Dear Jane Quilt - Sashing and Cornerstones

Dear Jane quilt  (G7 - Indianapolis)

You have seen this Dear Jane quilt block before (G7 - Indianapolis), but today it is proudly wearing its new cornerstones and sashings.  The original quilt doesn't have actual cornerstones, but I had a bit of fun with the cornerstones on my Nearly Insane quilt and I think a little extra thought on this area can take a quilt to the next level.

Firstly, the sashing.  If I require lots of the same squares or rectangle shapes for my English paper piecing I usually use the Table function in Microsoft Word.  You can set the size of the table cells in the software and then print out a blank table on regular printer paper ready for cutting up in the shapes that you need.  The sashing will be the same as my background fabric.


Dear Jane Quilt Sashing 0.5" x 4.5"

You can see I managed to get about 30 sashing strips on one sheet, each one being 1/2" x 4.5" and here are some of them prepared with their tacking stitches ready for when I need them.

'Hearthside Seasons' by Kim Diehl

For the cornerstones I am using one of the 'Hearthside Seasons' fabrics by Kim Diehl.  I thought I could fussy cut the stars for the middle.  The cornerstone squares below are English paper pieced and are just 1/2" x 1/2 Inch.

Cornerstones  1/2" x 1/2" - Dear Jane Quilt

 

Nearly Insane Quilt - Draw 27

Nearly Insane Quilt Blocks 5, 52, 82 - Draw 26

Here are the Nearly Insane blocks from Draw 26 which I completed whilst I was on holiday.  Gauging how much you will get achieved whilst you are away is always difficult.  I would hate to be in a situation where I had run out of sewing!  The build up to the holiday is always combined with preparing the Nearly Insane blocks and the other bits and pieces that go with the quilt, and if I am honest this is more of a priority for me than what actually goes in my suitcase.  I usually cut plenty of cornerstone pieces as I know they can occupy me for hours, but take up very little room.  I usually choose to tack the sashing pieces when we are travelling on the more bumpy and windy roads ...


Zig Zag Border, Sashing and Cornerstones

Along with the blocks are the sashings, the cornerstones, the half cornerstones which go around the edge, as well as the zig zag border.  I have phases where I have a bit of a push of these, knowing I will need them to get the actual quilt together, but I have not kept up with them as well as the blocks.  I hope you don't mind if I use this post to get a grip on this ...
At the moment I have done

162 / 196 (82%)  - Sashings

57 / 87 (65%)  - Cornerstones

18 / 28 Half (64%) - Half Cornerstones

21/80 (26%) - Zig Zag Chevron

So still a bit of a way to go on this, but enough bits to get over half the quilt together.  However there are still blocks to do too.  Here are the next ones in draw

 

34 - 35 - 76 - 93

After these are done there are just 4 blocks left to do of the 85 total.

Linking up with Slow Stitching Sunday at Kathy's Quilts

Nearly Insane Quilt - Edge Block 98

Edge Block 98 - Nearly Insane Quilt

In the Nearly Insane Quilt, the blocks are set on point, so as a result there are these half triangles on the edge. Despite having done fourteen of these edge blocks, this is the first 'star' one I have done.  Each one is repeated twice, and I have found that they tend to be more standard blocks, and that they are perhaps not quite as challenging as those I have faced with the full blocks.

Half Canoe Block Cornerstones, Nearly Insane Quilt 2013

Alongside the half blocks are the half cornerstones, which I mentioned I had been working on in my post last week.  The cornerstones are 2 inch blocks, so when cut in half diagonally, the red triangles are REALLY thin - too thin for even me!  So this is why they are still full size on these half blocks - I will sort the excess when I come to it.


Nearly Insane Quilt - Set on Point

To give you an idea of how all this comes together, here is a mini layout, with the edges, cornerstones and sashing.  I really am itching to start getting this quilt together, but there just aren't enough blocks done yet.

NUMBER OF PIECES:  18
DIFFICULTY: 2/10
SMALLEST PIECE: Triangle, 3/4"  (18mm) x 1/2" (12mm) x 1/2" (12mm)
LARGEST PIECE: Triangle, 13  (76mm) x  2 1/8" (54mm) x 2 1/8" (54mm)
TECHNIQUE: English Paper Piecing (EPP)
FABRICS:
Kimono Ditzy (843) by Henley Studio, Makower UK
Pom Pom de Paris by French General for Moda #13575-13
Designer Beads (Red) Freespirit for Westminster Fibers