pattern. Don’t forget – shipping is always free on patterns at VRD.

I hope you enjoy each and every day of December this year. Please take a few moments every day to enjoy the season.

See you right here next week for more VRD fun in December.

Sew. Laugh. Repeat.

Always,

Tricia @ VRD

Curated Rose Card Pattern Lists · Quilting Partners · Rose Cards · villa rosa designs

Curated List of Holiday Themed VRD Rose Card Quilt Patterns Part 2 and Holiday Gift Idea #2

rosecards1 Comment

Hello Quilty Friends!

Happy Thursday to you!

And Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving dinner setting with a golden roasted turkey centerpiece, surrounded by various side dishes, pumpkins, and autumn decorations, with 'Happy Thanksgiving' text overlay.

I hope you are spending the day with those you love in a safe place, especially if you are in the path of a wicked snowstorm, as I am here in NW PA. They’re saying anywhere from 6-19 inches of snow. But the real problem is the fierce wind that just won’t stop. The power has already blinked off 3 times while I’ve been writing this post, so I’m going to wrap it up and cross my fingers that I can launch it before we lose the power again. Please forgive me if you find any typos as I’m going to skip my usual final edit and read through today.

I hope you’re back to enjoy Part 2 of my Curated Holiday Themed List of Rose Card Quilt Patterns. I have included the links for both the the digital and the print patterns. Print patterns always ship free in the US, and for our International friends, please consider our digital versions which will come right to your inbox.

6 Quilts in 6 Weeks – One Last Thank You

Prizes for our Weeks 4-6 winners will be in the mail shortly, so enjoy your quilty surprises sponsored by our good friends over at Hoffman Fabrics. Thanks so much, Hoffman!

Now please enjoy this parade of patterns while you nosh on leftover turkey and mashed potatoes. And don’t forget the pie…..

Curated Holiday Themed List of Rose Card Quilt Patterns

Nana’s Aprons – Memories of baking cookies with Nana.

A quilt design titled 'Nana's Aprons' featuring colorful patchwork patterns, displayed on a wooden background.

Digital HERE or Print HERE

Olivia Jane – Patchwork bags make great gift wrapping – a gift within a gift.

Colorful charm square patchwork tote bag design featuring three views, with vibrant patterns and designs, titled 'Olivia Jane' by Villa Rosa Designs.

Print Only HERE

Painted Moon – A sweet quilt for your wall or for a special child.

Cover of the 'Painted Moon' quilt pattern featuring a colorful quilt design with floral and geometric elements, accompanied by the text 'PAINTED MOON' and 'Villa Rosa Designs'.

Digital HERE or Print HERE

Parade – Memories of watching the Macy’s Christmas Parade on Christmas morning.

A colorful quilt titled 'Parade' featuring a grid of various patchwork squares on a floral background, designed by Villa Rosa Designs.

Digital HERE or Print HERE

Peace – What can I say – the world needs more of this.

Colorful quilt titled 'Peace' featuring a patchwork design with various fabrics in shades of pink, green, blue, and yellow, displayed against a bright yellow background.

Digital HERE or Print HERE

Peppermint – A classic Christmas must have.

A quilt design titled 'Peppermint' featuring a pattern of red, green, and blue fabric with festive imagery, framed with decorative borders.

Digital HERE or Print HERE

Peppermint & Holly – A sweet table runner to delight one and all.

A quilted table runner named 'Peppermint & Holly' displayed against a backdrop of evergreen branches, featuring red and green colors with festive patterns.

Digital HERE or Print HERE

Phyllis – Add your favorite holiday fabrics for a star-worthy season.

A quilt named 'Phyllis' featuring a star pattern with floral and green fabrics, displayed against a white brick wall with a logo at the bottom.

Digital HERE or Print HERE

Petit Fours – Cake??? Did someone say cake???

A colorful quilt titled 'Petit Fours' featuring red borders and a variety of square patches in floral and solid patterns.

Digital HERE or Print HERE

Pink Peace – Enjoy the quiet moments.

A quilt pattern named 'Pink Peace' featuring a patchwork design in soft pink tones, with various floral and geometric prints, presented by Villa Rosa Designs.

Digital HERE or Print HERE

Poinsettia – You need at least one for the holidays.

A vibrant quilt pattern featuring red and green poinsettias, displayed on a pink background with a decorative border.

Digital HERE or Print HERE

Puppy Love – I always wanted a puppy for Christmas!

A quilt design titled 'Puppy Love' featuring playful phrases about dogs and heart motifs, surrounded by a colorful patchwork border.

Digital HERE or Print HERE

Puzzled – Jigsaw puzzles were always fun gifts.

A quilt titled 'Puzzled' featuring a pattern of overlapping squares in black, gray, and white tones, displayed with an elegant border and text by Molly Cook for Villa Rosa Designs.

Digital HERE or Print HERE

Raspberry Cream – When I was a kid, I would actually take a little bite out of each chocolate in my Mom’s box of chocolates until I found the ones I liked.

A vibrant quilt titled 'Raspberry Cream' featuring a variety of fabric patterns in shades of pink, blue, and gray, framed by a floral border.

Digital HERE or Print HERE

Red Rose – Flowers for Christmas.

Colorful quilt featuring a pattern named 'Red Rose', with floral and geometric designs in shades of red, yellow, blue, and pink. The quilt is bordered by a decorative stripe and a red rose graphic in the corner.

Digital HERE or Print HERE

Remember Me – The Holidays are all about remembers those you hold dear, near and far.

A quilt design titled 'Remember Me' featuring a pattern with vibrant purples, golds, and intricate geometric shapes, alongside a pink rose graphic and the text 'Villa Rosa Designs'.

Digital HERE or Print HERE

Savannah Jane – A handmade gift sure to please someone special on your gift list.

Savannah Jane patchwork scarf displayed on mannequins, showcasing various colorful fabric patterns. The design features charm squares in a mix of purples, blues, and coordinating prints.

