Needing some tips about Dear Jane

Oh yes, that is a lovely version. I have never seen it done in anything
like that way - so pretty. The way the background colours form those
'trip around the world ' diamonds is so clever - and the border echoing
all those colours ..... quite something.

In message om, Trish
Brown writes


Polly, this is the one that got me hooked:

http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/...KiPeNl?start=0

I think it's just gorgeous, the way she has used the coloured
backgrounds to accent her prints! I hope mine will be as pretty!


--
Best Regards
Pat on the Green

Lots of my quilts are scrappy, with very mixed backgrounds. IMO it
makes the whole thing more lively. Once I went a bit overboard though.
The solution was to quilt all over the surface with a contrasting
variegated thread. It worked sort of like a glaze on a painting to
pull all the different fabrics together.
I'm probably going to have to do this again on the top I just
finished.
Roberta in D, Queen of the Scrap Heap

On Thu, 21 Jul 2011 11:35:11 -0500, "Polly Esther"
wrote:

Should the background of every DJ block always have to be the very same?
( I realize that someone can make a DJ out of tie-dyed t-shirts if they take
a notion.) Why I pose the question is - I am making a 'simple star' quilt
and the blocks' backgrounds are sort of similar but they are not the same.
The result, methinks, is very nice. Just wondered if you couldn't do a DJ
with various backgrounds without an initial outlay for 15 yards - a
staggering thought. Polly


"Susan Laity Price" wrote in message
.. .
Please email me off group (slpdesigns at speakeasy dot net) I am also
working on a DJ and would like to share information.

Susan Price

On Wed, 20 Jul 2011 20:01:29 +1000, Trish Brown
wrote:

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

On Thu, 21 Jul 2011 11:35:11 -0500, Polly Esther wrote
(in article ):

Should the background of every DJ block always have to be the very same?
( I realize that someone can make a DJ out of tie-dyed t-shirts if they take
a notion.) Why I pose the question is - I am making a 'simple star' quilt
and the blocks' backgrounds are sort of similar but they are not the same.
The result, methinks, is very nice. Just wondered if you couldn't do a DJ
with various backgrounds without an initial outlay for 15 yards - a
staggering thought. Polly




I've never done one, so I guess I don't know the rules. But I think similar
yet different backgrounds would be stunning.

Maureen

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

Trish, I have finished quilting my DJ quilt and have started a second
(plus a couple of other projects from block swaps that need to be
finished.)
A couple of thoughts for you,
using different backgrounds allows you to buy as you can or need to.
The other option here is to use something basic, that you can buy in
smaller amounts. I used Roc-Lon muslin and have no idea how much I
used. G
When I started my DJ I was pretty much a beginner. Didn't know how
much of the quilt I was going to do. And I started with the triangles.
(Had to be different.G)
The group I started with met at a shop and we got 4-6 pieces of fabric
each meeting. These were about 6" wide by 9-10" long and enough to do
at least a block or triangle. Some of the blocks can easily be done
with a charm square plus background, some can't.
And a warning, once you start the small blocks they become addicting.
And if you are planning to hand piece I heartily recommend the
purchase of the book "Quilted Diamond 2" by Linda Franz. Even if you
never do any of the diamonds the almost 2 hour DVD lesson on hand
piecing is wonderful. Wish I had had that before I started my Jane.
Most importantly remember:
Finished is better than perfect.
Make it big and trim it down.
HAVE FUN.
Pati, in Phx

On Jul 20, 3:01*am, Trish Brown wrote:
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

Pati, in Phx wrote:
Trish, I have finished quilting my DJ quilt and have started a second
(plus a couple of other projects from block swaps that need to be
finished.)
A couple of thoughts for you,
using different backgrounds allows you to buy as you can or need to.
The other option here is to use something basic, that you can buy in
smaller amounts. I used Roc-Lon muslin and have no idea how much I
used.G
When I started my DJ I was pretty much a beginner. Didn't know how
much of the quilt I was going to do. And I started with the triangles.
(Had to be different.G)
The group I started with met at a shop and we got 4-6 pieces of fabric
each meeting. These were about 6" wide by 9-10" long and enough to do
at least a block or triangle. Some of the blocks can easily be done
with a charm square plus background, some can't.
And a warning, once you start the small blocks they become addicting.
And if you are planning to hand piece I heartily recommend the
purchase of the book "Quilted Diamond 2" by Linda Franz. Even if you
never do any of the diamonds the almost 2 hour DVD lesson on hand
piecing is wonderful. Wish I had had that before I started my Jane.
Most importantly remember:
Finished is better than perfect.
Make it big and trim it down.
HAVE FUN.
Pati, in Phx

Oh Pati, it was great to read your post! Especially where you say you
were a beginner when you started! LOL! That would be me! I wish I could
join a group too. AFAICT, there aren't any locally and few local shops
have even heard of the Jane A. Stickle quilt.

