Hello ladies in Group 11: Boop56, Obsessed, Kehoeta, and AmandaB. I am JudyG and am truly honored to be your group leader. I am really excited about our group and am looking forward to getting to know you a little better and working with all of you over the next year. We have a variety of themes in our group and they should keep all of us on our toes and excited each time we get a new quilt to work on.

Our themes are:
Judy G: Something Southwestern
Boop56: Anything in Purples, Blues and Creams
Obsessed: Mardi Gras (Purple, Green and Gold)
Kehoeta: Jewels
AmandaB: Garden/Spring (flowers, birds & butterflies)

We need a name – Hopefully, one of you will have a brilliant idea as I really don’t at this time.

Please be sure to post pictures here and on the Original site before you mail your row. Now it’s time to get busy and start making beautiful rows.

I am so excited to get started! I have never done a row robin, or a swap for that matter. I am really looking forward to getting to know everyone! :)

Has anyone started their row yet? I have a very rough draft of want I am doing for my first row but I haven't started yet. I wanted to wait till after Christmas.

I would love to hear some of the ideas you ladies are going to do for labels. I have never done a label and am kind of stumped. Thanks!

I know that in some groups the quilters are sending around a label with their row, for everyone to sign with permanent ink. Would you guys mind if I just sent around a list for your to write your information on? I would like to embroider the label once everything is done.

Or, I could send around a label for everyone to sign and then I could embroider over the ink... hmmmm... something to think about. That would preserve all the different handwriting - What do you think?

Glad to see you found our thread Amanda and Lara. I think we're all excited to get going. Since we are in Arizona this year and all our kids and grandkids are in Washington, I had to get things done for the holidays and mailed ahead of time, so have had some time to work on this quilt. I made three blocks today and will post pictures tomorrow to see what you think of them. I've tried to incorporate lots of colors to give you more things to work with on my rows. We'll see how it all goes.

Okay, I have finished three of my five blocks for my row and pictures are attached. When you look at the row of three, visualize that the two blocks on the left will be repeated on the right. What do you think? My theme is "Something Southwestern." The block at the left of the row is called "Phoenix" and what will be the center block (now the block on the right) is called "Desert Sun." The blocks with the pots is included to introduce lots of colors into the quilt so you have lots to work with when you are working on it. My intention for this quilt is that it be what are considered Southwestern colors (seems to be most anything if you look at that pot block) or blocks with Southwestern names. I just want everyone to have fun when they're working on it.

Is it too late to join your row robin? And I am fairly new to quilting - so how skilled do you need to be to join?

Yes, Yankee in Texas, it is too late to join this row robin. The signup date ended on Dec. 20th and Bookworm assigned all the groups. You might pm her with your information in case she needs someone to fill in at any point during the year while we are working on these. I believe there are 16 groups of five people who are in this row robin.

For future info, you don't have to be of any particular skill level. We are all learning new things as we go along and it's just a really great way to get to know fellow board members.

Keep your eye out on new posts for future row robins to be set up as I am sure there will be at some point.

Thanks! And thanks for the information - I guess I will just continue to hone my quilting skills as I watch the row robins as they progress. :>)

Judy - I am loving the colors!

I love the idea of using the actual handwriting of each person and embroidering it on to the label. You could still have us sign on paper and then scan/copy it to fabric paper or something similar and then do your embroidery from that. This way you still have the original and can redo it if you need to.

Judy - your blocks are really pretty! I can't wait to see your finished row!

Amanda - thanks for the idea! I think I definitely want to preserve everyone's original "signature." I just like the look of an embroidered label. I guess I've got a little time to figure it out.

Regarding our name, the only things I can think of are really corny, like using the word "Prime" since 11 is a prime number. "USQA Prime" (US "Quilters" Assn) Or, since we don't have an international component to our group, using the word "Domestic." "Domestic Divas" (don't really like that). The number 11 just isn't speaking to me! :lol: The best suggestion may be the one Judy sent us in the email!

One more baby blanket to quilt tonight, and then I get to start piecing together all those little scraps I cut out for my row! I can't wait!

I think it should be something llike desert surprise. Kinda like all the colors of a desert sunset with wild flowers scattered around. I sure hope the blockes I make you are okkay. Yours looke beautiful so far.

Okay, ladies, we need to figure out a name for our group. Are we going to go with "Making Friends Row by Row" or do one of you have another suggestion?

Making Friends Row by Row is definitely better than anything I can think of! I have name-block. I vote for your suggestion Judy!

