Needing some tips about Dear Jane

Well! It's only a couple of weeks since I found out about a thing called
'Dear Jane' here at rctq. I wonder why I so badly need to make one???

Oddly, my quilting buddy (who now lives at the exact opposite end of the
country) has been infected independently of me and mentioned it
yesterday in a phone call. We had an 'AHA!!!' moment and began planning
how we could do a quilt-along, even though we're thousands of miles
apart. This is good! We figu

i) we can work slowly along and support each other by email
ii) we can share/swap fabrics to keep costs down
iii) we agree we'd both like to use 1930s prints and solids
iv) there are lots of online blogs with tips and instructions
v) a Dear Jane would be a Very Good Idea - think of all the experience
we'd gain!

Our main problems a

i) we're really only beginning quilters without all that many difficult
blocks behind us
ii) neither of us has anyone nearby to offer help/advice in person
iv) it's *really* hard to find a big enough selection of fabrics in the
30s prints we like
v) even though we've ordered 'The Book', we can't figure out how to buy
the fabrics.

So, with all the above as background, and keeping in mind that our plan
is to make each block from a different print and use toning 1930s solids
as background, here are my main questions:

Roughly how much fabric do you need for each block in a Dear Jane?

Is it a good idea to collect charm packs? Is a 5" charm square big
enough to make one block? Should/can we buy fat eighths? (Easy here in
Oz, not so easy in the US) Should we buy fat quarters and share them?
Would it be cheaper/more sensible to just use white fabric for the
background and buy 15 yards each of it?

Finally, does anyone have any recommendations for good online US shops?
We really need to count our pennies on this and it's *lots* cheaper to
buy online than from local sources.

If anyone's done/doing a Dear Jane, would you please share your wisdom
so Trisha and I can get started? Thanks heaps! ;-D

--
Trish Brown {|:-}

Newcastle, NSW, Australia

Before you do anything, Trish, I suggest you visit one of the Dear Jane
online groups.
When you get the books, you will see that there are no instructions.
Now, instructions have been created elsewhere than in the book, and tips
etc and have been gathered together on the dedicated sites (you can
discuss etc just like here). If you have found the blogs and such, that
will do you fine. I didn't use them - not because I am arrogant, but I
have ways I like to work and we are all different. The very fact that
it had been proved that they were do-able was enough for me!

One thing, you may find that the background fabric quantity which is
usually given has been overestimated. It would be awful to have to buy
the large amount - at Australian prices - and then find you had a lot
left over. I bought a lot less background that it said and think I will
have enough; but it does depend very much on how you work with the
blocks.

Working slowly is good; just set an easy target - even one or two a
month will keep you going. You will find that some are very easy and
you can get quite a few of those done quite quickly. Others will take
more time. It is a very appealing project and you will have great
adventures along the way. When you have examined all the pros and cons,
don't be afraid to make them your own by, perhaps doing fewer blocks (if
you are finding it hard-going), or re-arranging them.

By the way, I know this is going to sound scarcely believable: but, when
you have finished and are labelling your quilts, you must be careful not
to call them 'Dear Jane'. You might want to put them in a show or make
them public in some way, and the 'Dear Jane' title is copyrighted by the
author of the book; and there is at least one record of her taking
someone to court over the name. Many of us use the Dear Jane name as a
sort of shorthand. You can always use the name of the original designer
and call it something like 'Trish's quilt in the style of the Jane
Stickle Quilt of 1863'.

Hope something here helps.
..
In message om, Trish
Brown writes
Well! It's only a couple of weeks since I found out about a thing
called 'Dear Jane' here at rctq. I wonder why I so badly need to make
one???

Oddly, my quilting buddy (who now lives at the exact opposite end of
the country) has been infected independently of me and mentioned it
yesterday in a phone call. We had an 'AHA!!!' moment and began planning
how we could do a quilt-along, even though we're thousands of miles
apart. This is good! We figu

i) we can work slowly along and support each other by email
ii) we can share/swap fabrics to keep costs down
iii) we agree we'd both like to use 1930s prints and solids
iv) there are lots of online blogs with tips and instructions
v) a Dear Jane would be a Very Good Idea - think of all the experience
we'd gain!

Our main problems a

i) we're really only beginning quilters without all that many difficult
blocks behind us
ii) neither of us has anyone nearby to offer help/advice in person
iv) it's *really* hard to find a big enough selection of fabrics in the
30s prints we like
v) even though we've ordered 'The Book', we can't figure out how to buy
the fabrics.

