The Dear Jane Quilt Journey begins ....

Apparently, Sunday (16th August) was Bennington Battle Day, a holiday observed in the state of Vermont in the USA.  This is also the week when I have decided to launch my DEAR JANE JOURNEY.  The coincidence will not be lost on the Janiacs out there - Bennington Museum is the home of the Stickle Quilt (1863), yes, the DEAR JANE quilt, made famous by Brenda Papadakis - the Mother Quilt.


'Dear Jane' Exhibition , April 2013, Nantes, France

This quilt has been in my mind since I saw the Dear Jane quilt exhibition in Nantes, France in April 2013.  It was the BEST display of quilts I have ever seen.  As my followers will know, I have been slavishly completing my Nearly Insane quilt before I would allow myself to get started on my Dear Jane quilt.  The Nearly Insane quilt top is complete, but those papers are still being extracted.  I promise a photo soon.  Meanwhile, I need a portable hand sewing project and with a bit of time available at the end of the August holidays I felt it was a good time to get myself organised.

Kim Diehl fabrics for Dear Jane Quilt

I have been collecting the fabric together quietly over the past 12 months and with the help of my main suppliers, the Fat Quarter Shop and Doughty's, I have accumulated enough fabrics to get this project going.  I will be using Kim Diehl fabrics for the Dear Jane quilt in a wide range of colours.  

Holly Wishes by Kansas Trouble Quilters (#9444)

For the background I will be using the same fabric throughout, Holly Wishes by Kansas Trouble Quilters (#9444).  The amount of fabric quoted for the background in the book and on various online resources varies between 5yds and 15yds, depending on how you construct the quilt.  I have opted for the larger amount as I don't want to be caught out at the end. I would like to think I would be able to report back on how much I actually use at the end, but suspect that might be a statistic too far for me.

Scanning fabrics into Electric Quilt software

I will also be using my Electric Quilt software again.  I used this for the Nearly Insane project and it was brilliant.  I received the Dear Jane software for my birthday a few years ago and over the past few months it has been put to good use as I have been working out how I want my quilt to look.  I have scanned all the fabrics into the Electric Quilt software and have been re-jigging the placement of some of the blocks.  Yes, I know, I am already messing with the original, but like the quilts in that exhibition, everyone brought something new to the party.  You can follow my progress with the Dear Jane outline on the sidebar.

Kimono Silk thread

At the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham last year (2014) I purchased a few reels of Kimono silk for the hand applique blocks.

Sewline Fabric Glue and Apliquick Tool

At the Festival of Quilts this year (2015) I bought some tools to help me along the way, an Apliquick tool and some Sewline fabric glue.

I think that is everything. Is there anything I have forgotten?

Pets on Quilts Show 2015 - Cat on Quilt

'Suzi the cat' - Pets on Quilts Show 2015

Adorable, I know.  This is Suzi the cat's entry for the category of 'Cat on Quilt' in the annual Pets on Quilts Show 2015 held at Lily Pad Quilting.  Once you have stopped 'oohing' and 'aahing' over her cuteness, pinned her on your Pinterest page etc, please head over to Lily Pad Quilting and take time to look at other cute cats (Be warned: there are dogs there as well ...). Then from the 27th August 2015 you can vote for your favourite.

In this prize-winning photo Suzi is resting on my red and white Nearly Insane quilt whilst I am removing papers.  I used the English Paper Piecing (EPP) method which was a great way to get the quilt done, but is time consuming when it gets to this stage.  I spent a whole day removing papers yesterday and even with the bits I had done before I am only half way through.


Suzi the cat helps with the Nearly Insane Quilt

Suzi did suggest an alternative way of removing the papers at one stage.  It involved a lot of frantic activity on her part  (usually when I was not in the room) - in this shot I have caught her in the act!


Suzi the Cat on Nearly Insane Quilt

I will let the pictures do the talking - enjoy!

Storm at Sea Quilt - Black, Grey and Cream

'Storm at Sea' Quilt

I am between big projects.  The 'Nearly Insane' quilt top is complete, but I am still taking the paper out.  It sounds like I have been doing this for a long time, but I just haven't been prioritising it, so I haven't actually been removing ANY paper lately.  No photo yet as it looks weird with paper half in and half out.  The next big project is the Dear Jane quilt.  As a result, I have had a period without any 'portable' hand stitching and it is starting to be a problem. However, during the gap I have been catching up on a few UFO's whilst I have a bit of time to spend on my sewing machine.  I started this 'Storm at Sea' quilt on a workshop at the beginning of the year.  It is not as black as it looks in the picture, more a soft dark grey - a bit like a man's business suit.

'Storm at Sea' Quilt 39" x 39"

I have kept this one small, just 39" x 39".  It is only recently that I have realised that I have a habit of making very large quilts. 

