Finding at least one Dear Jane quilt at any given quilt show seems to be a sure thing and it always makes me smile when I encounter one. I'm not sure if it's proof of the enduring appeal of piecing and appliquéing the 225 patterns from the 1863 Jane Stickle quilt–which you know appeals to a sampler-lover like me–or the fact that as long as I keep seeing them, this quilt has not gone out of fashion and there is still time for me to make one of my own without appearing too woefully out of step with the quilting community.
At Fiber Fiesta, I found two "Janes." First, Dear Jane Meet Aunt Grace, by Jan Lehman-Shaw.
This is an adaptation of the Jane Stickle quilt made from 1930's reproduction fabrics. It's hand appliquéd, machine pieced and hand-quilted. It was the third place quilt in the category for large traditional quilts.
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The other "Jane" at the show was in the large innovative quilts category. It is Dear Jane-San, made by Sue Mohr. This quilt is actually a tryptic of three quilts, side by side. At first glance, it seemed to be a Baby Jane made from Asian Fabrics in an interesting layout . . .
. . . but, as I started looking at the individual blocks, I realized that the appliqué blocks weren't Dear Jane blocks at all, but Japanese crests. This quilt won the award for Best Hand Appliqué. I agree, the appliqué is fabulous!
