I am being drawn to the Dear Jane quilts and would love to give it a go. I do wonder, though, how do you quilt that thing? Each block on it's own? Has anyone hand quilted theirs? It looks like it would be easier to hand quilt it than do it on the machine. I would love to hear from you Dear Jane devotees, any tips are most welcome.

That is a very good question! I've been toying with doing one as well. Haven't gotten so far as the quilting but (and this is merely my opinion) I would think with how much stitching and love that goes into the top, handquilting would be a gorgeous way to finish it up!

I've never done one, but Judi of Green Fairy Quilts did this gorgeous one - check out her blog!

http://greenfairyquilts.blogspot.com...dear-jane.html

I hand quilted mine, and by the time I finished making the blocks, I had all but the last one quilted too. I only quilted through the block itself and the batting (no backing). Then I assembled the top with its narrow sashing, and finally backed it with a wide backing. In order to attach the backing to the top/batting sandwich, I quilted in the ditch round every block through all three layers.

You can see a bit of how I put the blocks together on the Thread we had/have on the board.
http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-28063-214.htm

This lady does spectacular quilting......So detailed, so exact, so precise....WOW!! This Dear Jane quilt is absolutely amazing....

The only way I'd get one done is with a cheater panel and it would probably be a good hand quilting project. It's on my list but towards the bottom.

Wow...I would have never thought of doing it that way, Lesley!

It worked out better than I hoped. This is the first quilt I have had the courage to put in a show, and I won first prize - a Brother sewing machine, plus €50. I didn't know how it would be received, because of course, not all the quilting shows on the back, only the STID squares.

OOOO! It's done???? How LOVELY! :D

<3

LOVELY!!!

I don't care how many times I see Lesley's DJ I am always amazed and humbled by her interpretation of DJ. Love it.

Yes it looks gorgeous in batiks. Who'd have thought? Always having seen it in reproduction fabrics that's what I'd have chosen. Lesley, you have vision. And an eye for color and placement. My question: Did you make it up as you went along or did you chart it out first? Whatever, it's amazing.

I'm right there with you! I was supposed to do the DJ with everyone on the board, but I chickened out after doing just one block!

That is a beautiful quilt!

wow, that is amazing!! thanks so much for sharing that. not only are the patch pieces tiny, but those little swirls must be microscopic

Lesley, that is awesome!! thanks for showing it to us

Well there goes the last obstacle to getting back to work on my DJ blocks. Lacelady, you are a genius.

Lacelady, I really like your idea of quilting the small blocks with batting only, then coming back, attaching the backing and quilt around each block. I just think that is the perfect way to finish this quilt. Thanks for the idea!!

No problem, I doubt if it is the first time this has been done, I just spent a lot of time trying to think of an easy way to get the effect I wanted. I am so glad I didn't leave all the quilting until the end, I would have chickened out and just done the minimum. As it was, doing the STID through all layers at the end took me at least three weeks, and I found it heavy work, with that lot on my lap (I did use a lap frame, but even so, turning it round is hard on the arms, I find.)

Yes, at the start of the BOM thread (Jan 2010) I charted the blocks, and coloured them in the TRTW format, then allotted a batik for each colour.

I hadn't realised that the original DJ was a TRTW until someone else pointed it out, and I think that's because some of Jane's fabrics have faded at different rates. Hers is more obvious in the centre, and then it gets more lost towards the outer edges.

I also liked the idea of having all the blocks already quilted by the time I finished making them (I could quilt 5 or 6 in an evening) so then all I had to do was assemble and back.

Thank you everyone for the nice comments, and if what I did has inspired you, then go forth and finish your quilts! You will get such a sense of achievement when yours is done, I guarantee it.

that quilt is so amazing. i have started one and done about 26 blocks or so.

What is TRTW?

I have been thinking about the quilting too. The last thing that I want to do is to have to needle through lots of seam allowances. I'm not sure if I'll ditch quilt or take cookie cutter type shapes to cover the surface. Then again I could do an allover pattern. Hmmm..need to think on it while I make more blocks.

Lacelady,love how you did your quilt, I have done a few DJ blocks, & I am work on quilting them as I go, this way also! Thanks for the inspiration!...