HQAL: Jane’s Quilt Update

It’s our three week check in and I am so excited to share the news that I have actually finished hand quilting Jane’s Quilt. It took me 1 year and 4 months to complete.

I have absolutely no place really to stretch her out to get a good picture. Even on the bed the room is not large enough to get far enough back to get the whole thing. I’ll share a picture of the back when I complete her. I now need to trim the excess batting and start on the border/binding. I’ll be using the backing to do that.

I am just giddy with love and happiness that this top was gifted to me. You all pretty much know the story and sentiment behind this quilt. For those new to the blog or might not remember, the top was gifted to me by the granddaughter of Jane, the daughter of my closest friend Jeanine. Both of them have passed but the blessing of their memories live within me. This quilt will be an heirloom treasure passed to my daughter who knew and was adored by her. I have another quilt that Jane herself had done and completed that she had given me some possibly 40 years ago and I will be passing that one on to another daughter who knew and has treasured memories of the family.

As I continue to work on Jane’s quilt I will add another smaller project I am working on which I have already started. I will catch you up on our next posting. Have a great 3 weeks and look forward to checking in with you then. If your not in this HQAL please take some time and take a peak at the others – there are some wonderful hand quilting projects in the works.

This Hand Quilt Along is an opportunity for hand quilters and piecers to share and motivate one another. We post every three weeks, to show our progress and encourage one another.  If you have a hand quilting project and would like to join our group contact Kathy at the link below.

Kathy, Margaret, Deb, Nanette, Sharon, Karrin, Daisy, and Connie

HQAL: Jane’s Quilt Update

I believe it is time for our 3 week HQAL update. I have not seen or remember seeing or made note of seeing a reminder nor have I seen any other postings as of this posting from others in our group so I am going out on a wing and a prayer believing it is today. If I am wrong and its not today – thats ok too!

February 6, 2022 was my first posting on Jane’s Quilt. I have been working on her for 13th months now. A big thank you to all of you in the HQAL for all the encouragement through out this process. It truly is a game changer for keeping one on course and with an added bonus of friendships made built and bound with fabric and thread.

Jane is a king size beauty and at our last posting I was lamenting how I was so far from a finish still. My stitching was average these past three weeks, no push, no over achieving. I have been checking and rechecking and I am shocked to report – I am close to finish after all. The picture below shows what I have left to stitch. I have this strip of light colored and the few corner colored blocks left. Can this truly be happening?

Of course there will be the binding. Shocked and elated over here in Bellingham, WA.

Hopefully I will have a finish but I am not promising as I have an upcoming trip to N.C. on the 13th to be present and welcome my great grandson, Waylon, into the world.

Thank you for stopping by 🙂

Hand Quilt Along Links

This Hand Quilt Along is an opportunity for hand quilters and piecers to share and motivate one another. We post every three weeks, to show our progress and encourage one another.  If you have a hand quilting project and would like to join our group contact Kathy at the link below.

Kathy, Margaret, Deb, Nanette, Sharon, Karrin, Daisy, and  Cathie 

HQAL: Update on Jane’s Quilt

I am calling this posting the triple three’s. Not only can I not believe were we are in the year 2023, it’s hard to believe we are in the third month of the year and three weeks have gone by.

So here I am with another update on my hand quilting project. At our last posting I had shown you another project I had been working on so that I could finish it.

I am back to Jane’s Quilt and have continued to make steady progress on her. I have moved the hoop a good two times and third smidge move over and I used her to cuddle up with on a few cold days. She is so warm and toasty.

Pic 1 – not even close to a full view … I am working my way around the outside of the middle medallion and just when I think I am getting closer to the finish line, I am shocked to realize I am nowhere near a finish. More importantly I am enjoying the process. Working on this brings me closer to her quilt top maker, Jane and Jane’s daughter Jeanine, both have passed on and are deeply missed.

