Dear Jane Returns!

"Dear Jane" quilting craze began three decades ago (my, how time flies!) The original civil war-era quilt was made by Jane A. Blakely Stickle in 1863. Jane's quilt received scant attention until it was 'discovered' by Brenda Papadakis. One of our first posts, titled Crazy about Jane, covered the challenges of this design with its 225 blocks (169 squares, 52 triangles, and 4 corners.) We were thrilled to see THREE outstanding Dear Jane quilts at the 2024 Springville, Utah quilt show.  

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It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time (2023) by Katrina Crane, quilted by Debbie Lee.

There are so many gorgeous details in this quilt. Winner of a Blue ribbon (Award of Excellence), Katrina Crane says, "I took a class to reproduce my own "Dear Jane" which seemed like a good idea while, at 50 years old, my eyesight and faculties were in working order. Having never done much applique, and no foundation piecing, this was terrifying. But with a class and a deadline to guide me I vowed to complete it in a year or less. Things will take as long as you give them. Please enjoy!  If I can do it, so can you!" 

 

 

Some of the blocks are appliqued and some are pieced; each one is a work of art.

 

 

Debbie Lee's beautiful quilting especially stands out in the border triangles, as shown below.

Dear Jane (2024) by Lisa Delora, quilted by Tonya Colbert.

Lisa Delora says, "I attended a wonderful class that aided me in creating this quilt.  It was fun to work on each block and learn new skills." The bright, saturated colors come from a variety of prints including many Kaffe Fassett classics. Tonya Colbert's quilting stands out in these closeup photos.

My Dear Jane (2023) by Gay Jackson, quilted by Gay Jackson.

We love this dramatic black-and-white version! Gay Jackson says, "I was invited by a friend to take a quilting class. I had no idea what I was in for! I decided to make the pattern my way and used a monochrome palette I also wanted to finish it, so I chose to do raw edge applique when called for.  I used double batting for the free motion quilting."

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the Springville Museum of Art (Springville, Utah) in August 2024.

Twelve days of Christmas Quilts: Jane's Christmas

Christmas 2015 is drawing near, and we wanted to share some of the beautiful Christmas quilts we've seen this year. Here is Day Eleven of  our series: Twelve Days of Christmas Quilts.  Note: We're continually featuring  free patterns on Twitter...  please follow us @quiltinspire !

Jane's Christmas by Linda Reid

Here is a Dear Jane quilt with a twist!  Linda Reid says, “In our [Dear] Jane Group, we made Christmas squares to exchange. I added some of my own to complete [this] quilt.” The Christmas tree blocks, which add to the festive theme, were arranged symmetrically across the quilt.

Many blocks had fussy-cut images, such as the cute kitty shown below.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2015 Diablo Valley Quilters' Guild show.

Twelve days of Christmas Quilts: Christmas Jane

Christmas 2015 is drawing near, and we wanted to share some of the amazing, gorgeous Christmas quilts we've seen this year. Thanks to the many quilters who have inspired us with their beautiful creations!  Here is Day One of  our series: Twelve Days of Christmas Quilts.

Christmas Jane by Barbara Shates

What a creative setting for 36 different Dear Jane blocks, made in reds and greens!  The blocks were made by Barbara Shates and other Dear Jane group members for an exchange in 2011. The original setting was designed and machine quilted by Barbara.  She encircled the design with a quilted feather wreath, and quilted a smaller wreath in the middle, surrounding the machine embroidered message holiday message: Joy.

We've include closeup photos to show the beautiful appliqued and pieced blocks.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2015 Diablo Valley Quilters' Guild show.

Best of the September quilt show! Day 2

Welcome to a new season of quilt shows ! We had a wonderful time at the Diablo Valley Quilters' show in Walnut Creek, California ! Here is Day 2 of  some of our favorites from this fun show.

