Here it is… the official 2019 Row by Row Experience theme!
Click on the balloon below to watch the video announcement!
That’s right! It’s delicious, it’s yummy and it’s creative! Taste the Experience is a theme we all have in common… food!
In planning for 2019, Debra Gabel and I spent a long time thinking about it and discussing the options. We decided that food is something we all think about every single day, no matter where we live and what we do. And it can be a very creative topic.
Once we decided to go with food, we had a bunch more decisions to make:
• What colors do we go with?
• What will the fabric look like?
• What should we order for lunch?
Debra wasted no time working up a color scheme, new logos, designing new fabrics, and even added a chef’s hat to Bobbin. I’ll show you more of that in the next few weeks. We brainstormed with our team for quite awhile over the actual name, but decided that Taste the Experience embraced all the gusto of traveling and sampling new things.
Here are the fun flavors – oops, I mean colors – used in the 2019 RxR artwork. You will see these cupcakes on the selvedges of the new fabrics.
Kendra and Jolene took time out from working on the RxR marketing and website to “play” with cut-outs from the new theme.
I expect that shops will look to local food specialties when designing their rows for 2019, but every year I am amazed with some of the out-of-the-box ideas that show up in rows around the world. And, of course, the shops have complete creative license when it comes to the design. Be looking for some very original concepts!
BTW – are you wondering where in the world I found such a BIG balloon covered in question marks? It’s a gender reveal balloon, used in the trendy baby gender reveal events. (RxR is my baby – lol.) My son Jared owns a balloon decor company (www.syracuseballoons.com) and is often called to create these big displays. He receives the sealed envelope with details of the baby’s gender and then fills the big balloon with either pink or blue smaller balloons. It makes a very loud bang when popped by the expectant parents!
Janet Lutz is the owner of Row by Row Experience and Calico Gals quilt shop in Syracuse, New York. She is passionate about creative business, entrepreneurship and making stuff!
I own a Quilt Shop in n Algoma and would likeinformation about how to get into this!
The Quilted Fis403 Navarino St.,
Algoma, Wi. 54201
Mary Stewart
I had no idea that there was a quilt shop in Algoma!
Sew happy!
Hi Mary! We would love to have your shop join the fun of Row by Row Experience! Please send an email request to info@rowbyrowexperience.com. We will help you get involved.
Great theme. I hope more shops will do the lapel pin of their personalized license plate this year.
Me too I couldn’t find any shops last year with them and I went to 54 shops in 8 states and 2 Canadian provinces
Me too! The little pins are so cute!
Hope they have more embroidery and paper piece and less laser.would be nice if there was a cap on the cost of rows.
Hi Diane – we are hearing feedback about rowers wanting less laser cutting. Unfortunately we cannot set pricing on kits. Since RxR is an international event, costs can be very different in different places.
I have adapted rows to my own skill level. Marlene asks for more embroidery, and any laser design could be done in outline embroidery. Paper pieced designs can be done as applique. Choose your own fabrics early, and save the cost of the kits.
(My only rant is having too many shapes other than rows!)
Like the theme. Hate the colors.
Yea not sure I like the colors eather
What are the colors going to be? I just heard about this idea.
Quilt shops and quilters may choose their own colors for their projects. The fabric this year has a black and white chalkboard theme with many accents of pink, red, turquoise and yellow. Very pretty!
I agree. The colors don’t make me think of food.
Agreed
Couldn’t agree more. Makes me wonder what the decision making criteria were. This color combination takes me back to the 80’s.. I didn’t like it then either.
Think outside the box!
I agree. The RxR colors are not “food” colors. Greens, yellows, reds, oranges, browns… Those are foods. There are plenty of brights in those colors. These look like candy colors.
Not necessarily my top choices for food colors, but fit well with currently available fabrics from many Riley Blake designers such as 2 of my favorites Beverly McCullough and Sue Daley.
I LOVE the Colors, these are the colors in my kitchen.
Can’t wait to go get the patterns!!!
Great job Ladies!
Can’t wait to see new fabrics . This will be my 4th year. It is much fun going to the different quilt stores in Az where I live. But when I travel to visit family my husband is great and stops at quilt stores along the way.