Print Only HERE

Season’s Greetings – This runner is so fast, you can make one for someone on your list and one for yourself.

A colorful patchwork table runner with holiday-themed fabric featuring patterns like candy canes, snowflakes, and plaid, set against a green background.

Digital HERE or Print HERE

Sierra Snow – There will be snow for Christmas this year….

A quilt design named 'Sierra Snow' featuring a patchwork of teal and black fabrics with a snowflake pattern and the logo of Villa Rosa Designs.

Digital HERE or Print HERE

Silver Star – We always put the star tree topper on last, right before we turned off the lights in the house and turned on the tree lights. Magical.

Cover image of the 'Silver Star' quilt pattern by Villa Rosa Designs, featuring a brightly colored star pattern set against a gray background, with a vibrant border.

Digital HERE or Print HERE

Snow Goose – Another Holiday classic in blue and white.

A quilt titled 'Snow Goose' featuring blue and white geometric patterns, hanging on a tree branch amidst a snowy background.

Digital HERE or Print HERE

Snow Ruby – A fast last minute make for the holidays.

A quilt titled 'Snow Ruby' featuring a festive red and green color scheme with playful holiday-themed patterns, bordered by intricate designs, showcasing the Villa Rosa Designs logo.

Digital HERE or Print HERE

Snowberry – Add some classic red and white to your holiday table this year.

A quilt pattern titled 'Snowberry' featuring a montage of red and white checkered and patterned squares, displayed against a snowy backdrop and evergreen branches.

Digital HERE or Print HERE

Snowdrop – Sweet and simple and fast to make.

A quilt design titled 'Snowdrop' featuring a patchwork of various fabric patterns in shades of teal and gray, bordered by a floral motif and the text 'Villa Rosa Designs'.

Digital HERE or Print HERE

Snowfall – Snow always makes the Holidays more special.

Cover of the quilt pattern titled 'Snowfall,' featuring a blue and white quilt draped on snow-covered evergreen branches.

Digital HERE or Print HERE

Spice Drop – Christmas candy was always a special little treat.

A colorful quilt pattern titled 'Spice Drop' featuring various vibrant fabrics in a patchwork design, surrounded by a pink background and floral border.

Digital HERE or Print HERE

Splendor – Gold and Silver ribbons and papers make for an elegant holiday.

A quilt design titled 'Splendor' featuring a decorated Christmas tree in a decorative pot, surrounded by a patchwork border of gold, silver, and white fabrics.

Digital HERE or Print HERE

Star Queen – Imagine this starry stunner in the shades of Christmas gracing your bed, bringing holiday cheer all night long.

A colorful quilt titled 'Star Queen' displayed outdoors, featuring a patchwork design with star motifs in various colors.

Digital HERE or Print HERE

Starfire – Stars twinkle on the tree.

A vibrant quilt design titled 'Starfire' featuring red stars on black and white floral patterns, bordered with a decorative design at the bottom.

Digital HERE or Print HERE

Stargazer – Stars have a very special place in our holiday celebrations.

A colorful quilt titled 'Stargazer' displayed outdoors on snow, featuring various patterns in shades of yellow, blue, and orange, with text overlay by Running Doe Quilts for Villa Rosa Designs.

Digital HERE or Print HERE

Sugar & Spice – Cookies are baking and the whole house smells divine.

A colorful quilt design named 'Sugar & Spice' featuring a patchwork of vibrant fabrics in red, green, blue, and yellow. The quilt has a playful arrangement of patterns, including flowers, stripes, and polka dots, and is attributed to Heidi Cook for Villa Rosa Designs.

Digital HERE or Print HERE

Sugar Cookies – My Aunt’s sugar cookies were always the best with gobs of frosting and lots of sprinkles.

Quilt design featuring colorful squares and rectangles with festive sugar cookie patterns, titled 'Sugar Cookies' designed by Heidi Cook for Villa Rosa Designs.

Digital HERE or Print HERE

Sugarplum – …While visions of sugarplums dance in their heads.

Colorful quilted table runner titled 'Sugarplum' with a patchwork design featuring red, green, and pink fabrics, set against a snowy background.

Digital HERE or Print HERE

Surprise – It’s hard to wait until Christmas morning to discover all the surprises the special day will reveal.

Quilt titled 'Surprise' featuring a pattern of red, green, and white fabrics, designed by Melissa Milligan for Villa Rosa Designs.

Digital HERE or Print HERE

Sweater Weather – Don your favorite ugly Christmas sweater!

A quilt titled 'Sweater Weather' featuring a blue background with white star patterns, surrounded by a snow-covered forest.

Digital HERE or Print HERE

Tabitha Jane – A fun and fast to make tote bag, perfect for your holiday haul.

Promotional graphic for the 'Tabitha Jane' reversible tote bag, featuring four different fabric designs with a shoulder strap. The design includes text detailing fabric requirements, dimensions, and construction notes.

Digital HERE or Print HERE

Tall Pine – Rockin’ Round the Christmas Tree!

A patchwork quilt design featuring a tall pine tree on a colorful background, with the words 'TALL PINE' at the top and 'Running Doe Quilts For Villa Rosa Designs' at the bottom.

Digital HERE or Print HERE

Turkish Delight – This is always a special treat during the holidays in my family.

A colorful quilt pattern titled 'Turkish Delight' by Heidi Cook for Villa Rosa Designs, featuring various fabric squares, set against a background with flowers.

Digital HERE or Print HERE

Twinkle – The lights on the tree twinkle like stars in the sky.

A colorful quilt titled 'Twinkle' featuring a pattern of multi-colored triangles and squares, displayed outdoors against a cloudy sky.

Digital HERE or Print HERE

Whiskers – I always wanted to find a fluffy little kitten in my Christmas stocking.

Cover of the quilt pattern titled 'Whiskers' featuring a playful kitten holding a candy cane, with a colorful quilt background decorated with festive patterns.

Digital HERE or Print HERE

Woolly Mitten Snack Mat – Don’t forget your mittens when you go outside!

