Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays everyone - no matter how few of you there are out there. I'll try to write more in the new year. All the best for 2009.
viridian61

DJ triangle; Norway's Fiord TR7

I finished this triangle a while ago and finally have images to share. I decided to paper piece this triangle, but to add the two curved pieces at the bottom by applique. The photos never appear where I think they should but here goes. the image of the papers shows how I split the triangle into different PP parts. The middle image shows the triangle with fabric in place, but with just the last seam to go. Last pic: last seam done and applique pieces on. Current block count: 1800's Christmas Jane 104, 30, 0, 3077; Pretty in Pink Jane 72, 26, 0, 2204 -- or close enough.
I have printed out pieces for a corner kite - here we go!

More Dear Jane blocks

After a hiatus of more than a month, I am back on track. The top photo is of some recent blocks - blocks 99, 101, 102, 103. And the star block is - ta da- Justin's Comet, block 100.

viridian61

What kind of flower are you?

Saw this on on Wilma's blog, http://wilmaspage.blogspot.com/, thought I'd try it. Pretty fun!

I am a Petunia What Flower Are You?

Jubilee!

Congratulations to me!
I finished my 100th Dear Jane Block. It is G-8, Justin's Comet. AKA Lemoyne star. No picture yet, I'll try to take one tomorrow.
Andrea
100 blocks, 27 triangles, 2927 pieces

Family bonding over the economy

I called my dad yesterday at about 3:30 PM ET. We caught up on things, and of course talked about the economy. He is a veteran watcher of the market. We watched Wall Street Week alot when I was young. Lately dad has kept CNBC on the TV almost constantly, to watch the carnage. So as we talked he watched CNBC and I went to CNBC.com and refreshed the page every so often. As we watched the Dow go down down down we talked and in a strange way bonded over the bad news. We both were urging the clock forward at 3:59 to stop the rout, and gasped in relief at 4 PM.

Now when I call him I greet him as a fellow comrade in the Socialist Republic of the United States. How much of the financial market can the US Government take over before we are technically in socialism?
viridian61

Sunflower days Part II

Here is a sunflower against a wonderful late summer sky. This was taken at the same nature center as the waterlily pics below.

Dear Jane is in a slowdown. Busy with my job and finishing 165 signature squares for a Christmas exchange!
Viridian61

Sunflower days

This sunflower was grown from seed by my daughter. So cheerful!
I'm blogging now b/c school is starting soon and I won't have much time in a few weeks!!
Viridian61

Dear Jane Hall of Shame

This is Crooked Creek, a block in row K. I don't know what happened, really I don't.

The next one is L-12. Not shameful but a cop-out. There should be tiny tiny appliqued triangles near the corners, not pieced ones.

viridian61

Mysterious fabric

Has this ever happened to you?
I was digging through my stash, looking for reproduction fabrics, when this fabric popped out. It is a series of strips of different fabrics, all repros just perfect for my Dear Jane quilt. The thing is - I don't remember it at all! I don't remember buying it, or when! Maybe it entered my stash through a warp in the space-time continuum.
Viridian61

Brute force applique: results

Well, the results are in, and for some Jane blocks, this method works well and my frustration level is waaaay down. top photo shows results. Next photos show how I prep by basting right through the freezer paper, then the final product, with a pink block prepped and pinned and ready to go.

viridian61

Nature photos

These are some photos taken at a nearby nature center. I secretly wish I were an excellent photographer, able to sell my photos for $. Ha. But in the winter these images will be very welcome.

viridian61

Brute Force Applique

Try this method when your frustration level is high and your pieces aren't too small.

1. trace shapes onto freezer paper (FP), cut out, and iron them, shiny side down, onto the back side of your applique fabric.

2. Cut out, leaving 1/4 inch or at least 3/16 inch seam allowance all around.

3. with tip of iron, iron the seam allowance over onto the FP, leaving a nice crease. There may be a little rumpling. Don't worry.

4. Baste down the seam allowance. Sew right through the freezer paper. Do not use your best needle for this. Some force may be necessary. Points may be lumpy.

Here is F-13, Tour de France. Iron your applique pieces flat, flattening out rumples and lumpy points.

5. Place your applique piece on background fabric. Pin into place. Put the point of the pin to back side of your piece so that your thread does not catch on it.

