Dear Jane Quilt - Border Triangle Block RR5 Geisha Girl

Dear Jane Quilt - Border Triangle Block  RR5 Geisha Girl

There were a few nervous moments with this block.  I lost the very top tiny triangle, but knew there were only two places it could be and it eventually turned up stuck to another piece of the block.  I constructed the Dear Jane border triangle RR5 Geisha Girl using my usual English Paper Piecing technique, except for the melon in the centre which I appliqued. 

Last Monday I shared my current 'Springwatch' activity, seeing the development of my hyacinth.  It is certainly starting to shoot up and I expect the flowers to be peeping out within the next few days.  Can you guess what colour it will be?

Techniques: Appliqué and English Paper Piecing
Pieces: 26 pieces

Colourwave Quilt

Colourwave Quilt

Back in October last year I shared with you my progress on a workshop with Jan Hassard held at Busy Bees Patchwork, to make this Colourwave quilt. As you can see it is complete and it has been for some time, I just haven't had time to share it with you.  Jan specialises in colour and geometric designs and her workshops come highly recommended.  If you step back from you screen you will see the illusional effect of this quilt pattern even more.

Colourwave Quilt - fabric selection

On my return from the workshop I had a bit of a re-jig of my colours and worked out a colour scheme which I was much happier with.  To get this colour effect you need at least 36 different fabrics which is quite a tall order if you don't collect batiks in your stash, but the more you have the better the effect.

Suzi the Cat helps with the Colourwave Quilt

Suzi the cat was keen to join in this project. She is very pleased I don't have a design wall and that I have to use the floor ...

Superior Threads Rainbow 821 Carnival variegated thread


Not only is the quilt top done, but it is quilted.  I used a variegated Superior Threads Rainbow (821 Carnival) thread which blended well with all the different colours of the quilt and really popped when it reached the black fabric.  I use 80/20 cotton/polyester for the wadding.

Kiss by Melonie J Caldwell and Patricia Ritter


In fact I loved the effect of the variegated thread on black so much that I used a black fabric for the backing.  Using my long arm quilting machine I stitched out a digital pantograph, Kiss by Melonie J Caldwell and Patricia Ritter.  There were so many different patterns I could have chosen for this quilt, each giving a different look.


Colourwave Quilt

It was lovely to work with such bright and colourful fabrics for a change and also to work on a smaller sized quilt than normal.  Thanks Jan!  Joining up with Whoop Whoop Friday! and Crazy Mom Quilts!

Colourwave Quilt - Borders

Dear Jane Quilt - Border Triangle Block LR9 Kiwi

Dear Jane Quilt - Border Triangle Block LR9 Kiwi

The Dear Jane triangle border block, LR9 Kiwi, is just seven pieces, most of which I have appliquéd.  All quite straight forward.  I am not sure if the name of this block refers to the Kiwi fruit or the New Zealand Kiwi bird.

Kiwi fruit

Growing up I don't think I ever saw a Kiwi fruit and was thinking about when the first time I would have ever seen or tasted one in the UK.  It was probably at a wedding or posh buffet in a fruit salad. Today, I am juicing them up into a fruit smoothie.

Techniques: Appliqué
Pieces: 7 pieces

Dear Jane Quilt - Border Triangle Block LR5 Olympic Torch

Dear Jane Quilt - Border Triangle Block  LR5 Olympic Torch

It is less than 200 hundred days until the 2016 Olympic Games at Rio de Janeiro start on 5th August.  This is the Dear Jane version of the Olympic Torch (LR5) and you can see the official 2016 torch design on the Olympic website.  I imagine there were a lot of people involved in the design of the symbolic item and craftspeople using innovative techniques, so I thought I would share some of the processes I used for making my Olympic Torch.


Dear Jane Quilt - Border Triangle Block  LR5 Olympic Torch

Here you can see a bit of the process I use to construct my blocks using the English Paper Piecing technique.  I usually cut out the blocks in batches, so when I finally pull out my bag of bits, I need to match up the paper shapes to the fabric shapes. 

Dear Jane Quilt - Border Triangle Block  LR5 Olympic Torch

 I usually tack the fabric on all the bits first and then lay them out in their correct positions to start constructing the block as you see it at the top of the page.  LR5 Olympic Torch had some thin, pointy bits to manage, but it always seems to work out alright at the end.

