Maybe you are already familiar with the 2018 Row by Row Experience. If not, I’ll try to give you a brief explanation. Since 2011 quilt shops across the United States, Canada, and Europe have joined together during the summer months to participate in a program to offer customers, who visit their shop, a free pattern. I have designed “rows” for several different shops the past few years but this year brought on a new challenge.
Eight of my local quilt shops in the Raleigh and Cary area of North Carolina decided to get together to create a quilt of rows which would go together to create one quilt design. When they asked me to design the quilt, I experienced many emotions, excited, honored, nervous, “What was I thinking!”, etc., you get my drift.
The theme for 2018 is Sew Musical, which could be interpreted in so many ways and if you know me at all, you realize that I am an “outside the box” kind of girl. It was nice to be able to focus in on one concept when the shop owners agreed on a Jimmy Buffett themed quilt.
I started the designing process before Christmas. The biggest challenge was that the “rows” were actually blocks of specific sizes this year and I had to figure out how to get eight blocks of specific sizes to work together. Next, I came up with some sketches for design ideas and then needed to arrange them into a workable solution. You will notice that not all of my original ideas “made the cut”.
In the end, and after many hours of reworking the design, I was able to come up with a workable solution. You may be able to recognize a few of the songs represented if you are a Buffett fan. If not, this would still make a great quilt for a beach house or for someone who simply loves the relaxation of being by the sea.
I will also be offering this as a class next June on a cruise with Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas, June 16-23, 2019. Save your spot today by contacting Dawn Olmstead at QuiltandCruise.com.
Sandy, what size is this quilt when it is finished.
Marie, it’s 48″ wide x 54″ long.
Thanks Sherri, great to hear from you! Sounds like you are staying busy, I’m sure you are constantly sewing!
LOVE it!!! Should have known you’d come up with something spectacular!!!!! Amazing talent.
Thanks so much Lee, glad you like it!
Thanks Nancy, I’m in the process of updating my webpage so I’ve taken it offline for a day. Hopefully, it will be back up and running soon.