Dear Jane Quilt - Block C9 Jane's Tears

Dear Jane Quilt - Block C9 Jane's Tears

No tears for me on this Dear Jane block, C9 Jane's Tears.  Moderate success with the fussy cutting, but again just 5 pieces.

Techniques: English Paper Piecing and Applique
Pieces: 5 pieces

Dear Jane Quilt - Block B1 Batchelor Buttons

Dear Jane Quilt - Block B1 Batchelor Buttons

I have said it before, my love of applique waxes and wanes depending on the size of the piece.  These circles required for Dear Jane block B1 Batchelor Buttons, were quite satisfying, and look just five pieces in total to get a block finished.

Techniques: English Paper Piecing and Applique
Pieces: 5 pieces

Dear Jane Quilt - Draw 47 - B1, C9, C11, D2

Dear Jane Quilt - Draw 46 - G2, G9, I4, L5

Now I am nearing the end of these Dear Jane blocks, I would say that the Dear Jane quilt is harder than the 'Nearly Insane' quilt because of the variety of stitch techniques you need to complete it.  Nearly Insane is all piecing but because the blocks are bigger (6") they are something to get your teeth into and can take a couple of days to complete.  On the other hand you can often fit a Dear Jane block in a day, so it feels like you are finishing them quicker (but you aren't because there are so many of them!) .  Just saying ...

Onto the next Draw

Draw 47

B1 - Batchelor Buttons
C9 - Jane's Tears
C11 - Soldiers and Sailors Monument
D2 - Mouse in the Mirror

This draw comes with a RED ALERT applique warning, but I am looking forward to it as there are actually only a few pieces in each block.
This Draw will be in YELLOW

Dear Jane Quilt - Block I4 Stability

Dear Jane Quilt - Block I4 Stability

OK, so this block decided to slip in a bit of applique.  I4 Stability is a simple block, but that centre square has those curvy bits, which I appliqued onto the centre square, once EPPed and then put the rest of the block together around it, hiding the applique seams in the process.  It is a nice effect though.

Techniques: English Paper Piecing and Applique
Pieces: 25 pieces

Dear Jane Quilt - Block G2 Mohawk Trail

Dear Jane Quilt - Block G2 Mohawk Trail

I am not sure if this Dear Jane block, G2 Mohawk Trail, is an actual traditional quilt block or not - does anyone recognise it?  I can't say it works for me as it isn't symmetrical and it isn't a proper pinwheel, but I am sure in the final quilt it will blend in with all the other lovely Dear Jane blocks.

Techniques: English Paper Piecing
Pieces: 26 pieces

Dear Jane Quilt - Block G9 Mary's Journey

Dear Jane Quilt - Block G9 Mary's Journey

Another pretty red Dear Jane block, this time G9 Mary's Journey. 
As you know I am over a year into this project but I have yet to actually 'read' the Dear Jane book and I am wondering if that will ever happen.  Have you read the book?  Have you read the book and not made the quilt?  Have you made the quilt and like me, never read it?

Techniques: English Paper Piecing
Pieces: 32 pieces

Dear Jane Quilt - Block L5 Chattanooga Charlie

Dear Jane Quilt - Block L5 Chattanooga Charlie

Yes, just squares and triangles as promised. This  is Block L5 Chattanooga Charlie.  I used to know all the words to the Chattanooga Choo Choo from music lessons at school, but I had to have a quick refresher from iTunes to remind me.

Techniques: English Paper Piecing and Applique
Pieces: 22  pieces

Dear Jane Quilt - Draw 46 - G2, G9, I4, L5

Dear Jane Quilt - Draw 45 - Border Triangles TR4, TR10, BR4, BR10

All my talk about Dear Jane exhibitions over the past few days and I forgot to remind you all about the annual September Dear Jane display at the Bennington Museum!  Yes, the real quilt!  The Jane Stickle quilt will be on display at the Bennington Museum, Vermont, USA, until October 10th 2016.  Again, a bit too far for me to go this year, but note to self - if travelling to the USA make the trip in September.

Another set of Dear Jane border triangles complete and onto some more squares.

Draw 46
G2 - Mohawk Trail
G9 - Mary's Journey
I4 - Stability
L5 - Chattanooga Charlie

There are lots of squares and triangles in these blocks, so I am hoping they are straightforward.

This Draw will be in Red

Dear Jane Quilt - Border Triangle Block TR10 Precious Gems

Dear Jane Quilt - Border Triangle Block  TR10 Precious Gems

After my last post about Dear Jane exhibitions, I only just found out that there was a Dear Jane exhibit at the Alsace Quilt Show in France this week. I spotted it on the Facebook page of Christopher Wilson-Tate Antique Textiles, if you want to see more.

