2015 Row By Row Experience - H2O

When I was in Wichita in July, Karen and I went to the quilt shops to pick up free row patterns for the 2015 Row by Row.  The program runs during the summer in Canada and the United States.  Participating quilt shops design a 9 x 36" row pattern and give them away to those that come into their shop and ask for it.  You can also purchase a fabric kit for the pattern if you want it.  The first person to bring in a finished quilt of 8 rows or more into a participating shop wins a prize of a fat quarter pack.  If that store's row is in the quilt, a second prize is awarded.  This prize varies by store.  When Karen came here, we went to Oberlin to get their block.  I fell in love with the barn and fishing pond of that "Fishin'"  block.  It was applique and embroidery.  I purchased their last year block that was of a covered wagon with fall features called "Home, home on the Range".  I thought I'd make these two blocks into a small wall hanging. 

In September I went to Karen's again with another block from the Oakley & Stockton quilt shops that she wanted.  Karen had several rows made and was in the process of a few more.  I decided to make these two rows just for fun.  As I did these I made a few more while Karen was in school during the day.  I ended up with 8 rows.  Karen kept telling me Oberlin shop had not had a winner yet and encouraged me to pet my quilt together and take it in so I could win the prize if I was the first one.  I could not imaging doing that but finally agreed to give it a try.  If nothing else I would have a finished quilt project this summer. 

When I got home I did all the embroidery on the Oberlin row then pieced the quilt top together.  I quilted it on Mom's long arm quilting machine then put on the binding.  Last Saturday I took it into Country Quilting & Keepsakes quilt shop in Oberlin.  I am that store winner.  As a prize I received a 25 piece fat quarter and as the extra prize for having their block in my quilt I was given another 21 fat quarters that made a complete set of fat quarters from a collection.  What a wonderful gift!! That is over $160 value.  Norma Carman, owner of the quilt shop, asked if they could display the quilt in the store for a while.  They are participating in a quilt shop hop with other shops in northwest Kansas.  She would like to keep it at least through that.  The Row by Row ends October 31 so I think I'll pick up my quilt after that.  I have had many nice comments on the Kansas Row By Row Facebook page and from those that have seen the quilt.  

Hanging in Country Quilting & Keepsakes in Oberlin, KS

 

46 Fat quarter prize

Quilting Treasures Blenders collection

Karen is sending me her Row by Row quilt to have it quilted then I'll send it back to her.  She said as of this weekend one Hutchinson store does not have a finished quilt turned it.  Maybe she can win a prize for her quilt also.  It has been fun working on this project with her.  Thanks, Karen, for all your encouragement.  Also thanks to all the quilt shops that participate in this program. It was fun.

 

Rose

 



Island Sunrise

No, I have not taken an island vacation.  I have been quilting again.  Remember one of the quilt tops I made in July? I have the Island Sunrise paper pieced wall hanging that Karen & I made quilted and bound.  It is finished.

 I am happy with the way it turned out.  Thanks, Karen for your help putting it together.

Rose

Pedi

I went to Great Bend to spend a couple days with my friend, Roni, after she had hernia and two breast surgeries.  I was there to help her.  She needed to meet her mother in Hutchinson for a doctor appointment so I took her because she is not able to drive yet.  We met her mother, aunt and uncle for lunch, saw her mother's new apartment and went to the appointment.  Roni decided to pamper me.  I was to be pampering her!  She had me take her to the mall and we went into a nail salon for pedicures.  I have never had a pedi before.  I had no idea what to expect.  We picked out nail color and sat in massage chairs and put our feet in a mini whirlpool to soak.  We had about 20 minutes of this before technicians came to us.  Trim, clean, scrub, massage and color.  It was nice.  I especially liked the leg and foot massage because that is where I hurt the most all the time.  After we were finished, the tech placed thin flip flops on my feet and had me sit under an ultraviolet light what was to dry the polish faster.  It made our feet and nails look florescent.  It was a nice treat but not something I will do often.  Next time maybe a manicure.

 

 

Rose

Quilting Time Vacation

In July I went to Wichita to spend 3 weeks with my sister, Karen.  We had so many plans for sewing and quilting.  But first we babysat with her grandchildren for most of a week.  Emily & Ryan were working on getting a house ready to move into so we watched Flora.  She was 7 month old and just learning to crawl and stand up and move around things.  She was so fun and warmed up to me pretty well but there is nobody like Grandma.

After that we kept Dianne & Derick's two kiddos.  Braedan & Kinsley came on a Thursday, spent the night with us and stayed all day on Friday.  Braedan was so funny when we went to their house. When we arrived, he came on a run to us but ran right past Grandma Karen to me with a huge hug.  What a sweet boy.  The decided that since I was staying at Grandma's house for 3 weeks maybe he should stay with her 3 weeks also.  I love you but you are too busy for me for that long.  Kinsley, at 10 1/2 months old, is walking (running) everywhere already.  It was a fun time with the kids.

Finally we had time to sew.  I had fabric and pattern for a paper pieced project and Karen wanted to learn to do that technique.  We worked on it and got the quilt top completely put together. I now have the back ready and just need to get down to Mom's to quilt it.  I'd like to have it done by the time I take Mom and her sisters to Manhattan for their Sister's Week in October.  Better get busy, Rose.












  I was already working on a hand pieced applique of a camping scene and did get it finished while I was there. 

Then on to my third project, Larua's baby quilt.  I finally came up with a plan and Karen helped me to make it come to life much easier than it could have.  We went to school and cut out the alphabet letters from the fabric with the fusible web on the back with the cutter that they do letters for their bulletin boards.  We also cut out letters for the names on the backs of her grandbaby big girl bed quilts.  I fused the letters then machine appliqued them, & put the top together.  When I got home I machine quilted it on the long arm machine.  I am so excited to give it to her  The baby is due mid September.

It sounds like this was selfish time and all we did was projects for me.  Karen did not have as much sewing to do as I did but she had more 'getting ready' things.  After cutting out the letters, she assembled the quilt backs for Kinsley's & Flora's big girl bed quilts and appliqued their names on them.  We also got another quilt back ready to take to the farm to quilt.  That was for the 3 quilts she wanted to quilt on Mom's long arm machine when she went to the farm for the Summer Family Gathering.  We put a quilt on the big frames and pinned it so she could hand quilt it in a lap hoop.  After that quilt was removed from the frame, we put in Liz's graduation quilt to be hand quilted in the large frames.  That quilt is so big that it took up a huge part of the basement with barely room to get past it to go to the other end of the room.

We also changed a light fixture in the basement so that we had more light to work by.  I am scared of electrical projects but Karen is not.  I helped but actually she did all the hard parts.  I did the holding and handing of tools.  We also took a good look at the basement to figure out what she would like to do to make it more waterproof and repair any water damage.  Then she wants to removed the big room in the basement into a family room and kids play room that can be used for her large quilting frames also.  We had a lot of fun going out to eat and going to fabric shops collecting Row by Row patterns. 

I had a fun time at Karen's home and always feel comfortable and at home there.  I also was able to bring her home with me for another 2 weeks.  What a fun quilting vacation.


Rose