Just today, I decided to start with the triangles too. My friend and I
are expecting to have a planning session over the Christmas holidays
(that's the soonest she can get here, since she lives on the other side
of the country :-( ). I'm in honour bound not to start without her, but
she's not going to add the border of triangles and I am. (This only
dawned on me last night - duh!) So, I guess I'll start piecing the
triangles and see how I go.

I've already picked a few difficult blocks and made practice pieces of
them. So far, so good. It looks like much of the piecing will be on
foundations and for that, we plan to use a light sew-in interfacing. It
travels quite well through the printer and will be much easier to get
the foundations on to. I'm also re-drafting the block patterns so that
they measure 6½" - I have a king-sized bed and need the extra area.

My latest thoughts have been 'I wonder if I could do quilt-as-you-go on
this?' and so that's what I think of as I lie in bed at night. Still
haven't quite got the plan properly in my head, but I will, I will! LOL!

I can't wait to get started: this is promising to be so much fun!!! ;-D

--
Trish Brown {|:-}

Newcastle, NSW, Australia

How enterprising of you to change the block size. Most of the designs
fit neatly into the size; so will be easy enough to do 'proportionally'.
You might have to work a bit on a few!
As to the quilt as you go. I think that is actually a great idea.
There are various methods 'out there'. But, I was thinking ... I would
think that with such relatively small blocks, this quilt might be a
candidate for a false back. You could use a fine muslin for the block
backing, so that you could quilt them. Then, after they have all been
sewn together with the sashing, you could choose the backing you really
want (don't forget there are extra width fabrics, because you will
already have a lot of seam thickness), and tie it to the top at,
perhaps, every corner. The ties could be a feature, if you like that
idea, or virtually invisible.
See what you think. If I were a great one for block quilts (which I'm
not, usually - I tend to do more whole area designs), I would have tried
this method by now. Maybe it is in my future! I have tried a couple of
the usual methods, but only for testing purposes.

I'm so glad Pati came in with her tips. You really are going to have
fun, you know!
..
In message om, Trish
Brown writes
Oh Pati, it was great to read your post! Especially where you say you
were a beginner when you started! LOL! That would be me! I wish I could
join a group too. AFAICT, there aren't any locally and few local shops
have even heard of the Jane A. Stickle quilt.

Just today, I decided to start with the triangles too. My friend and I
are expecting to have a planning session over the Christmas holidays
(that's the soonest she can get here, since she lives on the other side
of the country :-( ). I'm in honour bound not to start without her,
but she's not going to add the border of triangles and I am. (This only
dawned on me last night - duh!) So, I guess I'll start piecing the
triangles and see how I go.

I've already picked a few difficult blocks and made practice pieces of
them. So far, so good. It looks like much of the piecing will be on
foundations and for that, we plan to use a light sew-in interfacing. It
travels quite well through the printer and will be much easier to get
the foundations on to. I'm also re-drafting the block patterns so that
they measure 6½" - I have a king-sized bed and need the extra area.

My latest thoughts have been 'I wonder if I could do quilt-as-you-go on
this?' and so that's what I think of as I lie in bed at night. Still
haven't quite got the plan properly in my head, but I will, I will! LOL!

I can't wait to get started: this is promising to be so much fun!!! ;-D


--
Best Regards
Pat on the Green

What a brilliant idea, Pat.

I have always like the idea of QAYG - but shied away from all the ways of
making it look all of a piece. Clever way around the back problem:-)

Thankyou.

