Irish Share Jane Project

Can't remember where I heard about the Dear Jane quilt, probably in a quilting magazine, but I have the book by Brenda Papadakis two years. Bought it with the intention of making a version of the quilt, a long term hand sewing project! But things haven't worked out as planned.

So here's the original by Jane A. Sickle from 1863, 225 different blocks, the centre blocks only four and a half inches square.

Having made some blocks, it's kinda mind-blowing to imagine how this quilt was created so long ago. It's a stunning example of skill and craftsmanship.

Just look up http://www.dearjane.com to see what this quilt has inspired.

Anyhows back to my Dear Jane adventure! I was sitting in a hotel bar last September in Glasgow with some quilting friends, old and new, after speaking at the Scottish Gathering of the Guilds. Kim Caskey was telling us all about an exciting new project she is working on with Jeltje van Essen,a 

Share Jane collaboration to be shown in France this year at the European Patchwork Meeting in 

Alsace, September 12-19.

Cecile Flegg and myself got talking and we decided we should get and Irish Dear Jane quilt together for 

the exhibition!

I went back home after a marvellous few days in Scotland and got back to the daily grind. Time slipped 

by, I kept thinking about the idea but didn't get round to doing much else. Oh, I did order the Dear Jane software and was disgusted when it wouldn't work on my mac, but I bribed my son into letting me put it 

on his laptop which he doesn't really use anymore. Was even more annoyed when I couldn't find a full image of the original quilt on it, I had to manually insert all the blocks, imagine.

Finally on St. Stephen's day I got the chance to sit down and create a Facebook page 

"Irish Share Jane Quilts". 

I decided I would design three quits and get everyone who signed up to make three of each block . The same block but in different colour ways. 

This is the block I made for Jeltje and Kim's quilt and I found I got better as I made each one, so that's were the idea came from! Look up the Share Jane Facebook page for more information.

So I bought some fat quarters at the Limerick Quilt Centre sale and started planning. I wasn't at all prepared for the response, people signed up that first night, which made me do a little Homer Simpson squeal.

I printed some outline images of the quilt and coloured up my designs, they has worked themselves out in my head over the months. I then started printing out the patterns and blocks, very slow process.

I started a sign on document and added the names as people signed up.

Then I started cutting and pilling up the blocks.

Some of the fabrics shops and individuals donated and some of my own collection.

It's been such an exciting project so far and I feel like it's only begun, people have signed up from all over, what I envisaged as an Irish project has morphed naturally into an International one. 

Quilters are such wonderful people, the kindness and generosity is heartwarming. 

The messages from people are inspiring.

 It is a huge learning curve tackling such tiny blocks, but humbling when you think of the technology we have at our fingertips compared to back in 1863.

Here are some of the blocks that have been returned so far:

I'll post all the names of people involved once the quilts are assembled

I now have printed all the blocks and have all the fabrics cut. I'm posting out my second batch of triangular border blocks tomorrow and hope to get to make some more blocks myself this week. I had thought I would get round to starting the trimming and adding of sashings to the returned blocks last week but got tied up with some other work.

But I did get all the finished blocks sorted into the three separate folders:

Itching to start getting the rows together, but need to get the blocks all back first and get some more made myself. I'll blog again in a couple of weeks once the rows start coming together.