Row by AWESOME Row

This weekend, I took a trip to Rochester, NY to see a production of Pippin by the Dangerous Signs Theater Troupe. (They perform plays and poems featuring both deaf and hearing actors who create their art simultaneously… Its a very nifty way to watch a musical!)

On the to Rochester, I wandered into a quilt shop in Syracuse, NY.

Purely by chance, I found Calico Gals Quilt Shop,

which is the home of the Row by Row Experience!

(I made a row last year from a shop I found in Austin, and I have been hearing stories about the Row by Row and its evolution at sewing circles…. but I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I walked in this store!!!!)

Of course, I asked if I could take pictures to share with you, and the lady at the counter went to ask the owner if that would be ok. (This gave me plenty of time to get nervous about meeting a successful business owner- What if she said I couldn’t take pictures!?!!)

A few moments later, Janet came out to talk with me. She was warm, and inviting, and kind, and I realized very quickly, that her shop reflected her personality and her welcoming charm.

Janet said that she started her quilt shop 16 years ago. She had a twinkle in her eye when she leaned forward, and said in a conspiratorial tone, “I started this quilt shop with a dream and a dollar- and I had to borrow the dollar to buy the first hundred bolts of fabric!”

The shop is bursting with vibrant fabrics, and store samples shine from every wall. The store has a very active class schedule, and there are Row by Row examples and memorabilia dotted throughout the store.

Janet explained that she had started the Row by Row Experience in 2011, with 20 NY quilt stores participating. The Experience was designed to bring quilters into new stores as they traveled during the summer. The Row by Row Experience has grown at a breath-taking rate. There are now more than 2,800 participating shops in the US and Canada, and even a few shops in Europe who join in the fun!

As part of my tour, Janet let me grab a sneak-peek at her shop’s row for this year’s Row by Row. (Calico Gals had their row made up in two color ways, and Janet gave me permission to show you!)

This is how the finished row will look when it is constructed with the official Row by Row fabric, which you can find here, along with souvenirs and kits from previous years. This-a-Way, That-a-Way (shown above) was designed by Joan Ford of Hummingbird Highway LLC for Calico Gals.

This sample was still under construction, and the Calico Gals were getting ready to put the Row by Row Experience display together before the big kick off on June 21st. If you haven’t already had fun with a Row by Row Experience, you should check out the details, and join the fun this summer!

Now… here are the pictures I promised…

Every display made me want to linger- or to rush home to my sewing machine with a new kit in hand!

I just LOVE the clothesline quilt in the middle!

These batiks are gorgeous!

Calico Gals seamlessly blends the traditional with the modern.

The bundles and kits were so appealing…. I wanted to reach out and touch every piece of fabric in the store…

And every where you look, store samples invite you to try a new patterns. Or retry old favorites…

Last year’s Row by Row in Jo Morton fabrics.

Last year’s Row by Row in the official Row by Row fabric….Are you going to join the fun this year?

Row by Row 2013

Calico Gals also has a large section dedicated to wool applique! I may have fallen in love…..

There is also a miniature rail fence in this display that I found adorable!

See what I mean? And the finished size of those rail fence blocks is probably only an inch and a quarter! I just love the scrappy border, as well…. (Ok, nobody is surprised that the author of ScrapStashtic Quilts loves the scrap quilt…)

Here is the display on top of the Hoosier from the last photo. So cute!!!!

I haven’t played with wool applique in forever, but after looking at Calico Gal’s display, I think that I really need to jump back on the bandwagon!

If you find the Calico Gal’s selection of wool applique as irresistible as I do, you should check out the Wooly Block Adventure! (Because, OF COURSE, there is MORE fun to be had this fall!!!!)

I bought a wool applique kit- I just couldn’t resist! They were so pretty!

I picked up one of these truck kits, because, wellllllll…. I-just-couldn’t-resist!!!!

And I was so excited about getting started that I picked up a pair of sewing scissors that night… just so I could get started in my hotel room!

The U-Swappin Quilts (shown on the right under the quilt with the snowmen and baskets), are part of a six month, eight-easy-blocks-per-month, block-swap club.

Calico Gals is such a diverse quilt shop, you could literally find what you need for any quilting project you can imagine!

I just LOVE this collection of fabric!

If you ever have the opportunity to visit Syracuse, NY, Calico Gals is a “must-see” quilt shop!!!!

Happy Quilting!

Jan

PS. Here’s the kit I bought! Do you want updates as I work on it? Join my Newsletter!