6. Using best needle and thin thread, applique around your piece. I finish, remove the basting stitches, then cut a slit in the back and remove the freezer paper with tweezers. Or, you may stop 3/4 of the way and remove the basting, then remove the FP.

Iron block flat.

I started doing this when just a crease was not enough to follow, or, with freezer paper on the back (no basting) the FP would slide off and my melons would look strange.

Not recommended for heirloom sewing! :-)

viridian61

The view from here

I was wondering.... now that I have 83 blocks and some triangles for my 1800's Christmas Jane quilt, what does it look like so far? Here is what it looks like, set out on the floor. Not every block got in the shot.

I was obsessing about all the applique of tiny pieces, but I said to myself, Self, it is your quilt. You do not need to applique tiny melons, unless it is integral to the design, or you want to. You can machine piece and paper piece every block you can. Or do it by hand if you want to.

viridian61

D-11 in paper-piecing

Part of the Jane journey is learn new techniques. However right now now I am resisting this. To do D-11, Snow Crystal, once can piece the inner square and triangles, do some Y-seams and inset corners. Not me! I redrafted this - changing lines just a little - so that it can be paper pieced in several parts. I do own a copy of Electric Quilt software and could use it I suppose... but just did it with pencil and paper.
This makes block # 80 on my main quilt! Now I'll start some triangles.
viridian61

1800's Christmas Jane 80, 17, 0, 2247
Pretty in Pink Jane 49, 15, 0, 1428

Nancee's Fantasy - next steps

This is the triangle of the week on the Dear Jane list. Top Photo: Printout using the Dear Jane software from Electric Quilt. I chose foundation pattern, and asked to regroup ("start over") pieces for paper piecing. I then eliminated a bit of triangle on two foundations, and extended the background on the other two pieces.
Bottom picture: The beginning of my paper piecing. Not all is done, but you see I am able to keep the lozenge as one piece to feature a fabric print.
I highly recommend buying the Electric Quilt software (after getting the book of course!) It has been SO useful.

Viridian61

LS1 Nancee's Fantasy my solution

I've got it!
This is the triangle of the week for the Dear Jane list. (See my link on the right). Nancee's Fantasy looks difficult, but I think I found a way to avoid set-in seams, if you don't mind foundation paper piecing 7 sections.

I used to not like paper piecing - I found it so frustrating. BUT, on these small DJ blocks it helps me get the accuracy I want. I just cut my pieces of fabric extra large and trim after I sew. The extra time and effort is worth the saved frutration.

Anyhow: take a look at my photo above, and click on it to see the large image and the details. Thank you to whoever on the list mentioned straight diagonal lines - then my inspiration came! I changed a line through one small triangle (see above) The center lozenge has two pieces of background fabric added to the bottom ( I added a seam here). The heavier lines outline the separate sections - I hope you can understand them. Then add the thin vertical section that is like a frame - 3 pieces here, all numbered. Then add the outer parts. Then add the two bottom sections. Each bottom section has one large triangle of your focus fabric, background fabric, then a tiny triangle of focus fabric. I sacrificed the shape and size of this little triangle, but I thought it was worth it.

After this bottom part is done, add the two triangles of background fabric, and then you are ready to add the point, which is also paper pieced.

Now; I haven't actually cut my fabric and pieced this, so I don't know how it will work. I plan to print out at least two more outline images of the triangle and cut them up into paper piecing sections. I'll post images of my progress.

Hey, a PHD is science is something- it has improved my problem-solving skills!

Viridian61

Jane Austen Character

My top result for the SelectSmart.com selector, Jane Austen Character Selector, is Fanny from "Mansfield Park"!

Click on the link and try it. Too funny.

April triangles

Some recent triangles. Frank's rick rack, on the left, is quite graphic. Generally I try to do each tri twice: for my repro Christmas quilt and then for my pink and white quilt. My numbers are moving up slowly. I'm beginning to really like doing triangles. There is a real sense of satisfaction when one is done.

viridian61

April quilt blocks

Here are some blocks I've done recently for my 1800's themed Jane quilt, and some pink ones I've done for my second DJ quilt. I have a big collection of repro double pink fabric!

Jane Inspiration: Architecture

In walking around my hometown with Jane Stickle's quilt on my mind, I see all sorts of inspirations. I wonder if she was inspired by architecture too. These houses were likely built after the Civil War but the gables are inspiring. This first house I call Jane's House - I love the diamond window with stained glass at the top of the dormer.

