G4 Shutterbug

Boy this has sure taken a long time!!!!!!

I completed it on Saturday while I was visiting with my Friday stitch group. I started the next one as well which also has an awful lot of pieces. Hopefully it doesn't take so long to get the next one finished.

I can't believe how long it took to get this one finished. Part of it was we had to move my little table and lamp for the Christmas tree -- although I should have had it finished long before December 18th!! Anyway it is done and I am happy!!!

M5 Mother's Point

I was able to finish this block Friday night. I doesn't have that many pieces - so it was a lot quicker to finish then the last block. I have only about 3 blocks in prepped in baggies right now -- so I have been doing a bit of cutting up of the freezer paper blocks and such this week. I will start another block tonight as we watch the final two episodes of The Sopranos. I am going away for a 4 day retreat next weekend. I should be able to have the next block finished for next Monday - as I will be gone from Friday - Monday night ( I'm so excited!! I just can't hide it!!)

Two blocks in two weeks -- pretty good!!

A-2

One, Two Buckle My Shoe



Here you go Karen! It was completed at 10:05 Pacific Mountain Time.

For everyone else - Karen (from Passionate Quilter) and I had a challenge to complete one DJ block by Saturday night. This is the block I took to Oregon and worked on a bit at Rockaway Beach, though there was still quite a bit left to sew. The block that Karen was sewing was H-3 - a very complicated looking block - one that I have not done yet. So her challenge looks a little more difficult than mine.

I am quite excited that mine is finished and now on to the next challenge - hey Karen :)))

I still need to scan the photo in and get posted to my virtual DJ webpage.

I have been busy working this week (something I think should be banned!!) and just started taking the pictures for my Oregon "shop hop" I will be posting those pictures in the next day or two.

Time to get back at it!!

It has been such a long time since I worked on any of my DJ blocks. I had a bunch prepared and sitting in little baggies just waiting -- I don't know why it has been so long. I hope that I don't have too many long stretches of time off my DJ or I will never get it completed. Anyway I started back on Friday with -- "One two buckle my shoe" Boy there are a lot of pieces in this one!!



When I was out at the fabric by the pound sale in August I bought a few bits of fabric for the DJ quilt as well. They didn't have much in the way of the civil war era fabric for sale there but I did find one nice little collection. I also had bought a couple of fat quarters in my summer travels as well.



I am getting quite a collection of fabrics. I hate to buy the fat quarters because you really only need a fat eighth to make a block - and sometimes even less. It is very difficult to find fat eighths. I see there are a couple of shops in Oregon that have civil war fabrics and maybe they have fat eighths. Another good reason to shop :)))

F-7 Star Struck

I finished this block last night while watching Canadian Idol.

Today I took a pigma pen and wrote the letter and number of the block on the back in a seam in very small writing. I think I read somewhere that someone else was doing that. Good idea - for assembling the quilt 10 years from now! Although I am moving along fairly well. This is block number 35 for me.

Two more blocks

E-10 Five and Dime





B-9 Tinker Toy

I also finished these blocks in Tofino. I actually sewed the four blocks of E-10 together on the machine at home before going and then just appliqued the melon pieces on top. The four squares are quite simple and large and easy to stitch on the machine. The block needs to be cut down to the 5" unfinished size yet.

I am going to try to figure out how I can link my Picasa web album to this blog and have the pictures on the side bar. I saw that on a blog somewhere - so more technology to figure out!!

A-11 Pebbles Protest

The infamous --- A-11!!

I thought I would post this one first, since it took the longest. The problem with these darn blocks - which I keep saying over and over - is they don't look like as much work as they really are!

So this one will go down in history as the one that I spent the most time on in Tofino. I am glad I am getting back to doing them. I will have to get Eric to update my Virtual Dear Jane quilt as well.

All prepared and ready to go

Jim and I -- and the dog - are heading off to Tofino on Saturday. I have 8 blocks all cut out and ready to be stitched to take along with me. I hope to get them all done!! Which will be amazing for me if I do. I have been quite neglectful of my DJ quilt these past two months. So now it is time to get a few blocks done. Wish me luck. We will be gone one week. I don't think I will be able to access the internet much while we are gone. There is a little internet cafe in Tofino, but we will be staying in a house on the beach and there is no TV, or internet at the house. So lots of time to sit and stitch!!

A-4 Courtney's Stethoscope

It is hard to believe I am finished this block and moving forward with my DJ quilt again. It has been quite awhile since I worked on it.

I have been busy today cutting out blocks for stitching together while we are in Tofino the second week of June. I just cut out a block that had 45 pieces!! A single 5" square block that has 45 pieces!!! Can you imagine. What was I thinking?

I have not forgotten

It has been quite a while since I posted on my DJ blog. I have not forgotten - I have just been busy working on a few other things. Plus all the things that have been happening with the job has put me back as well.