Mine does the same, he reminds me to bring my quilt book (lists all fabric shops and quilts shops all over) and we stop where ever we go. He is a model train buff so we go there also to all the shops. He is the one that started me on this in 2015, happened to stop at a shop and told me about it over the phone. I love this and have purchased kits for our 7 year old granddaughter to do.
You have a great guy there! Hang on to him!
Love, love, love, the theme for 2019. I bake with my granddaughters and one of them will receive the quilt I make next year.
Awwww. That is so sweet! Your granddaughters are lucky to have you to teach them.
Love the 2019 theme. Lots of yummy thoughts running thru my mind.
Awesome! Can’t wait! Who doesn’t love food? 🙂 I bet the fabrics will be amazing, as always! Is that a cardboard cutout of Row by Row birdie? Or can I purchase a piece of fabric with a cutout for a cute Birdie pillow? I sure hope so! Thanks for the reveal! Cool balloons too! Enjoy your day!!
What a great idea for a fabric cut-out of Bobbin the Robin! We will have to talk to the fabric companies. Stay tuned…
Oh yummy can’t wait to see
Sounds delish!!!
Yummm! Can’t wait to see what the shops will design.
I think the colours look washed out but I love the idea
So love it, can’t wait
Another Fun Row by Row to look forward too. Great way to visit shops and become acquainted with different merchandise carried.
Exactly! That’s what it’s all about. 🙂
Looking forward to a NEW YEAR !
Love the new theme. I’m sure as Quilter’s we will eat it up.
You are too funny!
I am really like the Theme. Can’t wait to see what the shops come up with. I do hope all my Florida shops stay with it. I know several have said they were dropping out next year ☹️
Joyce – be sure to encourage your shops to join up again! Let them know how much you enjoy Row by Row and the new theme. Hopefully many will be inspired to join the fun.
Should be fun to see all the foods!
Great. This will be fun. BTW I loved the tee shirts this years. Those need to be advertised more.
You are so right! The shirts were very fun this year. Debra is currently dreaming up something cool for the 2019 shirt design.
What a yummy idea! ! ! lots of potential. I’m with you this will be a great chance for lots of expression! ! !
Sounds like a yummy RxR summer experience.
will this start at the same time next year?
Row by Row starts on June 21.
Love the theme. I hope lots of shops join.
Many of my favorite shops, in 2 different states, opted out in 2018. Hope some return in 2019.
Me too! The shops at Quilt Market were very excited about the theme. Hopefully many will return to Row by Row!
Liking this theme!!
I wish it would start a little earlier in June. We were on vacation in 4 western states this past June and it didn’t start till the day after we left to fly home. It would be nice if it started earlier.
Agreed! I always take my out-of-state vacations in early June, too . . . when school gets out for the year . . . and it’s always just a bit too early to be able to collect rows in the states we visit.
I hope local shops will have more interesting ideas than this year. I really enjoy using my 2017 winner, but wasn’t even tempted to do 2018. (I prefer piecing to all applique.)
Me too. I was hoping for a more traditional row by row this year.
I love the license plate pins too
I buy 2 and wear them as earrings❗️
Oh my goodness! That is so perfect!
Way to go! Get take out so you save kitchen time to devote to sewing/quilting!
Great advice!
I always try to guess what the theme will be. . . but THIS one is better than ANY I thought up! The rows will be so fun to make–can’t wait!
Thanks for loving the theme. We are so excited to get it going!
I can’t wait! I wish more Michigan shops did the shop hop to get more people going to their shops. My daughter and I do our own personal shop hop around our area.
Be sure to encourage your local shops to join Row by Row in 2019. Tell them how much you like it!
Sounds great..now why can’t you start June 1 some of us have early vacations.
Every year we seriously consider the requests to change the dates for Row by Row. However, we find it impossible to please everyone. We receive comments from people wanting it to start as early as March and run as late as November. We can’t work around everyone’s plans and vacations. Schools stop and start up at different times depending on where they are located. We decided that the summer event should start on the first day of summer. At 10 weeks, RxR is already the longest event in our industry. I’m sorry we can’t work it out for you, but we really do the best we can. I hope you can get away to visit a few shops this summer.
Hopefully has a farmer with it!! It’s where food comes from!
