Great start Macy!

got a few more sets done. Wasn't sure if I was liking them until I put them all together and decided that looked fine.

I selected the background colors to match the KF fabric I have. Interesting to realize they were almost all muted colors. I did have a true blue, red and green, but pulled them out as they didn't blend as well with the others. Then I got concerned I may run out, since some of these I've got closer to a 1/4". However I only need 5-6 sets of each background and based on what I've already used, that should not be a problem. After all, even a 1/4" yard of 16 colors is 4 yards!

Looks like I need to go fabric shopping. I've been planning to start a Dear Jane quilt along with the Dear Jen, and after looking at lots and lots of pictures online, decided that I'm going to use the same FK fabric for both. However I want to use white background for the Jane quilt, while the Jen quilt has assorted dark/light solid colors.

I thought I had a big chunk of white fabric, and after looking around can only find one chunk of about 5 yards. Many years ago I had bought a whole bolt at a yard sale (unopened for $20). I know I cut it into manageable chunks so I could wash it, and after not finding it I remembered that I'd used quite a bit as backing for a quilt or two, because I figured I'd never use it up otherwise.

And today I have the afternoon off, so I asked DH if he wanted to go on a road trip with me and check out a few quilt shops on the way. I'm going to use some of my stimulus money. Others may say fabric isn't essential, but work has been very stressful this month, so buying some fabric will be a good mental boost. Other than flannel for masks, I've not bought much in a long time.

I did get my fabric for the Dear Jane quilt. Ended up buying it twice, sort of. When to the Pin Cushion in Mitchell and didn't find any one white I liked that had enough yardage, so I bought 1 yard cuts of 8 different ones. But the more I thought about it, I still wanted to do all one white. So on the way home we stopped at the Quilt Shop here in town. Found a fabric I really liked the feel of, but it was solid white and I didn't want that. Then I found a very delicate wow and there was enough so I bought 8 yards. Found a beige I love that I've bought before, so I bought what was left on the bolt (about 5 yards). I also found a white with very light pastel highlights that I fell in love with. Silly DH said that since I liked it, just to get a yard - explained that it would be used as a background, so 5 yards would be a better choice. It came home with me too.

I'm going with that I did only get what I went for (light background fabric) and not going to think about that I got enough for 5 projects when I was only looking for fabric for one.

Here is another set of three Dear Jen blocks, and the first group of Dear Jane blocks. The Dear Jane are fun to cut because they're all background plus one fabric. I'll just keep rotating through my KF fabric until I'm done, and if I run out, I'll buy more.

Love your Dear Jen blocks, Cathy! I'll post a photo of a few more strips of "Dear Marianne" as soon as I can. Working on the appliqued pineapples today.

Here are a few more of my Dear Jen (a/k/a Dear Marianne) strips.

Beautiful, Marianne!!

Those are very nice! Is the tulip a swapped block? I really like that one, but don't recall seeing it (but I'm not going to remember all of them, that's for sure!)

The tulip and the Friendship star blocks are both local guild blocks of the month. I'm mixing in other 6" blocks I have and may even slip in a few orphans along the way.

Wonderful blocks, ladies! Living "Dear Jane/Jen/Marianne/Cathy" quilts vicariously in your blocks!
I haven't seen the Dear Jen quilt before and love the idea behind it! Oh dear yet another one to add to my list!