Thinking Of Starting A Dear Jane Quilt

[Eileen K.]

Does anyone have the EQ software for Dear Jane and if so, could you post your thoughts about it? I'm thinking of buying it but would like to know about personal experiences with it and if you think it was a good investment. I had been using EQ5 and upgraded to EQ6 so I'm familiar with the software.

[Lynn K.]

There is an extensive article about the Dear Jane quilt in the newest issue of Quilter's Home magazine. I, personally, had never heard of the quilt until I saw that article. Lovely pics of it, and lots of information about it.

[Lynn K.]

I have been hand piecing a Dear Jane scrappy quilt for the past year. This last November I was in a car accident. While I was in the hospital my hubby had someone come in a clean the house. She moved the DJ quilt into a plastic tub down into the basement. I had 40 blocks and 15 triangles completed. I did not find the quilt blocks until this week. I had been heart broke but am now doing a HAPPY DANCE.


I use the DJ cD to print out my blocks. I paper pieced most of them and am now learning a new pp piecing technique using freezer paper and folding the pattern back. I print out the pattern using my printer onto the freezer paper. This allows me to make several blocks a week. If I had to hand draft the patterns I would get nothing done.


I have included contact information for the DJ list.... you should come and read some of the archive lists, lurk and just have fun..... everyone is friendly and will help if you have questions. There is also a great web page with lots of pictures and information. I think you will find it enjoyable.


http://www.dearjane.com


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[Lynn K.]

Hello, Jazzy. I LOVE the EQ Dear Jane software! The book is a good start, but the patterns aren't drafted. In the program, you have your choice of printing out each block pattern as templates, rotary cutting directions, or paper piecing (whichever technique is possible). It'll save umpteen hours drafting each of those blocks one at a time. You can also resize them if you want. It's a stand-alone package, so you don't have to own EQ5 or EQ6.

[Lynn K.]

Thank you all for the info! I now have my DJ software and as soon as I get some UFO's out of the way I'm going to start my Baby Jane quilt. I may be biting off more than I can chew but I have grand ideas of making the entire quilt. I hope I can stick to it halway through the process.

[Lynn K.]

I made a Dear Jane quilt of 101 blocks. I worked on it steadily for three months. Then the mood passed. A year and a half later I made it into a quilt top. It's a little bigger than twin size. I LOVE it. I do have the DJ software and I used it some times but I mostly enjoyed using the book for most of my blocks.

I have seen the original Jane Stickle quilt on display in the Bennington Museum twice. They show it every year for about a month in the Fall. Its so beautiful to see in person.

You can also drive a short distance to Shaftsbury and see Jane's headstone. Both times when I've visited it there were little pieces of fabric on her headstone with tiny rocks holding the fabrics down. It was very touching. If she only knew what her quilt has started. My DJ is my favorite quilt that I've made...so far.

[Lynn K.]

LadyRags (an anyone else into paper piecing), I started using Ricky's "Stable Stuff" for my paper piecing, and it is working beautifully! It really is plenty stable, plus it will go easily through my printer/copier and when I'm done, I just wet it and it basiclly goes away. No paper to pull out, no stiffening of my quilt, no folding back necessary, no more doing though a zillion needles per project. I get it at my favorite LQS, but he has it on his website too. I'm also using it for thread painting and for marking some special quilting designs from the back before I build my quilt sandwich. I'm feeling like there's no project i can't tackle with this stuff in my arsenal.

OK, embarrassed about sounding like a commercial and stopping now. But mainly so I can get back to my tiny stars piecing project.

[Lynn K.]

Brenda P the author of Dear Jane recently sent out email messages about the up coming 10 year anniverity. Wrights is planing to release mylar templets that are design for doing Dear Jane and Dear Hahanna blocks.

They will be helpful for those who want to make the blocks regardless of which method you like doing.



PS... thanks for the information about the printer / wash away paper by Ricky Timms. I will look into it and give it a try.

I have occassionally used wash away stablizer but his sounds easier.

[Lynn K.]

I started my Dear Jane quilt 10 years ago this January...and worked on it off and on for two years before finishing it. It was a great experience, both from what I learned about piecing and also for the patience and endurance, as well as what I gained personally from the people I met. In 2000, there were about 200 of us from the DJ list that met at the Vermont Quilt Festival where 50 of the DJ quilts were hung and we had a huge gathering. At that time, we got to see the original quilt on display in the Bennington museum and it was beautiful.....after spending so much time to replicate it, it was a very overwhelming experience to stand a couple of feet from it and imagine Jane Stickle making it in 1863, and to remember how different her methods were that created this masterpiece.

The other part of the trip that was so special was going to the grave site of Jane Stickle. The original tombstone had crumbled, so members of the DJ list sent in money to Brenda and she had a new tombstone made just like the original one. It was set in place shortly before the gathering. One thing different from the original is that there is a carving of one of the corner blocks in one side of the tombstone.

If you do decide to make this quilt, you will be rewarded in many ways. It is a commitment for sure to do the entire quilt, or even a portion of it, but one that is well worth every hour you work on it.

I'm sure Jane Stickle never thought about how her quilt would touch the lives of thousands of people 140+ years after she made it.

Dana in Olive Branch, MS where it's a beautiful Fall night.

[Lynn K.]

The people I've met along the way, the techniques I've learned to use, the color-way education (and varieties of it), and the friendships..........more than I can every convey on paper (or computer).

Lynn

[Lynn K.]

I made about 25 Dear Jane blocks about 3 years ago but now just got back into it. My goal is to do 3 - 4 blocks a week. I am also doing the civil war quilt on this website. http://civilwarquilts.blogspot.com/. There is a new block posted each week!