So, with all the above as background, and keeping in mind that our plan
is to make each block from a different print and use toning 1930s
solids as background, here are my main questions:

Roughly how much fabric do you need for each block in a Dear Jane?

Is it a good idea to collect charm packs? Is a 5" charm square big
enough to make one block? Should/can we buy fat eighths? (Easy here in
Oz, not so easy in the US) Should we buy fat quarters and share them?
Would it be cheaper/more sensible to just use white fabric for the
background and buy 15 yards each of it?

Finally, does anyone have any recommendations for good online US shops?
We really need to count our pennies on this and it's *lots* cheaper to
buy online than from local sources.

If anyone's done/doing a Dear Jane, would you please share your wisdom
so Trisha and I can get started? Thanks heaps! ;-D


--
Best Regards
Pat on the Green

I don't know what I'm talking about but has that ever stopped me? NOoooo.
Trish mentioned thinking of using 30's repros for her fabric. 30's
repros to my mind are mostly happy silly grandma's apron, bubblegum pink and
kittens with mittens. The Dear Jane quilts I've seen (not many) have been
created with much more somber (how's that for a word?) tones.
Will somebody who knows please climb in here? Polly


"Pat S" wrote in message
...
Before you do anything, Trish, I suggest you visit one of the Dear Jane
online groups.
When you get the books, you will see that there are no instructions. Now,
instructions have been created elsewhere than in the book, and tips etc
and have been gathered together on the dedicated sites (you can discuss
etc just like here). If you have found the blogs and such, that will do
you fine. I didn't use them - not because I am arrogant, but I have ways
I like to work and we are all different. The very fact that it had been
proved that they were do-able was enough for me!

One thing, you may find that the background fabric quantity which is
usually given has been overestimated. It would be awful to have to buy
the large amount - at Australian prices - and then find you had a lot left
over. I bought a lot less background that it said and think I will have
enough; but it does depend very much on how you work with the blocks.

Working slowly is good; just set an easy target - even one or two a month
will keep you going. You will find that some are very easy and you can
get quite a few of those done quite quickly. Others will take more time.
It is a very appealing project and you will have great adventures along
the way. When you have examined all the pros and cons, don't be afraid to
make them your own by, perhaps doing fewer blocks (if you are finding it
hard-going), or re-arranging them.

By the way, I know this is going to sound scarcely believable: but, when
you have finished and are labelling your quilts, you must be careful not
to call them 'Dear Jane'. You might want to put them in a show or make
them public in some way, and the 'Dear Jane' title is copyrighted by the
author of the book; and there is at least one record of her taking someone
to court over the name. Many of us use the Dear Jane name as a sort of
shorthand. You can always use the name of the original designer and call
it something like 'Trish's quilt in the style of the Jane Stickle Quilt of
1863'.

Hope something here helps.
.
In message om, Trish
Brown writes
Well! It's only a couple of weeks since I found out about a thing called
'Dear Jane' here at rctq. I wonder why I so badly need to make one???

Oddly, my quilting buddy (who now lives at the exact opposite end of the
country) has been infected independently of me and mentioned it yesterday
in a phone call. We had an 'AHA!!!' moment and began planning how we could
do a quilt-along, even though we're thousands of miles apart. This is
good! We figu

i) we can work slowly along and support each other by email
ii) we can share/swap fabrics to keep costs down
iii) we agree we'd both like to use 1930s prints and solids
iv) there are lots of online blogs with tips and instructions
v) a Dear Jane would be a Very Good Idea - think of all the experience
we'd gain!

Our main problems a

i) we're really only beginning quilters without all that many difficult
blocks behind us
ii) neither of us has anyone nearby to offer help/advice in person
iv) it's *really* hard to find a big enough selection of fabrics in the
30s prints we like
v) even though we've ordered 'The Book', we can't figure out how to buy
the fabrics.

So, with all the above as background, and keeping in mind that our plan is
to make each block from a different print and use toning 1930s solids as
background, here are my main questions:

Roughly how much fabric do you need for each block in a Dear Jane?

Is it a good idea to collect charm packs? Is a 5" charm square big enough
to make one block? Should/can we buy fat eighths? (Easy here in Oz, not so
easy in the US) Should we buy fat quarters and share them? Would it be
cheaper/more sensible to just use white fabric for the background and buy
15 yards each of it?

Finally, does anyone have any recommendations for good online US shops? We
really need to count our pennies on this and it's *lots* cheaper to buy
online than from local sources.

