Well I am thinking of doing the dear jane sew a long in Jan. with everyone and Klue. Don't know if I will finish but may still try. I am stuck though on color choice! I have looked at so many beautiful pics of different dear janes and am trying to decide the colors for mine. I was thinking Black and White or scrappy.

Ok the question is what color will you be doing?????

(I did see a few posts of material and saw some beautiful reds)

:?: :D

Star - I did a post a while back with my DJ fabrics. I'll look for it and give you a connection to the thread.

I have one warning on B/W quilts. I'm making one now, so it's not coming from a "bad" place...b/w quilts are very pretty, but much more difficult to make than you would ever imagine. Perhaps you are experienced, and this is not something you don't know. Sorry in advance if it is. Anyway, it is very easy for many of the whites to come out grey and washed out looking. Also, unless you know what you are doing, it's very easy to end up with just a bunch of b/w and little to unify what you are doing. Take a close look at a really well done b/w and it's way more going into than most of us put into other fabric choices.

So, that's my warning. I would hate to have you do a B/W quilt on something as challenging and time intensive as the DJ and end up with a quilt that is not spectacular...

I hope this doesn't sound like I know how to make perfect B/W quilts, because I don't. I am learning this lesson right now on my NY Beauty quilt and it's a good lesson. I wouldn't want to learn it on my DJ!!

okay,found my original thread: http://www.quiltingboard.com/posts/list/23502.page

My colors are browns, reds/salmons/corals/cream/turquioise - hard to describe, except I know it when I see it!

Thanx for the info!! I don't want to mess this project up any more than I already will!! I was kind of wonderinag about that also, as I am doing a lap quilt for x-mas, b&w pinwheels but my white has sparkles and I am prewashing, do you think this will also be a problem??

I honestly have to say that I have no idea...I'm still working on my first B/W!!! I am doing a class and actually went to the instructor's house one day. She showed me samples of various b/w quilts to demonstrate how easy it is to lose the effect you want, and to end up with basically a quilt that is black and white, and not at all interesting! I had no idea until she told me and showed me!!!

Hey, just saw you and your familiy on the show your face thread - so beautiful!!! Your kids look great - dig your son's mohawk. My son gets them periodically, but the hairdresser cuts "Fo-hawks" so that if he doesn't spike it you can't really tell!

My colors are pretty much like the original DJ because I'm using civil war reproductions. My backgrounds are all white on muslin, and I got enough of one white on muslin for sashing.

I agree with esqmommy, I'm not sure this is the quilt to use black & white. I've seen a version where it is blue & white and it just didn't seem the same. The different colors make it look more complex, IMHO.

Another consideration is the size of the print, since these are such little blocks even a medium size print can get lost. Some of the pieces are only a 1/4 to 1/2 inch in size, so little of fabric shows.

Hope this helped

Star - I'm in the same boat - can't decide on a color scheme. I'm quite sure it will be scrappy, but would like something to unify it, and at least need to decide on what kind of background(s) to use.

eqsmommy - thank you for the heads-up on making b/w quilts. I think that was valuable advice, and I'll look at those quilts in another light from now on. I do like the fabrics you chose for the DJ.

Thanx NorBanaquilts- I have also thought of using the repro fabrics to stay in the theme, but of course that means ALL new fabric to buy, which really isn't a bad thing :twisted: Guess I will have to just go looking at the fabric store!!!! :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

I have lots, we could trade.

I am useing up my stash.. I can't think of a better way to get rid of some fabrics than this undertakeing. Plus it really needs to be cleaned out.... I have just moved and mercyyyy do I have ALOT of fabric!

So scrappy it is!

I am using all Civil War repros. I got 4 different bundles, #9, #10, #11, and #12, on eBay from seller 40yearhoarder (pretty sure that is the name). They are 9"x11" pieces of 50 fabrics in each bundle that have been specifically selected for a DJ quilt.

Lazy... sure. I just want to make the quilt and not agonize over every fabric. :lol:

here's a pic of a very popular B&W jane. i think this was so successful because there's print and tons of value throughout the quilt.

if you want to do B&W i would search the web for many pics of this style, find the one that speaks to you, and then try to match the values as best as you can.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/cathi/1206600648/

here's one of my favorite scrappy jane's done with more contemporary fabrics

http://carolinapatchworks.com/blog/c...by-jane-quilt/

i'm doing my Jane in red, white, and indigo

i'm using the Gallery In Red line by Marcus.

i think the unique thing about the jane i'm making is not my color selection, americana isn't unique, but its layout.

here's a pic of the layout i'm using.

Thanx Klue, those pics you posted happen to be two of my favorites that I have looked at :mrgreen: they maybe causeing part of the decision making problem. :wink:

Your layout looks great! Have you done any B&W for clients?? do you know of any problem with the loss of color?

Thats an idea NorBanaquilts :-) :?: Thanx for the offer I will have to decide what I want to do.

Lazy?? I think not this is a BIG project! that sounds like helping yourself out! I was thinking of buying fat quarter bundles.

Is there another thread for the one starting in january?

I've been thinking about it, but now I can't find the messages describing what's happening.

BlueChicken

Klue will be starting the thread for the sew along towards the end of october. so don't worry you didn't miss it, I just NEED to decide before the last minute!

lol

Thanks, thought I was going mad for a minute... again! :-)

I have been thinking about doing the blocks scrappy, from bits of other quilts that I've made. So it would be kind of a fabric record of my quilting life.