A quilted snack mat featuring a woolly mitten design with snowman fabric, set against a bright red background, labeled 'Woolly Mitten Snack Mat.'

Digital HERE or Print HERE

Wreathed – Time to hang the wreath on the door and add a bright red bow.

A quilt design titled 'Wreathed' featuring a circular pattern with red, green, and white elements, designed by Melissa Milligan for Villa Rosa Designs.

Digital HERE or Print HERE

And that, folks, is the end of my Curated Holiday VRD Rose Card List. I hope you enjoyed it and perhaps discovered some new-to-you patterns.

Holiday Gift Idea #2

Last week, I started a Holiday Gift Idea series – one for each week until Christmas. The idea could be for yourself, someone else, or even something to make.

As most of you know our VRD Rose Queen, Pat Fryer, is in the process of relocating to Tyler, Texas where our VRD designer, Catherine of Running Doe Quilts, is opening a new quilt shop called Rose City Quilting, which will be the new Texas home of Running Doe Quilts and Villa Rosa Designs.

There are 2 designs to choose from:

Rose City Quilting T Shirts (front design) HERE

Black t-shirt featuring a pink graphic design with a deer, sewing machine, and roses, labeled 'Rose City Sewing - Home of Running Doe Quilts & Villa Rosa Designs'.

Rose City Quilting T Shirts (back design) HERE

A light blue t-shirt featuring a graphic design with 'Rose City Sewing' text on the back, alongside images of roses and a sewing machine.

Just tell ’em Tricia sent you! (Wink, wink.)

That’s it for me this week – I’m off to enjoy a little Thanksgiving food of my own. And pie. With lots of whipped topping. Yum!

Sew. Laugh. Eat. Repeat.

Always,

Tricia @ VRD

2025 6 Quilts in 6 Weeks Challenge · Quilting Partners · Rose Cards · villa rosa designs

6 Quilts in 6 Weeks Challenge – Week 6, NEW November VRD Quilt Patterns, and VRD Rose Card Pattern Storage

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Hello Quilty Friends!

Greetings from snowy northwestern Pennsylvania! We had around 5 inches of lake effect snow (thank you Lake Erie!) dropped on us Monday night. It sure did look beautiful when I got up Tuesday morning. Suddenly I had the urge to listen to Christmas music and binge-watch Hallmark Christmas movies while sipping hot chocolate with scads of marshmallows floating on the top.

So apparently for me, the Christmas holiday season has begun. When do you usually get your Merry on?

It also made me start thinking about what holiday fun I wanted to do on the blog. Still brainstorming right now, in case any of you lovely readers have any holiday ideas you might like to see on the blog.

But for right now, let’s get back to our Challenge!

Our winner for Week 5 is ……………

Barb F.

Congrats, Barb! Keep up the good work!

Now let’s check out my Week 6 finish!

6 Quilts in 6 Weeks Challenge – Week 6

For my final Week 6 finish, I chose to complete my blog tutorial sample, Ebb Tide.

A colorful quilt design titled 'Ebb Tide' featuring various patterns in shades of pink, purple, and teal, framed by decorative borders.

Get your digital pattern HERE or your print pattern HERE

This is one of my absolute favorite patterns for using large prints! The framing really gives large print fabrics room to shine as well as to breathe. It is fat quarter friendly and finishes at a nice 47″ x 61″. To make it larger, simply add an outer border – a 6″ finished border would make the quilt a nice 59″ x 73″.

Here is my Before photo:

A patchwork quilt featuring various floral and patterned fabrics, displayed outside against a backdrop of blooming yellow flowers.

YIKES! In looking for my “before” photo, I discovered the Ebb Tide tutorial was from 2023 – way past time to get it finished, don’t you think?

The fabrics are fall-licious batiks from our friends over at Hoffman.

And here is my After photo:

A quilt with a patchwork design featuring rich burgundy, cream, and floral prints, displayed draped over a chair in a cozy setting.

I considered photographing it out in the snow, but I didn’t want to bundle up in order to go outside so I ended up taking an inside photo.

I quilted Ebb Tide with a copper colored cotton thread in my usual allover meander design. It is backed with a cream fleece that has little stars on it. The binding is a brown stripe batik, which I cut on the bias so my stripes are diagonal. I was a little nervous to finish the binding by machine because the last time I machine-finished a bias binding, the edges ended up rippling.

WHEW! What a relief – this time it finished beautifully with no rippling and the corners actually turned out quite well, too. I think finishing the binding by machine for the last 6 weeks has helped me gain a little more confidence with this technique. This winter, though, I plan to snuggle under quilts, watch movies, and do some hand binding.

I want to thank everyone who signed up and participated in this Challenge. I hope you are as pleased with your accomplishments as I am with mine. Let’s all pat ourselves on the back for a job well done.

We will have one final winner next week.

I’m thinking we’ll do this Challenge again in the New Year. That way, we can keep finishing our UFO’s and flimsies so we don’t feel a little guilty every time we start something new.

Now let’s take a look at the NEW VRD patterns for November. Yay!

NEW November VRD Rose Card Patterns

I LOVE the Thursday after the first Friday of every month because that means – NEW PATTERNS!

Here is the set of 5:

A promotional image showcasing five new quilt patterns for November 2025: Fall Windmills, Markesan, Limited, Nevermore, and Warrenwood, with pricing information.

Get the set of 5 print patterns HERE

Fall Windmills is Sewl Sister’s super fun quilt this month. It finishes at 48″ x 60″. You can find a Fall WIndmills kit on the VRD website featuring the Planetarium collection HERE.

A colorful quilt featuring a geometric pattern with shades of teal, gray, and white, showcasing various block designs in a patchwork layout.
Fall Windmills in Planetarium

Limited is Molly’s newest pattern. It uses either 10″ squares or FQs and finishes at 45″ x 59″. You can find kits featuring the same fabrics as the cover quilt HERE.

Markesan is this month’s new mod quilt by Rachelle Handmade. It is Jelly Roll friendly and finishes at a nice 60″ x 70″.