If anyone's done/doing a Dear Jane, would you please share your wisdom so
Trisha and I can get started? Thanks heaps! ;-D


--
Best Regards
Pat on the Green

Polly Esther wrote:
I don't know what I'm talking about but has that ever stopped me? NOoooo.
Trish mentioned thinking of using 30's repros for her fabric. 30's
repros to my mind are mostly happy silly grandma's apron, bubblegum pink
and kittens with mittens. The Dear Jane quilts I've seen (not many) have
been created with much more somber (how's that for a word?) tones.
Will somebody who knows please climb in here? Polly


Oo! MeMe! I'll climb in! See, I've been checking out as many blogs and
quilt-alongs as I can find, and people have done them in rainbow batiks,
marbles, 30s repros and even single colours on white or black. It was
the 30s prints that got me going: they're so darned pretty! The lovely
gelato-flavoured ones are my favourites and there's something about the
simple florals that's just so relaxing.

Do you think a charm square per block (plus background yardage) will do
it, Polly, or am I kidding meself?

--
Trish Brown {|:-}

Newcastle, NSW, Australia

All right, then. That answers that. If the 30's fabrics make you happy, go
for it. I'll never ever again attempt a quilt with fabrics/colors that
aren't a joy for me to spend time with.
Now. As to the charm squares being enough? I'm thinking you might be
working yourself into a corner. That might work and it might make the whole
process just too tedious to bear. Methinks you'd better begin with 8ths.
Polly

"Trish Brown" wrote in message
eb.com...
Polly Esther wrote:
I don't know what I'm talking about but has that ever stopped me?
NOoooo.
Trish mentioned thinking of using 30's repros for her fabric. 30's
repros to my mind are mostly happy silly grandma's apron, bubblegum pink
and kittens with mittens. The Dear Jane quilts I've seen (not many) have
been created with much more somber (how's that for a word?) tones.
Will somebody who knows please climb in here? Polly


Oo! MeMe! I'll climb in! See, I've been checking out as many blogs and
quilt-alongs as I can find, and people have done them in rainbow batiks,
marbles, 30s repros and even single colours on white or black. It was the
30s prints that got me going: they're so darned pretty! The lovely
gelato-flavoured ones are my favourites and there's something about the
simple florals that's just so relaxing.

Do you think a charm square per block (plus background yardage) will do
it, Polly, or am I kidding meself?

--
Trish Brown {|:-}

Newcastle, NSW, Australia

Polly Esther wrote:
All right, then. That answers that. If the 30's fabrics make you
happy, go for it. I'll never ever again attempt a quilt with
fabrics/colors that aren't a joy for me to spend time with.
Now. As to the charm squares being enough? I'm thinking you might be
working yourself into a corner. That might work and it might make the
whole process just too tedious to bear. Methinks you'd better begin with
8ths. Polly

Hokay! Thanks for that! It's pus, isn't it, working with colours that
just lose their appeal? I've been collecting fabrix from a line called
'Under the Australian Sun' and they're really, really gorgeous. So much
so that I'm disciplining myself to complete all UFOs before I'm allowed
to even think about cutting them. They're Oz florals in our native
colours of drab olive, cream, burnt orange(-ish) and brown. I studied
Botany many years ago and I've always wanted to do a quilt or something
to commemorate that. These fabrix are just the ticket!

If you'd like to see them, they're a Robert Kaufman line and they show
up on Google... ;-D


--
Trish Brown {|:-}

Newcastle, NSW, Australia

My advice re fabric buying is to get all you can afford of anything
you love. (then you'll need to get a bit of other stuff for contrast,
but you knew that already.) Having a friend to share the experience is
a great way to push yourself into more adventurous combinations -you
have to use what she sends you!
But if all you can afford is charm size, this is not impossible. It
might force you to mix up your fabrics. If you don't have enough of
one thing, you can make the block a little bit different by adding
another fabric to the mix.