California Jane by Kathy Fitzpatrick

Kathy notes, "I started this quilt in 2009 with the Diablo Valley Quilters' California "Dear Jane Group" and the book by Brenda Papadakis.  I finished in July 2015."  That's actually pretty fast work, as the average Dear Jane quilt has approximately 225 different blocks !  Kathy's work is a true masterpiece and clearly destined to be an heirloom quilt for her loved ones.

Closeup, California Jane by Kathy Fitzpatrick

Gorgeous shades of sapphire and periwinkle blue provide an eye-catching contrast against the white background. The blues alternate with lemon yellow and gold blocks. Kathy pieced, appliqued and hand-quilted California Jane by herself.  We'll be posting more close-up photos on Pinterest.

Santorini Afternoon by Fran McNamee

Fran explains, "[This quilt was] pieced from my original design and photo of Santorini (a Greek island on the southern Aegean Sea).  The [piecing] technique came from Sue Rasmussen's class at the Empty Spools Quilt Seminars at the Asilomar Conference Center in Pacific Grove, California." Fran's delightful, realistic depiction of this sun-dappled, volcanic island shows her excellent use of perspective, light, and shadow to give dimension to the white-washed buildings.

Close-up, Santorini Afternoon by Fran McNamee

The vibrant blue tile of the ancient church rooftops mirrors the blue of the jewel-like sea. Fran designed, pieced, and quilted this fabulous project by herself.

Complementary Colors by Lynne Douglas

This quilt with its whimsical, expressive face reminds us of a Picasso abstract painting !  We especially loved the blue hair braid that graces the subject's face. Lynne is a member of the Creative Fiber Artists group in this guild and explains, "The challenge was complementary colors. Orange is my favorite color, so I had to use its complement, which is blue. I love doing portrait quilts, and this was so much fun to do." Lynne pieced and quilted this original design herself.

Giant City in Fall by Suzi Dillinger

Here's a quilt done in languid, watercolor fabric that perfectly depicts a quiet afternoon in autumn. Suzi notes, "Giant City State Park in Illinois was one of my mother-in-law's favorite spots." The quilt was based on Suzi's original photo of the park. Free-motion quilting over tulle adds to the texture of the water, woods and sky.

Pickled Pepper by Debby Horton, quilted by Loretta Jones

Debby writes, " I made this quilt at a class taught by Vicki Wind at Wooden Gate Quilts in March 2014. This was my first paper-pieced quilt!"  We think that Debby's quilt turned out spectacularly.  The vibrant colors and energetic prints are extremely eye-catching, and the border of little birds gives an especially cheerful touch. The pattern was designed by Judy Niemeyer.

Sunny Spring Frost by Diane Chambers, quilted by Christine Zachow

Diane says, " Sunny Spring Frost is based on the 'Earth, Wind, and Fire' pattern by Linda Ballard. Her class called for three color families with six fabric in each, but I instead explored jewel tones and their pastel counterparts. My 'families' were jewel, pastel, and yellow. 'Sunny' refers to the center of each Ohio Star and the diagonal yellow chains; 'Spring' to the color palette; and 'Frost' to the batik backing and binding."

Sunny Spring Frost by Diane Chambers

These gorgeous, color-saturated batiks remind us of bowls of ice cream sherbet in a rainbow of hues!  We admire Diane's excellent fabric selection and workmanship.  Christine Zachow  quilted the blocks with large butterflies and flowers.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.

The Advent of Christmas Day 6: Christmas with Dear Jane

How about a Christmas quilt made with Dear Jane® blocks?  You probably know the history of the now-famous quilt.  It was made by Jane A. Blakely Stickle in 1863 and "discovered" by Brenda Papadakis, who documented and drafted all 225 blocks.  Since then, the little blocks have inspired legions of quilters.  We first featured Dear Jane® in two posts in 2010 (see Crazy About Jane and Crazy About Jane II).   We love seeing creative variations, such as this pretty Christmas tree.

Christmas Tree by Netty Soares, quilted by Suzi Dillinger

Netty Soares says, "This was made from squares I made in a Dear Jane exchange".  She used forty-two different blocks to create the Christmas tree and borders of this quilt.  