I am hoping to see several farming rows!
Loving fabric colors!!!
How Exciting!
Yea!! We all need Food!! Fabric & Food, lol.
My two favorite hobbies blended together! Cooking food and quilting! I can’t wait!
Being a lunch lady, seamstress and farmers wife who does lots of canning, I am very excited for this next years theme! Road trips with my peeps will be a hoot!!
I like the theme. I will be looking for a Rochester NY area shop to do a “garbage plate” block. Everyone in and around Rochester understand. Others, please come and find out.
Donna – I grew up in the Rochester area, so I know about the “Garbage Plate.” What a fun idea for a row. We will have to see if a shop jumps on that!
I sent in the idea of experiencing food!!! Excited to see the fabric & how the many shops highlight TASTE in their Rows,etc .
ROAD TRIP & lunch menus at the same time!!
Thank you!
Great minds think alike! It must be a good theme if we both picked it!
Wish the R x R would begin around Mother’s Day so we could visit more shops. Summer gets very busy with family activities. On Mother’s Day we could ask for a visit to a quilt shop.t
Hello…
I did row by row,first time this year, and I loved it…I am living in Ontario…and I intend to do this next year to…. I want to make a suggestion for 2019 year, why you do not suggest a fix price, or limited price, for the kit anywhere, because last time, at some place , they asked to much, very to much for few scrap of fabric….
thanks to give me a chance to reply……and respond to me by E-Mail…. Therese
Hi Therese – thanks for asking this important question. Row by Row allows each shop to create their own experience. We could not set prices (price-fixing is illegal in the US, not sure about Canada), because the participating shops are from all over the world. Shops have different expenses in different areas. You could understand that a shop in a big city would pay different rent and utilities than a shop in a rural location.
I love the theme this year! Can’t wait to see the creative blocks everyone comes up with!
🙂
I do not like this theme, unless there’s going to be a lot of chickens and cows. I’m imagining plates and utensils. Yuck. I LOVED 2014 seasons, 2015 water and 2016 home sweet home was pretty awesome. I felt those themes were so versatile.
In WA state, we have had a shop hop every years for eons and it has dwindled because of RxR and that’s been ok because of the cool themes. But I’m seriously disappointed in food, as a theme.
I am really excited!!! I am new to the Row by Row Experience but look forward to the different themes and color combinations. I am hoping our shops on the Southern California Quilt run all participate. Can’t wait til next July!!
Be sure to let your shops know how much you love Row by Row and look forward to their participation.
Planning to open a new shop this spring, what are the deadlines to participate, as well as the rules.
Hi Tammy! Would love to have you join Row by Row! Please send an email to info@rowbyrowexperience.com and we will get the information back to you.
I didn’t collect RxR this year and not many last year. Too much applique.
I don’t “hate” the colours as one person said …. but in Canada we talk and teach about eating food from the rainbow. Where is the green?
When does 2019 RxR start?
RxR starts June 21st.
Since I love to cook I’m looking forward to seeing the rows next year regarding food. What fun! I’m always amazed at the creative designs from the shops. And I like the variety of colors.
You are going to have fun with this theme! The shops amaze me too!
This is a fantastic idea. I hope it will draw more shops back into the 2019row by row. We dropped to only a few here in Cincinnati, when we originally had several participating.
Who doesn’t like a sweet treat or delicious dish undear their sewing needle, especially when it won’t put inches on your hips.
Just no critters mixed in there please, they are an entirely different animal – sorry bad joke.
HaHaHa!!
As a cook I’m looking forward to this next adventure. It is so exciting to see the patterns that shops come up with for the Row by Row each year. Thanks for the news.
Love this concept and would like to do it, however Australia is a little too far away. Love seeing the completed quilts.
Lynette – it is a dream of mine to extend Row by Row into Australia. That would be wonderful!
I love the colors! They are very rich looking and a great background for popping the brighter colors that shops might use. The fabric would make wonderful aprons, hot pads and oven mitts. Great choice.
I have not found any information for sign-up for 2019 row by row…did not attend Convention and have not received any details from Michigan coordinator. Please advise on location for this information, Thank You, Linda Anderson
Hi Linda – did you get the information yet? Please send an email to info@rowbyrowexperience.com. We will take care of you!