The white house is a few blocks away. What a delight! I want to piece a triangle like this. This is one of the older houses in town (other than the log cabin) and one of my favorites. Still has its carriage house to the side of the house.

The third house is right across the street from Jane's House. The gable window here is just like the block Quilt Jail.

Viridian61

Triangle Needle's Point - my solution

This is a triangle in the top row, #9, of the quilt by Jane Stickle. To do it exactly, you should use templates and either english paper peicing or inset seams. I 'm no good at either. So I added a seam line through the middle and put it together in three pieces:

I am having such difficulty in getting the pictures to be as I would like them. More practice I guess. I hope to add pictures of my recent blocks and triangles - I have done a bit since my last post.

Fabric used here is Dargate ribbons. A real eye-popper.

viridian61 at 63 blocks and some triangles!

30's stash - for Rosa

Dear Rosa:
This picture is esp. for you. On the floor of my sewing room is the rest of my Dear Jane stash that didn't make it into my first picture, plus my old bureau, where every drawer is stuffed to the brim with 30's reproduction fabrics. I must have every repro fabric made since the very first Aunt Grace line, more than 15 years ago. On the floor is my recent overflow of actual 30s and 40s fabrics and more repros. Not shown in this picture: 2 under bed totes filled with actual vintage feed sacks, and two largish totes in my bedroom closet filled with more reproduction fabric, from the past few years after I filled this bureau. Other unsorted fabric is stuffed all around the room.

A confession

Hi, this is viridian61, and I have a problem.

This is my stash of Civil War reporduction fabrics, collected for years, for my eventual (and now current) Baby Jane quilt in the manner of Jane Stickle. I surely have more than enough fabric for this quilt, so why am I browsing ebay for more sets of fat quarters?! Not every fabric has to be different. This quilt project has become an obsession!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

More Dear Jane blocks

I am obsessed with this project. I have made a number of blocks since I took these photos. I now have 55 blocks and 8 triangles. Time for more photos!

In the top photo, top right, notice the mistake. I should send a copy of this to Rosa, for her Jane's hall of shame!

Argh!

Argh! Somehow I didn't realize that if anyone clicks on my photos (or any photo in a blog on this server) you get the larger version. Which means you can see all the untrimmed threads and ragged edges in my blocks. That won't stop me from posting another picture though.

6 More Dear Jane blocks

here are six more jane blocks that I have finished some time ago. I now have 51 blocks done on my main project. I'll post these 6 by 6.
I broke my 'no-buy' rule this week. I'm cutting way back on fabric and quilting expenses. In fact I spent nearly nothing this year so far (OK, I paid a long arm quilter to quilt a single bed quilt.) But no fabric. Well, until I stopped to get yet more background fabric for my dear jane quilt. And bought fabrics on line at reproductionfabrics.com. They have Civil War repros that you just can't find anywhere else.

Six blocks at a time

Here are some more Dear Jane blocks. Some I did at the very beginning of my journey, in October and November of 2007, and some more recently. Members of the Dear Jane email list may note some Blocks of the Month (BOW) here.

Me: I have been fighting a bad cold lately. I would rather nap than sew, so I must be quite sick!

More photos

In the 2nd photo, of the red blocks, note the upper right one, Stephanies' snowflake. I made some mistakes and now I call it Stephanies' Spider.

Dear Jane Block Photos

Finally photos.

I'm not sure how they will show up on the blog, but my first two are of Brandon's Star, a previous Block of the Month (BOM) in two different colors, and a set of pink triangles. Many pieces here! Hurrah for paper piecing!

The pink triangles (in 1800's and double pinks) will be in a pink and white Dear Jane Quilt for my daughter.

The Brandon's star photo shows how I usually work. I make one in repro pinks, and another in 1800's or Civil War reproduction fabrics, using lots of red and green.

Enjoy.

Bad weather

Well the 6-8 inches of snow turned to 1/2 inch. However the freezing rain and sleet made up for it. But it's interesting how some ice can bring so much to a near standstill.

Why am I here?

An existential question we all ask. I am looking for a way to share my Dear Jane quilt photos with my fellow janiacs. I am leery of posting personal information or personal pictures, so don't look for that here. Of course, my total blog readership will be myself and one random individual - that's what the stats show anyway.