Row By Row 2017 Part One
Now that I have finished my Row By Row 2016 quilt it is time to get started on the Rows from 2017. Free patterns are given at participating shops with an option to purchase a kit with fabric and embellishments. I learned from my experience with the 2016 Rows that it is much easier to work from a kit so that is what I purchased for the 2017 Rows. The goal behind the Row By Row concept is to collect eight rows, stitch them into a quilt, and then be the first to return it to one of the shops in order to receive a prize. Since both my 2016 and 2017 Rows will be completed in 2018 I am out of luck for any prize! However, I will have two fun quilts that document our travels during those two summers.
The first row that I completed came from The Creative Needle in Littleton, CO. I purchased this kit on our trip in August to Breckenridge. It is an awesome mountain scene made from 2 1/2” squares of blue sky fabric and batiks. The directions encouraged the maker to use an Accu-Quilt cutting machine. Since I don’t have an Accu-Quilt machine I used my ruler and rotary cutter. A fusible interfacing grid came with kit on which I laid the squares and ironed them to it according to the pattern.
Then I folded the squares right sides together and stitched 1/4” seam in one direction and then the other. It was a bit awkward to deal with but went together very fast.
The kit also included die-cut columbine flowers and leaves along with beads to be sewn on the Row after quilting is completed.
I purchased the next kit from Missouri Country Quilts in Boonville, MO. We stopped at this friendly shop on our way to Paducah, KY in September. It was an easy row to construct. The first step was to trace and cut out the cars and balloons. Next I stitched together the grass, highway, and sky. For some reason the grass fabric had fusible web on it. I’m not sure why as it wasn’t necessary and made it a bit tricky to press. I was lucky that it did not stick to the ironing board. The directions indicated a blanket stitch around the pinwheel but not the other appliqués so that is what I did. The kit included fun buttons for the car tires that I will add after the quilting is completed.
Another Row that I purchased on that same trip was from The Stitching Store in Covington, TN. It is the first vertical row that I have done and features a colorful hot air balloon. The directions were not exact but luckily I had enough fabric to recut what I needed. The stripe fabric remnant was not cut so that the stripes could go horizontal like shown in the pic but I think it still looks OK. I still have to decide what to put on the sign below the balloon’s basket. The directions also indicate adding pieces of 1 1/2” squares that look like kites. I don’t know if I will add those but the Row is not very interesting so definitely needs something to give it a little spark.
Another vertical row was purchased at Country Traditions in Fremont, NE. It is an interesting and colorful Row that has a flower that appears to be losing its petals in the wind. I started by cutting five pieces of black fabric into various sizes and then sewing them together in a long strip. This piece was then cut into four strips. These were sewn together with another narrower black pieced unit that was connected to a lime green stem. Next I fused the brightly colored squares and triangles on the black background to form the flower. The directions indicated that the appliqués could be stitched down with an invisible thread. I opted to leave the raw edges as is because they adhered nicely to the background and I didn’t want any stitching to take away from the clean look.
Although eight rows are encouraged for this project, I was only able to collect seven this time. I will need to give some extra thought to the layout of these rows as I have two that are vertical and five that are horizontal. Stay tuned for the construction of the final three rows as well as planning the layout of this quilt. I can’t wait to see how it turns out!