My daughters and I just started quilting and shop hopping and collecting. We get so excited about this fabric line or that gadget. But we've found it's like we're years behind the real quilting world. Like I learned about Dear Jane from this post so yesterday we went to our LQS (which is more then an hour away). They HAD civil war prints. DD is in love with 30's prints and they're starting to be seen on the sale shelf too.

I'm so grateful I found this board where all our questions can be answered. We can join swaps and increase our "stash" or practice our skills OR learn about Dear Jane.

A very time consuming small block quilt that will make you crazy before you finish. Ask me how I know. I didn't finish mine. AND I didn't like the blocks I finished. They are, if my memory serves me, 3 X 3 blocks and seemed like there were thousands of them. I sold the book and donated the blocks.
Sally

To give you a little more info on Jane:

Jane was a contemporary of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s maternal grandmother. Jane was born the same year as Abraham Lincoln, Charles Darwin, Edgar Allen Poe, Louis Braille and Felix Mendelssohn.

In the 1860 Census, Jane is listed as living alone, so we can suppose her husband is off fighting in the war. Later the information says her husband is dead and she has gone to live with relatives. She lived her entire life in the Vermont area though.

The lady in my guild hand pieced and hand quilted her entire quilt, which is why is took her almost 10 years, I'm guessing. (she has to be nuts!! LOL)

From what I understand, it is a specific quilt that has now taken on historical significance. You can get a book that explains the quilt - who made it, when, the block patterns, etc... Some of the blocks are fairly simple, some are insanely ridiculous!

Good quesion....I don't know myself.

one of the most FUN and CHALLENGING quilts you can do. :) I'm halfway done with mine. :) Started a year ago.