I have always wanted to see the Jane Stickle quilt, and finally had the chance in September. It is displayed at the Bennington Museum in Bennington Vermont.
The whole museum is very interesting and homey and the highlight of course was the Jane Stickle quilt:
It was displayed in near darkness, really.
Question: Have you made a Jane Stickle quilt ("Nearly insane Jane?") or been tempted to make one? Ironically I was tempted to start one *until* the day I saw the original in person. lol.
Other sweet quilty treasures to be found -
Later in the month, just before we headed back to North Carolina, David and I stopped in to the Boston Modern Quilt Guild show. It was really fantastic, and thought provoking.
There were so many more. Not all advocacy quilts, but most were so packed with meaning. Reviewing these photos now, post-election, I feel a heaviness of heart.
I have one or two more "catch up" posts to write. Thank you for reading, fellow quilters;).
xo
Cynthia
The Jane Stickle quilt is amazing--but no way would i even attempt to make this one...!! My piecing skills are definitely not of that caliber...
ReplyDelete[Heavy heart is right]--Trying to remain positive...
hugs, Julierose
Julierose, I bet your piecing skills could handle it - I think it would just be a matter of time and patience, but I hear you!
DeleteThank you for sharing all these photos! I must have been tempted re the JS quilt because I bought the book well over 2 decades ago, but that desire totally faded away at some point . Definitely a heavy heart re our country…..🙁
ReplyDeleteI saw the book in the museum gift shop, picked it up twice... did not buy it;).
DeleteLovely to see a post from you, Cynthia! I still read blog posts! I am just not very good at commenting!
ReplyDeleteLoraine, same here - I understand!
DeleteI was tempted once to try that quilt, glad I didn't. It's lovely to look at but too intense for me to make. My heart is heavy with worry too. I try not to think about what our country will become in the next few years.
ReplyDeleteI know Barb. Let's hope that in two years the mid terms will bring a spark of sense.
DeleteI've been fortunate enough to see the JS Quilt twice. Absolutely awe inspiring!! When I was there it was laying the long way. I'm glad to see they've turned it. I was with a friend who is a genealogist and she offered some insight into life in the 19th century. E.g. why Jane and her husband were listed in different households on the census records. Janes life story is as interesting as her quilt.
ReplyDeleteI love your blog, please don't stop.
Joan thank you - that sounds really interesting about Jane. Thank you for your kind words!
DeleteI need to make a plan to see the Jane Stickle quilt. I've made one but never have seen the original!
ReplyDelete.
Lori, oh wow, that's a huge accomplishment! I hope you can see it someday too!
DeleteI can feel why women put their heartfelt emotions of worry and waiting into a quilt. Sometimes it’s all we can do and it feels like we’re making forward progress in at least one facet of our life. I still read blogs and enjoy what you have to say. I, too, have the Jane Stickle book and templates.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous above is Robin at I like to create
DeleteRobin, so poignant, worry and waiting. Sometimes waiting is joyful, too. You might be half way there if you already have the book and templates;).
DeleteYes, I made the quilt! I went to a quilt show in Ft. Worth TX around 2009 and saw a few of the quilts there plus the author, Brenda Papadakis spoke about writing the book. I was fascinated but didn't think I could do it. Eventually, when my kids asked what I wanted for Christmas, I put the book on my list. Three Christmas's later I got the book and decided that I better make it. I started it in 2014 and finished it in 2017. I got a lot of help from the blog "thatquilt.blogspot.com." We went to Bennington, VT in 2012 and I wanted to see the quilt, but it wasn't on display that day. I'm very glad that I made it. It was a challenge but now I have more confidence in my quilting. You have to really want to though.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous above his Ruth at countrylogcabin.
ReplyDeleteRuth, that is very inspiring and shows what patience and persistence can do! How cool that you got to hear from the author herself.
DeleteAlso, how disappointing that you went all the way to Bennington but couldn't see the quilt at that time. Maybe another time?
Kept running into my friend who worked at a local quilt shop and invited her to a guild sponsored talk about Ralli quilts. Fascinated by their hand quilting layers on the floor with four women, one holding each corner while one lady stitched. What an eye opener of teamwork. After that asked her about making a quilt together. She taught a lot of classes and had great all-around skills. So we are chatting and she suggested Dear Jane blocks. Thought, "oh". "OK". "Two colors for each block." We both do well drafting blocks, hand piecing, and paper piecing. Applique is adequate. "OK." We agreed to meet at Starbucks every week and exchange a couple of blocks. The odd rows were mine. She, the even rows. She made two of each of her blocks. I made two of mine.
ReplyDeleteHer color sense and stash is beyond imagination. Her first two blocks were so colorful. Made two "A1" blocks. She made two "B1" blocks. We swapped so that we each had an "A1,B1" and so on for about a year. Learned so much. Dislike square quilts so the layout ended up sashed and on point.
Anonymous, thank you for your wonderful comment. What a fabulous way to accomplish the quilt! If you comment here again please let us know who you are.
Delete1 - It is a real skill builder.
ReplyDelete2 - The book's way of piecing was not as easy as choosing to paper piece.
3 - Add 1/8" to the template or cut size of the outside of template pieces.
With so many pieces some of the blocks "draw up" and may not measure 5"x5" and allow for a good 1/4" seam allowance.
4 - Applique "draws up" as well. One solution is to iron the shiny side of a 5"x5" freezer paper to the back of a 5-1/8"x 5-1/8" piece of background fabric. Sew the applique allowing the needle to "glance off" the freezer paper foundation. Square the block off.
5 - Remember that any block can be pieced using the english paper piecing method most people use to sew hexagons together.
a - Printed a block the 4-1/2"x4-1/2" finished size.
b - Iron a piece of freezer paper to it so that it was more like card stock.
c - Cut out templates actual size.
d - Basted fabric on the template pieces.
e - Whipped stitch pieces together. There is a Signature 60 wt. cotton thread that is strong and disappears well.
6 - All fabrics were prewashed and ironed before cutting pieces.
7 - Had a dot matrix printer and was able to print an outline of almost every 4-1/2"x4-1/2" block. This outline was valuable in placing applique pieces (see #4 above) because I could see the outlines through the fabric.
8 - It was not obvious to me at the time that the colors of blocks radiate from the center green, to yellow, to brown, to pink, gray, red, etc.
Anonymous (who are you?) these are absolutely fabulous tips for making the Dear Jane blocks. I hope someone (maaaybe me?) will use this great advice.
DeleteI pressed enter before identifying myself. Thank you for the compliment. I wrote it hoping you would make a few blocks. Two blocks a week is ambitious. After making the blocks I still had a number of civil war fabrics lying around. They were cut up for 4"x4" sawtooth stars. -Li
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