Wednesday, July 3, 2019

Taking stock

 I have been thinking  (oh no, watch out!!)  What do I REALLY want to get done!?  I really would like to finish my Dear Jane quilt.  I know many of you have started this, and stalled out.  If we had a sew along, like one block a week, could we do that?  Or should it be all out effort on it?  Anyone interested in finishing their Dear Jane with me?
 My friend Lori sent me some blocks.  I just absolutely love finishing things that may have lost their initial luster, for some reason, from other people sewing rooms!  As I was loving my tiny flower quilt syesterday, it struck me to make another little flower quilt from Lori's block!  Eureka!!
 I have been steadily working on these star blocks.  Mostly made from plaids, and some additional scraps as well.
 Super fun and no stress whatsoever!
I am not sure if you can see the final blue lines, for quilting, in the border  I have been working on it, hand quilting it as the news is on, every night.  Most nights, I mean...

I really dislike the news.  I mostly tune it out, honestly. Do you??  Or are you a news junkie?  Or probably somewhere in between??  I am tired of the politics of it all, for sure!!


********************************Friends!********************************



Please see this blog!



https://doitrightquilter.com/

This lady is Nanette, and she is a wonder!  I was e-mailing with her about applique, and she said, "Just call me!"  So I did, and what a fun and lively conversation we had.  I learned A LOT.  Mostly that I really didn't know much about applique, really doing it correctly, I mean.  So I am enthused and so excited about starting another applique project, after I finish the Dearest Boy quilt.  I really appreciate her sharing her expertise!!!


Another dear friend is Karen; here:


https://Karen-logcabinquilter.blogspot.com/

Karen started a quilt; an applique wonder!!  Please go and see what she is up to...WOW!!!  It is gorgeous!  She does the kind of applique I aspire to do.  Karen is making the Dearest Boy quilt, too.  Karen has helped me also with trying to get better with my applique.  Between these ladies, and all of you experts, I am getting better!!






Have a super day!

Julie









19 comments:

Barb said...

your DJ looks great and I love your stars.
great applique and how fun to actually "talk" to a on line quilt friend. Love that.
News... trying to stay informed and not overwhelmed, but it is hard.

Anonymous said...

I know you are a Queen of quilting/skills but if some of the others who want to work on Dear Jane and get it done....this blog helped me so. www.thatquilt.com I would have NEVER finished w/o her help. She takes each block and tells you the easiest way to get it done and now I have mine done after starting in the 1980s. Just an FYI in case someone working on his/her quilt still has struggles.
I love your blog and admire all you do very much. Faithful reader

julieQ said...

Dear Anonymous,

What a kind comment! I have no way of reaching you, but I appreciate your thoughts and I love the blog you mentioned, to help with Dear Jane!

Cathy said...

I stalled out with my Dear Jane more times than I can count. I don't even think I can find my blocks...lol. Hugs

Lori said...

I brought my Jane Stickle quilt to Ohio and really loved seeing it again. I love saying it took me one year to piece, but 14 to hand quilt! LOL I'm all about setting goals to get quilt projects done.
I always like everything you work on!!
News, 90 seconds in the morning, a few headlines and I'm good. I wish this election stuff didn't start so early!! It should be 6 months MAX!

Lcrrkhs said...

I'd do a block a week with you on my DJ.

I watch 15 minutes of national news in the morning and a half hour at the dinner hour. That is all. My DH doesn't even watch.

Karen - Quilts...etc. said...

when I made my Dear Jane Quilts (2) I just tried to do a couple blocks every week - I did mine by hand piecing and applique I know a lot of quilters are now doing it EPP and for accuracy that would be good. Good luck on finishing yours I don't remember the years I worked on mine but somewhere from 2008-2014 one quilt after another - to this day i don't know what possessed me to start the second right after I finished the first one! I do no - never again!

Mrs. Goodneedle said...

Not Dear Jane, but the Quilt Block Bible lured me in, with its precious little blocks that are like eating potato chips. I am doing mine in repro. fabrics and love them all. I have stalled a few times along the way but am determined to do every one of the 202 in the book!! Good luck to you on yours! News-- NO! I can't. I used to be a news junkie but now I listen to music while I sew, for my own mental health.

Carole said...

Oh Julie I would love to join you in your DJ journey I have stalled on mine and would love the inspiration of sewing with you. I like the idea of trying to do one block per week.

Chantal said...

Yes, I can see your blue quilting line! You are almost at the end. Whoohoop!
I don't have a Dear Jane started ... yet. (hehehe!) I need to finish 365 Challenge first.
I don't listen to news at all. My friends were forever saying: didn't you hear it on the news? Nope! I don't listen to news. Not even in my car. It's depressing, period. :^{ With all the good things happening everyday somewhere, why do they have to talk 15-20 minutes about one depressing thing or violence or whatever the black man did? Too negative for me. When there's something really important happening, my friends call me, lol. Enjoy the stars. ;^)

Kyle said...

Pushing the pause button every now and then helps to figure where to head next. I must be one of few who never started a DJ. You've kept going with your habd quilting and now you're almost done. The news drives me crazy. It doesn't matter where you stand politically it's a sad situation. So let's just keep stitching and encouraging one another.

Robin said...

I find myself muting the news broadcast often. I try to stay informed but it gets to me sometimes. I never did start DJ but I still have the book and the rulers. Good Luck with completing your quilt.

Kleine Vingers said...

Dear Jane is high on my wish list, I have made one block. But am not sure if I can make enough time free to join in a sew along. Love the simple stars by the way, working on some stars myself at the moment.

cozykoza32a@gmail.com said...

Dear Jane. I started it three times. Got a about 1/3 finished each time and gave away the blocks each time. So I am not starting gain, but if you would like to do some type of applique quilt Baltimore or something, I would love to do an applique along.
Kathleen Mary

Chopin - A Passionate Quilter said...

I wonder what happened to my comments... oh well. Love your DJ. I really need to do that one! I started it in 2014 and ended up doing only 9 blocks and made a cover for my sewing machine. I pieced all the blocks! Are you piecing or paper piecing?

julieQ said...

Nannette, I ended up using a combination of a lot of techniques to piece the blocks I made.

Loris said...

What a lovely flower quilt with your friend's block! Sweet idea!
I haven't started a Dear Jane but I've got a diamonds quilt inspired by it that is totally stalled. I like hand piecing but the prep just never seems to happen. But I bought a new Daylight lamp to use for 'my stitching in front of the tv'. I might just have to get it together and get going again....maybe after the 1040 HST's for my Emerald City. ;-)
Isn't Karen's applique wonderful? This new quilt she started is going to a treasure!

Karen said...

I think you should work on your DJ blocks. I don't have time for them currently but love seeing others do them. I look at it like it is sort of a right of passage type thing to make it through and able to say "I did it!" I was supposed to make it along with the original DJ group but moved at the time and the repro fabrics were not available where we moved to. And online fabric shopping had not started.

You are so complimentary of my work. Thank you, Julie.

Cheryl's Teapots2Quilting said...

I get most of my news online. That way I don't have to listen to all the political stuff (especially since the news is so liberal, and I'm conservative).

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