Reading through this before posting I was thinking – is this like a memorial quilt? No, I am thinking of this as a living treasure and a testament to friendship and life eternal. Jeanine, her husband and family were one of our closest friends and I thought I would just share a very quick story on how we met if you don’t mind. Jeanine and her husband Don owned the Christian Book Store in our once small town of Yucca Valley, CA. Her only employee was a mutual friend named Vicky. She was battling cancer and needed to go home but could not get in touch with Jeanine (out of town, no cell phones in the 70’s) Not knowing if she should close the store, she called me and asked me to come in till Jeanine got back. Of course Jeanine was shocked to find me there, returning back that day. Thank you ‘s all around but even more surprised to see I sold a couple of items that had been in the shop for a long time (years) which she had given up trying to sell. This led to her asking me to work part time – just a little here and there – which led to a beautiful long lived, amazing, family friendship. ( and just a thought now looking back – it was not about selling the items ~ sometimes we lose site of the beauty or uniqueness of something and I imagine after hanging on the wall for so long she had lost seeing the beauty in the items since no-one bought it/them. I remember they were wall pictures. For me, I had never been in the shop before, they were new to me and beautiful so they were easy to recommend and sell ~ when you lose the luster for something or someone try looking through new eyes)

Now I am off to check in with the others in this HQAL, please join me, there are some gorgeous projects in the works.

Hand Quilt Along Links

This Hand Quilt Along is an opportunity for hand quilters and piecers to share and motivate one another. We post every three weeks, to show our progress and encourage one another.  If you have a hand quilting project and would like to join our group contact Kathy at the link below.

Kathy, Margaret, Deb, Nanette, Sharon, Karrin, Daisy, and Connie

HQAL: Jane’s Quilt Update

Hi everyone ~ living life in three week increments 🙂 and getting stuff done. Time once again for an update on Jane’s quilt and I am afraid that this week I am reporting not one additional stitch. Jane has taken a back seat to the baby quilt I have been working on along with her. Baby due date is quickly approaching – April 8th – and if these past three weeks is any indication of how fast time went, April 8th will be here in a blink. I need to get this one in the mail.

You may remember my last posting on baby Waylons quilt, it looked like this below. I had finished piecing the top and sandwiching the front and back together, then began quilting it. This posting was on January 8th.

This week I finished quilting her. I’am stilling toying with the idea of adding a few mini

heart outlines in the sashing squares .

I made my own seam binding using the backing material. While I love the slim accent on

the front, I am wondering now if a solid complimentary color would of helped add

a bit of a pop, for the backing especially.

The beginning of a label is in the works with a few ideas still swimming in my head,

like a solid background material to mount this label on before attaching.

That’s it for now, time to check in with the others in this HQAL and then get back to work on this quilt. Our forecast is for some snow in the next week so I am feeling confident I will be able to get some quality quilting time in on Jane.

Hand Quilt Along Links

This Hand Quilt Along is an opportunity for hand quilters and piecers to share and motivate one another. We post every three weeks, to show our progress and encourage one another.  If you have a hand quilting project and would like to join our group contact Kathy at the link below.

Kathy, Margaret, Deb, Nanette, Sharon, Karrin, Daisy, Connie, and  Cathie 

HQAL: Jane’s Quilt Update

Monday morning and I opened my computer to the heading above and the HQAL links below and realized I never wrote my post. I was feeling off all day. I had a bad back ache and bit of upset tummy, canceled a sister and brother in law visit, got out a blanket and heating pad and relaxed. (I am feeling 100% today) And then there was Netflix. we had started the show ‘Trailors’ a reality show, the day before. ok ~ I have never and I mean never watched one of those type of shows before but this one hooked us in and yes we binged watched and finished the entire season 1 – forgive me please 🙂

So on to my beautiful Jane’s Quilt. I didn’t get much done but made progress with 6 logs completed this time. She is massive and a beauty. (original picture not quilted yet)

I have been hand quilting though, working on a baby quilt that I need to get done. She has taken up much of my hand quilting time. My first plan was to outline all the pictures in the blocks, which is what I have been doing. With one last block to work on I am trying to decide if that was enough or I should have or should I do more. Perhaps a pattern in the sashing. Thoughts and ideas 🙂

That’s it for me this time, I am off now to catch up on the others. A wonderful coming three weeks to you all

Hand Quilt Along Links

This Hand Quilt Along is an opportunity for hand quilters and piecers to share and motivate one another. We post every three weeks, to show our progress and encourage one another.  If you have a hand quilting project and would like to join our group contact Kathy at the link below.