Techniques: English Paper Piecing
Pieces: 24 pieces 

Dear Jane Quilt - Draw 17, LR5, LR9, RR5, RR9 Triangles

Dear Jane Quilt - Draw 16, RR4, LR4, LR10, RR10 Triangles

Here is a group photo of the Dear Jane triangle border blocks I have just completed and guess what?  Draw 17 brings on another set

LR5 - Olympic Torch
LR9 - Kiwi
RR5 - Geisha Girl
RR9 - Danish Delight

This draw will be in my Green Kim Diehl fabrics.


Hyacinth bulbs, January 2016

We really are at the mucky end of January here in the UK.  No snow to delight us so far, just wet, mild weather.  The bulbs outside don't know whether to come out or not it is so warm. I will try and keep track of this pot of hyacinth bulbs in the lead up to the Spring. 

Dear Jane Quilt - Border Triangle Block LR10 Megan's Cathedral

Dear Jane Quilt - Border Triangle Block  LR10 Megan's Cathedral

Here is the final triangle border block for Draw 16, LR10 Megan's Cathedral.  In terms of the fabric choice, it is a bit of a 'dog's dinner', but when mixed in with everything else I am hoping it will look fine.

Today I am having a Slow Stitching Sunday.  It is rare that I let myself sit down for a day and simply hand stitch, but the last few weekends have been busy and I thought I would grab a bit of 'me' time.  I am doing as Kathy recommends and not thinking about my To Do list or ruminating about my worries.  Just stitching.

Several of you shared your Quiltalongs with us.  I haven't started any yet and have still to make any decisions, but look forward to seeing your progress on your blogs.

Techniques: English Paper Piecing
Pieces: 24

Dear Jane Quilt - Border Triangle Block RR10 Grandma Nana's Bodice

Dear Jane Quilt - Border Triangle Block  RR10 Grandma Nana's Bodice

If you are stopping by today to see my latest Dear Jane block, please take note of the fussy cutting of the little white dots.  This is all English Paper Piecing, except for the tan triangle on the bottom which is appliqued.  The blue triangles throughout are all slightly different, so do mark them if you are attempting this block.

Back when I was stitching my Nearly Insane quilt blocks I used to complain if a block had less than 50 pieces in it.  This Dear Jane border triangle, RR10 Grandma Nana's Bodice, has just 17 pieces in it.

Techniques: English Paper Piecing
Pieces: 17

Dear Jane Quilt - Border Triangle Block RR4 Dutch Apron

Dear Jane Quilt - Border Triangle Block  RR4 Dutch Apron

After the tiny pieces Virginia's Kite, RR4 Dutch Apron was a quick and easy border triangle to complete.  I also really like the light blue Kim Diehl fabric on this one.

Twenty days into January and I finally think I have finally reached to point I had hoped to be when the year started. I am now thinking about what projects I could be working on besides my Dear Jane.  Having quilted a couple of Lori Holt quilts for my long arm customers I am tempted to do the Bloom Quiltalong which started on Monday.  There some other Quiltalongs starting in January - are you following any of them?

Techniques: English Paper Piecing
Pieces: 15

Dear Jane Quilt - Border Triangle Block LR4 Virginia's Kite

Dear Jane Quilt - Border Triangle Block  LR4 Virginia's Kite

I haven't done any applique for Dear Jane for a while, so I wasn't really looking forward to starting these triangle border blocks with a load of applique as part of the package. As it happens it was the piecing that proved more challenging.


Dear Jane Quilt - Border Triangle Block  LR4 Virginia's Kite

This is a photo of one of the very little pieces which went into this block.  It is amazing how something so small can be so intimidating - a bit like a creepy crawly.  But, as I have said before, once it is sewn to another piece it is no longer small.

Techniques: English Paper Piecing and Applique
Pieces: 19 pieces

Dear Jane Quilt - Draw 16, RR4, LR4, LR10, RR10 Triangles

Dear Jane Quilt - Draw 15, I2, K9, K12, M4

Finally catching up with some blogging.  Here are the Dear Jane blocks from Draw 15.  Quite a simple round with a couple of 9-patch blocks.

However, Draw 16 is a set of the border triangles

RR4 - Dutch Apron
LR4 Virginia's Kite
LR10 - Megan's Cathedral
R10 Grandma Nana's Bodice

This set will be in BLUE