When I first hear the theme, I’m always stunned! My mind begins to think of the possibilities. Knives, spoons, eggs, cows and as a shop owner I usually say oh, no, what on earth will I do with this? But I believe strongly in creativity. It is an amazing thing when you unleash it. I trust in letting my thoughts go, go, go and meander around my mind. I give it time. I digest (pun intended 2019 theme) the idea. I tell my friends and customers and get their thoughts. Then I get paper and pencil out and I begin my idea list. I write down every crazy thought my mind comes up with. This is what I call working the idea. My co-workers run from me. They say, “oh gosh, here she comes with her list of millions of ideas. Will she ever pick one?” I walk away from the list and go about my daily activities. This is what I call letting the ideas simmer. Then out of the blue, it could be at dinner or in the middle of the night, “Bing” I jump up, wild-eyed and I think I’ve got one!” (Usually I have at least 2 or 3 at this point.) Then comes the big decision: to piece or to applique, what will they want, what will they like, what will they travel to my store to see? Would they put a quilt of a giant artichoke in their livingroom? What can we do with the shapes, the colors, the threads, the embellishments, the size, the license plates? “Quick, give me more paper where is my pencil. I need to make another list!”
Will the size of the rows be the same as last year?
Yes!
I’m probably overlooking it somewhere, I’m sorry! When does this start? Thank you!
Hi Sandy – June 21 – September 4, 2019. We need to make this easier to find on the website!
Pretty colors but not right for a food themed project. Stores might have trouble putting together fabric kits that make sense with their design. All I can think of is bubble gum and shaved ice treats.
Our store participated the last 2 years. Where do we get the information on sizes? Thank you!
Hi Kathy: We shared the info about sizes in this week’s blog post: http://rbr.qtrop.com/2019/01/25/what-about-those-rows/
Basically the sizes are the same as 2018. We found them to be fun and allowed for creativity with rows and quilts.
Is there a date set yet for when the Row by Row will start in June?
Hi Robin – Row by Row begins on June 21 and ends on September 4, 2019.
My 13 year old daughter wants to join in the fun .Is she old enough to compete?
Yes, Misty. If she follows the challenge guidelines for an adult and presents her quilt in person to a participating shop, she is definitely welcome. More power to her! Stay in touch and let us know how she progresses even if she never completes a quilt. She will also enjoy the ease of Row by Row Junior patterns for some fun summer sewing too!
Saw several postings about the cost of kits. Keep in mind, the patterns are free during the “gathering” portion. You can gather your own fabrics to complete those blocks. I did this with one 18” block because the $30 kit was done in wool and I didn’t want to have one wool block in my cotton quilt.
I love the theme and colors! I like the laser cut pieces in the kits, but would love to see some some with embroidery.
I like the new theme. Something totally different from the previous years. I do
agree with starting earlier in the summer. Some people start their vacations the
first of June. Would be nice it they did the Row by Row for the whole three months
of summer. Looking forward to seeing what patterns the shops come up with !!
I am so excited! My husband announced to me this morning he took an extra day vacation in order to skip Truck Stops and fast food to allow us to shop hop and et healthy as we road trip from St. Louis, MO to Orlando, FL for the national VFW Convention. Can you tell me where I can get a list of quilt shops for KY, TN, AL, GA, FL. I live in So. IL/Suburban St. Louis and keep that list handy. Feeding America: Food Across the Country here we come! We will also be in NE and IA and MO, so this could be a huge quilt, or an expensive adventure in stash building, but after joining weight watchers this spring, still better than eating junk food!
Hello! I’m having a hard time finding the 2019 RxR charm for sale at any participating stores. Is it possible to order from your store, the origin of the Row by Row Experience?
Sadly, the pin manufacturer went out of business this year. However, we are looking for a replacement to catch up in 2020.
Do you accept theme suggestions for consideration? If so, I’d like to suggest “Sew Many Stars.” It seems like a theme that might lend itself to a return to patchwork if shops are so inclined (and could perhaps mean that most rows would be easier to pull together for a more cohesive look), but of course it could also be interpreted in a number of ways such as camping under the stars, or even celebrity stars.
I love this idea! Thanks for the suggestion!