Dear Jane Quilt - Block E3 Paddle Wheels

Dear Jane Quilt - Block E3 Paddle Wheels

It is a lot quieter in blogland compared to a year ago.  It seems that a lot of bloggers have migrated to Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook for their posts.  One of the reasons I blog is because I like to keep a record of my progress and I like to be able to find it, which Blogger does nicely. 

Zig Zag / Chevron Kaffe Fassett quilt

This time two years ago I was making this Kaffe Fassett chevron quilt.  It is quilted and it gets a lot of use when we are out and about in our campervan.

So thank you if you are still sticking with it and especially thank you if you take the time to write a kind note about my accumulating Dear Jane blocks. 

E3 Paddle Wheels is the next in line, another block for Pam who likes purple.

Techniques: English Paper Piecing and Applique
Pieces: 20 pieces

Dear Jane Quilt - Block K1 Crooked Creek

Dear Jane Quilt - Block K1 Crooked Creek

Thank you for all your encouraging comments regarding the 1 year anniversary.  Last night I was working on a Dear Jane block which needed some 'reverse' stitching - 3 times!  It is at times like that when you need the support of your blog friends.
Dear Jane block K1 Crooked Creek was not as difficult thankfully.

Techniques: English Paper Piecing
Pieces:  27 pieces

Dear Jane Quilt - Block B13 Four Corner Press

Dear Jane Quilt - Block B13 Four Corner Press

Let's start this Draw off with an easy win, Dear Jane block, B13 Four Corner Press.  If I didn't have the discipline of my regular Draws to chose which blocks to do, I would swoop in on these easy blocks, get them done and then pretend the more complex ones didn't exist.  Ironically, the first ever draw I made was probably the most complex with reverse applique, applique and piecing in just one block.  I think I thought they would all be the same, but truly, the first draw happened to be the hardest.  Even those pesky border triangles - almost all of them are way easier than that first set of blocks I had to deal with.

Techniques: English Paper Piecing
Pieces: 9 pieces

Dear Jane Quilt - Draw 42 - B13, E3, E7, K1

Dear Jane Quilt - Draw 41 - B2, C5, F1, F2

This latest Draw really shows off some of the design themes running through Jane's blocks.  They were a fun set to do, we had some fun with stripes and all in my beloved greens.  With good progress made after the past year this is no time to rest on my laurels - on with the next Draw.

Draw 42
B13 - Four Corner Press
E3 - Paddle Wheels
E7 - Bread Basket
K1 - Crooked Creek

This Draw will be in Purple

Dear Jane Quilt - 1st Anniversary Edition, August 2016

Dear Jane Block storage

Welcome to the glamorous world of Dear Jane!
Yes, here you see my Dear Jane blocks carefully stacked on a random shelf sharing the space with wadding offcuts and an empty mug.  This is the real world.  I now have just over 200 of these and the thought of laying them out for an Anniversary special was too much.  I asked my new Windows 10 assistant, Cortana, if she wanted to do it, but she seemed to lack enthusiasm also.  However, Electric Quilt 5 - Dear Jane Edition was up for the challenge and has provided me with this update.

Electric Quilt - Dear Jane Edition - August 2016 Update

I think the situation is looking quite healthy for one year of Dear Jane quilt English paper piecing. Electric Quilt has also highlighted that although I thought I had cut all the remaining blocks, there is still one Orange set which I have overlooked. Great work Electric Quilt!

My blogging of my blocks is hopelessly lagging behind the actual completion of the blocks and the data in this table reflects this.

	Blocks	Triangle
Red	25/29	4/8
Purple	10/12	6/8
Blue	20/20	8/8
Green	25/28	8/8
Yellow	34/36	8/12
Orange	44/44	12/12
TOTAL	158/169 (93%)	46/56 (82%)
Sashing	37/312	(11%)
Cornerstones	28/144	(20%)
Triangles	18/56	(32%)

Also the Border triangle extras, sashing and cornerstones are no really going to get me far once I start trying to piece this beauty together.  I need some discipline on working on these.

So, overall, I am pleased with my progress and hope that within weeks (yes, weeks!) I hope to be able to layout all the blocks and triangles to start planning how I will put them together.

Dear Jane Quilt - Block F2 Kaleidoscope

Dear Jane Quilt - Block F2 Kaleidoscope

Presenting Dear Jane block F2 Kaleidoscope.
It has come around to my year anniversary with this Dear Jane quilt and I am gathering strength to see if I can lay out all the blocks so far - there are quite a lot of them.  I haven't put any of these Dear Jane blocks together yet which is a task in itself.  And then there are the papers ...

Techniques: English Paper Piecing
Pieces: 21  pieces

Dear Jane Quilt - Block F1 Big Top

Dear Jane Quilt - Block F1 Big Top

This is Dear Jane Block F1, Big Top. A pretty little block with some English paper piecing and applique, applique which was just about the right size to enjoy, especially with its fussy cut stripes. Seeing some finished Dear Jane's at the Festival of Quilts last week has certainly reinvigorated me to push on with my own Dear Jane blocks and after a week of not doing any Dear Jane, today I hope to fit in some time to actually finish one.

Techniques: English Paper Piecing
Pieces: 24  pieces

Dear Jane Quilt - every show should have one

'A Sparkling Dear Jane' by Catherine Carlyon

After two exhausting days at the 2016 Festival of Quilts it is time to get back to normality and that means back to focussing on Dear Jane. You can pretty much guarantee that any quilt show you attend there will be some Dear Jane love and this show was no different.

This first Dear Jane quilt is by my sister which she made using just four metallic Hoffman fabrics - all English paper pieced and hand quilted. You can see here that it attracted quite a bit of attention and rightly so. 

'Not a Patch on Jane' by Valerie Eames

In the same Traditional category was this Civil War fabric Dear Jane by Valerie Eames, machine pieced and hand quilted.  It was great to have two near each other to see how each had approached each block, there are so many approaches you can make.

So two more Dear Jane quilts have been born - keep up the good work if you are still working on yours.

2016 Festival of Quilts - Nearly Insane Quilt by Frances Meredith

Nearly Insane Quilt, Frances Meredith 2016

It is almost a year since I showed you my completed Nearly Insane quilt top, so I thought it was time for an update.  You may be able to see from the photo that it is now quilted, bound and ready for a trip out.

If you are heading to the 2016 Festival of Quilts in Birmingham, UK, 11th-14th August, my Nearly Insane Quilt will be hanging amongst the Traditional Quilts, No: 564. 

Enjoy!

Dear Jane Quilt - Block C5 Eye of the Cyclone

Dear Jane Quilt - Block C5 Eye of the Cyclone

Here is another circle Dear Jane block, C5 Eye of the Cyclone. 
I become so familiar with those brown tacking stitches that I forget that my photos may not have the finesse of some of the top Instagram craft bloggers.  I like to keep them in for as long as possible as I never know how long a project is going to last.  Visitors often ask to see how I am getting along and it means pulling them out and putting them away again several times, which would take its toll on a poor little Dear Jane block without the paper still in it.

Techniques: English Paper Piecing
Pieces: 24  pieces