Rose Cottage Quilts

I'm so excited, Quilting Bits & Pieces of Eudora, Kansas is doing my Ode to Joy pattern as a Block of the Month this year.  It started January 1st, will last for 12 months and be $18.00 a month, the pattern is $25.00, with a finished quilt of 96" square.  They are doing it out of Batiks and the basket portion of the quilt will be a different color each month.  I'm including a picture of January to give you an idea.  Mail Outs are normal for BOM's so don't let that stop you if you are interested in making this quilt.  All you have to do is go to their web-site to sign up,  eudoraquiltshop.com, or contact me and I will get you signed up as I work in the shop on Fridays. 

 

Happy New Year and many blessings to you!

 

Deanna Hodson,

Rose Cottage Quilts

My newest pattern is called Rose Parade.  It is a profusion of rose fabrics sewn up into a 56" Square.  I used Robyn Pandolph's latest line Sumptuous Living.  This quilt is "Quick as Wink" to make and "Pretty as a Picture" when finished.  Enjoy!!!

 

 

When God puts something on your heart to do, you may rest assured that He will make the way possible for you to accomplish the task.  This is how my quilting adventure began.  I began sewing when I was twelve.  My two dearest friends sewed and shared their love of sewing with me.  I also took HomeEc in school and tried my hand at garment sewing.  For me, there were too many variables with size, drape of fabric, etc., in garment sewing and I gave up.  I did make a simple pastel squares quilt for my daughter's crib, my very first, but this was long before I had any knowledge of all the wonderful tools and gadgets that make the job so much simpler. 

 

Then, 24 years later there was this odd desire in my heart to have a sewing machine.  I had no idea why, or what I would do with it, I just knew I wanted one.  In March of 2001, God showed me why.  My Mom had just gone home to be with the Lord and I had gathered all of her lovely floral handkerchiefs.  Again, I didn't know why I felt compelled to gather these Hankies, I just knew I had to have them.  A couple days later as I sat leafing through a home decorating magazine God showed me what I would do with the Hankies.  I turned the page of my magazine and a lovely quilt of large applique squares seemed to leap off the page at me.  I could make a quilt like this and substitute my Mom's Hankies for the applique blocks. 

 

I knew God was directing this, there was no question about that, but I've never made a bed sized quilt.  How do I go about it?  All He asks is that we step out and trust Him and as Scripture says, He will direct our paths.  Remember now, I don't even have a sewing machine.  My Sister-in-law Reba was always sewing so God directed me to her for assistance.  He had me do some research on-line for brands, price, and location to purchase a machine and then Reba and I set out for the sewing machine store.  It was Mother's Day weekend.  She and I both walked out of the store with new sewing machines.  Amazing!  Thank God they gave classes on the use of the machine as you will recall, it has been 24 years.  By August, with Reba's help, and inspiration from another dear friend, Amy, who shared a book of Hankie quilts with me, I had a plan for the layout of my quilt and we were ready to purchase fabric.  

 

It is now November and I'm so in awe of all that God has provided.  Within nine months He has brought me from the beginnings of an idea to quilt top completion.  As I look back on His provision and all the people He has brought across my path to direct me on my way I am truly amazed and blessed.  I now have all the equipment needed to make a quilt top, a sewing studio and many new friends.  What a joy it is to serve the Lord and watch Him fulfill the desires of your heart.

 

Once the top was made I had a new dilemma.  How do I quilt a queen size quilt?  Within two more months God had used my husband Arnie and another dear friend, Eula, to help me in the purchase of a home machine quilting frame and another sewing machine with a much wider throat space.  Incredible!  After much creative quilt manipulation and 11 spools of thread, I hadn't learned about the large size spools of thread for machine quilting yet, I had finished quilting a queen size quilt on a 65" quilt frame. 

 

Through the machine quilting process there were many uneasy and difficult times.  I knew there were areas with mistakes and that I wasn't quite doing this in the typical manner, but I was working with what God had provided and He was making me able to get the task accomplished.  I was concerned as to how it would look when I was finished as I knew there were problem areas I didn't quite know how to fix.  This had been quite a marathon project for a beginner.  Once the quilting was finished, I laid my quilt out over the bed.  I was in tears seeing the miracle God had made me able to perform.  I saw the overall project and it was quite beautiful.  The next morning as I began to sew the binding to the quilt, God told me that this is how He sees me.  He knows all my little flaws and imperfections, all my mistakes and battle scars, but what He sees is the overall project and what He is working in me.  To Him, I too am quite beautiful.  Again, I was in tears.  What an amazing God we are privileged to know.