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#31
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Needing some tips about Dear Jane
Pat S wrote:
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! I thought that would be the case, but you just try to resize that blasted ¼" seam allowance on a triangle or trapezoid! I've had to revisit my (old and rusty) drafting skills - which is A Good Thing, really. I'm enjoying it hugely! 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. Ooo! I love the sound of the false back! I'm thinking that, if I sash the quilt, I could simply SITD along the sashing strips after the back is attached. Straight lines are a lot easier to machine quilt than all those wiggly ones I see on YouTube! 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! YES!!! I've made a few practice blox, just to see if I can do it and it's so much easier than I thought it'd be. I'm thinking some of the foundation piecing is going to be a challenge, but I'll be sensible and start easy. Thanks so much for your input - I feel so rich with all these great ideas coming my way. ;-D -- Trish Brown {|:-} Newcastle, NSW, Australia |
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#32
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Needing some tips about Dear Jane
I love to 'hear' the enthusiasm in your writing!
Tiny word of warning (sorry!): SITD is not as easy as it sounds g. If you want to quilt along the sashing, it would be easier to do the stitching a quarter of an inch from the seams - still straight lines, but any little 'burp' from the straight wouldn't show nearly as much! Caution about leaving those blocks unquilted, with just the sashing sewn down. When I suggested the false back, it was because you would have quilted the individual blocks. It would depend a bit on your batting, but I don't think 6.5" blocks would do too well unquilted. Or, as is more than likely, I have misunderstood your intentions! .. In message om, Trish Brown writes Pat S wrote: 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! I thought that would be the case, but you just try to resize that blasted ¼" seam allowance on a triangle or trapezoid! I've had to revisit my (old and rusty) drafting skills - which is A Good Thing, really. I'm enjoying it hugely! 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. Ooo! I love the sound of the false back! I'm thinking that, if I sash the quilt, I could simply SITD along the sashing strips after the back is attached. Straight lines are a lot easier to machine quilt than all those wiggly ones I see on YouTube! 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! YES!!! I've made a few practice blox, just to see if I can do it and it's so much easier than I thought it'd be. I'm thinking some of the foundation piecing is going to be a challenge, but I'll be sensible and start easy. Thanks so much for your input - I feel so rich with all these great ideas coming my way. ;-D -- Best Regards Pat on the Green |
#33
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Needing some tips about Dear Jane
Pat S wrote:
I love to 'hear' the enthusiasm in your writing! LOL! So do I! I've done so many different crafts and hobbies in my life, but quilting has come along kinda late-ish to me. It's so exciting to be able to start something completely new, but not too unfamiliar (I've been a person-who-sews since I was four). Tiny word of warning (sorry!): SITD is not as easy as it sounds g. If you want to quilt along the sashing, it would be easier to do the stitching a quarter of an inch from the seams - still straight lines, but any little 'burp' from the straight wouldn't show nearly as much! Yes, I hear you! I haven't tried SITD yet, but my friend assures me it's dead easy. Hah! Just like high school dressage: quite simple *as long as you know what you're doing*! Caution about leaving those blocks unquilted, with just the sashing sewn down. When I suggested the false back, it was because you would have quilted the individual blocks. It would depend a bit on your batting, but I don't think 6.5" blocks would do too well unquilted. Or, as is more than likely, I have misunderstood your intentions! O no, I wouldn't leave the blox unquilted: I'd quilt them as I went ('go-ed'?) and then do the sashing thing with the false back. So many ideas to think of and I haven't even put my scissors into fabric yet. I've printed out the first half-dozen foundations for triangles and keep looking at them meaningfully. Hmmmm... ;-D -- Trish Brown {|:-} Newcastle, NSW, Australia |
#34
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Needing some tips about Dear Jane
Please! Just do a practice triangle! You can say you needed to do one
to see if your fabric estimate was correct! Roberta in D (clipped) I've printed out the first half-dozen foundations for triangles and keep looking at them meaningfully. Hmmmm... ;-D |
#35
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Needing some tips about Dear Jane
Ha-ha!
