A-1 Pinwheel Gone Awry

I printed the foundation pattern from the Dear Jane program, but mine is reversed.  I guess I was suppose to print out the mirror image.  I'm sticking with this version.

Small Start

This is my first post to this group.  I finally got around to starting my Traditional Dear Jane.  I have done 8 blocks so far.  My plan is to work concurrently on a 30's Dear Jane, since I'm nuts.  LOL Here are pictures of my blocks.  I hope I did this right.

-Beth

 A-1

 A-2

A-4

 A-5

 A-6

 A-8

 A-9

C-1

My first post!

This is my first post here :)  I just started my Dear Jane journey this year.  I'm using Deb Strains "Coming Home" fabric line for the whole thing.  Well at least that's how I'm starting out, who knows how I'll finish!!

Here's my first 9 blocks.  I do paper piecing when I can, I love paper piecing.  I don't think I'll ever have this many blocks to show at once again :)

A-4, B-13, A-6, C-1

A-8, B-4, C-3

A-1, A-2

I hope to get a couple more done this weekend.  So far so good :)

BLOCKS A-1, A-2 AND A-3

A-1

A-2

A-3

A-1 Redraft

This was one of my last blocks. I started out working on random blocks and then later went to the center of the quilt and worked my way out. It is one of many blocks that look one way in the photo of Jane's block and another way in the book's draft. I decided to redraft it. You can read the details here.

A1...on my way...

Hello... I have finally made my first block again...

I started my Dear Jane way back a few years ago

 I chose colors I no longer am drawn to so then

 I had to think what colorway would I do...

 This has taken me 3 months..agonising over the colors etc.

There are so many gorgeous Dear Jane's around it's hard to chose

Would I use a light background or dark...what fabrics?

 Anyhow I decided I am using all the Fig Tree fabric ranges

I have in my stash and using a seeded Homespun

as the background as it looks feed stack-y. 

I will follow Jane's color placement for my Dear Jane.

 So last night after 3 attempts, 1, a foundation piece was tossed..

 too hard and fiddly for me... then 2 attempts with rotary cut pieces.

 One looks better so is a keeper.

 I am pleased and have now completed A1...

Now to do a few more....LOL

I may just do the green fabric blocks to start with..

 Happy Jane-ing

 Hugs Dawn x x x

 'As Sweet as Cinnamon'

First finished blocks.....small progress

Well, after years of procrastination, I have finally begun. A friend who has all her blocks done and took a class from Brenda at Asilomar told me to put a one inch by five inch strip of muslin on the right hand side and a one inch by five and one/half strip on the bottom of each block as I went. But row A requires a 5 1/2 inch on the top also.....and block A-1 requires an additional 6 in. strip on the left hand side. So I precut l69 five by one inch strips, 169 + 26 five 1/2 by one inch strips, and two 6 inch strips. She said it was a tip to greatly facilitate putting them together by doing a little at a time. One other hint she gave me was to make sure I always use a really sharp or new needle. Sure keeps those tiny pieces from getting jammed at the beginning of a seam . I use headers usually and always chain piece.....but it is a good hint. Love working on these although my husband said this quilt certifies me as absolutely NUTS. Here are blocks A-1, A-2, A-5, A-6 ,A-7, A-8.

A-1 Pinwheel Gone Awry

Hot outside today and so I decided to make another DJ block this afternoon. Starting with row A, as that way I don't get to make all the easier blocks first.

More of a writeup on my own blog.

After 10 years, Dear Jane begins....

