Wow -- it's been a long time since I updated the blog! It's been a long time since I did a Dear Jane block, too. I really have to get back to this. I miss it.
Hunter Husband and I went to Vermont last week to see the Mother Quilt. It was wonderful to see it -- actually rather unbelievable to be standing right there in front of it. I took a bunch of pictures, some of which are worth having -- it was a little tricky, because photography is allowed but not with flash; that means the shutter speed is slow, and that means I've got to have a steady hand. Well, some of the pictures are ok, and that's better than none.
Two big surprises in seeing the quilt in person:
First, it's not as big as I had expected. Not surprising, I guess, since beds back then weren't as big as beds now, but somehow I was expecting a larger quilt.
And second, it was wonderful to look at it up close and personal and to see the little things Jane did to make it work, probably things only another quilter would notice. For one thing, her blocks are not all the same size. SO, to make them the same size, she just sashed the smaller ones in muslin. And in at least one spot I noticed that she must have had two smaller pieces of muslin, so she sewed them together before sewing the sashing onto the block. It makes her seem so much more human, to see this.
It appeared to me that she did all her backgrounds in muslin. The materials I am using include shirtings (very neutral shirtings) for the backgrounds. I'm a little sorry I didn't see the Mother Quilt before I started; I think I'd have done just plain muslin for backgrounds. I will definitely use the leftover shirtings to sash the blocks, though, and no cornerstones. I want mine to be as similar to Jane's as I can make it.
After seeing it, I am all inspired again. I REALLY need to get back to it!! In November we'll head out on our annual fall hunting trip, to Nebraska, South Dakota, and North Dakota. I'll have to get some blocks prepared to take along.
What a wonderful quilt Jane Stickley made! How fortunate I am to be working on one too. Now to get going . . . .
Judy-Jane in upstate NY
Humility Jane, 8-2-0-192
Hunter Husband and I went to Vermont last week to see the Mother Quilt. It was wonderful to see it -- actually rather unbelievable to be standing right there in front of it. I took a bunch of pictures, some of which are worth having -- it was a little tricky, because photography is allowed but not with flash; that means the shutter speed is slow, and that means I've got to have a steady hand. Well, some of the pictures are ok, and that's better than none.
Two big surprises in seeing the quilt in person:
First, it's not as big as I had expected. Not surprising, I guess, since beds back then weren't as big as beds now, but somehow I was expecting a larger quilt.
And second, it was wonderful to look at it up close and personal and to see the little things Jane did to make it work, probably things only another quilter would notice. For one thing, her blocks are not all the same size. SO, to make them the same size, she just sashed the smaller ones in muslin. And in at least one spot I noticed that she must have had two smaller pieces of muslin, so she sewed them together before sewing the sashing onto the block. It makes her seem so much more human, to see this.
It appeared to me that she did all her backgrounds in muslin. The materials I am using include shirtings (very neutral shirtings) for the backgrounds. I'm a little sorry I didn't see the Mother Quilt before I started; I think I'd have done just plain muslin for backgrounds. I will definitely use the leftover shirtings to sash the blocks, though, and no cornerstones. I want mine to be as similar to Jane's as I can make it.
After seeing it, I am all inspired again. I REALLY need to get back to it!! In November we'll head out on our annual fall hunting trip, to Nebraska, South Dakota, and North Dakota. I'll have to get some blocks prepared to take along.
What a wonderful quilt Jane Stickley made! How fortunate I am to be working on one too. Now to get going . . . .
Judy-Jane in upstate NY
Humility Jane, 8-2-0-192
posted by Granna Judy | 3:45 PM
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