'Storm at Sea' Quilt blocks

Just as with other quilt blocks, it is amazing to see the visual effects the combination of just three different blocks and a range of fabrics have.  I had so many choices and wish I could have tried all of them.  Do you ever have that problem? I think I prefer this pattern on point - if you tilt your head you may see what I mean. 

Newsprint Fabric - Quilters Basic Perfect, MCS 13-45 , by STOF

The black and white check is a bit more of my 'Mama Said Sew' by Sweetwater stash.  I really am running this collection dry. Also one of the tones I have been using is a newsprint fabric by the German fabric company, STOF.  It is written in French and so I have been brushing up on my language skills as I go along!

Linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts!

Miniature Block of the Month August 2015 - The Quilt Room

'Jack in the Pulpit' Miniature Block, The Quilt Room BOM

Another month, another miniature block from the FREE Miniature BOM offered by the Quilt Room.  This one is called 'Jack in the Pulpit'.  It was a nice simple foundation block, which I pulled together with NO mistakes.  I think this might be the first time this has happened with this project.  I am using a 'Snowman Gatherings' Layer Cake for this project and the light blue fabrics are starting to run out, so I have had to resort to using the fabrics with the actual snowmen on them.  Snowmen in August .... hopefully, the pieces are so small that they are unrecognisable.



Foundation Piecing - Miniature Blocks, The Quilt Room 2015 BOM

The collection of blocks are growing, but it feels like Autumn is just around the corner and that means there are only four more left.

Pets on Quilts 2015

Also, just a reminder that it is the Annual Pets on Quilts Show next week.  Suzi the cat and I have been working all year to capture a winning photo which will be revealed next week.  We are pleased with our efforts but are realistic in our expectations knowing that we will probably be up against 'cute kittens'.  We welcome your support when voting opens.

Square in a Square Quilt - Mama Said Sew by Sweetwater

Square in a Square Quilt

I have been busy on the sewing machine this week making a 'Square in a Square' quilt.


'Mama Said Sew' by Sweetwater for MODA

This is where it all started.  A couple of years ago I saw this collection - 'Mama Said Sew' by Sweetwater for Moda in our local quilt shop and fell in love.  If you want specifics, it was the red and cream fabrics which drew me in.  It was the start of my 'Nearly Insane' quilt journey.  (BTW - I can report that the Nearly Insane quilt top is now complete - details to follow in a forthcoming blog.)


5" charm squares - 'Mama Said Sew' by Sweetwater

Having now exhausted all the red fabrics, a collection of mixed grey, black and red fabrics remained from a layer cake and fat quarter bundle I acquired, which I loved just as much, but were not candidates for the Nearly Insane quilt.  Searching around the internet I have never seen a quilt made from this collection which ever disappointed, so I was confident that whatever pattern I choose it would look great.

I settled on a Square in a Square quilt, with a nice bit of white space to contrast against the graphic style of the Mama Said Sew collection.  I cut the layer cake into four 5" squares and sewed them onto a larger 9.5" square. I had decided that during the construction I would make sure I had some generous BONUS half square triangles to make another quilt.


Square in a Square Quilt - 54" x 72"

I made 48 blocks and the final dimensions are 54" x 72". Having hand sewn the Nearly Insane quilt, I am still surprised how quickly a quilt comes together when you use a sewing machine.

Bonus Half Square Triangles - 'Mama Said Sew' by Sweetwater

So here are the bonus half square triangles.  I think they might turn into a chevron quilt - I will keep you posted.

With this quilt top finished I think it deserves to join up with Crazy Mom Quilts and Confessions of a Quilter.
 

Miniature Block of the Month July 2015 - The Quilt Room

Miniature Block of the Month July 2015 - The Quilt Room

For the past few months I have been a bit late completing my BOM, but this month The Quilt Room were slightly delayed themselves, only posting the details of the Miniature Block of the Month for July yesterday.  Today I have had a bit of time to get it done and it came together quite easily.

Miniature Block of the Month July 2015 - The Quilt Room

I find flying geese blocks quite easy with the foundation method, but  it doesn't look as if I have been very generous with the seam allowance at the edges of this one.


Nearly Insane Quilt borders, with Suzi the cat

Meanwhile, progress is being made on the Nearly Insane Quilt borders.  They are all together and I am slowly applying them to the main quilt.  This Nearly Insane progress is due to the 2015 Tour de France.  I love to relax and stitch, whilst I watch the cyclists work up a sweat in the French countryside.  I might be 'nearly insane', but those cyclist have to be 'completely insane' to endure 3 weeks of relentless cycling. 

As you can see all that effort on their part has completely exhausted Suzi the cat.