Nevermore is by yours truly and features a 24″ panel along with some coordinates and an accent. It finishes at 47″ x 66″. Anybody get the name reference of the pattern???

Warrenwood is Pat’s 11th Tim Holz Palette design and is fat quarter friendly. It finishes at 45″ x 59″. You can find kits featuring the Tim Holtz Charcoal Palette HERE.

And this month, there’s a NEW Table Runner, too.

A colorful quilt pattern titled 'Family Fun-gi' designed by Tricia Lynn Maloney for Villa Rosa Designs. The design features a crafting theme with blocks and textured fabric elements against a pastel background.

Get your digital pattern HERE or your print pattern HERE

Family Fun-gi is a cute little mushroom runner with a silly name (I can say that because it’s one of my runners, LOL!). And guess what??? The mushrooms could also be trees if you wanted. The runner finishes at 17″ x 45″ and goes together really fast. You can find a kit featuring the Sienna collection HERE.

A quilted table runner featuring a pattern of three stylized trees with a floral and leaf design in autumn colors against a dark background.
Family Fun-Gi in Sienna

One last thing before I go…….

NEW VRD Rose Card Storage Option

Our VRD designer and partner, Running Doe, has created a brand new storage option – a discbound binder for storing your Rose Card patterns. Each binder comes with 40 sleeves to hold 40 patterns. Get yours HERE.

A mint green discbound binder with several clear plastic sleeves, designed for pattern storage.

Want to learn more about Catherine’s binder? Check out her Facebook video HERE.

Don’t forget – just because our Challenge is over doesn’t mean you can’t still finish one UFO each week. I’m going to try.

Take care and just keep quilting!

Sew. Laugh. Finish. Repeat.

Always,

Tricia @ VRD

2025 6 Quilts in 6 Weeks Challenge · Quilting and Books · Rose Cards · villa rosa designs

6 Quilts in 6 Weeks Challenge – Week 5 and a Vintage Fabric Surprise

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Hello Quilty Friends!

Happy November to you! We are now in the thick of the holiday season – are you ready? How many of you are participating in the 6 Quilts in 6 Week Challenge and getting a few handmade gifts completed for holiday giving? I must admit – not me. I’m just trying to make a dent in my VRD UFO quilt stack. I’m just so thrilled that I’ve already completed 5 unfinished projects. Yay me! I just need to keep it going after our lovely Challenge ends next week.

And our lucky Week 4 winner is ………….

Susan T.

Now let’s check out my Week 5 finish!

6 Quilts in 6 Weeks – Week 5

This past week has been a busy one, so for this week, I chose a table runner to complete. I had a fun summer version of Pinwheel Picnic ready and waiting. It was a sample I made for the VRD Table Runner a Month program my Friday Group (Hey Ladies!) did maybe 3 years ago.

Yup – another one bites the dust. Wahoo!

A vibrant quilted table runner called 'Pinwheel Picnic' features colorful triangular patterns in various fabrics, set against a sunny yellow background. The runner showcases a mix of floral and checkered designs, emphasizing a playful summer theme.

Get your digital pattern HERE or your print pattern HERE.

Have you ever made Pinwheel Picnic? It’s a fun one that goes together quickly and finishes at 16″ x 48″. It uses 5″ squares, but you could also use your stash! And it’s easy to add extra blocks to make it longer if you wanted.

I used an older fun summery fabric collection with citrus fruit and flowers by designer Sandy Gervais.

My Before Photo –

A completed table runner featuring a pinwheel design in vibrant colors including orange, yellow, green, and floral patterns, hanging against a backdrop of organized fabric shelves.

My After Photo –

A vibrant quilted table runner featuring a pinwheel pattern in colorful fabrics, including orange, green, and yellow, displayed against a backdrop of fabric storage.

I chose to quilt my runner with straight lines in orange thread about 1/2 inch apart. By no means are my lines actually straight, but I think it turned out pretty well. It will look even better once it’s washed and puckered. I stitched the quilting lines with my walking foot. The I used a solid orange for the binding and machine stitched it on with a yellow floral print for the back from my stash.

Here’s a close up of my quilting.

A close-up view of a quilted table runner featuring vibrant summer colors, floral patterns, and citrus motifs, showcasing intricate quilting lines.

It really feels good to have 5 projects completed.

I can’t wait to show you what I found yesterday!

My Vintage Fabric Find

I connected to a quilter and antique quilt collector online who was relocating to Alabama. She had culled her antique textile collection before her move and I am the very lucky adopter of her leftovers. But these leftovers are fantastic! Let me show you what I got.

A laundry basket filled with a colorful assortment of fabric scraps in various patterns and textures, ready for quilting projects.

YIPPEE! When I emptied the plastic bags of goodies – they filled an entire laundry basket. Lynn told me she’d acquired her collection here and there, online and at antique shops, which is pretty much how my own textile museum – er, collection – has grown over the years. LOL!

There were lots of great quilt blocks, both in sets or as orphan blocks.

A collection of various quilt blocks laid out on a gray surface, showcasing different patterns and colors including blue, pink, and yellow fabrics.
A collection of vintage fabric pieces arranged on a surface, featuring alternating blue and yellow stripes with a red square in the center.
An assortment of colorful vintage fabric quilt pieces featuring various patterns and colors, arranged in a patchwork design.
A collection of quilt blocks in various shapes and fabrics, including geometric patterns and floral designs, arranged on a fabric surface.

Some of you may know that my quilting roots started in auctions, museums, and antique fabrics long before I’d ever made my first quilt block. Back in 2010, after acquiring a local woman’s scrap bag, quilt blocks, quilts, and tops which spanned more than 100 years, I wrote my first quilt book, Orphan Block Quilts. It’s now out of print, but you can still find it as print copies or as a download.

Book cover titled 'Orphan Block Quilts' featuring a quilt pattern with pastel colors and geometric shapes.

You can find the download HERE.