Blue -That's an awesome idea

i think thats a brilliant idea and very in the spirit of the original jane. i'm sure she didn't run out and buy all new fabric to make her quilt since it was during the civil war - i would imagine money and fabric were tight.

I'm not really a "scrappy" kind of person, I do like everything to be perfect. But in my scrap drawer I have little bits that I pull out every now and then and they make me smile, I remember the quilt I made with that fabric and how good it looked, etc.

And I do like all the colours in the original DJ. :-)

well i also took DH's opinion into consideration as I want this to be on our bed. when he got home today I brought him over to the computer to see a few pic's, the original and Klues pics. He said I should do scrappy, mainly to use up what I got but he also liked the story behind the original and how she used what she had and how they were all different pieces that came together so nicely :mrgreen: I think I am leaning towards scrappy.

I also think that if I do scrappy that I will not be disappointed if I mess up and have to toss a square or two( or More).

excellent!

doesn't it feel good to have the fabric/style settled upon. i really think its the hardest decision to make because how many full jane quilts will we be making in our lives.

I just ordered the book from amazon.com-- it's no longer in stock at Barnes and Noble. Since I have so many quilts in the WIP stage, I may just hunt clearance sales for the background fabric and collect scraps from my other quilts for now.

It will be fun to follow along with the participants in 2010 using the book as a reference, and join in when I have whittled down my WIP.

That's cool. Your Dear Jane will have a lot of memories tied to it.

I am going to use batiks for my dear jane. My background fabric is a very pale multi-color. It's so pale it looks off white when I take a photo of it. The other colors I am going to do in a trip around the world pattern as the original is. I'm getting excited. :D :D :D

BLUE -wow, what a cool idea. LOVE IT!!

Star, I think you are making a good choice too!! The B&W posted by Klue says it all. I only wish there was one that does not highlight the values so we can see how easy it is to go wrong! Whenever I see a nice quilt, I think, "hey, I can do that", and then I make it, and it's not the same. sometimes it works, sometimes not...

Okay, we are counting down. It's 9/28 and 3/4 of the way thru the year. Just think, this time next year, we will be DJ pros!!

I don't have my fabric either but I'm thinking about using stash but buying a background color to tie everything together. The pieces are so tiny that I'm thinking that I have lots of scraps of fabrics that I loved....so I'll use those. Now...the background and the back are different stories.

Blue...I love your idea...!

Klue, thanks for the website listings, I have been trying to find sites to review before you start the "sew-along" in January. I am really looking forward to it, but concerned about the fast pace.

That scrappy one is actually the Maypole fabric line by April Cornell for Moda. I only know that because I purchased a bunch of it on clearance at Hancocks-Paducah last fall, there were some really pretty wovens in the kits.

Klue, I forgot to ask, do you recommend the software, or do you think the book is enough?

Esqmommy

I don't know about pro's well you and klue but not me! I think I will do scrappy and then fill in some of the repro fabric also and then a cream color foe the background.

i prefer the software over the book because it provides you with all the patterns (along with many other perks) and with the book you have to redraft all the blocks - but its really a personal choice, some people love to use only the tools jane would have had on hand and hand stitch the entire quilt.

i'm into technology and the software was an easy choice, the software is under $40 from joann's and if you consider 10-15 minutes to redraft a block, that adds up to 40-50 hours spent redrafting blocks.

the pace will be fast, 12-14 months to complete all blocks/triangles/corners (that maypole quilt was done in 8 months) but we will be working 6 weeks on and 1 week off, so you'll have that week to get caught up.

also, after the 12-14 months we'll still be together because we have to put the top together and then quilt it.

since the book doesn't help people with how to put together the blocks or the triangles, i will be putting up photos of the blocks that will show each section and the order to piece it.

these won't be tutes on how to paper piece, since there's already tons, but more to help the DJ book users on how to draft the block for paper piecing.

we'll be official Janiacs

Love that scrappy look. If I was to do this (which I am not), I would go scrappy. Very nice.

So how many blocks do you think we will be doing a week?? And are you going in order?

LOL

I am also planning on having a neutral background type fabric to tie it all together, probably just an off white or something similar.

no we won't be going in order of letters and numbers.

i'm trying to set it up based on how difficult the blocks are and determine the time of year that it is. the blocks will be anywhere from 3-6 blocks a week depending on how difficult the blocks are to make.

so, the idea is for the first 2 weeks to be easy blocks so everyone can get their feet wet.

then we'll spend the rest of the winter and spring doing a mix of technique and difficulty.

then when school lets out and the kids are home for summer and vacations/etc we'll hit easy blocks again.

then sept we'll start back with mixed technique and difficulty.

then for the holidays its back to easy.

then after the holidays pass we'll be at 12 months and we'll finish the quilt over the winter.

we'll be doing a triangle a week starting the 2nd month.

i plan on putting up the full schedule for the entire 225 blocks once we start the Cyber Block Party, i don't want anyone to feel like they don't know whats coming up or feel lost if they go on vacation (things like that).

so, we'll do 6 weeks of blocks then we'll take 1 week off, so that people can catch up/redo a block/work on another project/etc.

Our schools don't follow the same schedule as you guys. :-(