Dear Jane... help

Okay -- I need to start another new project like I need to gain 10 pounds...

but I'm starting one anyway.

One of the local quilt shops is starting a Dear Jane club that meets every other week... and I need something to regularly get me out of the house during out long, dark Michigan winters... So, I've decided to join. The next meeting is next Thursday.

That means I need to do Dear Jane blocks.

I've ordered the software -- and I have the book. So far... so good.

Now I need fabric. Let me say that I do have enough fabric up in my sewing room I should be able to do at least a dozen quilts. But most of them are brights, and novelty... and I don't think those would be right for a Dear Jane.

I've never done much wth civil war repros... and batiks always make a gorgeous quilt. Or maybe red/white/& blues....

I don't know. What I do know is that to keep it simple getting started it would be easiest to buy a couple of FQ bundles to give me enough variety to get going....

So give me some suggestions! What colors do you think make the prettiest Dear Jane blocks? Where is the best place to find FQ bundles at a reasonable price?

Any guidance is greatly appreciated.... I still think I'm nuts... but I think forcing myself out of the house all winter long will be a good idea.

Thanks in advance....

Reply to
Kate G.
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If you want to use your brights, just get some black, dark green or navy to be the background. It will look stunning. You could use bright batiks as well. As long as you have a good contrasting background it will be fine. You have to buy a lot of fabric for the background; so, saving on the individual colours would be good! . In message , Kate G. writes

Reply to
Patti

I have seen absolutely stunning DJs done in batiks; in brights (think black for the neutrals); in teals; in just about anything .....

Hey - those little blocks should be fun - a "learning experience" (lots of new swear words!!!) - choose those fabrics and colours that appeal to YOU.

Make it your own. Brights sound jolly good to me ........

Cheers for now Tutu Cape Town, South Africa

Reply to
Tutu Haynes-Smart

Personally, *I* think she needs to go shopping; 18 or 40 new fqs should be a good start. Polly

Reply to
Polly Esther

Here's a bright on I think black or navy background...Lovely !

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Reply to
MB

ditto what Tutu says. having done two that i know of, she ought to know, eh. if you used up your scraps in the sewing room or what you have on hand you could arrange them in some sort of colour configuration...watercolour/rainbow/light to dark, sumpin...whatever you did would be beautiful. i'd just get enough background if you dont have enough in your stash now. hmmmm, i wonder, how'd variety of background in either light or dark the same colour range would look? could play with it in EQ to see what appeals to you most i'd think. just thunk'n outloud in the south pacific, j.

Reply to
jeanne-nzlstar*

oh yes, that is one gorgeous set of blocks. j.

"MB" wrote... Here's a bright on I think black or navy background...Lovely !

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Reply to
jeanne-nzlstar*

I just remembered.... I have a whole tub of Jinny Beyer FQ's that I received as a going away gift when I left Michigan...

I bet those would be pretty -- and really easy to add to!!

Hmmmmmmmmmmm

Now if I go that route -- should I go bright white... or cream for the background?

Reply to
Kate G.

toss a few of them on a piece of both the bright white and the cream and see which you prefer. of course dont forget to leave them for a while, walk away, go do anything for a bit, then come back and see which you prefer. :) not too sure i'd much like the plain white tho, i'd need it to have some texture to it, a tone on tone. j.

"Kate G." wrote... I just remembered.... I have a whole tub of Jinny Beyer FQ's that I received as a going away gift when I left Michigan...

I bet those would be pretty -- and really easy to add to!!

Hmmmmmmmmmmm

Now if I go that route -- should I go bright white... or cream for the background?

Reply to
jeanne-nzlstar*

dont forget to google images for the Dear Jane. often gives you more perspective and see how other choices look. j.

"Kate G." wrote... I just remembered.... I have a whole tub of Jinny Beyer FQ's that I received as a going away gift when I left Michigan...

I bet those would be pretty -- and really easy to add to!!

Hmmmmmmmmmmm

Now if I go that route -- should I go bright white... or cream for the background?

Reply to
jeanne-nzlstar*

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these DJs on flickr too.no doubt theres gazillions of others there that i've not had time to surf thru. just come'n to a decision to get started is beyond my abilitys, lol. heaps of different layouts too. incredible!! j.

"jeanne-nzlstar*" wrote... toss a few of them on a piece of both the bright white and the cream and see which you prefer. of course dont forget to leave them for a while, walk away, go do anything for a bit, then come back and see which you prefer. :) not too sure i'd much like the plain white tho, i'd need it to have some texture to it, a tone on tone. j.

"Kate G." wrote... I just remembered.... I have a whole tub of Jinny Beyer FQ's that I received as a going away gift when I left Michigan...

I bet those would be pretty -- and really easy to add to!!

Hmmmmmmmmmmm

Now if I go that route -- should I go bright white... or cream for the background?

Reply to
jeanne-nzlstar*

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is a better flickr group, i think.j.

"jeanne-nzlstar*" wrote...

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these DJs on flickr too.no doubt theres gazillions of others there that i've not had time to surfthru. just come'n to a decision to get started is beyond my abilitys, lol. heaps of different layouts too. incredible!! j.

Reply to
jeanne-nzlstar*

it would definitely be a tone-on-tone... I don't like white or cream solids... has to have some type of pattern/texture to it!

Reply to
Kate G.

I've been googling -- haven't really seen anything that really lit my fire... I do like the old repro's -- just hate to start from nothing on the fabrics... when I have so much stuff upstairs!

I do plan to purchase all the background.... don't have a huge stash of those. Just need to decide on the colors.

Reply to
Kate G.

I do like those with the dark background... so maybe I need to think about using black. If I go Jinny Beyer -- I think many of those would look good against the black.

Reply to
Kate G.

Kate, I have seen baby Janes in all sorts of fabric and color combos. Brights make a very nice Jane, especially when combined with black background. One suggestion is to just start with some of your stash, perhaps to make just a small hanging with 9 or 12 or????? blocks. This will help you see what types of fabrics work well for you and how you like the looks. The sashing can tie together a lot of different blocks too. If you decide to use the same background for the entire quilt, you will need a lot of it. I used Roclon brand muslin, which is good quality, and various other fabrics for the focus fabric in each block. Most of mine are "old" looking types of fabrics, but I didn't stay with Civil War repros or anything. And you don't need much for any one block. If you want to make them all from different fabrics you could easily get by with "sweet 16s" or such.

Have fun with it, and welcome to the world of "Janiacs".

Pati, > Okay -- I need to start another new project like I need to gain 10 pounds... >

Reply to
Pati C.

Be careful though.... remember how small many of the pieces are. I found that using muslin, or other pretty solid backgrounds allows the focus fabric to stand out more. A print background, even a tone on tone may be too much for some of these blocks.

Pati, > it would definitely be a tone-on-tone... I don't like white or cream

Reply to
Pati C.

my first thought was batiks. I've thought of doing some of the Dear Jane blocks but my budget doesn't include the CD.

Reply to
maryd

go on, Mary, you dont really need the CD. you're plenty talented enough to just sketch out the blocks on your own and use the internet for tips on construction. thats what i'd do anyhow. j.

"maryd" wrote... my first thought was batiks. I've thought of doing some of the Dear Jane blocks but my budget doesn't include the CD.

Reply to
jeanne-nzlstar*

I may give it a try after I find the book. It's someplace in and 8x20 storage unit. This weekend we get the essentials out of storage and everything of ours out of my parent's house and into our apartment. :) Then a little at a time we will empty storage.

Reply to
maryd

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