A block finished

This block has been completed for a couple of months now. 

I am testing the latest update of the blogger app.

It seems the photo is uploaded to the body of the post but I can't seem to figure out how to get text under the photo.  That is a bit annoying. 

I also finished K11 - Columbine. But if you look closely - or not even that closely!  You can see I assembled the block incorrectly. So I have since unsewn the block and I have not yet re-sewn it. 

That is a bit annoying! 

Starting to walk about!

I am finally out of the plaster cast - the purple cast and the boot! A total of 12 weeks - 10 of them were non weight bearing! My goodness!
I have been mostly stitching on my Civil War Block of the Month quilt. It is a queen sized quilt and I had it machine basted and I am hand quilting it. I have been finding it quite heavy on my lap at times - so I am taking a little break from it and did a little stitching on my Dear Jane yesterday.



I haven't worked on any appliqué blocks for quite some time. Mostly working on pieced blocks. This block was first pieced and now I am stitching on the melons. As I was starting yesterday I was thinking I should have made the outer seams of the block a little wider because the appliqué will quite often pull in a block or background piece of fabric. Right now the block measure exactly 5 inches - hopefully it doesn't shrink up with the appliqué.

Years ago I made a folder to hold appliqué and hand stitching projects. I think if I realized at the time how useful it would be and how much I would use this folder I would have used nicer fabric! But it is one of the most efficient and useful ways to store my stitching work in progress.






It certainly is unattractive fabric. I think I made it around 1996.




It is like a big book and the pieces of my stitching are held between the layers. It really works well - it has handles for carrying and a pocket for putting small items. I usually store the little baggie of pieces on the pocket.

The outer fabric is some old upholstery fabric I bought at some thrift sale and the inner fabric is corduroy. I have a little piece of felt that really holds the little pieces of fabric. When the pieces are not yet all stitched together I usually put a thin 8x10 piece of cardboard on top of them before I close the book - other wise the pieces will stick to the top as well and then I'm picking them off the top and my nice layout of pieces is a mess.





My little stitching corner for the past couple of months. Jenny's chair!! She was thinking it was her spot! Poor Jenny - she's had enough of me! Although she has been going out with a dog walker quite regularly since I haven't been able to walk her and I think she loves Gord and Leila more than me now! Ah well. Soon I hope!

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A few More Dear Jane Photos

 

I recently found a few photos that I had taken with my phone at a retreat.  These are a few of the blocks altogether as a group. 

 

I am working with the Windows Live writer right now.  I have about 6 different ways in which to upload posts to my blogs.  I have to see how this Windows Live Writer is working now.  I had to resize the pictures to fit on my blog.  Who knows what it will look like when I post this.

I have a bunch of pictures of the process I go through from start to finish on making and hand piecing my blocks.  I might do a post on this and make it in to a tutorial.  It seems tutorials are very popular these days.  And I have a lot of time on my hands to figure out how to add a tab and all that Jazz!

Not sure how many people pop in to see this blog but if there is any interest out there I can certainly work on a tutorial of some kind.

Okay here goes – pressing post…….

I was reading my Dear Jane blog the other day and it looked nothing had changed for me since August 2011 - I was once again on crutches! At least it is not STILL on crutches.




I must say that a lot has happened since I fell on that walk in the woods on July 18 2011 and fractured my ankle. My ankle has healed but a bigger problem that was hidden deep in my foot reared it's ugly head and I just had a very big surgery on my foot on November 14.
I have not been neglecting my Dear Jane in the last 18 months. I have completed 3 blocks - keeping up with my usual pace!
J6 - Granny Weaver




J7 - Chicken Tracks




M8 - Enchanted Square




I have been assigned mostly bed rest with my foot elevated for the next few weeks so I am working away on a couple of projects. I have completed the Civil War Chronicles BOM 2010 quilt and I sent it out to be machine basted with the plan to do some hand quilting on it over the winter months.
I am also planning on working on a few Dear Jane blocks.
This is B8 - Water Lily




I am also working on my iPad and finding posting to my blogs a bit challenging. There are a couple of different apps about that are supposed to make it easier but at this time it seems they are just adding to my frustration. I am trying to post from Blogpress for the second time. The Google+ seems to have failed and the Blogger app only seems to work from the iPhone and that is even having issues. So I am going to try again!
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Location:A lot of water has gone under this bridge

Scout's Honor

As promised to myself  I have started (and finished) another Dear Jane block.  I hope this blessed broken ankle brings me some pleasure! 

K9 - Scout's Honor



My sewing space set up on the deck - quite comfortable for an afternoon of stitching away. 



Late afternoon - as you can see the wine is already poured!  I can stitch and enjoy the view................



Here is the completed block - and from start to finish was only three or so little stitching sessions so I am quite pleased with my result.




I have two hand stitching projects on the go at this time.  I really have been working diligently on my wool applique flowers and have completed 12/16 blocks.  I think I will get them completed before I really get back to the Dear Jane blocks.

Still working on it!!

Well - it certainly has been a long time since I posted any blocks - although I  have still been puttering away at my Dear Jane quilt.  I needed to do a bit of housekeeping on my blog before I could even start this post.

I have been working on another hand stitching project and the Dear Jane has been set aside for the past 8-9 months but I am starting to feel like getting back to work at it.  I have 50 blocks completed now!!


A couple of weeks ago - I fell/slipped while walking Jenny in the forest - Cypress Trails - and I fractured my ankle. So I am in a boot cast and non weight bearing on crutches until September 9th - at which time I go back to see the doctor and find out what's next.  He says this will take 3 months!!  So this summer is being spent sitting on the deck with the computer playing some Netflix TV and some hand stitching projects.  So that leads to my ability and desire to get back to my Dear Jane.  I think it needs a name -- I need to think about that for awhile - but I definitely think I need to give it a name sooner rather than later. 

I have completed four blocks since my last post - in 2009!!  Good heavens - 2009!  I need to get cracking on it.  If I only do two blocks a year it will take me 87.5 years to finish the rest of the 175 blocks!  I don't think I have that much time!  So time to get back into the swing of it.




M1


 I usually like to put the names of the block as well but I have the book downstairs and right now it is a bit of an event to get to my quilting room  - I can do it but it takes a bit of bumping up and down the stairs on my butt - and it is a slow process.  So I will add the names at some later time.





M6






M11

I have not been neglecting my Dear Jane

It has been a very busy year here - with a big house renovation - a new grandbaby and all trips back and forth to Calgary to see the grandbabies!! But I have been puttering away on my Dear Jane.

I completed this block M9 -- Fan Dance.




I am up to 46 blocks now - which is not too bad -LOL. It seems to work out to about 12 -14 blocks a year for me. I really do need to pick up the pace!! I should try doing a triangle block - I have yet to do one and I think it is about time. Most of the block I have done so far are the pieced blocks - so I need to do a few applique blocks as well. I find the pieced blocks are so easy to cut out and prep for taking to my Friday stitch group. I have started a wool applique block of the month and my poor Dear Jane has been put a bit on the back burner at the last few Friday stitches - so I am feeling a bit guilty about not working on the blocks much since about mid October.
Hmmm -- something to put on my New Years Resolution list -LOL!!