Close-up, Christmas Tree by Netty Soares, quilted by Suzi Dillinger

Suzi Dillinger has carefully quilted precise, symmetrical snowflakes into the background. They beautifully contrast with the curved holly leaves which comprise the outside of the tree.  Charming valentine hearts complement the rounded features of the leaves and echo the heart-shaped cardinal shown above.

Close-up, Christmas Tree by Netty Soares 

Many different shades of red and green were used to create these traditional squares, which play a large part of  America's quilting heritage. We especially like the gaily colored red polka dot block and the candy-cane striped asterisk block, which reminds us of peppermint sticks arranged like a pinwheel.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2013 Diablo Valley Quilters Guild show. Dear Jane® is the registered trademark of Brenda Papadakis and is used with permission;  for more information see the Dear Jane® website.

Diablo Valley Quilt Show

There's nothing more fun than a local quilt festival and the chance to see some real home-grown talent right in your own neighborhood ! On Sunday, September 25, we visited a wonderful show put on by the Diablo Valley Quilters, based about 25 miles east of San Francisco, California.

Expanding Star, 79 x 77",  by Judy Mathieson at Judy's Place

Judy Mathieson creates magnificent half-wheel designs from her precise paper-piecing techniques. This kind of piecing requires a high contrast between the foreground and the background, so that the viewers eye can take in the pointed symmetry of the diamonds and triangles. Judy says that this design was inspired by an ornamental gate that she saw at the San Francisco Legion of Honor in 2005. 

Cosmati Star, 79 x 77", by Judy Mathieson at Judy's Place

The term "Cosmati" refers to 13th century mosaic designs by a family of Italian craftsmen who had a distinctive artistic style.  Judy drew her inspiration from marble and wood floors with the beautiful stars and fan design shown on the inner border of this quilt.

Scrappy Happy Houses, artist unknown

This quilt show included a "challenge" contest to see who could make the most interesting quilt with the theme of little houses.  The artists' names were intentionally left off each quilt, so that the quilt could be anonymous.  Guests at the show were then given a ballot and asked to vote for their favorite  "Scrappy Houses" quilt.  Because we saw so many really cute quilts, it was difficult to make up our minds.  Here's one of our favorites: a Christmas sugarplum village, all ready for the holidays.

Scrappy Happy Houses, artist unknown

Here's a quilter who's very talented at working with miniatures, including incredibly small pieces of cloth. Look carefully, and you will see the tiny people in the windows. We love the dazzling periwinkle or blue violet Bali batiks that she used for the sky.

Scrappy Happy Houses, artist unknown

A lively four patch border set en pointe complements this enchanting "Main Street" theme, whose blocks are all tied together with a white picket fence and a lamppost.

Scrappy Houses, close up

Look at the adorable details on this little house ! Click on the photo to expand it, and you will see the sign which reads, "We love quilts." 

Stack n' Whack Fans, 79 x 80", by Faith Andresen

Faith used a beautiful color combination of copper, terracotta reds, black, and camel beige to design this sophisticated and exotic quilt. She explains that she drew her inspiration from Bethany Reynolds' book, Stack-n-Whackier Quilts.

Flowers and Gears, 27 x 38", by Lynne Douglas

Lynne writes, "I took a class at the Empty Spools Seminars in Asilomar, California [to learn how to create this kaleidoscope pattern quilt] and I feel that parts of this resemble a flower, and the other parts resemble a gear." We really enjoyed the wild, frenetic energy generated by these quilt blocks. They seem about to jump right off the quilt and have no intention of becoming tame and placid anytime soon. 

Homage to Jane by Bonnie Sherr at Quilterbbs's blog

Bonnie writes,  "When I read Brenda Papadakis' book in 2003, I never thought I'd be able to complete all of the little squares and triangles.  My Dear Jane quilt group, led by Laura Frage (known affectionately as "Mama Jane")  encouraged me. Visiting the Bennington Museum to see the original quilt provided more inspiration." To learn more about the engrossing world of Dear Jane® quilting, which was inspired by Jane A. Blakely Stickle's 1863 quilt, please see our blog post, Crazy About Jane.

