My Dear Jane Journey..

DJ Hand Quilting...

2008-07-23T07:58:00.002+08:00

I'm not the best of hand quilters, but I'm happy with how it's turning out.It's amazing how much one can do when one puts their mind to it.
I quilted an 1/8 of an inch all around each block, just inside the sashing to stabilize it and not have it move too much, then finished quilting three of the blocks.
I really enjoy quilting the blocks, each one is different, so I don't get bored and I just quilt whatever I think would suit that block...
Have a lovely day.

Pinning DJ for Hand Quilting..

2008-07-22T14:55:00.002+08:00

At last, I am pinning another section of my Dear Jane to hand quilt in the Quilt-as-You-Go method.

It's just so hard to find the time to get very much done on my DJ, but as soon as I pin this section I'll be able to quilt it, then I'll pin and quilt the other section that's to go on the other side of my centre medallion piece..

Slowly but surely my DJ will get done..

DJ Progress...Inspired by Jane

2008-07-09T07:31:00.007+08:00

I'm on a mission to get my DJ finished this year.
I started my DJ journey last year in June.
At first I was going to try and do my DJ just as Jane had done hers, but then thinking, it would never be the same, so it would have to be my work inspired by Jane..

As you can see in the picture, I have four more blocks to do to complete the right hand side section, then I will put them together to hand quilt in the Quilt-As-You-Go method, the top section is already put together and hand quilted.

I have ready a beautiful Appliqued centre medallion piece that I did last year, but I'm saving that for when all the blocks are done...

Have a lovely day..

Three New Blocks..

2008-07-08T10:19:00.003+08:00

F-11..On Target.

I am not on target, I should have many more than this blocks done.
It's very slow going, but I have managed to do another three blocks

F-12..Starburst
This block is very much like my old national flag, the Maltese cross.
F-13 Tour de France..

This makes it 73 blocks...1287 pieces of fabric in these blocks

New DJ Blocks..

2008-06-30T08:31:00.004+08:00

I had a lovely weekend working a little on my DJ blocks..

Above in double pinks is H-10 Ben's Bowtie.
Then there is H-11 Piercing Rays, I must add that this one was a little tricky to do and had to be pieced by hand.
They say finished is better than perfect, this is as perfect as I could get it..

Above here is H-12 Hannah Lou's Hearts, this was the easiest of these four that I did over the weekend...I love the name Hannah!
Last one is H-13 Farm Fields, this one too was very easy to do.
Some are easy and some very fiddly, that's what makes these blocks so much fun and challenging to do.

Now if I just get a few like this done at a time, DJ might just get made / finished some time in the near future...

Have a lovely day, perhaps I'll get a couple more blocks done today..

Back to Jane...at last!

2008-06-28T14:06:00.001+08:00

Thank you for coming by my blog...it's been so long since I last worked on my DJ.

I'm so happy to be back working on my Dear Jane...
This is the first time this year that I have been able to get back to Jane.
I am doing my DJ in the Quilt-as-You-Go method...
I'm doing the Q-A-Y-G in sections of 4 blocks across by 4 rows down, my quilt will be a little smaller than Jane's.
Today I have just joined some blocks together ready for sandwich / basting and hand quilting, and hopefully time permitting make up some more blocks.
Just to be different, I am going to do a medallion centre piece on my DJ, but at this stage I still have lots more blocks to do...

My Poor DJ..still no stitching done..

2008-04-26T09:21:00.003+08:00

I thought I should post a little as it's been so long now since the last post...

My Dear Jane must be feeling very neglected, I have not touched the blocks or stitched a stitch on them since way back in January.
The reason being is that my Dh had a very bad accident, he fell off the roof of our home, landing head first onto the patio brick paving, he sustained a very bad head trauma injury and it's been very traumatic for the family as you can understand.
For a while there, we thought he would not pull through.
I'm happy to post now that he is on the way to recovery, he still has short term memory loss, which the Dr's say could take months to improve, if at all.