If you were to send me your snail addy off list, I might be able to
find some suitable bits for you.
Roberta in D

On Wed, 20 Jul 2011 09:41:00 -0500, "Polly Esther"
wrote:

All right, then. That answers that. If the 30's fabrics make you happy, go
for it. I'll never ever again attempt a quilt with fabrics/colors that
aren't a joy for me to spend time with.
Now. As to the charm squares being enough? I'm thinking you might be
working yourself into a corner. That might work and it might make the whole
process just too tedious to bear. Methinks you'd better begin with 8ths.
Polly

"Trish Brown" wrote in message
web.com...
Polly Esther wrote:
I don't know what I'm talking about but has that ever stopped me?
NOoooo.
Trish mentioned thinking of using 30's repros for her fabric. 30's
repros to my mind are mostly happy silly grandma's apron, bubblegum pink
and kittens with mittens. The Dear Jane quilts I've seen (not many) have
been created with much more somber (how's that for a word?) tones.
Will somebody who knows please climb in here? Polly


Oo! MeMe! I'll climb in! See, I've been checking out as many blogs and
quilt-alongs as I can find, and people have done them in rainbow batiks,
marbles, 30s repros and even single colours on white or black. It was the
30s prints that got me going: they're so darned pretty! The lovely
gelato-flavoured ones are my favourites and there's something about the
simple florals that's just so relaxing.

Do you think a charm square per block (plus background yardage) will do
it, Polly, or am I kidding meself?

--
Trish Brown {|:-}

Newcastle, NSW, Australia

Howdy!

"Anything goes!"

Blue & white by our own Tutu Haynes:

http://tinyurl.com/3qbkzml

Technicolor:

http://tinyurl.com/4xrglot

http://dear-jane-quilt.livejournal.com/

http://ballaratpatchwork.com.au/scra...ett-dear-jane/

.... I gave away my Dear Jane book; wasn't going to make the quilt, enjoyed
reading the history; that was enough. I do enjoy seeing other quilters'
interpretations. ;-)

Cheers!

R/Sandy - leaving all the former msg. 'cause I want to

On 7/20/11 9:23 AM, in article , "Polly
Esther" wrote:

I don't know what I'm talking about but has that ever stopped me? NOoooo.
Trish mentioned thinking of using 30's repros for her fabric. 30's
repros to my mind are mostly happy silly grandma's apron, bubblegum pink and
kittens with mittens. The Dear Jane quilts I've seen (not many) have been
created with much more somber (how's that for a word?) tones.
Will somebody who knows please climb in here? Polly


"Pat S" wrote in message
...
Before you do anything, Trish, I suggest you visit one of the Dear Jane
online groups.
When you get the books, you will see that there are no instructions. Now,
instructions have been created elsewhere than in the book, and tips etc
and have been gathered together on the dedicated sites (you can discuss
etc just like here). If you have found the blogs and such, that will do
you fine. I didn't use them - not because I am arrogant, but I have ways
I like to work and we are all different. The very fact that it had been
proved that they were do-able was enough for me!

One thing, you may find that the background fabric quantity which is
usually given has been overestimated. It would be awful to have to buy
the large amount - at Australian prices - and then find you had a lot left
over. I bought a lot less background that it said and think I will have
enough; but it does depend very much on how you work with the blocks.

Working slowly is good; just set an easy target - even one or two a month
will keep you going. You will find that some are very easy and you can
get quite a few of those done quite quickly. Others will take more time.
It is a very appealing project and you will have great adventures along
the way. When you have examined all the pros and cons, don't be afraid to
make them your own by, perhaps doing fewer blocks (if you are finding it
hard-going), or re-arranging them.

By the way, I know this is going to sound scarcely believable: but, when
you have finished and are labelling your quilts, you must be careful not
to call them 'Dear Jane'. You might want to put them in a show or make
them public in some way, and the 'Dear Jane' title is copyrighted by the
author of the book; and there is at least one record of her taking someone
to court over the name. Many of us use the Dear Jane name as a sort of
shorthand. You can always use the name of the original designer and call
it something like 'Trish's quilt in the style of the Jane Stickle Quilt of
1863'.

Hope something here helps.
.
In message om, Trish
Brown writes
Well! It's only a couple of weeks since I found out about a thing called
'Dear Jane' here at rctq. I wonder why I so badly need to make one???

Oddly, my quilting buddy (who now lives at the exact opposite end of the
country) has been infected independently of me and mentioned it yesterday
in a phone call. We had an 'AHA!!!' moment and began planning how we could
do a quilt-along, even though we're thousands of miles apart. This is
good! We figu

i) we can work slowly along and support each other by email
ii) we can share/swap fabrics to keep costs down
iii) we agree we'd both like to use 1930s prints and solids
iv) there are lots of online blogs with tips and instructions
v) a Dear Jane would be a Very Good Idea - think of all the experience
we'd gain!

Our main problems a

i) we're really only beginning quilters without all that many difficult
blocks behind us
ii) neither of us has anyone nearby to offer help/advice in person
iv) it's *really* hard to find a big enough selection of fabrics in the
30s prints we like
v) even though we've ordered 'The Book', we can't figure out how to buy
the fabrics.

