Sunday Slowdown with Dear Jane

 

I got motivated yesterday to put Dear Jane on the frame. It has been years since I finished the top. Maybe during Covid? I've been terrified that I would mess it up with the quilting. It is rainbow of course, in a trip around the world setting. 

I searched back through the blog to find the overall photo of the flimsy. It was started in 2013 and finished in 2021. Feel free to use the labels at the bottom to see the long slow work in progress of this one. 

I needed to extend the frame though for the log cabin quilt, and so that required a bit of manual labor. I usually keep my Handiquilter at a shorter size, but the table is adjustable with leaves and it can get quite a bit longer. 

I am trying to put most off the quilting in the white areas which will help the colors to pop out. So far  am using a combination of micro-stippling and outlining. Each block just gets its own treatment. Whatever it seems to need. As much as I would love to hand quilt this one, I just need to move it along after all these years. It isn't perfect for sure. As I revisit each block, I am finding all the little imperfections. And you know what? I love it or all its imperfections. I had to hand stitch the corners where the corner kites met up with the side triangles. There were bit holes where the set in seams didn't meet. I also replaces a small goose in one corner that had gotten singed with the iron. So far there is only one bit of machine quilting that was so bad I decided to tear it out. That was orange peels that I tried to outline on the focus fabric. It stood out way too much!

So one row is done. I am saving the setting triangles for now, at least the ones on the top and bottom. I've got school work to get done today and then I need to work ahead because we will travel next weekend for the celebration of life. After that it will be a week and a half on a bus, so I plan to stich lots of hexies while we travel from one school to another. I hope that your Sunday is restorative and relaxing. I know that a big portion of the US is dealing with ice and snow right now. It isn't cold here, but we are watching the cabin weather and It is quite chilly. Anna is at Virginia Tech and she has been sending us daily updates. Fortunately, she is able to work from home on her graduate school work, but her fiancé Jordan has to drive for his job so I hope that things have been cleared up a bit before the new week starts. 

Yesterday I was able to finish sewing the Saltwater Taffy blocks together. I have an empty project tote now! Also a lot of extra 2 inch strips that I can turn into the sizes that I am using or this year's Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks, both the Dot Blocks and the Propellers use 2 inch wide units. This one might want a border. I will wait a bit on this one before making finishing decisions.

 Just one more blue week to get done what you can for RSC January. Remember, its all about making things with scraps, that doesn't mean you have to use them all up. It is all part of the cycle as you use up the old to make room for more. I am going to link up with Slow Sunday Stitching and Kathy's Quilts. Even though I am finishing this one up on the machine, it represents to much hand stitching of melons and diamonds and more. Snow storms are a great reason to stay inside and soothe the soul with needle and thread. Please stay safe and warm inside if you can. 

Dear Jane Flimsy

I started this top in 2013.  Most of the blocks were done by the end of that year, but those border triangles got the better of me.   The corners are still a bit wonky, but here is the finished flimsy for Dear Jane.  It has a rainbow layout of course in an around the world layout.   

Sunday Finishing

 

I finished the yellow block of Leap Year last night while we were finishing off watching Shitt's Creek as a family.   

This was the very last Dear Jane block, left side number 6 which is also known as tumbling blocks.  It was English paper pieced.   Though I haven't done much of it, the inset seams worked well that way.  

This is the final border, the right side, ready to be sewn on.  Hard to believe that all these years later I will finally have a finished quilt top.  I started this quilt in 2013 right after finishing my Tiny Tuesday Midget quilt from Sentimental stitches.   A lot happened at first, most of the top was finished before the end of that year.  Then it got set aside, and the longer a quilt is in hibernation, the harder it is to wake it up again.  It will be done today though, at least the top part.  The quilting is another story.  I'm  linking up with Slow Stitching Sunday and Oh Scrap! today.  

