Dear Jane - Counting Down

Yesterday I finished making block 155 (out of 169 blocks) for the center of my Dear Jane® quilt. I'm at the point where every time I check one off the list I become slightly giddy. Sure, it's taken me awhile to get here (started in 2010) but I'm taking it slow and working on it whenever I'm able to. And, as you can see, they sure do add up over time.

That indigo one took me forever. Not my favorite block. I kept getting frustrated, ripped out stitches, put it down a few times, picked it up again a day or two later. 

Now I have only 14 blocks left to go to complete the center of the quilt. I'm amazed at and excited about this and motivated to keep going. My goal is to finish those by the end of this year. And then tackle the triangles surrounding the center next year. I'm taking my time and not pressuring myself but, nonetheless, it's good to have goals. We'll see if I achieve this latest one. Finding the time is often difficult. I think about retiring just so I can spend all day, every day, working on my blocks . . . .

My piecing and applique skills have improved a bit since I began in 2010 and there were a few early wonky blocks that made me cringe every time I looked at them. So I remade three of them last month. My blocks are far from perfect but I knew if I didn't do that they would always bother me.

For years, I enjoyed looking at all the wonderful Dear Jane® quilts others had made and always thought: never in a million years would I be able to finish one of those. Well, guess what? I took the leap and I'm on my way. If you're thinking about beginning Jane's quilt or stalled on one you've already started, take heart - make small goals and keep going. If I can do it, so can you. Don't beat yourself up if and when you need to stop. Continue on with the journey and who knows, maybe you'll begin to love it and become motivated to finish. Better late than never.

If you're hesitant to begin, the Dear Jane software by Electric Quilt has been a great help to many of us. The software includes the patterns you can print out and tips on making the blocks. I know I would not have been able to get this far without it.