Cats, Dear Jane & Journal Covers

Last week we were at the beach for a wonderful break during the school holidays - as usual we took our little lovlies and they had a great time being on their harnesses. Merlin took to sitting on the post anytime we took him out. Jet was a bit more safety conscious - preferring to stay in and around the caravan annex - little chicken!




















Here are a couple of Journal covers that I have made - I beaded the one on the right during last week - I put some real freshwater pearls on it and think it looks great.


And here is another Dear Jane block- I have done more - just haven't got the pictures....still plugging along with it slowly.











Happy quilting for now - Jane

A Different Idea?

Okay so the cats are not the different idea - lol! But they are growing big and are still naughty but cute! this is Jet and Merlin aka Mouse and Rabbit this morning. Playing around in my clean washing!










And these are some hexies for a swap of sorts ... I made them last night so I am ready to go.
















And this is my little idea I had ... might not come to anything though. I wondered what it would look like - a Dear Jane block with one fabric reverse appliqued. My technique needs a bit more care but I quite like the look of it - this is block A1 -Pinwheels Gone Awry - what do you think?















And these are a couple more blocks that I have pieced ... I am nearly officially half way through my DJ quilt - yay!


Happy Quilting for now . Jane

A Big Post, Bags, Dear Jane and Diamonds

At the end of last month I went away on a 3 day Quilting Retreat with the Launceston Patchwork & Quilters group - what a fun time. I took along a little tutorial pattern from the Pink Penguin as I had been wanting to make the little thread end bag for awhile - I ended up making 13 of them and a lot of the ladies also made them - at the end of the retreat - everyone had a little bag - don't they look great! Obviously I am not in the photo as I am taking the photo - lol!





















And this lis my "little" hand piecing project - Stars and hexies made from diamonds. The pattern has 1.5inch hexagons as the background fabric but I decided to make the hexis from three diamonds of different cream background fabric - I am really liking it.




This is what it will look like together

























This is my little lunch box to go ... diamonds anyone!














And this is the "big" project box that holds all the finished stars, fabrics and diamonds waiting to be stitched ... also the pattern and other things for the project.














these are all of the coloured diamonds finished ready to be made into stars ... I am still basting the background diamonds so will alternate between making stars and making background diamonds. Looks pretty cool I think.















And drum roll.....I am back at Dear Jane ... I decided not to start any new projects as I have about six or so on the go - until I finish my Dear Jane quilt. My new numbers are 78 blocks, 21 triangles, 4 corners and a total of 2050 pieces to date. These are the two blocks and triangle that I did on the weekend ... I might, just might, get it finished by the end of the year - perhaps they might be the famous last words though.






























So happy quilting for now .... Cheers Jane

Island Quilts Winners!

I have been to the Hobart Island Quilts 2009 show yesterday and was very excited and happy to have so many wins! I don't have pictures yet as we were not permitted to take photos ... but will have some soon.





Two of my own quilts won a Highly Commended award each and my customers received a First, a First, a Second and a Highly commended also - wow!

Here they are:

First: Group Quilt - "Walkies" - by the "Quilt Inn Group" and custom quilted by Jane Monk
First: Non-Traditional Two Person - "Kimono Glory" by Marie Goodall and custom quilted by Jane Monk
Second: Non-Traditional Two Person - "Asian Glory" by Marie Goodall and custom quilted by Jane Monk
Highly Commended: Applique Quilts Two Person - "Funny Farm" by Moira Keating and custom quilted by Jane Monk
Highly Commended: Little Quilts - "A Scrappy End" made and custom quilted by Jane Monk
Highly Commended: Group Quilt - "Dear Jane Friendship Quilt" - pieced and custom quilted by Jane Monk - individual blocks made by members of the International On Line Group "Dear Jane" for The Great Swap in 2007.
What a wonderful thing to win in a quilt show full of beautiful quilts.
Cheers for now and happy quilting ... Jane

A Few More Dear Jane Blocks ... and a cat or two!

Okay ... it is official. We have new furbabies. British Shorthair pussy cats. They are from the same litter - so are brothers - one is blue and the other is lilac. The blue is called "Jet" and the lilac is called "Merlin"... I secretly call them mouse and rabbit - but don't tell anyone lol!

This is my son with a peacefully relaxed Merlin.

And here are some more of my Dear Jane blocks - these ones from last week.

I have done a few more than this ... but haven't taken photos of them. My DJ numbers are now at 74:20:04:1886 - so I have been moving along with them. Problem is ... too hot here to work ... but I have also been looking at the Dutch Treat book and purchased half a meter of two fabrics today - lovely dark blue, almost the Japanese dark blue colour. I might play with a block or two from this book.

Happy quilting until next time.....Jane

More Dear Jane Blocks & My Very First Quilt

These are four more of the Dear Jane blocks I have made this week. They will all need trimming down to 4.5 inches but I will do that when I add the sashing to them.

My Jane's Dear Jane numbers are now at - 70:16:04:1731

And this quilt is my very first quilt I made in 2002. A simple Irish Chain which I have hand quilted - I decided that I wouldn't add more quilting to it but leave it as I first did it. I still like it and it is not too embarassing.

Still going with a large custom quilt at the moment - I really did underestimate the time needed on this one - but it does look good if I do say so myself...

Happy quilting until next time....Jane

More Dear Jane Blocks

I have had a busy few days...customer quilting a large Custom Quilt with beautiful feathers ... hopefully when I am finished it I will be able to post a picture or two. I have also been making more Dear Jane blocks and made 6 today and a few during the week - including the Block of the Week and Triangle of the Week. . Don't you love the weekends!

My new numbers for my quilt are -

"Jane's Dear Jane" 66:16:04:1671

Happy Quilting ...Jane

Jane's Dear Jane Quilt - Triangles

In between everything else I have been up to, I have been making triangles this week...well you can't longarm at night can you? Most of these triangles have been paper pieced and I use the method where you fold the paper back - so you don't have to get paper out of the stitched lines - much much easier.

So Jane's Dear Jane Quilt Numbers are now 60:15:04:1493 and growing by the day!

Happy Quilting until next time...Jane

Dear Jane is on again & a bit more Double Delight

One of my New Year Resolutions was that I would finish my Dear Jane quilt this year - hopefully before September when our local Quilt Group - Launceston Patchwork Quilters - is having their exhibition (between 10th and 12th September). I would love to have it ready for exhibition then.

So here is this weeks TOW (Triangle of the Week) and BOW (Block of the Week). The block looks pretty horrible and I think I will go back and piece it properly next week sometime (instead of reverse applique).

My quilt is called "Jane's Dear Jane" and my numbers are now:

58 blocks, 10 triangles, 4 corner kites and a total of 1316 pieces - so about one third the way through.

And more of Bonnie Hunter's Double Delight Mystery Quilt - I have finished Part 4 - well done one block and then decided I needed to vacuume and tidy up my quilt studio ready for work tomorrow. Back to customer quilts tomorrow - yay!!

Here is my block - I do love it .... and below are all the little blocks waiting in line to get done - perhaps one or two every break from the quilting machine.... who knows I might have this part finished by the end of the week.

Happy Quilting for now.... Jane