Mine should look like this when done ;)
I also have bought some blue and white South African fabric to make a blue and white Baby Jane someday.
I am thinking I should make a practice block first then I could make two at a time ... high expectations !

Adnil, is this a picture of the original Jane Stickle quilt?? So you will try to match it closely I'm assuming? I forget [should simply go back a page] I think you indicated you are doing a BOM with a local store or online with them providing the fabric. I looked a long time for a couple of them doing the 'shopping' by myself. I found a fabric called 'crossroads to texas' for J-3 at this website... http://www.reproductionfabrics.com/shelf.php?ID=4
the thing I liked about the fabric was that the block seemed to be a combination of a group of different fabrics - sort of a 'sampler' and that is what this fabric is. I'm also trying to find an old dress belonging to my mom for block L-10. She died 1-1-08 and had a dress out of fabric that block reminds me of and I thought it would make the quilt extra meaningful for me.

have fun with Jane!!
Gus

I finished M-2 today [week of Aug 18] .... I say it again...why paper piece?? For the corners cut two 2" squares out of the background and print fabrics to make 4 half-square triangles. trim down after you make & press them to 1 3/8" squares. Your border background sections are cut [4 of them] 1 3/8 x 3 1/4"
For the center triangles cut one 3 1/2" square print diagonally twice this will ensure the straight edges are where they should be. Center square is 1 1/8", strips are 1 1/8 x 2 1/2" - sew length of this background sashing between two triangles [twice as in diagram]. Sew the short sides on either side of the two remaining sashing strips to the center square. Assemble the middle square sections as in the diagram, trim carefully to 3 1/4" square. [if you use a ruler with a diagonal mark at 45 degrees to a corner this is easily done evenly....
With the start 0-0 marks of your ruler near a corner, set your diagonal mark so it evenly bisects the middle of a strip of sashing.. shift your ruler such that the 1 5/8" line on either side goes directly through the middle of that center square [1 5/8" x 2 = 3 1/4"] ...if you sew carefully you will not need to mess with all that paper
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My BOM is from Stitchin Heaven. At times they do a red DJ and a blue DJ. Previous picture was off there BOM website. Here is my first SAMPLE prior to the real thing. Still needs starch, press and squared up but looks ok !

Do you guys prewashed?

Great start, Adnil! You're on your way! I did prewash my DJ fabrics. With so many different fabrics, I didn't want to run the risk of some shrinking more than others, especially since the background and sashing fabric was muslin, which often shrinks a lot.

Monica, thanks so much for the encouraging words and keep the prayers coming! We should, hopefully, have the surgery scheduled within the next few weeks. You are starting to move along with Jane again, I hope this means your other quilts are ready for the show. :thumbup:

Adnil, welcome aboard! Your block looks great. I'm in the habit of always washing my fabric as soon as I buy it. I hope to prevent uneven shrinkage (when the quilt is finished) and colors bleeding, especially reds. I did a group project once and my quilt was red, white, and blue. Guess which color bled? Yep, the red onto the whites.

Summer is over, I go back to work . . . in about 2 hours. Maybe I'll get back to DJ earlier than expected. I do love to sit and work on it for a bit in the very early hours while everyone else is still sleeping and before we start our busy day.

Adnil -the fabrics I used for DJ were mostly small pieces. I didnt pre-wash anything! Hopefully I will not regret it. I have made over a very very long stretched out period of time [since the 60s] about 40 or so quilts - only two have run. One just a few weeks ago I'm afraid, but not very badly. It was my All around the Town quilt I will put into our local show [and Cindy - :shock: - no ....still procrastinating & Jane is helping!!] the tree trunks bled ever so slightly. I failed to put color catchers in my He washer when I washed the top to get the blue pattern marker out. With color catchers or retayne or synthropol - the colors in fabrics are quite stable. I also once read - I believe it was something by Sharon Schramber who has won many many quilt awards, to shrink the fabric you applique with but not the background because that way your appliqued work will be 'pulled under' when the background shrinks a bit. Many quilters I know dont preshrink because that gives your finished quilt a softer crinkly feel afterwards. There are as many opinions as people!! I think if you have a color that is questionable to you, I do soak in cool water with a color catcher of some sort [years ago before they existed a little vinegar].
Have fun!
M

Alrighty then, I decided to do practice blocks first. So far, two a day. What I have learned: 1. From block A-3 ... for the applique I will be using Masterworks, the overly expensive digitizing program since I would never get my Jane done if I had to hand applique. 2. From block A-4, one can NEVER have enough seam rippers nor can one measure and remeasure too many times. If it is squared too small, add more fabric to next step :))) I almost remade the block but didn't have to.

What in the world did Jane Sickle use as a seam ripper? I shall pop a cold one and ponder ....

Adnil, tell me about Masterworks. As my fellow Janiacs know, I'm not fond of needleturn applique, although I did get better at it as my DJs progressed. I've often wondered how Jane did it without an iron or lights, let alone without a rotary cutter and a seam ripper!

Masterworks will allow you to use some designs already loaded OR you can download pictures or outlines and assign the decorative stitches (and MORE features) the software holds which was more than my machine had. For a couple years I took classes off and on. Then as I was doing a Chicken Fowl quilt for the second time. After you digitize a design, save file, and download to thumb drive. Then you hoop background fabric. The software will make a placement stitch, you lay fabric down, another stitch is made to secure fabric, trim fabric, then decorative stitches stitched. The first time I made this quilt I used only iron on fusing and the stitches on my machine.

http://www.critterpat.com/item.php?i...category_id=51

When I get A3 of Dear Jane redone, I will post up close so you can see. If I get ambtious, I'll do a tute on the embroidery process part.

I am also making a Rose of Sharon quilt. I bought BOM for it where the shop owner digitized it. Working on that has helped me understand Masterworks also.