All this happening in my life, has left me thinking about Jane, and what she may have gone through during the civil war.
What kept her stitching on her beautiful quilt, that we all love.
Was it her way of coping and was stitching the quilt, a way of taking her mind off things, when times were hard.

I could not find the energy or the enthusiasm to work on my DJ during this time of worry and stress.
Now that the worst is over, and DH is home with me, perhaps I will find the energy to work on my DJ again, and in the stitching my thoughts will be of gratitude of the better outcome that we are lucky to have, than what might have been...

Poor Dear Jane...neglected!

2008-01-16T06:32:00.001+08:00

This is still what my Dear Jane looks like today..

That top piece has been handed quilted in the Quilt-as-You-Go method, I have few blocks done for the next section, but still need to do more before putting that together.

You might see that I have only done 12 blocks across, that is because I am making mine a little different.
It will be slighty smaller with a medallion centre block piece in the middle.
Now, as soon as I finish off a couple of things I hope to get back in my DJ.

In the meantime please go and take a look at this lovely DJ in the making.
Nicky, is a young lady working on her beautiful DJ, I think it's great that the younger generation are interested in doing this type of quilting.

Here is another lovely DJ quilt in the making, Lynette is a very well known quilter/ designer here in AU, designs beautiful patterns.
I bet many of you would have seen or actually have some of her patterns..

Dear Jane Cross Stitch Sampler...

2008-01-04T13:51:00.000+08:00

This new kit arrived in the mail this morning...

OK, I know, what am I doing buying more stuff, when I should be working on what I already have started!.
I just fell in love with this Dear Jane cross stitch sampler.
I thought it would look lovely together with my Dear Jane quilt, when I get it done!
I'll put this away for a while and perhaps work on it during the winter months....

Forgotten Block..

2007-12-24T09:47:00.001+08:00

E. 13...Moth in a Web.
I have had this block done for quite a few weeks, put it aside and completely forgot about it.
Well it is Christmas, and like everyone else at this time of the year , it crazy at our house...

Have a wonderful Christmas everyone, just one more sleep here down under in Australia...

Merry Christmas...

2007-12-21T13:42:00.000+08:00

My Dear Jane blocks have been put away until after Christmas...

This time of year, it makes me wonder, what did Jane do? ...did she continue with her blocks, was her DH away at war, did she have her family around her.
Whatever Jane did, I hope it was in peace and joyful.
If only her quilt could talk!

I hope to start back onto my blocks in earnest after the festive season is over...I just can not seem to get into them at this stage with so much do prepare for our family gathering at Christmas.
I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year

Slow Progress...

2007-11-14T05:56:00.000+08:00

E-11...Wagon Wheel.

My Dear Jane journey came to a stand still for a while and I really must get back into it or it will end up, put away as a W-I-Progress, that may never get finished.
I don't remember reading anywhere how long it took Jane to do her quilt, but I can see it taking me longer than I thought it would, and here's me thinking I could do it in a year!

The blocks can be so challenging at times, and after a few goes at getting one as perfect as possible, it kind of puts one off to start work on another one...but one must carry on, if Jane did it, I tell myself, so can I!

65-5-1-1329

My Journey Continues...slowly

2007-10-27T08:38:00.001+08:00

My journey continues...very slowly
I can tell you some of these blocks are sure trying!!
Manxgirl left me a message that she was thinking about starting this journey...all I can say is think long and hard, as once you start there's no turning back, it's a long road to follow...sometimes easy and sometimes not!

H-1...Peek-a-boo
H-2.. Jacob Anthony
H-3..Berry Baskets
H-4.. Abbey's Eyes...

It's supposed to be spring here down under, but you sure would not know it.
Last night it hailed and poured so much it woke me up.
We get a few days of beautiful spring weather, out comes the summery clothes and then it's back to winter clothes...well while it's like this, I'll stitch up some more DJ blocks...

And Another Four Blocks done..

2007-10-18T08:09:00.001+08:00

F-4..Old Windmill
F-3.. Snowball
F-2.. Kaleidoscope
F-1.. Big Top

More blocks done...