During the pandemic, I found another love in textile history – feed sacks! So I was thrilled to find lots of feed sack pieces amongst my new textile finds as well as 3 sewn strips of Log Cabin blocks with even more feed sacks! Lucky me! Oh my! What treasures I am finding in my new basket of scraps!

An assortment of vintage fabric pieces featuring various prints and colors, arranged on a light-colored surface.
A collection of vintage fabric scraps featuring various floral and geometric patterns in vibrant colors, laid out on a gray surface.
A collection of vintage fabric pieces in various patterns and colors, including florals and stripes, arranged on a textured surface.

I really enjoy documenting all the different patterns and designs of the feed sacks I find. I even started putting my examples into books (big surprise, right?). My first volume is available and eventually the second volume will be, too, as soon as I finish it.

Book cover featuring a collection of vintage feed sack designs in various colors and patterns, titled 'Feed Sacks' by Tricia Maloney.

You can find it HERE.

I even used vintage feed sack squares in one of my VRD patterns, too.

A decorative quilted wall hanging titled 'Nana's Aprons' featuring three colorful patchwork aprons on a light blue background with a wooden backdrop.

Get your digital pattern HERE or your print pattern HERE.

Who knows? Maybe this new textile stash will inspire a new VRD pattern down the road. We shall see….

Well, that’s it for me today. I need to figure out which project I’ll be completing for next week’s Week 6 (and the last week) of our 6 Quilts in 6 Weeks Challenge. And then, I’m going to play in my new textile collection.

See you right here next week.

Until then –

Sew. Laugh. Finish. Play. Repeat.

Always,

Tricia @ VRD

2025 6 Quilts in 6 Weeks Challenge · Quilting Partners · Rose Cards · villa rosa designs

6 Quilts in 6 Weeks Challenge – Week 4

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Hello Quilty Friends!

It’s hard to believe it’s Week 4 of our 6 Quilts in 6 Weeks Challenge already, isn’t it? How many of you have been following our VRD Project Finishers on our VRD Facebook page? I know I have! I really love how supportive everyone is on the VRD FB page, too, it’s a great place to hang out if you’ve never visited before.

I’m really hoping this “finish 1 project a week” concept will stick with me and I’ll continue after the Challenge is over because I literally have STACKS of flimsies (quilt tops) waiting impatiently to get quilted, bound, and finished. I think it would be a great accomplishment for me (or any of you) to shrink those stacks of unfinished projects before the end of the year.

Wouldn’t it be awesome to jump into 2026 with a plethora of new project ideas without the guilt of that sad stack of unfinished projects sitting there, judging us? Besides, finishing projects will make more room in our quilting spaces for new projects!

Okay, how about our Week 3 Challenge winner now (selected using a random number generator)?

Congrats to Robin M!

Prizes for our Weeks 1-3 winners will be in the mail shortly, so enjoy your quilty surprises sponsored by our good friends over at QT Fabrics. Thank you, QT!

Now we’re ready to jump into our Week 4 Challenge!

6 Quilts in 6 Weeks Challenge Week 4

My finish this week was a really fun one – Helix by our talented VRD designer, Molly Cook. Have you ever tried this pattern before? Helix is fat quarter friendly and finishes at a nice 50″ x 66″. You could add a border all around to make it larger if you wanted to.

It is definitely a more challenging project – I would consider it more intermediate/advanced. There’s a lot of matching points and seam intersections in this one. The finished quilt is gorgeous, though, with its eye-catching geometry. A very cool quilt.

A quilt design titled 'Helix' by Molly Cook, featuring vibrant patchwork in various shades of blue, green, purple, and brown, set against a patterned background.

Get your digital pattern HERE or your print pattern HERE

When I searched for this tutorial on the blog, I discovered – gasp! – it was from 2023! Huh. How time flies! You can find the Helix tutorial HERE.

If you’ve never made this one before, I really do suggest you check out the tutorial because all those intersecting points can be a challenge if you’ve never done them before.

Here’s my BEFORE photo:

A completed quilt with geometric patterns in shades of blue and green, displayed outdoors against a backdrop of trees and a cloudy sky.

Apparently when I took the photo back in 2023, it was a really windy day!

And here is my AFTER photo:

A completed quilt featuring geometric patterns in shades of blue, green, and teal, displayed outdoors against a grassy background.

See the interesting plaid markings showing through the quilt (the sun was behind the quilt when I snapped the photo)? That is courtesy of the fun blue/teal plaid fleece on the back. Yep, another fleece-backed throw with no batting – just the way I like ’em! Fleece-backed throws are perfect all year around as they are lightweight yet cozy and soft.

I’m really pleased with how this quilt turned out. The crisp white background was the perfect companion to set off all of the blues, greens, teals, and turquoises. I quilted it with my usual allover meander, but this time I used a very subtle variegated thread, Seamist by YLI. I thought, why not? My Helix has a lot of white space so I thought the variegated thread in blues and teals (I swear there’s a bit of green and lavender, too) would really compliment the quilt. I love how it turned out, but the thread color variations were very very subtle.

Close-up view of a quilt showcasing intricate patchwork patterns in shades of teal, green, and white, with a soft quilted texture.
A spool of YLI machine quilting thread labeled 'Seamist', displaying the barcode and specifications on the side.
A spool of turquoise and teal variegated sewing thread resting on a sewing machine surface with a purple measuring grid.

I found a blue fabric in my stash that had narrow white lines to give it a subtle plaid look for the binding. I machine stitched the binding on to save time and it definitely went better than last week – my corners were much neater on this one. And of course, I added my label dated 2025, even though I started the quilt in 2023. It’s the end that counts, not the beginning.

Yay! Another finish from my towering stack of UFOs. Hmmm. Which one will I finish next?

Quilting Cats

I’m going to change the subject in honor of National Cat Day (October 29th).

How many of you have a kitty partner in crime when quilting (or knitting, crocheting, garment sewing, crafting, etc.)?