Quilt Inspiration 2010: Dear Jane and Nearly Insane

These magnificent quilts were made by quilters in the U.S., Norway, France, Ireland, and South Africa. They were featured in an article called Crazy about Jane; and in a sequel, Crazy about Jane, Nearly Insane and Just Plain Nuts. The full quilts have approximately 5000 pieces. We are in awe of these quilters, and of the perseverance it takes to complete such a project !

Row 1: My Dear Jane (aka “Insanity”), by Karen Goad at Karen's Quilting; Dear Jane(s) - brown and blue indigo, by Tutu Haynes-Smart; In the Heat of the Day, by Marie-Suzanne Charlot at Au-Fil-de-l-Autre.  Row 2: Dear Jane, by Maryellen Sand Bodell at the Santa Monica Quilt Guild; Facets - Rubies, Emeralds, and Sapphires, by Marcie Thompson at The Blue Cat Creations; Rainbow Jane, by Anina at Twiddletails; Baby Dear Jane, by Bernadette Camus at France Patchwork. Row 3: A Baby Jane Quilt, by the Monterey Peninsula Quilters Guild; Jeepers... It's Jane, by Beth Schillig; Blue Sky and Sunshine, by Anna Krassy at Empire Quilters; Enduring Freedom, by Dear Jane Friends. Row 4: No Pain - No Jane, by Cynthia Garcia at Kwilty as Charged; Jane Plays with Dolls, by Pamela Leonard Wexler at Empire Quilters; Broadway Jane, by the Empire Quilters; In Our Time, (aka "Technicolor Jane"), by Judy Doenias and Diane Rode Schneck at City Quilters. Row 5: Janeway, by Pamela Leonard Wexler; Jane, Past and Present, by Lesley Thomas at Quilts in Ireland; In The Pink, by Bonnie Hunter at Quiltville. Row 6: Nearly Insane, by Hanne Schneider at Hanne's Quilt Corner; Just Plain Nuts, by Liz Lois.


Image Credits: For links to the original images and artists' websites, see Crazy about Jane and Crazy about Jane, Nearly Insane and Just Plain Nuts.  Dear Jane® is the registered trademark of Brenda A. Papadakis and is used with permission. Nearly Insane and Just Plain Nuts are trademarks of Liz Lois and are used with permission.

Crazy about Jane, Nearly Insane, and Just Plain Nuts

We're still crazy about two formidable sampler quilts: the 1863 quilt by Jane A. Blakely Stickle, and the 1870's quilt by Salinda W. Rupp. We admire the modern-day quilters who have tackled these epic works, while managing to retain (or regain) their sanity !

The Jane A. Stickle quilt was, of course, made famous by Brenda Papadakis, who coined the term Dear Jane® and chronicled each of its 225 blocks. In a previous article called Crazy About Jane we featured some gorgeous name-appropriate quilts, including "Dear Jane's a Pain", "No Pain - No Jane", and "My Insanity".

The Salinda W. Rupp quilt was brought to light by Liz Lois, who named it Nearly Insane. The Salinda quilt has 'only' 93 six-inch blocks, but the finished quilt has over 5,500 pieces, making it every bit as onerous as Jane Stickle's quilt.

Hold on to your hat while we move from "Crazy About Jane" to "Nearly Insane", to "Just Plain Nuts".

Facets: Rubies, Emeralds, and Sapphires, by Marcie Thompson, at The Blue Cat Creations

We've been admiring "Facets" for a long time.  Marcie Thompson finished piecing the quilt in just under a year; that's more than one block every two days. You can read her story on the Facets page at the Blue Cat Creations. Marcie's quilts are show-stoppers; while you are visiting her site, check out her Conway Album and Calico Garden quilt pages.

