It seemed like a good idea at the time

It seemed like a good idea at the time - but it wasn't really !!

I decided one Saturday afternoon last winter that I needed to organize my Dear Jane blocks into something I could manage better.  Something that I could easily see what blocks I had completed and what blocks I had yet to complete, what fabrics I was using etc.

So I decided to cut the book apart - put each page in a clear page sleeve and put the finished blocks in the sleeve with the page.  And put it all in a big binder.  Sounds like a good idea - right?

So I set myself up a big binder - the cover of the book on the front of the binder.

Lilly was happy to help and spend the afternoon on the table watching this all come down - or nap!

Then I decided that the blocks that were in their little baggies and ready to stitch would be in another binder - with their pages from the book.   Some of the unstitched blocks had stitched blocks on the same page - so that complicated things a little.  But I now had two binders - big bulky binders!

As soon as I finished cutting up the book I regretted it!  I ordered this book from the Dear Jane website -- Brenda signed it!

The biggest problem I have found is I have two big bulky binders full of pages and blocks and baggies of unstitched blocks.  Too bulky to carry around and just pull out and stitch on the go.  Big and bulky to store on the boat!  And I need to take at least one binder with me because I needed the pages and pictures of the blocks that I had yet to stitch together because once the pieces are in the baggies I  have no idea what the block looks like.  So some of the pages are in one binder - some of the pages are in another binder - some finished blocks don't have a page in the one binder because it is in the binder with the unfinished blocks!  In the end I have found it has not simplified anything!

I used to just have a little bag of the baggies and then I would carry the book in my bag - a nice thin - light paperback book!

So - what to do?  I decided this weekend to order a new book -- and they have become quite expensive!!  I found one on Amazon.ca for $42.00 - shipping included.  Some of the books were being sold for $75 - 100??  My book should be here at the end of October.

I took all of the baggies out of the one binder and put the baggies back in my little special - Wide Open Bag ( made by Jo Anne )

I put all of the pages in their own sleeves in the one big binder - and that will always be just a binder with finished blocks!  I think that will be a good way to track the blocks I have completed.

Hopefully I can get back to stitching!  I haven't done the stitching this summer that I had hoped to do and I am blaming it on the big binder debacle!

Completed blocks

A few blocks from the past few months 

                    

                                                         B-11 Melissa's Cross 

                             

                                                      C-6

B-4 Chris's Soccer Feild 

                                                      K-11 Columbine 

M-8

I can't believe it has been two years since I posted any progress!! 

I uploaded these photos months ago - the hold up being I need to go back and label what blocks they are.  

So. I'm just going to post these photos!   Just so I record that I am still busy working away on this quilt. I think I might call this quilt " Jane's Long Voyage". 

 And maybe I will eventually write another blog post this fall. 

Happy Thanksgiving! 

Pam. 

I have blocks to share!

So!  Although it has been months since I have posted I have been busy working on my Dear Jane.

I have been quite productive actually.  We bought a boat this June and we have been out cruising around the Pacific North West ( as it's know in the U.S. ) or the West Coast as it's know to us Canadians.  We have spent about 6 weeks this past summer out on the water.  And I have discovered that my Dear Jane is a perfect project as I sit in the Pilot house in the afternoon as we cruise along.

So first I will show a few boat pictures before we get to the Dear Jane block photos.

Here is our boat -- a Kadey Krogen 42 and we have named her Phoenix Hunter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is my spot in the pilot house that I set up my Dear Jane for stitching.  The light is really good - even on cloudy grey days there is plenty of light.

One of the nice little anchorages we stayed at this summer.  This is James Bay on Prevost Island in the Gulf Islands off Vancouver Island BC

 

Jenny out for a walk on the shore.  Jenny has taking to boating quite well - we are pleased.  She loves to go to shore and knows that a ride of the dingy is a trip to shore.

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!
Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:A lot of water has gone under this bridge