Dear Jane Challenge

A few days ago.....I hit another great milestone!  The top triangle border is all quilted including 2 blocks in on the top edge too.  I have done that on all four side now.  Another happy dance happening!!!  I did it that way so that a big chunk of the blocks would be done when I moved to the center of the quilt.  I had already done quite a few of them popcorn style all over the top.....so I am down to 70 blocks left.  So exciting, the end is in view!!!

Well that's cute....got my foot too!

Today in the Civil War is the anniversary of the Second Battle of Ream's Station.  We have not been able to visit the Petersburg area....looks like we could spend quite a bit of time there. If you click on the link to the Ream's Station virtual tour part way down the page, it gives you a sense of the characters involved and the stories behind them.  As in many of the battles, it was about control of railroad lines and supply chains.

I am going to suggest 2 blocks for you to work on, since I didn't get to blogging last week.....sorry!

E-5 Rising Sun

G-5 Poof

I inked around 20 some names of our family that served in the civil war.  This name is starred so Henry is one of my husband's direct ancestors.......a great-grandfather.  Many of the names are cousin's, so I just chose to mark them, so I could easily tell between the many names.  This might be something you might consider.  It really does look beautiful and adds a wonderful layer of meaning  to your "Jane."

Summer Visits & Some Quilting Too!

We have been enjoying a couple visits from our kiddos and grands in the last week.  #2 daughter surprised us with a camping visit in a local park last week for several days.....she wanted to camp some more and hubby had to go back to work.....darn that work thing any way!  So she packed up the kids and pulled the camper over this direction for some cousin time! So lots of visiting going on and it was good to have them here before school starts for those kids later this week.

Then this last weekend #3 daughter and family came to our "cabin" for an overnight on Fri/Sat.  We happened to be gone on Friday for part of the day...... a loop through Cedar Rapids and Coralville.

"America Needs Farmers" Herky......all covered in seeds.  Sorry I didn't take a close-up, it was cool,  Coral Ridge Mall, Coralville.

So we were surprised when we got home that evening.  Enjoyed sitting out by the fire and had some toasted marshmallows....yum!   Stayed out there until it was late....beautiful evening and no bugs, at least by the fire.....or I would not have sat out there.  I am a fair weather kinda girl.....

On Saturday, this little sweetie turned 7......they are growing up too fast and I am not happy about that!

I have a chalk board outside our back door and I think a birthday girl erased my message and made her own....so cute!

In between the coming and going, have been sewing on a couple projects.  I have spent my entire summer trying to clear off my cutting table and it is still not cleared off, but I have worked on quite a few projects that are in process.

Dear Jane continues always in the background....I try and do some quilting on it every day.  The top border is coming along nicely and should be completed soon.  The challenge for those that are working on this project for this week is block B-5 Hot Cross Buns.

I happen to quilt this block just this morning and a really big event happened.....I mean really BIG, HUGE.....almost drum roll worthy.  Humor me, just click on it....because you can!  I finished this spool of hand quilting thread and not all of it is in Jane, but most of it is.  I have had this spool for a long time, the price is $2.75 and there were 750 yards on it.....they don't make them that big any more.  That is a lot of hand quilting.