--
Cheers for now
Tutu
Cape Town, South Africa
"Pat S" wrote in message
...
How enterprising of you to change the block size. Most of the designs fit
neatly into the size; so will be easy enough to do 'proportionally'. You
might have to work a bit on a few!
As to the quilt as you go. I think that is actually a great idea. There
are various methods 'out there'. But, I was thinking ... I would think
that with such relatively small blocks, this quilt might be a candidate
for a false back. You could use a fine muslin for the block backing, so
that you could quilt them. Then, after they have all been sewn together
with the sashing, you could choose the backing you really want (don't
forget there are extra width fabrics, because you will already have a lot
of seam thickness), and tie it to the top at, perhaps, every corner. The
ties could be a feature, if you like that idea, or virtually invisible.
See what you think. If I were a great one for block quilts (which I'm
not, usually - I tend to do more whole area designs), I would have tried
this method by now. Maybe it is in my future! I have tried a couple of
the usual methods, but only for testing purposes.

I'm so glad Pati came in with her tips. You really are going to have fun,
you know!
.
In message om, Trish
Brown writes
Oh Pati, it was great to read your post! Especially where you say you were
a beginner when you started! LOL! That would be me! I wish I could join a
group too. AFAICT, there aren't any locally and few local shops have even
heard of the Jane A. Stickle quilt.

Just today, I decided to start with the triangles too. My friend and I are
expecting to have a planning session over the Christmas holidays (that's
the soonest she can get here, since she lives on the other side of the
country :-( ). I'm in honour bound not to start without her, but she's
not going to add the border of triangles and I am. (This only dawned on me
last night - duh!) So, I guess I'll start piecing the triangles and see
how I go.

I've already picked a few difficult blocks and made practice pieces of
them. So far, so good. It looks like much of the piecing will be on
foundations and for that, we plan to use a light sew-in interfacing. It
travels quite well through the printer and will be much easier to get the
foundations on to. I'm also re-drafting the block patterns so that they
measure 6½" - I have a king-sized bed and need the extra area.

My latest thoughts have been 'I wonder if I could do quilt-as-you-go on
this?' and so that's what I think of as I lie in bed at night. Still
haven't quite got the plan properly in my head, but I will, I will! LOL!

I can't wait to get started: this is promising to be so much fun!!! ;-D


--
Best Regards
Pat on the Green

Kate in MI wrote:
I'm working on mine right now! I have found the software to be worth
its weight and price! I provides both templates and foundation piecing
patterns. A good many of the blocks can be foundation pieced which makes
it a point-perfect process. It also allows you to sort the blocks by
difficulty level -- which is nice. You could also resize the blocks to 6
inch blocks if you wish -- which makes them a little easier to work with
- but if you plan to make the exact quilt it would be huge! You could
start with the beginner blocks and work your way to the more difficult
blocks. You do not need the actual EQ software to run the Dear Jane
software. The software is $50 -- but if you split it -- you could print
the patterns to a PDF file and email the templates to each other. I
would be lost without it!

http://www.electricquilt.com/Shop/DearJane/DJ.asp

I'm drafting our blocks to be a bit larger (6½") and so I've started
from scratch in CorelDraw. It's easy and fun. Let's see if the 'ease and
fun' element remains after 225 blox!


As for fabrics -- Keepsake quilting would be a place to look. Here is a
bundle of 50 FQ's. Do you plan to make your quilt "charm style" --
without repeating any of your primary fabrics? I would say a 5" charm
will not work for all blocks. You are going to drive yourself crazy
trying to scrimp so you don't run short as you cut your pieces. I am
using layer cakes (10" squares) and bought several packs of them.

http://www.keepsakequilting.com/prod...OLLECTION-.htm

Thanks for that, Kate! I'll email the URL on to Trisha so we can
purchase ASAP. I bought one charm pack and was lucky enough to find it
had only 10 different prints but with 2 squares of each print in it.
Whew! That's just enough for some simple blocks. It seems to me,
there'll probably be quite a bit left over after duplicates and
over-budgetting are taken into account. What a shame! I'll have to make
another quilt out of the scraps!


One thought is to make double blocks -- you each would end up doing 1/2
of a quilt -- twice -- then you could trade so 1/2 of your quilts is
made by your BFF.

Yes, I think that's a great idea. Trisha is a lot better at foundation
piecing than me and I'm a dab hand at appliqué. This should work well
for us.

Feel free to email me privately if you have any questions. I'm about 60%
done with the center blocks (the 4 1/2" blocks). Hope to have them all
done by Thanksgiving!

Thank you! Good luck with the big finish! I'm *busting* to get started,
but I did promise to wait until the Christmas hols. I s'pose I'll just
have to phondle all the pretty phabrix until then. Or, maybe, make a
leetle incursion into the triangles on the QT. ;-D

--
Trish Brown {|:-}

Newcastle, NSW, Australia