Why I Should Consider Buying Rose Quilts?

Here are a  few good reasons:

• DURABILITY     The fabric materials that they use are sourced from the US, Japan, and the Philippines. A finished product underwent meticulous QC, it's a combination of machine and hand sewing, appliques, the works. Safe to say, they're HANDCRAFTED to perfection. A bed cover, queen or king with 2 pillow cases, would take 2-3 weeks to finish.

This is our Honeymoon Quilt of 12 years, a wedding gift made especially for us by one of my dearest friends, Rina. No repair has been made ever since we used it over a decade ago. Here, you see that Rina's creation is still in good shape.

Rina and I

I just thought that this wonderful work of art was worth the posting, tattered and all, LOL! The oldest in my collection, "she's" still a beauty at almost 15 y/o. It was a birthday gift to me by another dear friend of mine, Debbie, who's actually the one who influenced me into sewing quilts and of course, HOMESCHOOLING...I remember Debbie and I used tons of quilting pins to bind the ruffles that would go around the pocket for the pillow. I realized that placing the pins in the right order can make or break a lovely project. And boy, had I poked my fingers with pins many, many times!

I'd never forget the day Debbie showed me these fabulous collection of fabrics she had from the U.S. and asked me to choose the material I like as backing for a "Quillow" project she wanted to create with me. A QUILLOW is a word combination for QUILT and PILLOW in ONE. A simple quilted blankie that folds into a pillow; best for traveling, sleep-overs, camping...it is so flexible especially with kids, they can stick their cold feet in the pocket.

Debbie and I

My daughter and I so loved this quillow, very soft, very comfy.  I liked it that it was thoughtfully given to me as birthday present where I had to put effort in its creation. 

• AESTHETIC VALUE     No two Rose Quilts items are exactly the same, therefore they're all unique, the patterns, the stitches, etc. So, remember that when you purchase an item, you're the only person on earth who has that kind of design. IT'S LIKE OWNING A PAIR OF LEVI'S JEANS.

• REASONABLY PRICED     Let's compare the market price of  a basic quilted bed cover. I've asked around our local malls and learned that for a set of queen size bed cover with 2 standard size pillow cases prices are from: 
• MALL PRICE   PhP 8,000-10,000, roughly about $190-238 
• ROSE QUILTS PhP 4,000-6,000, roughly about $95-143  
• Note that  in the malls THERE ARE NO PATCHES, NO APPLIQUES, just quilted three layer fabrics. Rose Quilts are more  than that, they all come in colorful patches galore! Talk about value for your money.

• CREATING HEIRLOOMS    My sister who recently bought 2 sets of king-size bed covers happily shares feedback that she now owns heirloom pieces, very durable and yet, won't run out of style.

• CHANGING LIVES    Every time you buy any of Rose Quilts' beautiful pieces, bags, table runners, bed covers and pillow cases, please remember that you're helping some of the women of Baloc in San Pablo City, Laguna to have a decent and safer place to work where they can provide for their families, away  from the toxic and hazardous wastes found at the dump site. Here's a link to Philippine Frontline Ministries: http://www.thefrontline.asia/

• GREAT CONVERSATION PIECE    It's always so easy to engage in a meaningful conversation when you have a piece or two of these quilted patches. But, if  you're like me, my pieces are sporadically placed anywhere at my house like the large pillow case which suddenly became a table runner for one of my coffee tables. One baby quilt I have found its place on my center table where guests stare at and try not  to stain with coffee or tea. Below are some more of Rina's blocks that she gave me a couple of months ago. I told her she should stop spoiling me with her lovely quilts!!! But of course, if Rina were to "back mask" my words, it would be, "keep them coming, Rina!" Laugh out LOUD!

Patches Are Forever Part 2

Who's not loving quilts? 
A quilt is a type of bed cover, traditionally composed of three layers of fiber: a woven cloth top, a layer of batting or wadding and a woven back, combined using the technique of quilting. 

“Quilting” refers to the technique of joining at least two fabric layers by stitches or ties. In most cases, two fabric layers surround a middle layer of batting (cotton, polyester, silk, wool or combinations of fibers) which is a lighter, insulating layer.

Patchwork or "pieced work" is a form of needlework that involves sewing together pieces of fabric into a larger design. The larger design is usually based on repeat patterns built up with different colored shapes. These shapes are carefully measured and cut, straight-sided, basic geometric shapes making them easy toe piece together.)                                                                                                Source: Wikipedia

Sadly though, real quilted patchwork had always been a rare find in the Philippines, not even in big malls in Manila. The only ones you can find in big malls are those that are simply machine-quilted three-layer fabrics that you won't be able to buy because of their exorbitant prices! I once saw a queen sized lovely quilt complete with intricate patchwork design during one of our short trips to Taal public market  in Batangas. But what more can you expect from it being the only piece of its kind in the entire country, I suppose? Apart from it being too pricey, the middle layer of batting felt like it was a polyurethane foam sheet that would break apart when washed...much to my dismay.

But God, through His wonderful ways, has answered my prayers, for lovely quilts to be made available for sale here in the Philippines. Yes, Lord! Quilted patches that I can afford, LOL! 

So here they are, being manufactured in the Philippines by no less than my good old friends  from Philippine Frontline Ministries based in San Pablo City, Laguna. But that's not all. Their quilts have stories to tell which I will write in a different blog entry soon. 

It's raining quilts, Hallelujah! It's raining quilts, amen!
Left to right: That's Moi - Gemma, Rhoda Lynn, Rhoda, Rolly, Rina, Noriel, and Rowena 

These are my friends from The Philippine Frontline based in San Pablo City. We've made a lot of wonderful memories together from 1994-1997 when I joined this anointed Team serving in the Lord's ministry, they're more like a family to me. It was through The Philippine Frontline that I was first introduced to homeschooling. And in fact, the lovely lady standing next to me, Rhoda Lynn Pessina Dayo, used to be one of the homeschooled kids that I taught there. Her Mom, in red shirt, is Rowena Pessina, my mentor in the faith, and the brainchild of this Quilt Project which aims to give livelihood to the less fortunate women living at the Baloc Dumpsite area in San Pablo City. So, when you buy a piece or two of their quality quilts, you know you've helped these women bring rice and food at their table.   Here are some more of our photos together. I'll be writing about their advocacy, or shall I say OUR advocacy  in a different post in the days to come. But first, please click this link to their website: 

http://www.thefrontline.asia/pfm-news/68-pfm-fmc/187-fwc-baloc.html

                                                                                        

 Meet GAB! the real Gab! She's so adorable and sweetest of them all...Rhoda Lynn's babe...and everyone else's for that matter...

Thank you so much that you've reached this far, scrolling all the way down here, LOL! So, this is where your blogger blogs, where there's peace and quiet. I must tell you that getting the right kind of quilt is critical in creating a post that will generate a traffic swarm from across the universe, LOL, again...

Find Patches Are Forever Part 1 Here