Right now as I type this post, my furry buddy, Griffin (age 4), is sprawled across my desk. Only recently has he started doing that again. I love it, but sometimes we end up playing tug o’ war over my mouse pad area. LOL! He really really likes to stretch out pretty much across my whole desk top. Sometimes when I’m trying to use my mouse (which I do A LOT), Griffy will claim my mouse pad and mouse (and sometimes my hand) as his. Silly boy. Of course, as he sprawls over my desk, he knows I just can’t resist scratching him in his favorite spots. Smart boy!

A gray cat lying on a desk cluttered with papers and a pink mouse pad, looking intently at the camera.

Here’s my handsome Griffy. You can see that he has control of the mouse pad in the photo. ARGH! We take turns winning our game of tug o’ war. LOL!

I have another cat, Pip, but at 15, she doesn’t come downstairs to my studio dungeon anymore. She is our upstairs diva. Then there’s Bailly, my 3 year old Shih Tzu. She’s a heartful, but also a handful. And she thinks she’s a cat.

So Happy National Cat Day to you and your furry feline companions. Maybe they’ll help you (or hinder you, depending on their mood) get your project finished for next week’s Week 5 of our 6 Quilts in 6 Weeks Challenge.

See you right here next week for more VRD fun and Week 5 of our 6 Quilts in 6 Weeks Challenge.

Until then –

Sew. Laugh. Finish. Repeat.

Always,

Tricia @ VRD

2025 6 Quilts in 6 Weeks Challenge · Rose Cards · Tutorials · villa rosa designs

6 Quilts in 6 Weeks Challenge – Week 3 and a Fun VRD Snack Mat Tutorial

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Hello Quilty Friends!

How are you this fine October Thursday? My thoughts are definitely turning towards cozy quilts, good books, and hot tea right now as the October winds howl outside, swirling the leaves in mini cyclones around the yard.

I’ve been really enjoying our 6 Quilts in 6 Weeks Challenge and I hope you’ve been tuning in to the finished projects on our VRD Facebook page. If you signed up for the Challenge, please make sure to write that your before/after photos are for the 6 Quilts in 6 Weeks Challenge so we can all ooooh and ahhhh over your completed project (this also makes it easier for me to note who finishes a project each week during the Challenge).

I’ve heard that it takes about 30 days to build a new habit so if we finish 1 quilt each week for 6 weeks, hypothetically we are building a new habit. At least, that’s my hope, anyway. LOL!

Before we get much further, though, let’s all congratulate Mary Q as our Week 2 winner. Yay you, Mary! Keep up the great work!

I wonder who will be our Week 3 winner next week??? Maybe Y O U ????

6 Quilts in 6 Weeks Challenge Week 3

For Week 3, I chose to complete one of my recent blog tutorial quilts from last month – Busy Bee. I was sew in love with the Hoffman digital fabrics I used for my tutorial that I just had to finish this one as part of the challenge. Busy Bee is fat quarter friendly and finishes at 45″ x 54″, which is a nice kids quilt, baby quilt, or small throw. If you want it bigger, you can easily add more blocks or an outer border (or both).

If you missed the Busy Bee tutorial, you can find it HERE.

A colorful quilt design titled 'Busy Bee', featuring various fabric patterns including floral, geometric, and handwritten text, set against a light green background. The quilt is bordered at the bottom with a decorative design and includes the logo 'Villa Rosa Designs'.

Don’t have Busy Bee yet?

Get your digital pattern HERE or your print pattern HERE.

Here’s my BEFORE photo:

A patchwork quilt hanging on a clothesline, featuring a mix of floral and patterned fabric squares in shades of pink, green, and white.

Here’s my AFTER photo:

A cozy quilt featuring a patchwork design with pink, green, and floral patterns, draped over a chair outdoors.

I backed my quilt with a lovely dusty rose textured fleece and free motion quilted the quilt with an allover meander design in a pretty pink thread.

I had a question recently on the blog about using fleece on the back of quilts, so I thought I’d address it here. I do not use batting when I use fleece on the back. I generally only use fleece on the backs of my throw quilts, although my quilty cuz, Kim, is using her fleece scraps on the back of her table runners and smaller projects, too. As for quilting a fleece backed quilt, I try to stay away from designs that cross over because the fleece is really stretchy and the quilt top isn’t (or at least it shouldn’t be) and crossing over lines potentially runs the risk of getting pleats and folds at intersections. I find wiggly line and meandering my designs of choice when quilting fleece backed quilts.

For more tips when quilting fleece, you can check out a blog post HERE from a few years ago.

The binding is Riviera, a Dot batik from our quilting partner, Hoffman , and it’s the absolute perfect finish. I stitched the binding on by machine again to save time. It turned out okay, but a few of my corners had minds of their own and were trying to do the salsa. Sheesh! I even had to rip one out and force it into submission. Corners can be so tricky!

A colorful batik fabric design featuring a blend of deep reds, purples, greens, and pinks with a dotted pattern throughout.
Riviera Dot batik from Hoffman

Now to decide which quilt to finish for Week 4……..

FUN VRD Snack Mat Tutorial

Recently, Chris from Needlepointers.com reached out to us to share a really fun idea and tutorial using our VRD Snack Mat patterns and I’m thrilled to share it with you. If you haven’t ever checked out Needlepointers.com, you should! Chris and her daughter Annette have been sharing craft tutorials and projects for the last 20 years on their website.

If you’re like me, you’re on the lookout for fun and fast Holiday gift ideas because the holidays are almost upon us. Snack Mats, of course, are an AWESOME quick and easy gift idea and as a bonus, each pattern makes 2 Snack Mats. You can find all the VRD Snack Mat patterns HERE. Snack Mat patterns are available in both digital and print formats.

Thanks, Chris, for sharing this GREAT IDEA with us!

Have you made anything fun using any of our VRD patterns and put together a tutorial online? We’d love to see it.

