Goin' Crabbin'

This is our row for Row By Row Experience this year. It is called Goin' Crabbin'. As soon as the theme, On The Go, was announced we had a pretty good idea what we wanted to do. We have learned over the years that when we put a crab on something it just seems to sell better. For some reason the people here on the Eastern Shore of Maryland love their crabs. And who doesn't love the old red pick up truck?

So, as I was saying, the crab is very popular. We are located just off of the Chesapeake Bay. The Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab can be caught in any of the waterways around here. When the crabs are live they are a blueish color as pictured above. When they are steamed the become reddish orange.  

Here are our rows from previous years.   

2014 the theme was seasons.

"Day At The Beach" was summer on the shore.

2015 the theme was water.

"H2O 4 Shore" showed water each season here on the shore. 

This was the worst year for our row! 

Was it because there was no crab or was it because there were so many little pieces?

2016 the theme was Home Sweet Home. 

"Crab Feast" went absolutely crazy!

We had a crab dye made for the AccuQuilt, 

so the crabs in the kits are pre-cut and pre-fused. 

We are still selling this kit and it is available here.

When I am trying to figure the layout of a row, I print the components on paper and play with the placement. I thought it looked better to have the crab in the foreground to the rear to look like it was left behind. 

Once I have the applique pieces prepared I iron them onto parchment paper. Then I can place the entire section onto the background fabric and fuse in place. 

I prefer to stitch around my applique with a double blanket stitch. This really outlines the shape and makes it stand out. For the crab it is best to stitch around each leg first and then come back and stitch around the shell. 

Chris, one of my team members, suggested the dog and the sign on the truck door. 

I think they are great additions to this row. 

I was having trouble getting a good picture inside, so I took it out and laid it on the porch. 

We have this row kitted, and it is flying out the door. 

If you can't get into the shop this summer and would like to purchase this kit, 

you can order it here and we will ship it November 1, 2017.

We decided last year that our license plate needed a crab too.  

This year's license plate also has a crab and can be purchased here.

I don't know how long people are going to continue running around collecting rows in the Summer, but I hope it continues a long time.