In War Time 1863 by Jane A. Stickle

I have been collecting fabric for this quilt since May 2008 when I purchased my first Civil War reproduction fabrics at Keepsake Quilting in beautiful New Hampshire, USA. I drove to Bennington, Vermont hoping to see Jane's quilt but found it shown for just two weeks a year in September. At the Craft Fair in Melbourne last week I purchased a Dear Jane bag which shows her quilt in all its glory. And I have been planning to begin the quilt all year, after all it is its 150th anniversary this year. I even attended a Dear Jane Quilt Exhibition at Boxhill Town Hall earlier this year where I was amazed and inspired by the very different versions on display. I have spent the intervening months debating what I would do. While part of me wants to honour Jane by doing as she did - making the 169 blocks and 52 triangle blocks in different fabrics and by hand sewing and appliqué, the rest of me knows I would never finish the quilt if I did this. I have chosen to do a blue and sandstone quilt in Civil War reproduction fabrics and will most likely pick and choose which of the blocks are possible by machine sewing. I have some gorgeous blue Civil War border fabrics which would be a great shame not to use. I will go with the 4.5 inch blocks, a truly scary prospect and will see how many blocks I can manage by New Year's Eve. I already have the name for my Dear Jane quilt - In War Time 2013 a Quilt honouring Jane A. Stickle's In War Time 1863 - for 150 years after Jane's quilt was sewn, we too remain at war in Afghanistan. So follow me on my quilting journey...