Please note that if you are thinking about creating a tutorial of your favorite VRD project (or you’ve done one already):

  1. You may show the front of the pattern, but never the back where the instructions are
  2. Do not give any cutting dimensions or measurements out verbally or in writing as part of your tutorial

Please keep in mind that all VRD patterns are protected by copyright law. Thank you for kindly respecting our VRD designers, their creativity, and their hard work.

Well, I’d better get to work on my Week 4 Challenge Project. I’ll show it off next week. You’d better get yours going, too.

See you then.

Have a great week. Get SEW much done!

Sew. Laugh. Finish. Repeat.

Always,

Tricia @ VRD

2025 6 Quilts in 6 Weeks Challenge · Rose Cards · villa rosa designs

6 Quilts in 6 Weeks – Week 2 and an Accessory Challenge

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Hello Quilty Friends!

How are you this fine Thursday?  Getting some quilts finished, I hope?

I’ve been having a great time checking out the finished quilts for Week 1 of our 6 Quilts in 6 Weeks Challenge.   It’s almost like, in 1 week, I’ve completed a lot of quilts!  Yay!  But I didn’t actually have to do all the work.  To me, that’s a perfect scenario!

So, if you finished a quilt for Week 1, pat yourself on the back and get ready to repeat this week!

And our Week 1 drawing winner is…………… Jill S.

Want to get in on the action?  It’s not too late – just email me at tricia@villarosadesign.com to join for the remaining 5 Weeks of the Challenge.  

You can get all the info HERE.

Now let’s jump into Week 2 of our Challenge.

6 Quilts in 6 Weeks:  Week 2

I knew I wasn’t going to have a lot of extra time this week, so I decided to tackle one of my table runners UFOs for Week 2,  Steppin’ Up.

Cover image for the 'Steppin' Up' quilt pattern by Tricia Lynn Maloney, featuring a colorful quilted table runner with various patterned fabrics, displayed against a porch backdrop.

Don’t have Steppin’ Up yet?

Get your digital pattern HERE or your print pattern HERE

My Before Photo (layered and ready to quilt):

A quilted table runner featuring a colorful pattern with autumn-themed fabrics, pinned and layered, ready for quilting against a backdrop of soft fabric.

My After Photo (Done and Done!):

A colorful autumn table runner quilt displayed hanging from a tree, featuring diamond shapes in shades of red, orange, yellow, and green with a floral border.

I made this Autumn version of Steppin’ Up a few years ago when my Friday Quilt group did a whole year of VRD Table Runners.  Of course, I made the top as a class sample and never finished it.  I don’t remember the name of the collection anymore as the fabrics were left over from another project from way back when.  Of course, if you want to make an Autumn version yourself, now’s the time to gather up a gorgeous selection of warm fall fabrics.

I backed it with a neutral backing fabric and a layer of thin cotton batting.  I free motion quilted it with an allover loop design (one of my absolute favorite designs which also quilts up really fast – you can see how I do loops HERE).  I machine stitched the brown tonal binding on and guess what – it actually turned out pretty well.  Last, of course, I added a label.

Have you ever made Steppin’ Up?  It’s a really fun one if you haven’t.  You can actually arrange the blocks in a lot of different ways to make your runner your way.

So, what are you finishing for Week 2?  You have until Friday at midnight to email or post your before/after photos of your Week 2 projects to be entered in our Week 2 drawing.

October VRD Accessory Challenge

Speaking of my Friday group, this past week for our October meeting, we had a group challenge reveal – VRD Accessory patterns.  Have you ever made any of our really fun Accessory patterns?  You can find all of them HERE.  I’m excited to tell you that we are going to be adding NEW Accessory patterns going forward.  In fact, I’m working on a few ideas right now.

So, my quilty pals rose to the October Accessory Challenge.  Check out their makes, below. Of course, they all rolled their eyes at me when I started snapping pictures because they just knew I was going to show off their projects on the blog. Sorry, not sorry…….

Gaynel made the Olivia Jane pattern.  Gaynel discovered that Olivia Jane was the perfect tote to hold a 12”x 12” rotating cutting mat.

A woman holding a handcrafted patchwork bag, displaying various fabric patterns and colors, in a sewing space filled with quilting materials and supplies.

Mary Lee made Catrina Jane, a 2 Pocketed VRD Rose Card Pattern Keeper. You can’t tell in this photo which shows the inside, but her outside fabric is a really cool African batik, which is more like an embossed fabric than the usual batiks we are familiar with.

An open 2-pocket pattern card holder made from colorful autumn-themed fabric, showcasing a floral design, next to the pattern cover titled 'Catrina Jane'.

Robin made the Dinner Party Place Mats.  She did alter them a bit by making 4 identical mats instead of swapping the fabrics in each place mat. Find the digital pattern HERE or the print pattern HERE.

A stack of finished dinner party placemats with festive fabric featuring Santa Claus and holiday decorations, placed on a wooden table next to a beverage bottle.

Donna made not only 1, but 4 tote bags using the Tabitha Jane pattern.  Here is the one she made herself.  The other 3 will be holiday gifts. Good thinking, Donna!

A woman wearing a floral shirt and a gray cardigan is holding a colorful tote bag with a scenic design, smiling at the camera.

Kim made a set of these uber adorable Buzzy Bee Snack Mats.  You can find the digital pattern HERE and the print pattern HERE.

A person holding a quilted item featuring bee patterns and floral designs, trimmed in yellow.

There would no way at all I could choose a favorite from their projects because in my book, they are all winners because they finished their projects, so everyone got to pick out a fat quarter as a prize.

I hope these fun Accessory projects will inspire you to make some of your own – HEY!  You could even make some as part of our 6 Quilts in 6 Weeks Challenge – we have 4 more weeks to go yet.  You could make some great holiday gifts, or maybe a little something something for yourself.

Okay, time to get back to work on your Challenge projects.  And mine too.

Have a great week. Get SEW much done!

Sew. Laugh. Finish. Repeat.

Always,

Tricia @ VRD

2025 6 Quilts in 6 Weeks Challenge · Rose Cards · villa rosa designs

6 Quilts in 6 Weeks Challenge – Week 1 and NEW October VRD Quilt Patterns

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Hello Quilty Friends!

