Pat Sloan How to Figure it all out

I am taking this UFO Busting very seriously.  I have some VERY OLD PROJECTS that I just can not part with... and really do not want to finish.

Sometimes we don't want to finish a project because

• it's too large (yes)
• not our style anymore (yes)
• not the type of quilting we like to do any more (yes yes yes)

So what do you do when you love the romance of the project, but not the project?

In my case the romance of my Dear Jane quilt is STRONG!

I started this journey by giving my Mother-in-law and myself a 2 day weekend class with the author, Brenda Papadakis in Gettysburg.. Gettysburg!!

Little did I know that I my romance would flurish

I AM an official card carrying Dear Jane member.

I have a CHART on my website ...which was published in the EQ add on for Dear Jane AND in a Japanese magazine.

I took my book apart, punched holes in all the pages, and filled it with sheets to carry my blocks. I have plans for this.. BIG plans!

I swapped blocks near and wide.

This one is from a very good friend.. thank you Debbie!!

I went to more than ONE camp...

and even have a few of the fancy triangles.

In the back of my book is a magazine with a wonderful Dear Jane Article.

To you see that quilt in the top left?  Who knew 14 years later I'd interview the ladies who made that quilt!  American Patchwork & quilting's October 2011 issue has a great article about quilt teachers Diane Rode Schneck and Judy Doenias. They have this TINY little obsession with the Jane Stickle quilt. I have meet them AND interviewed them on Sept 13, 2011 for my radio show, they are SUCH FUN!

CLICK HERE .. scroll down on the page to the player, then scroll through until you get to Sept 13 and listen in you will LOVE this interview!

So what do I do with so many memories wrapped into blocks I really don't care to finish?

I don't work in these colors anymore, and do not want to continue with the quilt for many reasons.  But I want to use the blocks.

I have a plan. A plan to make a quilt in these colors with an Alphabet. As I've ALWAYS wanted an Alphabet quilt! SEE my WORD post HERE to understand why.

Later this month I'll show you what I'm going to do, and you can follow along with someone thing of yours. But first I have to finish up a project on my design wall..

Buy your own copy of Dear Jane and start the journey (remember the book only had line drawings, no size directions... that is why many like to buy the EQ version)

Or the EQ Version... let me know if you do!

And so you don't think I TOTALLY forgot... as maybe I forgot a LITTLE bit...

The Winner of my Hexie Prize package, who answered the question "Which UFO do you MOST want to finish".... is Sandy A in St. Louis who said

"You are right, that is SQUEAL worthy! (Hey, I think I might have even heard you all the way here. :))
I am working on the one UFO that I want to finish the most-MY quilt! It is a BOM that I started in 2005, got frustrated with the August block, sat it aside (ok, hid it!) until 2009 when I got the whole top together. Started hand quilting in 2010 and have just 4 more blocks and the border to quilt. Hope to get it done before spring because I hand quilt using a hoop and it is too hot to do in the summer!"

Comments

[Nina-Marie]

I vote that you give them to Roberta to finish - grin!!

[Marnel Groebner]

In regards to UFOs, my quilt group traded UFOs at our Christmas brunch. It was so much fun!

[Pat Sloan]

Carol I don't think a Dear Jane is EVER out of style! Plus it is beautiful in any fabrics you select.. it's an amazing adventure.. a ROMANCE!

[Carol Y]

I just got the Dear Jane book and EQ version for Christmas. I know I'm way behind the popularity wave (and I need a new project like I need...), but I've already gone out and bought some fabric. No planning, just prints that I liked - I want it very scrappy. Wish me luck! I have no idea about my layout yet.

[Dixie]

I have a friend who I inspired & she FINISHED her dear jane quilt, and she's still my friend LOL Mine is also going to be repurposed. I have about 30 blocks & I'll alternate them with my crumb blocks to make my Dear Jane meets Elizabeth Ann quilt, when her turn comes up.LOL In the meantime,I have a few other UFO's to do.

[Beth]

Great idea Pat...to repurpose the blocks you already have. I love alphabet quilts and have made some, but always for a new baby.
I need to see if I can do that with any of my UFOs, cause you know I get attached and can not just get rid of projects. ;)

[Mary Ann]

I have several UFOs packaged in this way Pat but thankfully no Dear Jane! That's not to say I don't have the book but I was involved in a couple of other detailed appliqué quilts about the time of the fist DJ craze so I held off and never started. But as I said, yep those quilts are nicely stored in big ringed notebooks with a few and or even most of the blocks languishing .

[Pam Scoville]

I have a couple of friends with the same dilemma regarding the Dear Jane quilt. Since neither of them was too far along I suggested that they change the colors of the quilt and work in the blocks that they already had made or make a child or baby quilt from what they had already completed. Needless to say, I still have not heard if their quilts have been completed. :)

I looked at this pattern years ago but decided against it since I like brighter projects.

[Linda P]

Can't wait to see how you pull off this finish.... poor Jane has been a closet case for too long! lol!! Combining with an alaphabet? I love alphabets, I don't count them as word quilts - duh!!! Why not... I don't know! I also like that you gave yourself permission to pull your book apart!!! I want to spiral some of mine, but I also like to see the name on the shelf while I'm hunting for things.

[kris]

I don't have a Dear Jane quilt either but I was given all sorts of blocks, some trial blocks that my mother and grandmother made at one time. The fabrics are all kinds that were available to them, some might be from old clothes etc. I can't get rid of them but I saw a technique where you do some improvisational piecing and add in cuts from old blocks. I am hoping this will inspire me to do it.

[Sharon Louise]

I don't have a Dear Jane quilt but I have one that you quilt your blocks and then put them together. I have it half finished and I need to make more blocks so I can finish it. Just too many UFOS .

[Karen]

I have made two of the Dear Jane quilts, One is completely finished the other is waiting to be quilted - both completely done by hand. Hope you get around to finishing yours.

[Lynette]

Hehe :) Jane is such a huge project that it's easy to get an entirely different quilting style by the time you're halfway through. I've seen a great number of smaller Jane adaptations - some very clever! - that I suspect happened because of this phenomenon. Yours sounds intriguing!

[Laura White]

I saw a completed Dear Jane quilt when I went to the longarmer this week. It was done in bright batiks and was spectacular.

Maybe a bunch of quilters with UFO Janes could put them together and make a charity raffle quilt. Just an idea. It might make a lot of money.

[Sherry Wollard]

My Dear Jane is tucked away too, completely forgot about it, wonder where it is located. But now I have to add it to my ever going list of UFO's..I have found they are EVERYWHERE!! Thanks for the inspiration Pat.

[Shirley in Canada]

So would do the Dear Jane. Does the EQ version come with time? Something I lack for even myself these days. Wonderful idea to finish! I could have machine embroidered an alphabet for you to be done sooner!!
;-)

[donna russ]

That is something I have always wanted to do, I have electric quilt, I just need the Baby Jane version, and I will also like to buy the book as soon as I can get some extra money to buy them...someday soon I hope,,,,,