Nanna's 2015 Row-by-Row Quilt
 

I was encouraged to do a R-b-R quilt this summer and post it on QB so this is it. I'm really not fond of the bonding method of applique but for this it was okay. I had trouble with the glue sticking to the needle and breaking thread as I stitched the pieces on but I posted that problem and a few people came to my aide. This quilt will get washed so I had to satin stitch everything on.... sure used up a lot of thread.

But we live in Michigan's Upper Peninsula during the summer, only 20 or so miles from Wisconsin. The quilt shops are spread out..... some 2+ hrs drive from me but to get 8 blocks for a quilt I had to include Wi shops. And really, there were some nice shops that I'd never been to before. I picked blocks that reflect our 'Up North' experience and since we took a cruise to Alaska this summer I also included the ship (it has dolphin buttons sewn on.... should have been whales), and the dog sled block. The only block not from my area up here is the big lighthouse on the side. I had my SIL down state send that kit to me. I think I read somewhere that there's only one state with more lighthouses than Michigan and I needed an up and down block for the side.

So, here it is. I don't know if there are any shops still needing a quilt to be turned in but I have one shop I'm going to check today. If I don't get the FQs, that's fine. This quilt will definitely fit well up here at the cabin.

That's an amazing quilt, you've really put so much visual interest into it. What a lot of work (and thread) and so worth it, it's a beauty.

Fantastic job and fits wonderfully for a cabin. My aunt and uncle have a cabin on Neebish Island in the UP. Gorgeous area....

Love it! hope you find a store that has not gotten a winner yet.

Oh what fun rows you collected! Love your quilt...I'm slowly getting at mine and I am doing satin stitching on my fusible appliqués too with rayon embroidery threads. Hope you find a shop to win a prize, but if not... great job in getting yours finished so quickly!

Great quilt! Love your tribute to the UP and Michigan. I grew up in Midland and as an ex-Michigander everything about your quilt makes sense to me. Really nice :-)

Really interest and neat. Like it.

great job !!!

Love your quilt Nanna. You do some beautiful work!

Absolutely wonderful row by row! Love all the Michigan in it.

Beautifully done!

Your quilt looks like it was a lot of fun making. It's very pretty.

Very nice quilt.

Beautiful work!!

Nice quilt! Lots of work and traveling. Glad you won the fat quarters!

Thanks everyone for your kind words. I did find a shop that hadn't gotten a winner yet..... so, I'm the winner. I'm right in the middle of 4 shops that are doing Row-by-Row this year....all 1 1/2 hours away, north, east, south, or west. The north one was the one without a winner.

So, this is what I got..... and 32 FQ bundle of Kona solids and the great tote with pictures of spools of thread. I sure wish I had all the colors of thread to match the 32 FQs. This is a grand prize for me..... doing LBB I can't ever have enough colors and the solids allow me to embellish easily.... Yeah. Thank you so much AnnaLu from Sew Irresistible in Houghton, Mi.

Terrific quilt! You have some cute rows, and it's nicely done! :)

You did an excellent job choosing your fabric and patterns. Congratulation of winning all those delicious RK fat quarters.

A very cute story telling quilt, I liked it.
Dick

Nice quilt. I'm doing a row by row from each of my two home states - Michigan and Florida. I have found great variation in the instructions and have been glad I've had some quilting experience under my belt to interpret some of them. The one I'm working on now has the dimensions of the blocks wrong and if I had just cut the pieces as they were written they wouldn't fit together as some are given finished size and others raw sizes.
If the purpose of the Row by Row is to drive traffic to quilt shops and inspire people in quilting then my advice to quilt shops when putting together the instructions for a pattern is to write them for a beginner quilter. I'm so frustrated with the one with the wrong sizes I don't care if I ever go back to that shop.
Other than my little diatribe above I've had a ball going to different quilt shops. This is the second year I've done it and recommend it.

WOW! Nanna. Didn't know there was another quilt shop in Houghton. What a wonderful prize to win. You can always use basic colors and what a great assortment.

excellent quilt, so much to look at and great winning prize too. congratulations.

I love your quilt! Your designs are so different from others I have seen here.

You did a wonderful job!!! I love it. Thanks for showing it.

Love it! You did an amazing job.

Yup, there sure is. It's actually a fabric and yarn shop right downtown. The owner was very sweet even though I hadn't included her row in my quilt. When my SIL came up to visit and we did the shop hop to collect R-b-Rs, we missed her..... closed at that point, I think. But, I will be sure to collect hers next year. It was very cute.

And, I'll do this again next year. I bought an extra UP cut out for the top and then I'll put them both on the beds in our guest loft bedroom. I can't have enough quilts for guests and these are special for the cabin.

Thanks everyone for your kind words.

Wonderful quilt nice to see the plates too (even if I can't read where they are from). Congrats on finding a store waiting for you to be their winner.

Very nice quilt. I can definitely appreciate all the effort put into doing the row x row. I did one for the first time this year. It was fun and a whole lot of work. I was able to take it one of the shops that I used their row and got some patterns designed by the shop owner along with the fat quarters. Congrats!

A great RBR. I really like how the silhouette of the UP is incorporated into it. What is the building on the bottom row?

Edited to add, congrats on winning that fabulous FQ bundle too!! Can't go wrong with such a stunning array of solids that have such a wonderful gradation of color.

I adore your quilt! I love row by row quilts!!! Will be starting on Lori Holt's "Quilty Fun" soon.

The building is the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. It's a very special place for those of us from Michigan. There are no motorized vehicles allowed on the island so everybody gets around by bicycle, or horses, or foot. The only way to get to the island in the summer is by ferry. In the winter, I've heard that you can snowshoe your way across from the mainland. It's a pretty place. The movie, 'Somewhere in Time' was filmed there and if you haven't seen it, you should. It's the most wonderful love story. I had to include it in my R-b-R.

Great quilt! My husband and I went on a trip to the U.P. this summer to visit his alma mater, Michigan Tech in Houghton. We went to every shop we could find, including in Wisconsin on the way up and the way down to Milwaukee. I got some of the same patterns that you did, but I haven't started making mine yet. How big did your quilt end up being?

Leslie

It's 72" x 86" approx. I put it on our full sized bed as I was measuring and designing how to place the pieces. The blocks are 9x36 finished. And, I used 2" finished for sashing. The border is 1/2" blue and 3" brown.

I'm glad you liked stopping by some of our fun shops here in the northwoods. There are certainly a lot of different flavors in all the shops. I had a lot of fun doing this.

Beautiful! we are summer yoopers, Gladstone mi. I absolutely love your quilt. I want to make one.

Ahh. Thank you, Donna. My dad grew up in Poplar Bluff. I still have relatives there but don't stay in contact with them much anymore. I always loved going to Poplar Bluff.

Great job!! It's a keeper.

So happy for you that you found a shop to collect your well deserved prize!

Very, very nice! And I love your signature quote!