So, with all the above as background, and keeping in mind that our plan is
to make each block from a different print and use toning 1930s solids as
background, here are my main questions:

Roughly how much fabric do you need for each block in a Dear Jane?

Is it a good idea to collect charm packs? Is a 5" charm square big enough
to make one block? Should/can we buy fat eighths? (Easy here in Oz, not so
easy in the US) Should we buy fat quarters and share them? Would it be
cheaper/more sensible to just use white fabric for the background and buy
15 yards each of it?

Finally, does anyone have any recommendations for good online US shops? We
really need to count our pennies on this and it's *lots* cheaper to buy
online than from local sources.

If anyone's done/doing a Dear Jane, would you please share your wisdom so
Trisha and I can get started? Thanks heaps! ;-D


--
Best Regards
Pat on the Green

Oh wow, Sandy. Thank you. Why am I surprised that there would be one with
Kaffe fabrics? And, of all things, I think I love the gentle tones the
best. That could change. In mid-sentence. I would have to 'give the book
away' too. No DJ in my future but I am truly wow'ed by them. Polly
"Sandy E" wrote in message
...
Howdy!

"Anything goes!"

Blue & white by our own Tutu Haynes:

http://tinyurl.com/3qbkzml

Technicolor:

http://tinyurl.com/4xrglot

http://dear-jane-quilt.livejournal.com/

http://ballaratpatchwork.com.au/scra...ett-dear-jane/

... I gave away my Dear Jane book; wasn't going to make the quilt, enjoyed
reading the history; that was enough. I do enjoy seeing other quilters'
interpretations. ;-)

Cheers!

R/Sandy - leaving all the former msg. 'cause I want to

Pat S wrote:
Before you do anything, Trish, I suggest you visit one of the Dear Jane
online groups.

Yep! Lots of help is out there, but hardly anyone mentions what
quantities of fabrics they bought beyond the background. Because Trisha
and I are so beginnish, we're embarrased to ask silly questions at a
dedicated group. Rctq seems - cosier - y'know?

When you get the books, you will see that there are no instructions.
Now, instructions have been created elsewhere than in the book, and tips
etc and have been gathered together on the dedicated sites (you can
discuss etc just like here). If you have found the blogs and such, that
will do you fine. I didn't use them - not because I am arrogant, but I
have ways I like to work and we are all different. The very fact that it
had been proved that they were do-able was enough for me!

Yeah - we feel a bit the same way. I'm thinking paper piecing might be
our preferred method. We've already done a big fat Mariner's Compass
each by paper piecing them and it was great fun.

One thing, you may find that the background fabric quantity which is
usually given has been overestimated. It would be awful to have to buy
the large amount - at Australian prices - and then find you had a lot
left over. I bought a lot less background that it said and think I will
have enough; but it does depend very much on how you work with the blocks.

Whew! Oz prices are the Pitz - so great, in fact, that it's well
worthwhile to buy from the US! (Massive postage included).

Working slowly is good; just set an easy target - even one or two a
month will keep you going. You will find that some are very easy and you
can get quite a few of those done quite quickly. Others will take more
time. It is a very appealing project and you will have great adventures
along the way. When you have examined all the pros and cons, don't be
afraid to make them your own by, perhaps doing fewer blocks (if you are
finding it hard-going), or re-arranging them.

Hah! That's *exactly* what I needed to hear! Thank you! The whole
project (especially the cost) is pretty daunting if you sit still long
enough to think about it. It's nice to be reminded that perfection isn't
required! LOL!


By the way, I know this is going to sound scarcely believable: but, when
you have finished and are labelling your quilts, you must be careful not
to call them 'Dear Jane'. You might want to put them in a show or make
them public in some way, and the 'Dear Jane' title is copyrighted by the
author of the book; and there is at least one record of her taking
someone to court over the name. Many of us use the Dear Jane name as a
sort of shorthand. You can always use the name of the original designer
and call it something like 'Trish's quilt in the style of the Jane
Stickle Quilt of 1863'.

Gee, it is amazing! I mean, the JASQ is an historical item and, I'd've
thought, priceless. How can anyone 'own' its name, or even its nickname,
even if s/he coined it? Oh well. I shall call it JASQ in future.

Hope something here helps.

Yes! Thank you! My family thinks I'm mental because I keep googling Dear
J - erm - JASQ and drooling over the lovely fabrics.

--
Trish Brown {|:-}

Newcastle, NSW, Australia