Returning to SITD: it is dead easy if you don't mind wobbles!! If you do decide to do it, a couple of things which should help: if you quilt along the lower side of the seam it will be marginally easier. You will have observed that, if you press seams to the side, there is a high side and low side to every seam. However, the side 'prongs' of the presser foot will be a slightly different levels to one another. Exception is if you press your seams open. when you are quilting along the low side of the seam, start at the end which allows you main light source (usually a window) to be on the same side of the seam as the low side. Otherwise you will be quilting along the shadow of the high side onto the low side. Try it and you will see what I mean. That increased visibility makes and enormous difference in being able to keep the quilting line just up against the 'step' of the high side, but not hopping onto it (what I called a 'burp'!) .. In message , Trish Brown writes Pat S wrote: I love to 'hear' the enthusiasm in your writing! LOL! So do I! I've done so many different crafts and hobbies in my life, but quilting has come along kinda late-ish to me. It's so exciting to be able to start something completely new, but not too unfamiliar (I've been a person-who-sews since I was four). Tiny word of warning (sorry!): SITD is not as easy as it sounds g. If you want to quilt along the sashing, it would be easier to do the stitching a quarter of an inch from the seams - still straight lines, but any little 'burp' from the straight wouldn't show nearly as much! Yes, I hear you! I haven't tried SITD yet, but my friend assures me it's dead easy. Hah! Just like high school dressage: quite simple *as long as you know what you're doing*! Caution about leaving those blocks unquilted, with just the sashing sewn down. When I suggested the false back, it was because you would have quilted the individual blocks. It would depend a bit on your batting, but I don't think 6.5" blocks would do too well unquilted. Or, as is more than likely, I have misunderstood your intentions! O no, I wouldn't leave the blox unquilted: I'd quilt them as I went ('go-ed'?) and then do the sashing thing with the false back. So many ideas to think of and I haven't even put my scissors into fabric yet. I've printed out the first half-dozen foundations for triangles and keep looking at them meaningfully. Hmmmm... ;-D -- Best Regards Pat on the Green |
#36
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Needing some tips about Dear Jane
Trish, the DJ software will automatically print the blocks at any size
you wish. No re-drafting needed!G Also, doing 6" (finished) blocks will take a lot more fabric. Most will need more than a 5" charm. And double check the measurements And what your finished size will be. Have fun, Pati, in Phx n Aug 9, 7:10*pm, Trish Brown wrote: 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! http://www.keepsakequilting.com/prod...930S-FAT-QUART... -- Trish Brown {|:-} Newcastle, NSW, Australia |
#37
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Needing some tips about Dear Jane
--Note this reply is completely OT--
Dear Trish I have recently revived my fledgling interest in quilting through an abortive BOM (too hard to do on my own!) and a couple of expensive lessons at a local shop which have left me with basic piecing skills but no idea of how to attach a quilt top to its border or backing, so tonight I decided to have a look in rctq because rctn was such a great way to learn lots about cross stitch when I first got interested in that, back in the mid 90s. What a pleasure to find a post by you almost as soon as I started scrolling through recent rctq topics! It was like walking into a room expecting to see only strangers, and hearing a familiar voice. You probably don't remember me, but I used to post as l_goddess_l or mooncat1973 on rctn around 1995-2005. I still think of you and your Boring Stories now and again. Warmest regards Alex (formerly of WA, earlier of Newcastle, and now of Canberra) On Wednesday, July 20, 2011 8:01:29 PM UTC+10, 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 |
#38
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Needing some tips about Dear Jane
Alexandra Hunter wrote:
--Note this reply is completely OT-- Dear Trish I have recently revived my fledgling interest in quilting through an abortive BOM (too hard to do on my own!) and a couple of expensive lessons at a local shop which have left me with basic piecing skills but no idea of how to attach a quilt top to its border or backing, so tonight I decided to have a look in rctq because rctn was such a great way to learn lots about cross stitch when I first got interested in that, back in the mid 90s. What a pleasure to find a post by you almost as soon as I started scrolling through recent rctq topics! It was like walking into a room expecting to see only strangers, and hearing a familiar voice. You probably don't remember me, but I used to post as l_goddess_l or mooncat1973 on rctn around 1995-2005. I still think of you and your Boring Stories now and again. Warmest regards Alex (formerly of WA, earlier of Newcastle, and now of Canberra) I remember you, Alex! Thanks for your kind comments - I haven't done any 'proper' stitching in quite a while because the quilting bug bit and - well - here I am. My advice (aside from asking for group wisdom here, of course) is to get stuck into YouTube. There's all sorts of helpful videos there to show you how to piece, baste and quilt. I'm still a raw beginner meself, having only a few quilts under my belt. I've embarked on my Jane A. Stickle quilt and have been having *so* much fun with it. Gee, I hope I can stay the distance: it's so absorbing and so *darned* complicated. LOL! Chuck a google image search of 'Dear Jane' to see many scrumptious versions of this remarkable quilt. I've done three of the border triangles in 1930s prints - only 222 blox to go! =:-O -- Trish Brown {|:-} Newcastle, NSW, Australia |