2007-10-18T08:04:00.000+08:00

G-2..Mohawk Trail
G-1..Hattie's Hen House
G-3.. Four Leaf Clover

Dear Jane ...three sections joined

2007-10-10T08:00:00.001+08:00

Finally, I have been able to get back to my Dear Jane...
I now have three sections of my quilt-as-you-go, hand quilted and joined together

I have decided to make my Dear Jane just 12 blocks across by 13 blocks in length...this is so that my centre medallion block will fit in better with the rest of the blocks, and it won't be square, as I do rather like a quilt to be a little longer than it is in width...

Still keeping my medallion block till last..

Dear Jane Update...

2007-09-20T07:29:00.001+08:00

I have two sections of my DJ quilted...and now onto my third section...and as you can see here already making the next lot of blocks.

I have joined the first two sections together, and they went together really well.
Joining them together as I go also helps to stop the edges fraying too much

This is my third section. Doing it in sections like this seems to be getting it done much quicker and it's great to see it grow, with another part of my journey accomplished!...

Crossed Swords...D-12

2007-09-15T09:06:00.001+08:00

D-12...Crossed Swords..

Another one...

2007-09-10T07:28:00.001+08:00

E-2..Merry May.

To Date....10 September 2007.

I have done 54 Blocks - 5 Triangles - 1 Cornerstone......1116 pieces of fabric........54-5-1-1116

Plus one Medallion centre block piece....62 pieces of fabric..

More blocks done...

2007-09-10T07:18:00.000+08:00

C-10..Patriot's Lantern.
Foudation pieced, but did give me a bit of bother to get it right...kept adding the little triangles the wrong way

C-13..Lakota Sioux.

D-10..Battlefield.

This one gave me so much trouble to do...redid it three times before I was happy with it.

D-13..Field of Dreams.

This one could not have been any easier.

E-1..Aunt Exie's Phlox.

Another easy one...appliqued

Section Two Ready for Quilting...

2007-09-06T08:08:00.001+08:00

Well, that's one section quilted...four blocks in rows A,B,C,D.
And this is the next section to be hand quilted...then I will join the two sections together..
Here are the two sections side by side...

Doing it this way will be much easier to handle...

Hand Quilting my DJ..

2007-09-02T07:51:00.001+08:00

Well, I'm not the best of hand quilters, but I have started hand quilting my Dear Jane...

I'm finding it hard to know where to hand quilt, so many seams ....and whether to use the cream thread to match the muslin or change threads according to the fabric light or dark!

I think I'll stick to the one colour thread.

Overall, I think the quilting in the finished effect will be fine and what I'll be happy with...

Quilt-as-you-go...first section

2007-08-30T07:15:00.001+08:00

I'm ready to start quilting the first section of my DJ quilt...
This is so exciting to actually start the quilting on a section, OK, I know there's still a lot more blocks to make ,but now feel like I'm getting somewhere with the quilt.
I'm still working on my centre medallion piece...but it's coming along beautifully...I'm going to keep you in suspense till the quilt is almost finished, before I show the centre piece.
It will do it more justice to see in place on the quilt...

Rethinking my DJ Quilt...

2007-08-26T14:48:00.000+08:00

I haven't got pics to post, but I have been having a rethink about my quilt.
I have decided to change track on my quilt and do a centre medallion block..
The way I see it is that, there can only be one real Dear Jane quilt...the 'Mother' quilt, so to speak.
While the real quilt is what inspired me in the first place to start my journey, I realize that I could never make one exactly the same.....I want to make my quilt as a tribute to Jane, but also make it my own, and a little different.
I am still using the civil war reproduction fabrics, and hope that the medallion block will be in keeping with the rest of the quilt...

More Blocks Done...

2007-08-16T11:16:00.000+08:00

C-6.. Ashley's Aura...
D-2..Mouse in a Mirror...
D-8.. Dee Dee's Delight.
C-11..Soldiers and Sailors Monument.