This is Dear Jane Border triangle TR10 Precious Gems, quite simple for a border block and the last one in this blue set.

I will be doing some Slow Stitching today.  Some slow,because I am procrastinating, some slow, because it is gentle hand stitching.

Techniques: English Paper Piecing and Applique
Pieces: 28 pieces

Dear Jane Quilt - Border Triangle Block BR4 Candy Dish

Dear Jane Quilt - Border Triangle Block  BR4 Candy Dish

Many of you will be aware of the Dear Jane quilt exhibition that was held in Nantes, France back in April 2013, where I shared some lovely photos.  I mention it because there will be a 'Twenty Years of Dear Jane' exhibit at the 2016 Houston Quilt Festival in the USA.  Sadly, I have no plans to be there, but I just want to make sure that you don't miss if you do.

My Dear Jane quilt won't be ready for an exhibitions in November, but it really is close to having all the central blocks completed.  It is my birthday in a few weeks time, so look out for the birthday special!

Meanwhile, another day, another Dear Jane block.  This one is BR4 Candy Dish, using all those lovely Kim Diehl blue fabrics.  It is all English paper pieced as usual, but I did applique the little shape on the top of the block.
Techniques: English Paper Piecing and Applique
Pieces: 22 pieces

Dear Jane Quilt - Border Triangle Block TR4 Bennington Cross

Dear Jane Quilt - Border Triangle Block  TR4 Bennington Cross

A lot of Dear Jane quilts just use one fabric for the coloured pieces in the block against a plain background.  I have to admit, I have enjoyed co-ordinating colours and playing with fabric to mix in as many fabrics as possible in one block.  Sometimes it is just one, others two and I think some even have three.

This is Border Triangle TR4 Bennington Cross where I have used two of my blue Kim Diehl fabrics.

Techniques: English Paper Piecing and Applique
Pieces: 34 pieces

Dear Jane Quilt - Border Triangle Block BR10 Nicholas' Diamond

Dear Jane Quilt - Border Triangle Block  BR10 Nicholas' Diamond

Today we are enjoying a little heatwave in the UK - a last hurrah before Autumn comes.  I have had a busy week and blogging and Dear Jane blocks have slipped a bit behind, but here we go with the next Draw.
More border triangles and this is BR10 Nicholas' Diamond, using up some pretty blues.

Techniques: English Paper Piecing
Pieces: 24 pieces

Dear Jane Quilt - Draw 45 - Border Triangles TR4, TR10, BR4, BR10

Dear Jane Quilt - Draw 44 - B8, C7, D4, I6

I hope you can see from this 'family' of blocks how there is some method to my madness when selecting my blocks for the Draws.  These all seem to go nicely together.
I am moving on to another set of Dear Jane border triangles.  There are only three sets of these left, plus the corner blocks.

Draw 45
TR4 - Bennington Cross
TR10 - Precious Gems
BR4 - Candy Dish
BR10 Nicholas' Diamond

This Draw will be in BLUE

Dear Jane Quilt - Block I6 Viewer's Choice

Dear Jane Quilt - Block I6 Viewer's Choice

I think you are getting the idea. Dear Jane block I6 Viewer's Choice was done exactly the same way as the last block.

I am hoping to get in a bit of Dear Jane stitching today so maybe a bit of Slow Stitching Sunday for me.

Techniques: English Paper Piecing and Applique
Pieces: 9 pieces

Dear Jane Quilt - Block B8 Water Lily

Dear Jane Quilt - Block B8 Water Lily

Once you have done Dear Jane block C7 Megan's Mountain Laurel, all these others seem quite easy.  This Dear Jane block is B8 Water Lily.  I English paper pieced the centre shape and then appliqued it on to the background.  Then another round of nicely sized melons for an applique fix.

Techniques: English Paper Piecing and Applique
Pieces: 9 pieces

Dear Jane Quilt - Block D4 Crystal Star

Dear Jane Quilt - Block D4 Crystal Star

Here is Dear Jane block D4 Crystal Star.  This one is only 17 pieces and once the block is stitched together, the melons are appliqued onto the corners, neatly covering up the seam lines and making it easy for accurate placement.

Techniques: English Paper Piecing and Applique
Pieces: 17 pieces

Dear Jane Quilt - Block C7 Megan's Mountain Laurel

Dear Jane Quilt - Block C7 Megan's Mountain Laurel

This is Dear Jane block, C7 Megan's Mountain Laurel.  There was a choice here of piecing those diamonds or appliquing them.  Either way it was dealing with tiny pieces. I went the applique route, but I don't think either way was an easy option.  Over at The Objects of Design, Sally has opted for the piecing route, stabilizing her stitching with Molly fur.  The good news is that we both survived block C7 Megan's Mountain Laurel and we can move onto the next block.