Kathy, Margaret, Deb, Nanette, Sharon, Karrin, Daisy, Connie, and  Cathie 

HQAL: Jane’s Quilt Update

Happy January and the start to another great year of hand quilting. I am continuing work on Jane’s quilt. I am now 1 year in working on her. She is kept front and center in the living room on the couch doing double duty; reminding me to work on her when I am just vegging watching tv and keeping me cozy warm.

At our last posting I showed you this picture, there’s not much visual excitement.

But I have made some real head way these last three weeks, having completed 25 logs (if I’ve counted right) of the this log cabin beauty.

I have also started another quilting project. Another baby quilt for my granddaughter who is expecting her first child in April. It is a baby boy! The nursery theme is desert/western. I wasn’t having much luck finding anything at our local fabric stores. I was looking for something cactus, roadrunner etc. My daughter found a great online fabric store (not just fabric) called Spoonflower. The selections for this theme was mind boggling. I have already begun and am making good progress. The front is cute with all kinds of dinosaurs pulling wagons and cowboys on bucking dino’s and the back fabric has cute snakes in cowboy gear. Now I must admit, I have a deep seated aversion to snakes but these are cute and since I wasn’t the one solely picking the fabrics I had to cave and endure my long standing fear.

Here’s a little peek into the nursery. My daughter free hand drew and painted this desert theme for the crib background

Before I close till next check in I wanted to say a big welcome back to Connie 🙂 Below are the links for checking on the others in this group.

Hand Quilt Along Links

This Hand Quilt Along is an opportunity for hand quilters and piecers to share and motivate one another. We post every three weeks, to show our progress and encourage one another.  If you have a hand quilting project and would like to join our group contact Kathy at the link below.

Kathy, Margaret, Deb, Nanette, Sharon, Karrin, Daisy, Connie, and  Cathie 

HQAL: Jane’s Quilt Update and another finish

Our last posting for the 2022 year, and I wanted to say thank you to Kathy for hostessing this quilt along.

I have been working on Jane’s Quilt since January 16, 2022. It’s coming up on a year and I feel like 2023 will see her finished possibly. Hand quilting takes time, good lighting and heart. Heart because there is so much love put into this art. When I am quilting, I sometimes find myself drifting into thought and then I realize I have stalled and have just been sitting with nothing getting done. It’s easy to do that with Jane’s quilt as it was a gifted heirloom quit top filled with so many personal memories. It’s easier to machine quilt and often I think how much quicker it would be to create a machine quilted beauty. Don’t think I haven’t thought that with this 🙂 she is massive and time consuming, thick and heavy and not lending to summer quilting in the heat. Here she is and you can see that the pattern repeats on the back side slung over the fence.

I have been working on the dark colored logs these last 3 weeks and gotten 12 done moving the hoop 1x.

Another hand quilted project I have been working on was a baby quilt for our nephew who is having a boy. You may remember this quilt.

It is finished, gift wrapped and ready for pick up, actually today 🙂

I am wishing you a magical holiday season filled with lots of love and laughter. Wishing you good health and happiness in the year to come.

The HQAL is an opportunity for hand quilters to share and motivate each other. The talented quilters below post every three weeks to show our progress and encourage one another. Stop by their sites to see what they are working on. If you have a hand project and would like to join our group contact Kathy at the link below.

Kathy, Margaret, Deb, Nanette, Sharon, Karrin, Daisy, and Cathie

HQAL: Jane’s Quilt Update

Three weeks and here we are again, and I am ready to post with an update on Jane’s Quilt. There is never really much to show in the way of progress, that is nothing changes with the pattern and it looks quite the same each time. The photo below is from last time. I started working on the dark blocks. Finished them and have moved the hoop 2 times now.

As you may remember this was a gifted quilt top pieced by Jane Rogers and given to me by her granddaughter Raeleen, Jane was the mother of one of my dearest and closest friends, Jeanine. Both Jane and Jeanine have passed on now but through this gift, my relationship with Realeen, I feel like they are both still with me. Going through some of her mother’s things recently, Raeleen came across something of Janes and sent it off to me. I thought it would be fun to highlight it in this posting. It is a mailing from a quilt guild that Jane belonged to.