I fell in love with Jane when Brenda's book first came out. However as a single mom working three jobs and trying to keep body and soul together, I bought the book and just dreamed of having some time to work on it. That was almost 15 years ago. Several years ago, I saw the BOM on the Stitchin Heaven website and ordered the fabrics and block hints and awaited their arrival for all 24 months of the program. Still no time to really get started. Now my children are raised, I remarried, I moved, and I retired......voila......time to begin Jane. Most importantly, I met several friends who either have begun Jane or want to and we met this last week at a retreat. Today, in the above pix, you can see all 24 BOM's, my notebook with the hints from the BOM carefully filed, and a sticker about NO PAIN, NO JANE that one friend gave me. In the little plastic ziploc bag you can see I have block A-1 cut out. I am happy to report that that little block is now FINISHED. Can I officially call myself a Janiac now? I don't have a blog but hope to report in with progress monthly. Quilter 501 up in NE Washington state.

Dear Jane sees the light again.

When I started my Dear Jane blocks I kept a journal of how each block worked out and any problems I encountered.  Looking at my comments, there seem to be some glitches in my work, and I may redo some.  My journal commenced in June 2008, and I progressed along until I had to pack up my sewing room as we were moving house.  I havent made any more blocks since then - nearly 3 years.

I am using fabrics from my stash, random ones, as long as the colours work in to my plan.  The backgrounds are also scrappy.

A1

A7

C9

G7

J4

These are the first 5 of 30 something blocks completed.  I will take pics of the other completed ones and add them as I can.

Jumping In!

Hi!  I'm finally getting a chance to jump in here and show some of the blocks that I have completed.  I have twelve blocks done so far (this one is A-2), and I'm excited to be joining in and making blocks along with this group!

 A-1

 C-3

 L-13

A-5

I'm making mine with all scrappy backgrounds.  Now I'm starting to think of a sashing color that will go well, I'm kind of on a little hunt.  I have no idea what direction I'm going to go with my sashing, but I'll know the right fabric when I see it :)

Enjoy the day!

~ Dawn

Some more A's and a C

C-1

I have been busy today finishing off a few projects which have taken me away from Jane for a few days. I bought some new Liberty fabric 1/8th's the other day so I have used one of these for the first row C block.

I will also add a few more blocks from row A, which I completed a while ago......

A-1

A-2

A-3

A-4

Till next time - happy sewing everyone!!

Cheers

Julianne

Hi There!

I started my DJ quilt last year and powered along for awhile, finishing 20 blocks.... Then I came to an abrupt halt.

I'm so glad Vicki and Dawn have started this blog to inspire and encourage us on this DJ journey. I hope it's just what I need to get my fabrics back out and start making blocks again. I have just photographed my finished A row blocks today. Above is A-1, 2, 7 and 6.
These 3 are A-4,5 and 8.
Thanks so much Vicki and Dawn for doing this... I love this quilt and I really enjoy putting the blocks together... It will be great to pick it back up again.
Teresa

A few of my blocks…..

Hi everyone and how awesome that you all want to be a part of this blog to spur you on with your own blocks. Welcome aboard and welcome to those who are following the blog too. Maybe down the track when time permits and the urge just is too great you too will start a Dear Jane quilt.

I am not too sure that each time we put up the words Dear Jane that we should put the little ® after them. I think its a registered name, so perhaps we do. Does anyone know?

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Wow…..you girls are doing some amazing blocks! So neat and perfect!

I am finding that with each one that I do, I do it just that bit better than the last block. I keep telling myself that once they are all put together and quilted the few mistakes I have made wont show up. Well that's my theory anyway. hehehe

I just want to show you some of the blocks I have done. I am using fabric colours as close a match to Jane’s blocks and using a nice off white calico for the background fabric.

      

A-1                                     A-2

     

A-3                        A-4

I am doing my blocks in the rows. Starting with A row and will go down the rows. I try not to avoid any blocks because they look difficult to do and if I do I come back to them the next time.

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I have the Dear Jane ® book and rulers

which is great for reference and seeing the actual blocks.

I have also got the Dear Jane quilt software to help me with these blocks which is really good as you can print out each block to the exact size and no tracing!

 

You can get it from The Electric Quilt Company or various other places. Just do a google search. It’s very handy. I will talk about some of the features of this a bit later.

Happy DJ sewing and hugs to all……