4th July Independence Day Patriotic Mug Rug

4th July Mug Rug

Happy Fourth of July!  OK, so I am in the UK and naturally it is not one of our Public Holidays, but I love the colour scheme of red, white and blue and I felt the urge to make something quick and easy. As part of the Mini Doll quilt swap, I had received a lovely selection of Civil War reproduction fabrics from my swap partners, and in my stash I had a lovely blue starry fabric, which fits the patriotic quilt theme perfectly.


Patriotic fabric scraps

Just by using a few squares of fabric I had enough to cut strips for three scrappy mug rugs, two for my swap partners in the Mini Doll quilt swap, and one for myself.

Foundation Piecing - Carol Doak paper

I used my Electric Quilt software to draw up a simple log cabin pattern and I printed it out onto the Carol Doak foundation paper I bought a few weeks ago.  It is working great in my laser printer, I just have to remember to replace it with normal paper once I am finished(!).


Foundation Paper Piecing - Pressing with the iron

Foundation paper piecing is very satisfying when it is going well.  With a log cabin pattern I was only working with straight lines and with a quick press with the iron at each stage, the block was coming out a dream.

Quilting a Log Cabin block

With narrow strips and thick seams I kept the quilting simple by stitching in the ditch and in the centre square I stitched out a star.  Mine is currently sitting in front of me by the computer with a cup of tea - yes, the same stuff that started the American Revolution!


Fourth of July Mug Rug 6" x 6"

'Idaho Lily' Simple Whatnots by Kim Diehl



'Idaho Lily' - Simple Whatnots by Kim Diehl

Doughty's Roadshow fabrics are back in town - 10.30am until 2.30pm, in Thornbury, Bristol, 27th June 2015.  It was this time last year that I shared my purchase with you, a bundle of 'Hearthside Seasons' fabric by Kim Diehl for Henry Glass which I planned  to use for my 'Dear Jane' quilt. But I can't start the Dear Jane quilt until the Nearly Insane quilt is finished, which although close, is not done.


'Winter Blessings' Kim Diehl fabric

Meanwhile I have been developing my relationship with Kim Diehl fabrics, which includes the arrival of the 'Winter Blessings' half yard bundle this morning.  All the backing fabric, the main fabric and block fabrics have been purchased for the Dear Jane quilt, but I will not let myself start until the Nearly Insane quilt is done.  The intention was for my sister and I to do the Dear Jane quilt together, but she has stormed on ahead and has completed 135 blocks already.


'Idaho Lily' - Simple Whatnots by Kim Diehl

To keep me quiet I have allowed myself to do one of Kim Diehl 'Simple Whatnot' quilts.  They are only small and this one, 'Idaho Lily' is mainly half square triangles and some applique.

'Idaho Lily' - Simple Whatnots by Kim Diehl

There is only so long I can look at this fabric, so having done one, I am ready for another.

 

Nearly Insane Quilt - Update #5 June 2015



Nearly Insane Quilt - Electric Quilt image

It is a while since I mentioned anything about my Nearly Insane quilt progress, so I thought a post on the blog would set me into action.  I have taken this image from my Electric Quilt software to show the final layout, and this image is now on my sidebar.

Nearly Insane Quilt - Zig Zag border

I am pleased to say that I have pieced together all the zig zags required in the border.  From my last post you will have read about the false starts I had with this.  I think they contributed to a lack of motivation I had for the border, which is why they have taken such a long time.  Do you ever suffer from lack of interest in your quilt borders?  I had hoped to keep up with this whilst I was completing the blocks, which I did until there was a change of plan. Anyway, they are together, I just need to insert a cream border and either side of the zig zag and then the top is truly finished. That is all I need to do ...


English Paper Piecing - removing the paper

I am still removing the paper from the English Paper Piecing and there are large areas of the quilt which are looking revitalised without the tacking stitches showing through. At the final count there were 6032 pieces in the quilt - all those 6032 templates are in the process of coming out.

Suzi the cat helping with the quilt borders

With all the supportive help I get from Suzi the cat, I expect there are 6032 cat hairs to remove as well....

Miniature Block of the Month June 2015 - The Quilt Room

Miniature Quilt Blocks - Quilt Room Free BOM

We are half way through the year and I am pleased to say that I have kept up with the FREE Miniature Block of the Month currently being offered by The Quilt Room. Each month I pull out my shoe box with my fabric selection and a new block joins the group. I am starting to think how I will set them - at the moment I am thinking of putting them on point.  The fabrics I am using are mainly from 'Snowman Gatherings' by Primitive Gatherings and I see from a few online stores that there is now 'Snowman Gatherings II' available.


Miniature Quilt Block- June 2015

I quite enjoyed the June block.  I only had to undo one line of stitching!  With the foundation piecing the flying geese have come out perfectly. Not quite a star this time, so to keep on theme I have included a tiny star print.

Suzi the Cat

Suzi the cat hasn't featured on the blog lately, so here is a photo for all her fans out there.  It is only June, but we are starting to think about the August extravaganza - Pets on Quilts 2015!