The mailing is from 1984. This was a guild she had belonged too prior to moving to her/our home town to be near her daughter. We are like a guild, a group of hand quilters keeping this art alive and if there had been no internet invented, we just might be mailing out a monthly flyer to our members with news and updates and cute pattern ideas to fit the season.

As we honor and uphold this craft of old, let us remember and honor those who have come and gone, who taught us and inspired and sparked our flame to hand quilt. Jane Rogers was one of those woman. I have shared this photo before but here she is again. Perfect timing with the Christmas season upon us. I remember exactly where we were and why. It was a luncheon in honor of Jane. Jane is opening a Christmas birthday card. She had a Dec. 27th birthday.

There are some beautiful projects in works and I am off to check in with the others.

You can join me by clicking on the links below 🙂

This Hand Quilt Along is an opportunity for hand quilters and piecers to share and motivate one another. We post every three weeks, to show our progress and encourage one another. If you have a hand quilting project and would like to join our group contact Kathy at the link below. Enjoy visiting the other members of our group!

Kathy, Margaret, Deb, Nanette, Sharon, Karrin, Daisy, and Cathie

HQAL: Jane’s Quilt Update

The rain has been consistent and happily has kept me indoors crafting. It’s been another three weeks and time to update you on the hand quilting project I have been working on. I haven’t made as much progress as I would have liked but I am happy as I continue to get closer to a finish.

Just one picture of my progress this time. I completed the dark color cabin logs of this corner, which completes a bottom section all along the bottom or top, either way you look at it. You might notice the bottom and side log are not stitched and that is because I am not stitching all along the borders as there will be a binding that will cover them. I have moved the hoop to the next dark section and once that is done a complete half of the quilt will be finished. Actually I will be about 3/4 completed 🙂

I have been alternating with a baby quilt I am also hand quilting. Just a quick reminder of what it looks like.

Is anyone else feeling the crunch to get some Christmas gifts completed ? I can hardly believe we’re in November. I finished another hand quilted quilt that I haven’t shown as it is a Christmas gift. I have it wrapped and ready for mailing out for December 1st. I don’t want to ruin the surprise so I will show it in another update once it has arrived.

Also occupying my time and these rainy days are a few more junk journal pocket Christmas cards.

This card is so much fun ~ pic 1 has a vintage pin with monogrammed dangle attached onto the bottom ruffle. This has 2 pockets with journaling cards in them. Pic 2 the sweet framed golden song birds is the top tuck spot that holds the church card. There is gold glitter on the frame. Pic 3 is the back and these cards are attached with tiny clips. All of the printables are from RubyandPearlxo who you can find on youtube and she also has an Etsy shop.

This one is a favorite. Madonna themed and simple, the rose pocket holds 2 journaling cards and a vintage postcard. The rose pocket wraps around to the back framing in the rest of the printable. I should add the papers, also from RubyandPearlxo, are glued to a piece of sturdy card stock.

Now I am off to check in with the others and then get in some quality quilting time. Be well and see you all at the next check in.

This Hand Quilt Along is an opportunity for hand quilters and piecers to share and motivate one another. We post every three weeks, to show our progress and encourage one another. If you have a hand quilting project and would like to join our group contact Kathy at the link below. Enjoy visiting the other members of our group! 

Kathy, Margaret, Deb, Nanette, Sharon, Karrin, Daisy, and Cathie

SAL: Snowman and Reindeer Update

Here is where I was with my Snowman & Reindeer X stitch last time we checked in. I was feeling fairly confident I could finish this for the holiday season. Now? Hmmm, just not sure with everything else I am working on.

I had quite a bit of encouragement to add the extra bird from the original pattern. I had been debating if I should. I took everyones advice and did. There he is on the top branch. I am continuing to fill in the background, I still need to add all the backstitching and there is still the snowman I am hoping to tweak a bit. Here is where I am now

Now and before picture

Below are the links to the others in this SAL and now I am off to check in on their projects.

Wishing you well and lots of laughter

Avis, Claire, Gun, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, 

Heidi, Jackie, Sunny, Megan, Deborah, Sharon, Daisy, 

AJ, Cathie, Linda, Helen, Connie, Cindy, MaryMargaret

What have been working on that takes away from my X stitching ~ hand quilting a kings size log cabin quilt top gifted to me, a baby quilt for a nephew, and crafting some Christmas junk journals for gifting.