Jeepers... It's Jane, by Beth Schillig, at Beth Schillig.com

"Jeepers.....It's Jane!" won the Viewer's Choice award at the National Quilting Association 2009 show, and a full page article was done on it in the Quilting Quarterly magazine. The quilt also won an award for "Best Interpretation of a Theme" at the 2009 Pacific International Quilt Festival.  Jeepers, along with Beth Schillig's "Sunset Serenade", have been accepted in the Houston International Quilt Show next month ... if you are going to the show, you can see the quilts in person !   For more inspiration, visit Beth's online gallery.

Jane, Past and Present, by Lesley Thomas, at Quilts in Ireland

Lesley Thomas made her gorgeous "Jane, Past and Present" with batiks, set in Kona natural cotton as a background, with a trip-around-the-world design. The quilt was made in 6 months, 22 days.  It is also hand quilted !  Lesley writes: "These little blocks (4-1/2 inch finished) really took me over, and I couldn't stop making them, so I ran ahead of the schedule and just kept going." You can read a compete description of the quilt at the Quilting Board; and visit Lesley's website at Quilts in Ireland.

In The Pink (formerly known as Dear Jane at Sea), by Bonnie Hunter, at Quiltville

Many quilters have admired "In The Pink", and we couldn't resist showing it here.  Who would have thought that storm-at-sea sashing would so beautifully complement the blocks?  Read about the quilt on Bonnie Hunter's In The Pink page, and check out the photo of her hand quilting at her September 20, 2010 post; also see Bonnie's completed baby Jane, done in the traditional style.

A Baby Jane Quilt, 2009, by the Monterey Peninsula Quilters Guild

Over seventy-five members of the Monterey Peninsula Quilters Guild created their own baby Jane for their 2009 opportunity quilt. In this dazzler, 104 medium and large DJ blocks are combined in alternating square sets of 4 and 9 blocks. The center of the quilt surrounded by a continuous border of 68 small blocks, for a grand total of 172.

The City Quilter and Empire Quilters, Inc.: New York City is the center of Janiac-tivity in North America. Over the years, Judy Doenias and Diane Rode Schneck have taught hundreds of students at The City Quilter's Dear Jane classroom.  We showed Judy and Diane's Technicolor Jane, along with the Empire Quilters' Broadway Jane raffle quilt, in Crazy About Jane. Also check out Kitschen Jane by Amy Ronis, and Purple Jane by Debra Levin, which were in the City Quilters' 2009 special exhibition, and Dear Jane Goes to Japan, by Leila Lieberman, at the Urban Inspirations 2007 show. At the Empire Quilters site you can see two completed 225-block DJ's by twin sisters, Barbara Feinstein and Emily Klainberg. Here are two more innovative quilts by guild members:

Janeway, 51 x 66, by Pamela Leonard Wexler, at the Empire Quilters 2009 show

This is Pamela Leonard Wexler's second Dear Jane-inspired quilt.  The center of the quilt was adapted from Mabeth Oxenrider*. Also see Pamela's delightful Jane Plays with Dolls and Jane and Hannah on the Savannah.  You can read about Pamela Leonard Wexler on the November 2004 Quilter-of-the-Month page.

Blue Sky and Sunshine, 62 x 69, by Anna Krassy, at Empire Quilters 2009 show

This striking quilt won a 2nd Prize ribbon at the 2009 Urban Inspirations Show. Anna writes that she took the "Awash With Color" and "Dear Jane" classes at The City Quilter, and combined the two into one quilt.  See more quilts by Anna Krassy on the April 2006 Quilter-of-the-Month page. 