Happy Thursday to you!

There’s a lot to do on today’s blog post, so let’s just jump in with both feet!

Logo of 3 Aunts Quilt Shop featuring a stylized bee and ants on a bright blue background.

First, I want to congratulate our very own Cook family – Molly, Heidi, and mom Tamara – on taking on the former Villa Rosa Designs physical quilt shop. They’ve renamed the shop 3 Aunts Quilt Shop and you can find it HERE. Please extend them your congratulations!

6 Quilts in 6 Weeks Challenge

I am absolutely THRILLED that 20 intrepid quilters have joined in with me for the 6 Quilts in 6 Weeks Challenge. Please post your before photo (unfinished quilt top or pile of fabric with the pattern if you’re making new projects) and after photo (completed project, quilted and bound [if you are doing Accessory projects, it may not actually have quilting and/or binding and that’s okay]) on our VRD Facebook page or you can email them to me at tricia@villarosadesigns.com if you prefer.

Your before/after photos must be on the Facebook page or emailed to me by each Friday at midnight EST during the 6 Week Challenge.

If you have any questions, please drop me an email.

All right! Wanna see my finished project for Week 1????

Here is my Before photo:

A vibrant quilt featuring warm autumn colors such as orange and brown, displayed outdoors on a sunny day, with trees and grass in the background.

And here is my After photo:

A colorful quilt draped over a chair, featuring autumn-themed fabrics in shades of orange, yellow, and brown, with a patchwork design.

This VRD quilt is the Alassio pattern. I did this one as a tutorial in August 2023 (when I first wrote this sentence I thought it was from last year, then I checked and found out it was from 2023 – yikes!) and it went into my UFO (unfinished Object) pile. I thought it would a great one to start out the Challenge because it has a lovely warm fall vibe with the yummy batiks from Hoffman. I backed the quilt with cozy orange fleece and free motion quilted it with an allover meander design. I added the binding and machine-stitched it down. I’m not the greatest at finishing binding by machine, but it sure does go a lot faster than doing it by hand. I then added my label to the back. As this isn’t one of my patterns, I added VRD and the name of the pattern to my label along with my name, city and state, and the year the quilt was finished. Even though I started it in 2023, I didn’t complete it until now, so 2025 goes on the label.

Cover image for the Alassio quilt pattern by Villa Rosa Designs, featuring a colorful patchwork design with various fabrics in squares and rectangles.

Don’t have Alassio???

Get your digital pattern HERE or your print pattern HERE

Find the VRD Alassio tutorial HERE

I’ve already picked my project to complete for Week 2, but you’ll have to wait until next week to see it.

Now it’s your turn – post your photos before midnight. I’ll keep track of everyone who has posted (or sent me) their before/after photos for each week. Then I’ll randomly select that week’s winner from those folks who completed their weekly challenge. Please bear with me as I line up the prizes as this past weekend was International Quilt Market and this week is Festival so many of the companies I work with are a bit preoccupied right now.

If you don’t post a before/after photo for a weekly Challenge or you miss the deadline, your name won’t go into that week’s prize drawing. And that’s okay because life gets busy. I’m not kicking you out of the challenge – just make sure to post your photos for the next week to get your name in the next week’s drawing. Easy peasy.

I want to encourage all of you as well as myself to finish projects, not to stress about them.

I hope I’ve answered any questions you might have had. If not, feel free to email me.

Now let’s take a look at the new October quilt patterns!

NEW October VRD Rose Card Quilt Patterns

As many of you already know, I just love the Thursday after the first Friday of every month because I get to show off our new patterns! If you’re new to Villa Rosa, you might not yet know that we offer at least 5 (but sometimes 6 or even 7) NEW patterns each and every month. It’s crazy, right? And nobody else does that, except VRD.

An overview of five new quilt patterns for October 2025, including 'Enchanted Forest,' 'Gabriella,' 'Maple Syrup,' 'Fennimore,' and 'Phyllis.' Each pattern features unique designs and colors, showcased in a collage format.

Get All 5 print patterns HERE

Enchanted Forest is Melissa’s new pattern just in time for Fall Quilting……or Spring…….or Summer. Her “happy trees” are right at home in any season! You can find a kit at Molly and Heidi’s newly named 3 Aunts Quilt Shop, HERE.

Gabriella is Pat’s newest Tim Holtz Palette quilt and features 3 lovely stars amongst the lavender and purple prints. 3 Aunts Quilt Shop still has kits available HERE.

Maple Syrup is Heidi’s latest foody quilt featuring a lovely panel and side borders of a coordinating printed stripe. 3 Aunts has kits in stock HERE.

Fennimore is Rachelle’s new modern pattern for October. It features a very interesting block. You can find Fennimore kits at 3 Aunts HERE.

Phyllis is Catherine’s October pattern and shows you a unique way to make the large star blocks. You can find 3 different kit options at Catherine’s shop, Running Doe Quilts, HERE.

There’s one more quilt for this month and it’s a real fun one!

Boscobel is a small or wall quilt sized project by Rachelle. You can use the cut off triangles from Fennimore for this project or your favorite stack of 5″ squares. This small quilt would also make a great table quilt!

A vibrant quilt titled 'Boscobel' featuring colorful triangles on a white background, designed by Rachelle for Villa Rosa Designs.

Get your digital pattern HERE or your print pattern HERE.

Yes, you probably noticed that yours truly did not have a new pattern for October. You’ll just have to wait for November!

I wanted to let you know that I’m still reading book 5 in the Quilt City series. The story is moving along swiftly, but I just haven’t had a lot of time to read this past week.

Well, it’s time for me to get back to my Challenge project for next week. Happy quilting to all of you!

See you right back here next week for more VRD fun and Week 2 of our 6 Quilts in 6 Weeks Challenge.

Until then –

Sew. Laugh. Repeat.

Always,

Tricia @ VRD