I'm Going to make a Dear Jane quilt

Over the past few years I have toyed with the idea of making a Dear Jane quilt, visiting blog sites to read about other quilters progress, taking in a few quilt shows with Dear Jane as the featured quilt or theme and I have collected some photos of some favorite colorways I even mentioned it on this blog and then recently I bought the book by Brenda Papadakis, while recovering the latest upset with my old ticker. (a link to my first post about Dear Jane is at the end of this post).

Now some of you may be asking what is a Dear Jane Quilt? While others are shaking their heads thinking oh no, what is she thinking.

Quite simply a Dear Jane quilt is a quiltmakers journey (nightmare) with 169 blocks, 52 pieced triangles, 4 corner kites and a total of 5602 pieces. Yes you read that right there are 5602 pieces in this quilt and no two blocks are the same.  

I decided I need a new challenge and I want to make a quilt that will eventually find a place in my home, so this year I am going to begin a Dear Jane journey. I expect this journey will take me years to complete! I will be piecing each block by hand using standard piecing techniques, and I will quilt it by hand as well. 

purple Jane

I am not going to run out and buy new fabric for a specific colorway which by the way can look fabulous, like the purple Jane in the photo above but after a recent sorting through my fabric stash bins I'm going to use the fabrics I have on hand.

fabric bin 1 of 2

To see some beautiful color combinations of the Dear Jane Quilt check out this site: http://floatingonaquiltedcloud.blogspot.com/2013/07/vermont-quilt-festival-dear-jane-exhibit.html

So what do your think, am I crazy? 

Will this quilt is finally become a reality? I guess you will have to check back every now and then to check my progress.

 

Check out this site for everything Dear Jane: http://www.dearjane.com/

Here is my first post about Dear Jane
http://deborahsbitsandpieces.blogspot.com/2014/08/is-dear-jane-quilt-in-my-future.html

Happy Spring and March TUSAL report

Well it's the first day of Spring and as in years gone by I awoke with an internal restlessness and the urge to hit the road for an adventure of sorts and oddly enough to declutter my nest.  I felt the mild stirrings of restlessness for a few weeks so I will have to appease the stirrings soon and take a short road trip soon.

Here is my Ort Report photo of my Ort jar filling up rather nicely this fine Spring New Moon day (that was a mouthful), followed by the current projects I'm working on.

What is a TUSAL you ask, and what the heck is an ORT jar well if you want to be in the know click the link and learn all about it from daffycat, you may find you want to join in too.
http://itsdaffycat.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-totally-useless-stitch-long-2015.html

My lastest progress on Greenman #2 in the Q-Snap frame, I've had to take a few days off from stitching to let the split on my finger heal so this week when I had time I put in several rows of crochet stitching to my shawl, my new yarn bowl is peaking out.

The new yarn bowl with dragonflies, there is room enough for a large ball of yarn or several yarns. Since I haven't had time to get into the pottery studio and this piece just took my breath away I bought it, I purchased it here http://stores.ebay.com/californiahandmadetiles

So far the shawl is currently 32 inches across this photo shows a more accurate  color of the yarn but fails to show the luster.

The quilt blank I put together to embroider different Greenmen designs which are currently in progress. The blanks are 8x8 inches just the right size to work comfortably in hoops or frames.

This ends my Ort report for the month of March, I really enjoy taking part in the TUSAL= Totally Useless Stitch a Long, it makes me want to stitch more.

Here is what I am currently reading,  this week both books are by authors I haven't read before which helps fill my goal of reading 12 new to me authors.

 The book by Maria Semple had me from page one, last night I couldn't put it down and read into the wee hours of the morning.

This book by Lisa Van Allen I chose for my reading books with thread in the title. Its a personal little challenge I came up for myself to get me reading when I hit a slump.  So far I have read A Single Thread and A Spool of Blue Thread.

Some day this week I will be planting the OldHami bamboo in my garden and clearing away the fallen twigs and ever growing weeds.

I wish you all a very Happy Spring

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Master Gardener's Spring Festival

Oldhami Bamboo

Yesterday I purchased 3 new bamboo babies for my backyard from the Master Gardener's Spring Plant Sale. I was thrilled to find the bamboo at one of the booths since in past years I am either too late or no vendor was selling it.

And to think this year I wasn't going to attend since I don't have plans to do much in the garden except a major clean up.

The rhododendron is still blooming even after the surprising dip down into the 20's last month

My greenman planter with caladiums blooming again oh I didn't even notice the Anole sitting there when I was snapping the photo.

I think this is either a broccoli or cauliflower plant coming back up, it's a big surprise to me I didn't think those plants did that, I guess it resowed itself. Or its just an exotic weed, I need to pull the weeds in this area so I will keep my eye on it.

In the above photo the broccoli is on the left I think those leaves look about the same, don't you?
Another lovely bunch of clovers growing among the weeds I've used them in mini terrarium ornaments in the past.

Here is a photo of my beautiful bamboo I started from a 3 inch piece, I planted her in the ground in July of 2011 and she has grown by leaps and bounds, I am hopeful my 3 new plants will do as well.

This past weekend was all about having a good time, relaxing and not thinking about anything too serious.  On Saturday I went to Tampa for the Celtic wekend of the Renaissance Faire, it runs on the weekends from mid February to the last week of March with a different theme each weekend.

Ren-Faire in Tampa

Dancing the Maypol

Wind pickups

Centered

Free Stone Toss

A White Wizard

Real Live Greenman

Loveseat delivered

My new loveseat was delivered early this morning, I received a phone call on Friday letting me know it was ready and what day would I likve it delivered, then on Saturday I get the automated call with the 2 hour window for delivery and it came 3 weeks early.

There is subtle shades of blue and gold in the fabric.  I chose the loveseat rather then wait to find a chair I like which is proving near impossible and believe me I still have room for a chair.  My sofa is dark brown and the pieces work together nicely. I have been planning on changing the drapes so that will be a future project.

rambles from me

Just a brief post with the progress on the blue shawl I'm crocheting, I managed a few rows while attending the first Saturday session of Thread Therapy held at the Yards n Yarn shop.

Another coloring book to use for hand embroidery patterns came in the mail a few days ago from Dover Publications.

The pictures are a little more detailed which should make for some colorful hand embroidery pieces like this one with the seashell.

And just a little reminder for all of us