This block has been started and has been sitting just like this on my little DJ table for - I can't remember how long -- but a long time. So I thought I had better put up a post - to remind myself to get back at it. So I will finish up the quilting on the baby quilt and I will get back at it -- soon, I will finish this block this week!!

The tale of two blocks - the right and wrong

This block is called C-2 "Streak of Lightning" I completed it last night. The inside diamond shaped are pieced but the two outside diamonds are appliqued on top when it is all stitched together. I used the Roxanne's glue to hold the two appliqued pieces in place instead of pins. It does work well. I had never used it before, although I had bought a small bottle of it not that long ago. After I finished it I brought it up to the scanner to be scanned, and -- I realized that I had appliqued the two top diamonds on facing in the wrong direction. So ---- I had to take them off, finding that the Roxanne's glue really did hold them on well. And I had to re-stitch them! I had a little wine spot on the muslin so I had to give it a little wash and iron after I finished it, so the edges are a little frayed -- and then I had to do it all again. So this block is a little worse for wear!

So here it is finished today. This one is scanned in - rather than the photo. The scanned image is so much better than a photo. So I will email the photo to Eric so he can update my Virtual DJ.

I-8 Pete's Paintbox

Finished 30th Block tonight

I am again having a bit of trouble with Picasa upload. That seems to be the theme of this blog. I am not able to write any text to go along with the photo, every time I start the picture disappears. So the text will have to be in another post.

This was a tricky block because of all the bias edges to be sewn. I do like the striped fabric in this block. So it was a bit slow going with all the bias edges. Finished it tonight watching the Canucks beat the San Jose Sharks 2-1 in overtime. The home team is doing well -- working towards a good run into the playoffs. Big smile!!

C-3 Rayelle's Fence

I now have 29 blocks completed. I have put up the link for the DJ virtual design wall. It has all the blocks that I have completed so far. So I better get going - I have 196 to go!

L1 - Widow's Pane

I finished this block today. I really like the way the blocks look with the scanner instead of a photo.

Picasa is being a bit weird right now --- again!!
Anyway - Web Page soon.

Two more blocks - picture with the scanner

E-3 Paddle Wheel

D-4 Crystal Star

Of course I can't remember if I posted these blocks yet. But I have scanned in all my blocks and I think the pictures of the blocks from the scanner and much better than the digital camera. The reason I have scanned in the blocks is because ----- drum roll!! --- Eric (middle child) is making me a DJ webpage! He is making a grid for all the blocks and it will be set up so that when you click on the little block in the table a big block pops up. It will be so cool. It is still under construction. It has taken him hours and hours of typing. I think by the time he is finished he will know the Dear Jane blocks of by heart. So I am pretty excited and I will post a link as soon as it is ready to go.

I-1 Ralph and Nelda's Wedding

I like the pink fabric of this one.

I am going to look into some sort of a photo spread sheet so the blocks can all be viewed in the layout of where they belong and I can track my progress a bit better - or clearer. I know nothing about computer codes so it will be a bit of a challenge for me but I think it will be a good challenge.

I-2 Kaye's Courtyard

I guess I should have cut the little tail pieces off this one before I took the picture. I like the fabric for this one. I have this fabric in a light red as well.

A nice grouping of blocks

I just think the blocks look so nice when they are all together. This is a small group of some of the last few blocks I completed.

This block is A-6 UNCLE HOMER


Good block to start with. It could easily be done on the sewing machine as the pieces are quite big. I stitched it by hand the same as the others. I am going to go watch the Grammy awards and work on my next block. Jim has gone to Portland for the week so I am alone this week. Unfortunately I have to work all week -- I would have gone to Portland if I didn't have to work and I could have taken my DJ blocks there. Although it seems that when I take quilting with me on holiday I never actually do any work on it!

M-2 Duff's Bluffs

I haven't posted a block for awhile now.
This is a nice little block to do - fairly simple but with some tiny pieces. I am almost caught up posting blocks that have been completed before I started the blog. Next time it will be more recent blocks. I am just working on one right now with the tiniest little squares I have yet to sew.

A-5 Cathie's Campfire

This is such a pretty block and I love the fabric I used for it. Some fairly tiny pieces in it but not too difficult. It is the curved pieced blocks that are the tricky ones!!

Now Picasa seems to be working today, the way it used, before the change over. When I go to publish it is actually uploading the post right onto my blog and opening the blog right away like it did before. It hasn't done that since beta came online. I sure hope that the issues have been resolved now.

H-1 Peek a boo

This was a fun one to make I thought.

A-3 Hunter's Moon

So far to date this block was the most difficult to do. I did it all in pieces and sewed them together, rather than one background piece and four melons appliqued on top. It was very hard to do all those curved seams. But it is finished and it turned out okay I think -- Better finished than perfect!!

C-1 Troopers Green Badge

See -- here's a green one!