Dear Jane Marathon day

I took a day off of work yesterday and decided to sew.   Its been busy and I just needed a breather.   The blocks that are left on Dear Jane at this point are mostly tricky in some way.  This one is called tumbling blocks and has all these inset seams!  I will do English Paper piecing on this one for sure.   

Then there is this one, it was simple enough, I don't know why it waited so long.   I think there are three more to go?   Two need some hand work and I just didn't get to the third by the time everyone came home.   I ran out of freezer paper, and spent the day running around the house finding other things to use instead.   I think I finished only three blocks completely, but two more are well underway.  

I'm usually pretty done by the end of the day right now.  I get home in time to walk the dog and start dinner and then I'm usually ready to collapse.  Seeing the finish line though, I will have to try to make some progress even on school days.  I think I'm settling back into a pattern again with the new semester.

Anna is back at school in time for class "shopping" and Ryan is all settled in with 2 and a half in person classes!   Sydney is glad to be back to brick and mortar, the online learning was OK for a while, but it started to take an emotional toll over time.  
 

Sunday Feels Like Saturday

 Having gotten caught up on pink, and with a three day weekend to look forward to, I decided to pull out a UFO.  Dear Jane has top and bottom borders, but it needs left and right to be finished properly.   

I pulled out the completed blocks and it looks like there are 10 out of the required 26.  Not bad at all.   

After a bit of time this morning, here is 11.   It is block number 6 on the left side and just needs a tiny bit of applique to be added to the wall.   I'll settle down for a little bit on hand work as soon as I hop over to Kathy's quilts to see what other hand stitching is going on this sunny Sunday.  It looks like she has pulled out a UFO as well.   With an extra day in the weekend, I will try to cross another block or two off the list.  Hopefully Dear Jane won't be a UFO for too much longer.   

More Triangle Progress

 I got a few more pieces put together on the EPP triangle.  My points are still having some issues, but practice makes better I suppose.

 This green triangle was paper pieced.  It seems a bit wonky in the picture.  I'm pretty sure it is OK in real life.  It was paper pieced in 6 sections.

This appliqué block is all prepped and ready for hand stitching.  Not a bad day's work all in all.  I think I am going to the dentist tomorrow, but other than that, it should be another nice calm day.  Those are the best kind of days after all.  Eventually I'll have to start accomplishing real life things again, but for now, this is so much more fun.

Dear Jane Again

It has been oh so long since Dear Jane saw any action.  I thought that yellow should get a little progress before the end of the yellow month.  The middle of the quilt is completely done.  All that is left now are the triangles.

 This is number three on the bottom row.  It was paper pieced in three easy sections.

Then came number 10 on the bottom row.  I had paper piecing patterns already printed, but they didn't seem to want to come together without inset seams.  Instead, I thought it would be fun to try English Paper piecing.  Look how much fun!  Just a few more pieces and then I will try to take out all the paper.
So much fun to have a home day!  

Dear Jane Center Blocks Done

Finally had a chance to finish sewing the center blocks together for Dear Jane.  Yesterday was spent on a family outing to Ikea, but today was a rainy home day.   Now that the blocks are together, I need to take everything down and get the sewing room turned into the guest bedroom again.  It was a year and a half to finish the center, I wonder how long to finish the border blocks?

Mid Year Celebration!

Today marks the middle point of 2014.  We are marking the occasion with a parade of rainbow scrap projects so far.  It is too much to pull out all the rainbow blocks each month to enjoy the growing color collection.  It is nice however, to have an occasional gathering of the group to get a feel for where things are going.

So here are my Rainbow Scrap Challenge Sampler blocks so far.  I've worked ahead a bit, so don't worry if you see a few blocks that haven't been posted quite yet.  Looking at the photo, I'm thinking that I might have cheated pink and purple a little bit.  Those were busy school months and I'm not sure the balance is right quite yet.  There is an upper corner where the red will go, and then a bit of space for darks.  Still a couple more months to do though, and I have plans for those too.

 Mai Tai has been in the works for a bit now.  I've got quite a few nine patches done, but they need frames and then I'll start on the alternate star pinwheel blocks.

