New Dear Jane

Two new Dear Jane blocks this week. Both blocks came about when I needed to zone out on piecework. Those foundation papers make this so easy to do, and so relaxing. First is L-5 Chattanooga Charlie, another batik block. This block was meant to be brown, but I like the additional color and movement that the wilder batik adds. I'm getting a little sick of all the brown blocks, and my stash is running a little thin.
And this is M-11, Rickshaw. There was a little more lining up to do in this block, which as you can see wasn't as successful as it could have been. But I still like the finished product. This is one of the first fabrics I bought on my own as a quilter, in 2001. I find it kind of somber now.

Jane-a-palooza

So yesterday I had some time to get caught up on some Jane-ing. These were all foundation pieced patterns that I already had printed up and tucked into my book. I thought they were all from the Jane-along, but it looks like only two of them were. I'll have to pay more attention in the future!I always seem to start these multi-block entries with my favorite of the bunch, and this time is no exception. This is F-2: Kaleidoscope, one of the ones that I needed to catch up on. This came together really easily, and I love the way it looks with the red and cream and green and the sprouting sprigs in the center.
E-3: Paddlewheels somehow took waaaay longer than it should have during a recent crafting night with a friend. Also, some of the toner from the paper-printed pattern ended up on one of the light colored triangles in the middle. I know that someone in the Dear Jane group posted (recently?) about a good way to clean blocks-- was it Murphy's oil soap, or is that just crazy? Any ideas out there?
This is E-4: Buffalo Tree Hopper, also not a current block with the group. The inset seams didn't turn out so perfectly here, but I also forgot to do any clipping before I sewed them. I'll remember that next time. I love this fabric, and the opportunity to use some gray in this quilt. I don't know what it is, but I'm still really into gray at the moment.
And BR-1: Rosemary's Rainbow (finally!) one for really catching up. Fissiett commented over on flickr that this looked like Jane was making mushroom soup, and I guess it does! If I had paid attention and remembered that this triangle would be on the bottom of the quilt, it's possible that I would have turned the mushrooms up the other way. Maybe.

I hope everyone's having a great Tuesday! I'm pretty happy today because I'm getting a new stoop out front, and the days of our house being the mailman's least favorite may soon be over.

K-11, H-1

K-11, Columbine, and
H-1, Peek-a-boo.

Two new Dear Jane blocks completed over the weekend. Both of these were foundation-piece-and-go! I'm not quite sure about the Joel Dewberry print in the second block, but I think it'll all blend in.

K-8 Springbrook Park

Trying to catch up on the Dear Jane quilt-along. Here's my latest block, K-8 Springbrook Park. Just a nice foundation-pieced jaunt. I wish that I could find a better way to photograph these so that there wouldn't always be little cut-off corners and such. Oh, well.

100!

Wow, this is my 100th post. I meant to post something more interesting in honor of the occasion, but I'm afraid it will only be more Dear Jane blocks. So here we go. At least this batch means I'm only two blocks behind on my quilt-along.
This is A-13, Starlight Starbright. I really like the way it turned out, even if the inset seams did get a little wonky. It's fun to work with some blue fabric for a change, too-- there'll be so little of it in my interpretation of this quilt.This is B-1, Bachelor's Buttons, reverse applique. I like to think I'm getting a little better at this applique business. It certainly is easier to applique a circle than a teardrop.

Oh, and a little anecdote that has nothing to do with crafting: Wednesday night I was standing at my ironing board in our basement when I heard a buzzing noise, growing louder, in the bathroom. I found several yellow jackets buzzing around the windows and lights in the room, and then I opened the door to the bathroom and it was like a horror movie. At least two hundred yellow jackets were swarming behind the curtains of the window facing the back of the house, back lit by the setting sun. I was just waiting for them to come after me. There was nothing to do but close the bathroom door, call the exterminator and spend the rest of the evening upstairs. Yikes. But maybe I can blame my lack of posting on the wasps?

Three more

Three more Dear Jane blocks today. I think this is my favorite of the bunch. This is D-7, Meeting Place. I'm just such a sucker for the crazy batiks tamed by straight lines and natural fabric backgrounds!
D-3, Jason's Jacks. I'm enjoying these appliqued blocks now that the quilt-along has forced me to tackle them. I love this fabric for this block, too.
And the third is K-7, Rose of Sharing. This one was appliqued in four parts and then machine stitched together. I'm branching out a little more as far as fabric choice goes, too. These three blocks don't look too hot all together, but on my design sheet and on the wall they look just fine in context. Just one more block and I'll be caught up on the Dear Jane-along.

Keeping up with Jane

Four new Dear Jane blocks today. Some were easier than others. This is E8, Mama's Maze. All paper pieced, and lots of fun. They just come out so great this way. Also, I love this orange fabric.
B-2, Sweet Tater Pie. This is another one (see also: A-1) that is running in the opposite direction from the original. I still think it looks cool. This one started out as two pinwheel blocks, one appliqued on top of the other. This is the method that I wanted to use on the block below, but I thought I should try the curved piecing...
Which was kind of a mistake. This is B-3, Mirror Image, and it's my second try at the block. At this point, I say good enough. Fortunately, the brown fabric does a pretty good job of camouflaging the worst flaws.
And just to document them all, this is M-10, Simple Simon.