Techniques: English Paper Piecing and Applique
Pieces: 25 pieces

Dear Jane Quilt - Draw 44 - B8, C7, D4, I6

Dear Jane Quilt - Draw 43 - B12, E1, F4, H13

Thanks to everyone who took time to make a comment yesterday following my success at the Great Northern Quilt Show. It was good to hear from bloggers who have been following the Nearly Insane journey from the start.

However, after all the excitement of yesterday it is back to the Dear Jane routine.  These blocks won't stitch themselves.  Here is the latest completed set of blocks and here are the next few.  I think we are heading to a round of applique, so hold onto your hats!

Draw 44
B8 - Water Lily
C7 - Megan's Mountain Laurel
D4 - Crystal Star
I6 - Viewer's Choice

This draw will be in Yellow

Great Northern Quilt Show 2016 - Nearly Insane quilt wins Overall Champion

Frances Meredith 'Nearly Insane' quilt
Overall Champion Great Northern Show 2016

It's been an eventful weekend.
Last Thursday I was busy quilting a quilt for a customer when I had a message from the Great Northern Quilt Show in Harrogate to say that my Nearly Insane quilt had won Overall Champion in their 2016 show! A quick change of plans for the weekend and I was heading up to Harrogate for the Prize-giving presentations. 

Frances Meredith 'Nearly Insane' quilt
Overall Champion Great Northern Show 2016

It wasn't until I got to the show that I realised that I had not only won Overall Champion, but also first in the Bed Quilt category and the Longarm machine Quilting award, along with a Judge's Choice certificate from Merrilyn Orr of Kaleidoscope Books.  You can see here all the goodies I have come home with including three lovely rosettes, two shields, and a Pfaff sewing machine donated by Direct Sew and Knit in Sheffield.

The other good news is that my kind husband drove me up to Harrogate, so I was able to press on with some Dear Jane stitching as we went along and two more blocks have been completed.

Dear Jane Quilt - Block B12 Starflower

It is back to applique with Dear Jane block B12, Starflower.  These appliqued melons were slimmer than the previous one in this set, so a bit more concentration on the points.  But don't you love the fussy cut centre?
It is September now.  I usually see September as the start of my New Year.  I have a few things to look forward to, but it means back to work also.  Real world progress with Dear Jane is looking good with just 16 blocks to go.

Techniques: English Paper Piecing and Applique
Pieces: 6 pieces

Dear Jane Quilt - Block H13 Farm Field's

Dear Jane Quilt - Block H13 Farm Field's

I can't deny my joy at some of these easier blocks.  Dear Jane block H13 Farm Fields is just a cross and just 7 pieces.  An easy win and onto the next one ..
Techniques: English Paper Piecing
Pieces: 7 pieces

Dear Jane Quilt - Block E1 Aunt Exie's Phlox

Dear Jane Quilt - Block E1 Aunt Exie's Phlox

I know there will lots of fans for Dear Jane block E1 Aunt Exie's Plox which is all applique and in that lovely traditional melon shape.  These were a nice size, so no drama there.

Suzi has been helping with the photography today.  Clearly there is something far more interesting going on in the garden.

Techniques: English Paper Piecing and Applique
Pieces: 5 pieces

Dear Jane Quilt - Block F4 Old Windmill

Dear Jane Quilt - Block F4 Old Windmill

Here is my favourite Kim Diehl red stripe put to good use on Dear Jane block F4 Old Windmill. Looks easy, but don't forget those little triangles in the corner.

'Cat on Quilt' 2016

Fans of Suzi the Cat may have noticed her absence from the 2016 Pets on Quilts competition this year.  Let's just say this photo shows how far we got getting a good shot of a 'Cat on Quilt'. What would I do without her help?

Techniques: English Paper Piecing and Applique
Pieces: 13 pieces

Dear Jane Quilt - Draw 43 - B12, E1, F4, H13

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

So here is the latest purple draw.  A mixed bunch of Dear Jane blocks.  If you want to see more purple delights, pop over to the Rainbow Scrappy Challenge.

For me, I am moving onto RED in the next Draw - always a favourite.

Draw 43
B12 - Starflower
E1 - Aunt Exie's Phlox
F4 - Old Windmill
H13 - Farm Field's

This Draw will be in Red

Dear Jane Quilt - Block E7 Bread Basket

Dear Jane Quilt - Block E7 Bread Basket

Quite a lot of pieces in this Dear Jane block, E7 Bread Basket, 37 in total.
They look like Hot Cross buns to me, however the timing of this one is quite ironic as I have just started a gluten free diet.

Lots of thoughts came through about blogging after yesterdays post.  Helen S in Australia said she was just off to buy her fabric for her Dear Jane quilt!  How exciting.

Techniques: English Paper Piecing and Applique
Pieces: 37  pieces

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