 These are the baby nine patches with a few alternate blocks in the works.  I'll keep working on these for quite a while I think.

Don't forget Dear Jane!   She needs just two more blocks which are sure to be finished today.  Tropical storm Arthur is churning off the coast, meaning a damp gusty day for us.  Sounds like a perfect day to get some serious sewing done.  We are back from morning lifting, and I really do need to get some groceries, but other than that, sewing is the plan.

How are your projects progressing so far?  Use misterlinky to share your collection so far and let us know what colors you are hoping for in the second half of the year.

Tiny Tuesday Oak Leaf

 My very first triangle!  The triangles don't seem to have names, but this one looks like an oak leaf to me.  It is #12 from the top.  It was a simple applique block with 4 pieces.

DJ Count 11 blocks 1 triangle 152 pieces

Tiny Tuesday - Harvest Moon

 Today is another applique block.  It is A3 and it has 9 pieces.

Ryan was out playing flag football with kids from the neighborhood today.  He was nice enough to hold the block for me before he headed off to bed though.

DJ Count 11 blocks 0 triangles 148 pieces

Tiny Tuesday - Ashley's Aura

It is applique this week with C6.  I tried fussy cutting this time.  I wish I had cut the white part as a single circle so that the edges lined up better, but nonetheless It is another block crossed off the list.


DJ Count 10 blocks 0 triangles 139 pieces

TIny Tuesday - Wagon Wheel

 This week's block is called Wagon Wheel.  It has three layers of traditional and reverse applique.

Sydney was my block holder tonight.  I'm not sure where that dimple came from, but I do like the foot.

DJ Count 10 blocks 0 triangles 136 pieces

Tiny Tuesday - Tinker Toy

 This week brings block B9 which seemed like it was going to take hand piecing with set in seams.  Instead I followed the directions at That Quilt.  They worked out great.

Kurt was my model again this week.  He doesn't seem to take my quilt blocks very seriously.

DJ Count 9 blocks 0 triangles 133 pieces

Tiny Tuesday - Cabin Fever

 Tiny Tuesday this week brings another paper pieced block.  It is A9 and came together in 5 sections.

Ryan was happy to hold it for me.

DJ Count 9 blocks 0 triangles 120 pieces

Tiny Tuesday - Cathy's Campfire

 This is Dear Jane block A-5 which is called Cathy's Campfire.  It was paper pieced in three simple sections.

Anna was my model tonight.  Despite the unseasonably warm weather she still wanted to snuggle
under a quilt.  It is a good thing we have plenty to choose from.

DJ Count 8 blocks 0 triangles 79 pieces

Tiny Tuesday - Uncle Homer

 This was a super simple traditionally pieced block.

  It would have been even simpler if I hadn't accidentally used cream background fabric the first time instead of white.  The light in the family room really isn't ideal for quilting.

DJ Count 8 blocks 0 triangles 50 pieces

Tiny Tuesday - Dee Dee's Delight

Applique AGAIN.  This is D8 from the Rainbow Jane Collection.  Eventually I will have to do some actual piecing, but for now, the applique is fun.

DJ Count 7 blocks 0 triangles 41 pieces

Tiny Tuesday - Jane's Tears

Someday I will have to do something that isn't applique, but it is so simple when they are all prepped and ready to just stitch away while watching TV.  This one is called Jane's Tears.  It is C9

DJ Count 6 blocks 0 triangles 32 pieces

Tiny Tuesday - Florence Nightingale

 This was a simple and straight forward traditionally pieced block.  It is number A8 from the Dear Jane quilt.   I'm still not sure what the measurements were.  I just laid my ruler over the top of the pattern in the book, added an extra quarter of an inch all around and then cut the fabric that big.  The triangles were cut oversized and then trimmed down.

Kurt was my model tonight.  He seems to be getting more creative with poses these days.

DJ Count 5 blocks 0 triangles 27 pieces