Good Morning Quilters!
Well, for the third week in a row, I have a completed quilt that was a long in progress UFO to show you. It's a Jane Stickle reproduction quilt.
Pictures of my quilt first, and then the story behind it. First picture: Hubby is holding it up while standing on a bench outside. It is quite large, and he couldn't reach his arms out wide enough to show the corners.
I tried to make my blocks as similar to Jane's as I could. Most of my fun was searching for fabrics to use!
On the couch, ready for me to take a nap underneath it yesterday:
Displayed on the railing by the front door, so I can admire it all this week. I can't believe it is actually finished!
As Paul Harvey used to say.....and here's the rest of the story:
It's probably the most famous quilt in the world. A Jane Stickle reproduction quilt that I've been working on it for a long time. I bought the book Dear Jane by Brenda Papadakis many years ago, when I was a new quilter. It was in 2001, and the 911 attack that September made me more intrigued by all the war stories Brenda told along with the pictures of the blocks. I imagined how Jane Stickle would have felt making a quilt during the terrible Civil War.
Then a few years later, I went to the Bennington Museum in Vermont to see the actual quilt (See info here) I spent a whole day sitting in front of the quilt, taking notes, and marveling at all the different blocks. At the time, we were allowed to take pictures with no flash.
Here is a picture of the quilt on display at the museum:
While at the museum, I bought a poster of the quilt. I had been reading on the internet the progress of many people making the quilt. So I had the book with a close-up of each block, and the poster of the whole quilt. The book doesn't have very much detail on how to make the blocks. All of the internet information I gathered told me people were using a size of 4.5" for the blocks, and they were including sashing and cornerstones.
I was so smitten by the quilt in the museum, that I wanted to make one just like it! So I took my poster to a copy shop and asked them to blow it up to the size of the original quilt. Crazy idea, I know, but I wanted to make mine exactly like Jane's.
And the quilt sized black and white photos of the enlarged pieces, taped together, plus the color pictures from the book, were my pattern for any new blocks I made after I visited the museum and saw the real thing.
It is one of those quilts that you hate to stop working on, you love it so much. And that's the way it was with this one. I have had the 169 blocks finished for a long time, but have never put them together, because I knew that Jane's blocks did not have sashing and cornerstones, and everyone else making the quilt had sashing and cornerstones.
Finally, as a present to myself in my 80th year, I have finished it! The blocks are 5 inches square, and if they were not 5 inches square, I added a little strip of background fabric to make them so. Jane's blocks were all different sizes, and that is what she did to make them fit together.
My scallops are traced from the blown up poster, and my binding is very small. I used bias binding cut at 1.75 inches, doubled as per usual binding, and machine stitched to the front, and hand stitched to the back. I had a friend, Beverly Irvine, machine quilt it in a Baptist fan, as I am not a hand quilter, and it seemed like the least intrusive quilting to use.
So that's my story, and I have no other great finishes to report to you next week. It will be back to making Benjamin Biggs Wedding Quilt squares. And some other projects probably.
Have you started a Jane Stickle quilt? Have you finished one? I know several people who have made many versions of it. I have even started another version, with indigo blue and shirting blocks, and have about 1/3 of the center blocks completed. That version will have the usual sashing and cornerstones, as per most versions. A UFO that is currently in time out.
Tell us what you are working on this week, and show us some pictures. We are always interested in seeing what you are up to. Thanks for joining The Design Wall Monday Linky Party. Click below to join, and don't forget to provide a link back to this post within your blog. Thanks for joining!
28 comments:
I'm so excited Judy, congratulations on your Jane finish!!!!! This is a huge accomplishment! Your new Jane with indigo fabrics sounds very interesting and very lovely. I look forward to viewing that one in the future. Happy stitching!
Congratulations on finishing your Dear Jane quilt. That is an incredible accomplishment, no matter how many years it took! I have the book, but haven't started to make one yet.
What an accomplishment! I've read your blog for a LONG time, but have never commented before. You're such an encouragement to me--I'm turning 68 next week, and have wondered how many more quilts I'll be able to make for my family to cherish (they will--they've told me!). I have more ideas listed than I may be able to finish, but you've given me hope--thank you!
