Friday, 17 March 2017

Dear Jane Quilt - Border Block TR2 Australian Pines

Dear Jane Quilt - Border Block TR2 Australian Pines
Dear Jane Quilt - Border Block TR2 Australian Pines
Here is Border Block TR2 Australian Pines from the Dear Jane quilt.  I haven't got any further removing the papers from my Dear Jane.  It seems like a job you would do when you have nothing more important to do.  At the moment there are plenty of important things to do, so my Dear Jane is sitting quietly in a cupboard.

Techniques: English Paper Piecing and Applique
Pieces: 20  pieces

Wednesday, 15 March 2017

Dear Jane Quilt - Border Block TR12 Jane's Oak

Dear Jane Quilt - Border Block TR12 Jane's Oak
Dear Jane Quilt - Border Block TR12 Jane's Oak
I haven't neglected the last few Dear Jane blocks and I will post the remaining three over the next few days.  This is Border Block TR12 Jane's Oak.  For me this was the most challenging block.  Just 4 pieces, but that appliqued oak leaf was a struggle.  I pretty much had the whole quilt together before I had a second attempt at this block.  Give me tiny pieces any day!

Techniques: English Paper Piecing and Applique
Pieces: 4  pieces

Saturday, 11 March 2017

Jane Pizar Quilt at Cheltenham Art Gallery, UK

Detail - Jane Pizar Quilt Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museums
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
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! 

Friday, 3 March 2017

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

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

Wednesday, 1 March 2017

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

English Paper Piecing - Dear Jane Quilt
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

Saturday, 25 February 2017

Rainbow Scrappy Challenge - February Sea Green

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.

Thursday, 23 February 2017

Dear Jane Quilt - Block M11 Rickshaw

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

Monday, 13 February 2017

Dear Jane Quilt - Block E12 Mary Ruth's Corset

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
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.

Wednesday, 8 February 2017

Dear Jane progress ....

Suzi the cat with the Dear Jane quilt
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 ....

Sunday, 5 February 2017

Pink Broken Dishes Doll Quilt

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
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
Pink Broken Dishes Doll Quilt
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