I just looked through the book again.

There are some very easy looking blocks in there.

And some that look like real stinkers to put together.

yes, there's something for everyone in a Dear Jane quilt.

some of my local friends have made them but i haven't personally.

i've always liked the idea of replicating the "old masters" and reflecting on what their life could have been like and what history was occurring at the time.

The thought of replicating her quilt really intrigues me and I think I would really enjoy doing it. I have sooo many projects that I would like to do and I think that to do the Dear Jane...I would have to do them all by hand...just like she did, then I'd have to hand quilt it. Hmmmm...on second thought, maybe I better get started :D

better yet -

why not make up one's own miniature blocks - in the style of???

the impression I got from the book was that a lot of the blocks in that quilt were "originals"

I have been thinking out the Dear Jane blocks. I need more information. :lol:

I started my Dear Jane about 2 months ago. I only have row A finished. It's going to take me a looong time. :lol:

i don't know if you guys saw this link from yesterday but its a miniature block quilt that has the feel of being a DJ but there's only a few hard blocks


http://sentimentalstitches.net/free-...midget-blocks/

i noticed a thread for a dear jane swap that you were involved in about a year ago - how did that go?

I was just reading some of the comments on the site and it seems the blocks stopped being uploaded not quite half way through, and the woman doing them has disappeared. It must be very frustrating for the people who have been faithfully making the blocks each week.

I have been making and storing this quilt for close to 5 years. I am guessing I have 25 blocks left. :shock: Someday, she'll be able to get out of her cubby and be a real quilt.

Brenda Papadakis, the author of the quilt , used to have a website with helpful tips on some of the blocks. I distinctly remember one with a tiny little star in the middle that is folded rather than sewn. I cannot remember if I did it this way, but the website was helpful. I paper pieced many of the blocks.

I agree with you Loretta....I think the journey is really important on this quilt. I might just follow your lead about the basket and tv. I can't stand to sit still and do nothing with my hands, so I always have something going. I guess I better go find the book first...then make sure I have plenty of fabric...it will take a looong time and whatever I pick out will certainly be discontinued before I find out that I don't have enough :roll:

I'm invloved in making a DJ at quilt guild and the co-ordinator colour coded tghem into three files - easy, difficult and stinkers. The easy file was of course the most popular but now we've got a few stinkers left to do - then we've got the border blocks which are pieced as well and really acute angles. I think Marcia posted one a while back that her friend made? hats off to anyone who makes one alone - it's a lot of work even as a group project! Just checked my files but I have no pics of any of my blocks - can't imagine why I didn't take any - maybe because they sucked! :lol:

all the blocks are up at that site in PDF that you can download - i have them all if they aren't available any longer - just let me know and i'll send them to you.

Betcha 10 fat quarters that's big fat lie! You're just gonna have to go take some pix and let us judge!

:lol: :lol: :lol:

No guild now til September so you'll have to wait! :lol:

I started a Dear Jane. I have a "To Go" bag with needles, thread, scissors, pre-cut pieces in baggies labeled for which block it belongs to. When we go on a trip it goes along. I decided to hand piece them. Somewhere down the line I may use the machine to do some too.

I could be mistaken, but I do believe "riley" from this board has done a DJ. Was hoping she would hop on and post a pix.

its beautiful but i wonder why she didn't do the original border design.

the ones i've seen that used the same period type fabric always did a literal translation.

Wow... it looks stunning in blue doesn't it! Quite a different effect.

some people don't like to do the curved edge because it can ripple.

the best way is to finish the quilt and then cut in the curves just before you bind it off.

i've only seen people stray from the original in their fabric selection. i love the 2 tones.

i've seen them done is black and white and blue and white.

i've been dwelling on doing it in red and white

Red and white would be amazing, more striking than the blue I think, although blue is my favourite colour.

Library auction is this week. When I go, I'll see if they have any books ont eh dear jane quilts and check it out. A project for 5 or 6 years, right up my alley :)

I never thought I'd see myself doing 4 1/2 inch blocks. but this would be quilt for me- never to leave my bed.

Can't wait to get to the auction- they have book sales and I'm itching to see if there are any quilt books there.

I have just started my DJ quilt. But I am doing a 'my version' cz some of those blocks scare the bjeebees out of me. I went to buy the book at my local quilt store and she had just sold the last one. But she did have the EQ version of it. So I bought it. Still learning how to use it. But unless I have missed something, it doesn't tell you HOW to piece each block. Just patterns/templates and sizes. I desperately want to learn how to paper piece - just gonna have to bite the bullet I guess....

Does anybody out there have this EQ program?

I don't have it...but I was wondering..if I buy the actual book..couldn't I just draw them on EQ myself? (I'm pretty cheap you know) :roll:

I am in the long process of making a Dear Jane, and like some of you suggested I leave it by my seat and work on it at night while "watching" TV. Most of them I have hand pieced and a few I've paper pieced, and so far I've completed just over 50 blocks and 1 triangle.

If you go to the Dear Jane site there is a section on block and triangle tips that helps with piecing. This feature is also on the EQ version under Home/The Blocks/Block Tips. Under the same section there is also a listing of all the blocks and their difficutly level (some of which I didn't agree with, but oh well).

I've been staring at the individual photos of the blocks and the author's interpretations of the blocks -

L-11, for example, page 111

I know the author had the advantage of seeing the quilt up and personal.
But from the photo, it looks like Jane's seam lines are different than the drawn ones.

L-10, on page 111 - took me awhile to realize that the photo is rotated 1/4 turn from the drawing - no wonder it didn't make sense at first.

you could draw all the blocks in EQ from the book or you could just scan the book blocks into your computer and save some time.

red is my favorite color but i very rarely quilt with it. i use alot of purple, green, blue, and orange in my quilts.

I bought the book and have made a few blocks. I am hand piecing, so I also have a "travel bag" and it is what goes with me on any long trips.

On color choice, I'm just using the book and trying to find fabric that most closely matches the original. Of course, some of the fabrics would have faded on the original by now, so I'm trying to allow for that. So it will be a loose replica.

It is the process that I enjoy. Maybe I'll be finished with it before I have to go to a rest home. :shock:

I always think of Jane, home during the war, suffering through having her family members off fighting, not knowing if they would ever return.

We talked about it, but never started one that I'm aware of. Someone else on the board may have started one.

i think its very difficult to do an entire DJ as a swap i think a DJ sampler would work better and everyone could either make a table runner out of the blocks they received or just make the rest of the blocks on their own.

I bought the book and the computer version. I have fun with both. I'm starting on the beginner blocks and printed out the rotary cut patterns since I am hand piecing. Once I figure out that will take more than my lifetime, I'll convince myself to do some on the machine. My friend is paperpiecing her's.

i'm leaning towards paper piecing.

doing all of them by hand is out of the question since its over 240 blocks - i'm in my mid 40s i don't have that kind of time.

My quilt guild project - we're doing some normal hand piecing, some foundation piecing and some appliqué depending on the block. :D

I've saved all those blocks and have been waiting patiently for more.

Are you SURE you've been waiting patiently?!? ;-) ;-)

I'm not sure there are gonna BE more blocks from there....so are you gonna make just an 84 block DJ??? :?

i just noticed she wants you to buy the rest of the blocks for $24