Quilty Saturday

This morning, the puppy jumped in a mud puddle and temporarily rendered himself grey, head-to-toe. I wish I had had a camera. Then he jumped into the lake to 'wash himself off'. It must finally be spring, because the lake water's warming up and beginning to produce algae, which makes certain puppies smell like swamp. If he'd stayed muddy at least he'd have just smelled like dirt. There's been a lot of quilting going on this weekend. Last night I had my first go with the Bernina free-motion quilting foot (#29) for my older-model machine. I quilted this blue and almost-white block that I made back in the winter of 2003 when I was so bored at night after work that I decided to make every star block in my 1000 Great Quilt Blocks book. (Lots of those blocks had to be modified to take out extraneous seams, by the way.)

It occurred to me just as I wrote that sentence that the whole Dear Jane quilt is a little like my quest to make all the stars. One of each, hundreds of tiny little blocks. That said, here are a couple more. These are the ones that were up this week for Anina's Dear Baby Jane quilt-along.
D-13 Field of Dreams: Pretty straightforward.
A-7 Dad's Plaids: I still suck at the applique, but I guess I'm getting better. Also love how this one doesn't even line up. I guess it will be *another* humility block for this quilt.

Back on the Dear Jane bandwagon

A lovely new addition to my Dear Jane quest, this is block C-9, Jane's tears. I did this one in reverse applique, and it looks at least a little better than my last attempt at teeny-tiny applique. It was actually really enjoyable to do the whole thing by hand.

I've gotten back on the right track with this quilt thanks to Anina's Dear Baby Jane quilt-along. This block and B-13, Four Corner Press, were the blocks for this first week.

Dear Jane Update

This is D-6, Challenge. The latest pink block-- I'm running out of different pinks in my stash!

And here's the progress chart. Those are tiny wee little pieces of each of the fabrics I've used for the various blocks, glued on to the mock-up from the DJ computer program. They allow me to see at a glance which fabrics I've used, and to make sure that nothing looks too strange. Also it's a good motivation to see all those little squares filling in as I finish blocks.

C-1 Trooper Green's Badge

Another fall-colored Dear Jane block.

The Colors of Fall

My brother Ted was in town this weekend, to help me with some of the tasks that have been impossible with my cracked rib. He helped me mow the lawn, rake some leaves, wash the dog. We've had some really warm weeks here in Virginia this fall. Most of October was in the 70s, and November hadn't been much different. Until this weekend, when I noticed all the fall colors around me. There's really something to that slanting pink-gold afternoon glow--it changes the colors outside and makes me want to change the colors that I work with inside. Yellow crunchy leaves as a backdrop for a white puppy.
Brown nubbly wool as a Christmas present-to-be.And cheery red dots as Dear Jane B-6 Wild Goose Chase. Even the name of this block sounds like fall.

About My Speed

These little quilt blocks are about all I have energy for this week. This is Dear Jane A-12, 'Framed Fancy'. In reality, the block is about 4.5" square.

B-9 Tinker Toy

Too bad you can't see the *inset* diagonal seams better in this one. Truly a joy to have it turn out so easily. Such a simple pleasure.

Finally Fall!

Grady's Halloween portrait this year had to be a mosaic because he refused to sit still. Too much excitement now that there's finally a chill in the air. And look! Leaves on the ground and rain on our poor tired old stoop. The small pumpkin is from our farm share and the larger one with the warts from the Safeway in Leesburg. I love the warts, and both pumpkins' gnarled stems.

I also have a new Dear Jane block to share. This is A-11, Pebble's Protest, and contains my first set-in seams. I'm pretty happy with how the block turned out. Unfortunately, the photo of the block did not turn out as well due to the rainy day. But don't get me wrong, I am very very happy with the rain. Very happy.

Tomorrow, I hope to show you some hand-piecing from the past, but it depends on the weather.

A-9 Cabin Fever

Another Dear Jane block. This one has about a million pieces, but it came out well. I'm getting there on the A row, have it almost completed.

And just for good measure, here's another postage stamp block:

Three Little Brown Blocks

L-4 St. George's Cross

A-8 Florence Nightingale

A-6 Uncle Homer

They're like the three little bears, but not one of them is "just right".

A-5 Cathie's Campfire

M-7 Junko's Rose Garden

Keep in mind that these are only 4 1/2 " square. Still working on my applique, obviously. This one, a combo of reverse applique (which actually went quite well) and straight-up regular applique (not as well) is kind of rough. But it does look better in person, and I'm still plugging away. Inordinately tired today-- until tomorrow!

I-9, Chase A Myth

Here's another lovely Dear Jane block done up in batik. I can't get enough of these fabrics, and I think it runs in the family, as my mother has a healthy stack of them as well. This quilt is turning out to be a pretty good way to show them. Something about the very traditional blocks balances out that wild tie-dyed pattern.

I also quite like the name of this block. Sometimes I feel like I am chasing myths. Definitely with the foxhunting, and also with building a home and a family with my husband. But we also make myths of our own. Stories to tell over and over.

Unfortunately I won't be making any myths (ha!) out hunting this week. Yesterday I had a little mishap involving day-old baguette and a serrated knife that landed me in the emergency room for a few stitches and a splint. So the foxhunting (and the foxhunting stories) will have to wait until next week. In the meantime, here's a little photo of me on the horse today with my everyday 'pack' of one. (If you look closely you might be able to make out my purple be-vet-rapped left pointer finger. Please excuse the very goofy hat-- I need a new rubber band for the cover.)