Nearly Insane, by Liz Lois, at Nearly Insane.com

Some years ago, Liz Lois purchased an out-of-print book at a garage sale. The book had a picture of an 1870's sampler quilt made by Salinda W. Rupp from Pennsylvania.  Working only with the picture from the book, she reconstructed the blocks and pieced them into a faithful reproduction of the quilt. As Liz says: "Not only is this the title of the book, but it also describes how I felt after my three year journey to recreate the quilt, and "Nearly Insane" is what I called my quilt, too, when it was finally finished."  We love the warm color scheme, the dazzling blocks, and the little on-point squares that connect the blocks. Read all about Liz' masterpiece, and the book, at the Nearly Insane website (or is that the website for the nearly insane?)

Nearly Insane, by Hanne Schneider, at Hanne's Quilt Corner

Hanne Schneider inspires us with her creations from Norway, and her rendition of "Nearly Insane" is one of our favorites. The pretty red-and-white colorway gives the whole quilt a crisp look; the blocks really stand out from the snowy white background as a result of the value contrast.  Many of the blocks are incredibly detailed, as you can see from the NI block photos shown below. 

The block on the right is the one with 229 pieces; just look at the perfect piecing of the teensy triangles. At Hanne's Quilt Corner, you can also see her delightful Dear Jane Christmas Quilt .

Nearly Insane, block 75, by Pipers Girls

This complicated NI block has 181 pieces. We love Pipers Girls' dynamic fabric selections, and they always inspire us with their quilts. To read about this quilt and view more impressive blocks, see this Pipers Girls blog post and Flickr links within. Also check out Pipers Quilts and their great Etsy shop.

Just Plain Nuts, 68 x 68, by Liz Lois

For her second book, Just Plain Nuts, Liz designed 49 colorful blocks in the style of Salinda Rupp, and set them together in a new way. This quilt has about half as many blocks as the Salinda quilt, making it only half as insane ! The Just Plain Nuts book can be obtained from many of the sources listed on Nearly Insane, and online from Piecing the Past and Quilted Treasures.

More Nearly Insane quilters:  Nanayane at Nearly Insane in the Brain  has fondly named each of the NI blocks; we are partial to "catatonia" (block 21) and "delirium" (block 18). Also see the Nearly Insane Fans and Nearly Insane Quilts blogs, and a dozen finished NI quilts by the "Salinda Girls" at the Kilmore Quilters' Gallery (Australia).  Don't miss the incredible photos by Reiko at Reiko Quilt (Japan). And last but not least:  a Nearly Insane quilt, named Bewitched, Bothered and Bewindered, won First Place in the "Pieced, Amateur" category at the 19th annual IHQS show.  This raises two questions: if you complete a Nearly Insane quilt, can you still qualify as an amateur? And, what is the meaning of "bewindered" ?

Quilts we have been closely following, in the spirit of insanity :  Here are some magnificent baby Jane quilts in various stages of completion:

• Karen's "Insanity Revisited" (her 2nd DJ) at Karen's Quilting (U.S.)
• Pip's "Kind of Blue" beauty at Rest is not Idleness (Australia) 
• Doreen's "Kindred Sister's Journey" at Aunt Reen's Quilt (U.S.)
• Paula's Dear Jane at, of course, Paula's Dear Jane (Luxembourg)
• Rita's lavender-and-mauve beauty at Grand Mere's Jardin de Fleur (U.S.)
• Giulia's Dear Baby Jane at Dear Baby Jane Italia (Italia)
• Robin's "Jane Stickle Quilt", in green,  at Crafty Musings (U.S.)
• Lene's rainbow Jane at Lene's Lines (Norway)
• Nicolette's Dear Baby Jane at Dutch Comfort (Netherlands)
• Anina's design and tutorials at That Quilt (U.S.)
• We'll bet you haven't seen the six DJ's by Brigitte, Anne Marie, Jeannette, Betty, Annie, and Sylvie at Chant-du-Coq (France) (they'll knock your socks off !)

Image credits: Quilt images are shown with the generous permission of the artists and the Empire Quilters Guild. Dear Jane® is the registered trademark of Brenda Papadakis and is used with permission.
Footnote:  *See "Trail Mix" by Mabeth Oxenreider at American Patchwork and Quilting.