Row By Row Experience 2015

This was the 2nd year I participated in the Row By Row Experience.  Last year was an adventure with travels which covered VA, NC, SC, GA,& FL; this year I set a personal goal to be the first finisher at a quilt shop.  Well, I am super excited to announce that I DID IT!! 

My 2015 adventure to be a 1st finisher and win a prize began on June 21st and ended on June 30, 2015.  During these 9 days it wasn't ALL sewing; I looked through a bunch of photos of my dad so I could post a few pics for Father's Day (I really miss him!), drove around to the shops and purchased kits / picked up patterns, had breakfast with a friend, attended Washington Nationals Baseball Games at the park, got a flat tire in Manassas, drove on a donut tire for a day so I could take my niece and nephew to breakfast, waited 3 hours for a new tire in Fairfax, had a sew day with 2 friends, attended a birthday dinner for my nephew Thomas (turned 14), attended a wedding in Woodbridge, and of course SEWED, SEWED, SEWED...

Unfortunately, there were casualties of this adventure:  no clothes were washed during this time (good thing we have a lot of clothes!), no grocery shopping was done (sorry babe!), very few meals were eaten with my husband (sorry babe!) and the pup really didn't get as much attention as she is accustomed to (sorry Pumpkin!)

PUMPKIN - mom, are you ever gonna get out of this room?

Journey JR, the gnome, made a debut on the Row by Row Quilt in the Cabana!

The morning of July 1, 2015 I drove to Oh Sew Persnickety in Haymarket, VA where I met up with my friend Lynne.  I was secretly screaming inside because this was really a personal goal to see if I could complete challenge of all 8 rows, figure out how to put it all together, create a label, machine quilt on my home sewing machine and machine bind it all in time to be the first in a shop.  There was definitely a feeling of relief when I officially completed the quilt and delivered it to the shop.  Then we went to IHOP and had some fluffy pancakes :-)

The FINAL Quilt

 

The Quilt Label

What I won:
Imagine my excitement when I got to actually PICK all 25 of the Fat Quarter Prize!!  It took me a little time because I really, really, really wanted 1 of each fabric in the store!  Alas, I narrowed it down to the following 25, which I'm in love with.  Thank you Oh Sew Persnickety.

The Row By Row Experience website:
http://www.rowbyrowexperience.com/

Quilt Shops where Rows came from that make up my quilt:

• http://www.auroraquilts.com/ (Manassas, VA)
• http://www.bluecrabquiltco.com/index.htm (Henrico, VA)
• http://www.bonnysews.com/ (Stafford, VA)
• https://www.jinnybeyer.com/ (Great Falls, VA)
• http://www.kellyannsquilting.com/ (Warrenton, VA)
• https://www.ohsewpersnickety.com/ (Haymarket, VA)
• http://www.quilterscornerva.com/ (Midlothian, VA)
• www.quiltpatchva.com (Fairfax, VA)

Final thoughts:  I'd like to thank all those who supported and kept me motivated during this personal challenge!  A special shout out to Lynne (she was the 1st finisher at the Blue Crab Quilt Co in Henrico, VA - yay!) who was my travel and accountability sidekick literally during all hours of the night / morning, Doreen (of www.auntreensplace.com), and all the H&H ladies for encouraging words, and especially my husband for rescuing me when I got a flat tire and for being so patient while I was sewing like a crazy person!  It truly takes a village...