#39
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Needing some tips about Dear Jane
On Aug 22, 12:27*am, Trish Brown wrote:
Alexandra Hunter wrote: --Note this reply is completely OT-- Dear Trish I have recently revived my fledgling interest in quilting through an abortive BOM (too hard to do on my own!) and a couple of expensive lessons at a local shop which have left me with basic piecing skills but no idea of how to attach a quilt top to its border or backing, so tonight I decided to have a look in rctq because rctn was such a great way to learn lots about cross stitch when I first got interested in that, back in the mid 90s. What a pleasure to find a post by you almost as soon as I started scrolling through recent rctq topics! It was like walking into a room expecting to see only strangers, and hearing a familiar voice. You probably don't remember me, but I used to post as l_goddess_l or mooncat1973 on rctn around 1995-2005. I still think of you and your Boring Stories now and again. Warmest regards Alex (formerly of WA, earlier of Newcastle, and now of Canberra) I remember you, Alex! Thanks for your kind comments - I haven't done any 'proper' stitching in quite a while because the quilting bug bit and - well - here I am. My advice (aside from asking for group wisdom here, of course) is to get stuck into YouTube. There's all sorts of helpful videos there to show you how to piece, baste and quilt. I'm still a raw beginner meself, having only a few quilts under my belt. I've embarked on my Jane A. Stickle quilt and have been having *so* much fun with it. Gee, I hope I can stay the distance: it's so absorbing and so *darned* complicated. LOL! Chuck a google image search of 'Dear Jane' to see many scrumptious versions of this remarkable quilt. I've done three of the border triangles in 1930s prints - only 222 blox to go! =:-O -- Trish Brown {|:-} Newcastle, NSW, Australia Oh, dear, Trish. I can understand the quilting overtaking the 'proper' needlework... not enough hours in the day to do it all!! And taking on the Dear Jane early in your career is true to form. I just checked out some of the DJ links and *boggled* at it. So many blocks! So many SORTS of blocks! Good luck. :-) I think the Kaffe Fasset one quoted earlier in the thred is my favourite, love the rainbow in the arrangement - though I saw an indigo one that was lovely too. Not for me, though. I'll stick with my L-plates for now thanks! YouTube had crossed my mind as a resource, and I'll be doing some watching this weekend while I struggle with binding, backing and quilting a complete "patchwork" cot sized top I bought at a recent craft fair. Good practice, and nicer than buggering up the quilt top I'm currently piecing. Babysteps on all fronts! I'll have to try and be a mostly-lurker on rctq so I can get some time in at the needle. I have a two year old girl now who keeps me busy when I'm not at work. She's looking forward to getting her first pieced quilt finished soon - loves the colours in the jelly roll I chose for it. This is my study in basic cutting and piecing technique, so I can then make a lovely eye-spy quilt. We chose the fabrics for that one together! :-) Alex |
#40
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Needing some tips about Dear Jane
Alexandra Hunter wrote:
Oh, dear, Trish. I can understand the quilting overtaking the 'proper' needlework... not enough hours in the day to do it all!! And taking on the Dear Jane early in your career is true to form. LOL! Mostly, it's not enough $$$ in the bank! Also, like the real quilters, I think I have more ideas in my head than I have time or resources to complete. As soon as I clapped eyes on the Jane A. Stickle, I thought 'Gotta do this!' Like all needlework, it progresses one stitch at a time, so I do hope to finish it one day. I just checked out some of the DJ links and *boggled* at it. So many blocks! So many SORTS of blocks! Good luck. :-) I think the Kaffe Fasset one quoted earlier in the thred is my favourite, love the rainbow in the arrangement - though I saw an indigo one that was lovely too. Not for me, though. I'll stick with my L-plates for now thanks! Oh yes, I liked the Kaffe one enormously too. The one that really appealed is the 1930s prints (hadn't seen any of those in my LQSes and fell immediately in love). YouTube had crossed my mind as a resource, and I'll be doing some watching this weekend while I struggle with binding, backing and quilting a complete "patchwork" cot sized top I bought at a recent craft fair. Good practice, and nicer than buggering up the quilt top I'm currently piecing. Babysteps on all fronts! Great idea! One thing that led me gently from stitching to quilting was the chance to do huge, enormous quantities of appliqué on my first quilt. It was all hearts and butterflies and nine patches for DD: quick to do and fun to work at. I think that's the secret: if you pick a design that really makes your heart sing, you'll finish it well because you're more motivated. I'll have to try and be a mostly-lurker on rctq so I can get some time in at the needle. I have a two year old girl now who keeps me busy when I'm not at work. She's looking forward to getting her first pieced quilt finished soon - loves the colours in the jelly roll I chose for it. This is my study in basic cutting and piecing technique, so I can then make a lovely eye-spy quilt. We chose the fabrics for that one together! :-) Alex A little girl! How lovely! My little girl is big now - in her second last year of high school. Sigh. Make sure you watch yours carefully: they have a habit of suddenly growing up when you're not looking! Why don't you come back to N'cle and we can be quilting buddies? ;- -- Trish Brown {|:-} Newcastle, NSW, Australia |
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