Ruth in VA
Wow! Congrats on the finish. It's a gorgeous quilt. Definitely worth all the time and effort. What a great birthday present to yourself.
Your quilt is beautiful. Congratulations on persevering and finishing it! Wow, really an amazing accomplishment!
Congratulations on your lifetime achievement -- and may you enjoy it for many years to come!
We visited the Bennington Museum but the quilt was not on display. We enjoyed all the other exhibits -- Grandma Moses, the furniture, and a special about Robert Frost.
Congratulations on your finish. I started mine in 2009, completed the flimsy in 2014, and started to quilt it in 2018 with disastrous results. It has been lanquishing since then awaiting my brain to figure out how to proceed.
Hearty congratulations on finishing your Masterpiece JS quilt--It is stunning!!:))) I have never attempted such a mammoth project--good for you;)))
Hugs, Julierose
That is a stunning quilt, with a wonderful story. I've admired every single one of these Dear Jane quilts that I've seen. So much work goes into any quilt, but these require so much patience too. It's gorgeous! Congratulations on the finish!
magnificent! I would want to make it like hers too. I have admired the many I have seen, but, thought it was above my skill level. But, there is still a lovely lesson in her story. That Jane made it with love, and it was the only one she made. I feel better when I think I am not getting much done - only one is priceless.
I loved hearing your story of how your Jane quilt came about! Congrats on a job well done.
Oh wow!! What a beauty!!!!! And congrats on another amazing finish - you are ticking them off your list!!!
congratulations on your finish! I made two dear janes both pieced by hand making templates from the photos in the book at the pattern with the blocks being 4.5 inches I believe. I used a combination of hand piecing, applique and reverse applique depending on what I felt the blocks needed. The first one took about 4 years to complete and then I immediately started the second one - I hand quilted both of them. I have no desire to ever make another one.
Nice work! It is such an incredible quilt!
Judy, a huge congratulations on your finish of your Dear Jane. It is a monumental quilt. I've followed many peoples Jane Journey but none relate doing what you did to achieve such a measure of accuracy. I love that and wish I knew you back then to have followed your journey too. I've read that Jane was very ill and spent a winter in bed and stitched the little blocks to amuse herself. Don't know if that is true or not. It is an amazing story all round and how wonderful her quilt lives on in such glorious reproductions such as yours. Well done you!!
Incredible! I have never done such a detailed quilt. You must be over the moon to have finished it. And I bet napping under it is amazing.
Kudos to you for persevering and completing this magnificent quilt! You should be very proud!
Your quilt is gorgeous. I love that you replicated the fabrics in the original as closely as possible and am amazed that the copy shop was able to enlarge it to full size. Thanks so much for sharing your story about creating it.
Judy your quilt is absolutely incredible. Well done on the finish. 😁 Carol
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I am blown away by your incredible Dear Jane quilt! Holy cow!!!! And your amazing research and techniques used to replicate the original. WOW! You have amazing tenacity and resilience to make all the blocks and border pieces. Congratulations on the finish!
Your Dear Jane is beautiful an what a wonderful story.
Anyone know if this quilt can be done using paper piecing?
Congratulations on a spectacular finish! What an amazing version you made ... Jane would be so proud and honoured!
I would love to see this quilt in person. I have never been tempted to start one but I do love seeing these quilts. So much time and skill is required to make such a masterpiece!
Wow congratulation! I started my baby Jane in 2004 and it's still far from being finished.... one day maybe. Yours look magnificent! Enjoy cuddling underneath it
Judy, your quilt is stunning. I never realised that the original wasn't sashed. Thank you for the insight
Wow, what a finish! Congratulations on your accomplishment. It's beautiful, like seeing Jane's when it was new.
What a great accomplishment. It really looks fabulous. Give yourself a pat on the back for finishing this one.
What an amazing accomplishment Judy! I can’t imagine all the time and hard work that went into that one and in the end, it is really lovely. Congratulations! I have never attempted something so intricate and don’t know that I will, but I do like to paper piece, so you never know what might come out of that!
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