I don't have any ideas on this one. Your suggestions sounds good to me. :)

What about 5:11 Quilters? Referring to: Thessalonians 5:11

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”

I'm actually OK with the other suggestion. I just thought we could try and get the 11 in there somewhere. 11 is a hard one to do anything with.

Eleven **is** really tough! I've just spent a good part of my lunch hour surfing the web looking up synonyms and rhyming words, puns - anything! I have zero clever ideas. Eleven rhymes with seven and heaven - there are eleven members of a football team (even though there are only 5 of us) - "Team 11: Passing rows and scoring friends"?

This is what we're doing, isn't it - encouraging one another - and there are 5 of us. I like this as well as "Making Friends Row by Row" - because I hope that is what we are doing as well! I'd be happy with either name.

Boop - Never in a million years would I want this activity to bring you pain. If 5:11 is a bad reference for you - lets not do it.

Lets' go with "Making Friends Row by Row" for our group name.

I cut all my pieces out last night ans will be sewing this weekend. I'm so excited and happy to be finally working on this project. I'll post my pictures Tuesday probably because my PC up north doesn't have the software for my camera.

Everyone have a HAPPY, HAPPY New Year!!! Lets have fun in 2011.

So do we have a name? I am in agreement!

Kehoeta, please do post some pictures - I'm dying to see what everyone else has planned for us! :wink: I am going to start piecing my row together this weekend too. Hopefully I'll have some pictures to share soon as well.

Have a very happy new year everyone! Happy sewing! :-D :-D

Okay, we'll go with "Making Friends Row by Row" as our group name.

Looking forward to seeing everyone's pictures. I hope to be able to post my row this afternoon. I'm thinking I like it, but want to take a few more peeks before I commit totally. Also been working on a label. Will show that to you too, when I get it finished.

Judy - your blocks are so pretty - I can't wait to see your row complete and together!

I guess I should get back to work while I'm waiting.... ho hum. (...drumming fingers on desk impatiently...)

Well, mine is done and here's the row (Boy, it's hard to get an entire row in a picture, so just remember that the block on the left end is the same as the block on the right end. I had it laying on the back of my couch (where it will go when it's ALL finished) and really like it.

I'm also posting a picture of my label. I haven't actually printed it on fabric yet, but unless something spectacular strikes me (which I doubt), this is what it will be. Not too Southwestern, but I like the colors and think it's pretty.

Regarding labels, have you looked at the free labels on Connecting Threads? That's where this one came from. They have some cute ones.

That is a cute one... and nice row too

I love your row. Makes me wish I had done the same theme. :) Love the label too.

Judy - your row is great! I love how it looks all together. I have some really great ideas for your quilt top... I can't wait to get my hands on it!

(Maybe I should worry about finishing my own first... :oops: )

Thanks, gals, I am glad everyone likes it. I am so looking forward to seeing what gets done with it.

Now I'm ready to see what you all are coming up with so I can get my mind in gear towards doing rows. But it is hard to try to plan ahead because other than the quilt I'll get when we send them out, they change so much by each row that's added and what you think might work good now, won't. But it's fun to think about them.

Feb. 15 seems a long way off. Hope I don't lose it in the mess that's my sewing room before then.

Thanks for making it 'Making freinds row by row.' I joined the board to make freinds and am really excited. I was just at a New Years Eve party and my neighbor told me you had a pic of your row up. I convinced her to join and we share a lot back and forth. Peggy

Thanks for the info and your row is fantastic. I hope I make you proud.

Hey, let's try to be the first qroup of 2011 to get pics posted. Bring on the sewing and FUN!

I should have something to post by tonight. I started sewing my row this weekend when I needed a break from the table runner I was making for my mom's birthday. The table runner is done, and I plan to really work on my row today and tomorrow when the kids are napping/sleeping. So far I've made one 6.5 inch block... only 19 more to go!

First step:Pulled my material. Second Step: It will be either chocolate or nap. LOL

First step: Pulled my material. Second Step: It will be either chocolate or nap. LOL :lol:

I am peeking from group 3. What beautiful blocks.

Worked on my row for a couple of hours yesterday. I should have some early pics to post this weekend. :D

I don't know about everyone else, but I am getting anxious to see everyone's row. I know, I know, we still have til Feb 15, but I love seeing what everyone does.

I know. I am so excited and I thought we had to have it out by Jan. 15th until the neighbor came down and corrected me. LOL

Ok, here is block 1 for my first row. Just finished it a little while ago. I am doing a duplicate block like this that will finish the row and then applique in the middle of the row. That is the plan anyway! :-)

Such soft pretty colors! I love it and can't wait to see the rest of the row!

Love your block, Amanda. Such soft, pretty colors. Can't wait to see the rest of the row.