Jane Pizar Quilt at Cheltenham Art Gallery, UK

Detail - Jane Pizar Quilt

Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museums

I have been on a special trip out today.  Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museums were holding an event 'Quilty Pleasures', where a group of us had the opportunity to look at some of the quilts held in their collection. It was just a short visit, but we got to see three very interesting quilts including this one, the Jane Pizar quilt, which I have also heard be called the Cheltenham Quilt.  This quilt is not on regular display and so it was a rare treat to see the staff unroll in front of our eyes.

Detail - Jane Pizar Quilt

Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museums

The quilt is understood to be made by Jane Pizar between 1850-1860 in Ireland.  Looking at the front and the back, the majority looked (IMHO) to be English Paper Pieced.  How could I see the back?  Well this quilt is not actually quilted, like many of us, Jane perhaps preferred the piecing to quilting! 

Dear Jane Quilt - Border Block BR12 Jessie's Stained Glass

Dear Jane Quilt - Border Block BR12 Jessie's Stained Glass

Miracle of miracles! I actually took a photo of this border block, BR12 Jessie's Stained Glass.
I have seen many, many Dear Jane attempts which never go the full stretch because the triangles look difficult.  This one has just 18 pieces and as in the case of most of the triangles, there are less pieces than some of the 4.5" blocks. Have a go.

Techniques: English Paper Piecing
Pieces: 18  pieces

Dear Jane Quilt - Draw 57 - Border Triangles TR2, TR12, BR2, BR12

English Paper Piecing - Dear Jane Quilt

Here is a view from the back of my Dear Jane quilt as it is in its current status.  It is all together, just another border and the papers to remove.  This photo shows it in all its English Paper Piecing glory.

The photo is also to distract you from the fact that I did not do a collective photo of Draw 56, the little square orange blocks and that I swiftly moved on to Draw 57 - the FINAL one, which is a set of border triangles.

Draw 57
TR2 - Australian Pines
TR12 - Jane's Oak
BR2 - Leigh's Woods
BR12 - Jessie's Stained Glass

This Draw will be in Red

Rainbow Scrappy Challenge - February Sea Green

Rainbow Scrappy Challenge - February Sea Green

It is the end of February and I am just about managing to keep up with the Rainbow Scrappy Challenge at So Scrappy.  It is only now that I realise how prolific these Scrap Challenge quilters are.  I have managed sixteen blocks this month in colours which stretch from the blue and green end of sea green.

Dear Jane Quilt - Block M11 Rickshaw

Dear Jane Quilt - Block M11 Rickshaw

I am scraping together the final blocks of my Dear Jane quilt.  This one is M11 Rickshaw.  As I said before, the photo is taken with the block sewn into the quilt, the paper and basting stitches still in, so it looks a little peculiar.

The next job with this quilt is to add up the number of pieces, maybe I should have done as I was going along ....

Techniques: English Paper Piecing and Applique
Pieces: 29 pieces

Dear Jane Quilt - Block E12 Mary Ruth's Corset

Dear Jane Quilt - Block E12 Mary Ruth's Corset

Here is Dear Jane block E12 Mary Ruth's Corset. 
It is a bit of a 'warts and all' photo as I have had to take it stitched into the quilt.  To me it appears to highlight the English Paper tacking / basting threads.   Below you can see the evidence that the paper is still in.

Dear Jane quilt helper

Suzi and I have reached a compromise regarding my priority of role of main lap provider versus Dear Jane quilt stitcher.

Dear Jane progress ....

Suzi the cat with the Dear Jane quilt

I am not the only one suffering from the inconvenience of not having a portable sewing project ....

Pink Broken Dishes Doll Quilt

Pink Broken Dishes Doll Quilt

Back in the spring I joined up with the 2016 Doll Quilt Swap over at Humble Quilts and made a little brown broken dishes quilt for my swap partner, Heather in Florida. 

Brown Broken Dishes Doll Quilt

Whilst I was getting it together I thought I would work on one for myself, this time in a pink colour scheme, choosing from the lovely selection of traditional prints which Wendy sent me.  I had most of it together, but this little quilt has been hanging on the back of a chair for the past few months waiting to be quilted. This was its lucky week.

Pink Broken Dishes Doll Quilt

gjsk

Dear Jane Quilt - Block L8 Box Kite

Dear Jane Quilt - Block L8 Box Kite

More Dear Jane blocks, this time L8 Box Kite. 
Through this Dear Jane journey I have had plenty of ideas for different Dear Jane's.  I know many, many people make more than one Dear Jane quilt.  This is a true fact.  Yes, I think I could join the group, but then there are so many other projects I could be doing.

Techniques: English Paper Piecing
Pieces: 15 pieces

Hidden Gems Quilt - Scraphappy with Purple in January 2017

Hidden Gems Quilt - Scraphappy with Purple

I have resisted for many years, but the flurry of Hidden Gems quilt blocks I have seen has tipped me over the edge.  I have given in and one of my 2017 projects will be joining the Scraphappy gang at So Scrappy.  I am a long time visitor to the blog and often see the fun everyone is having with their scraps.  The Hidden Gems pattern was one of the first 'Pins' I pinned on Pinterest several years ago and these are the first four blocks completed in purple fabrics - not without pain, but complete nonetheless.  The blocks are 4" square.

Leftovers from a Dear Jane quilt

With all the pieces for my Dear Jane quilt cut I still have ALL THIS Kim Diehl fabric left over.  Clearly I didn't want to run out of the fabric.  I probably have enough remaining fabric to make several Dear Jane quilts, but instead I will be turning them into a Hidden Gems quilt over the next 12 months, following the colour guidance of SoScrappy.