The following is the story of Jane's quilt as posted by the Bennington Museum in Bennington, Vermont..."This unusually large sampler quilt has a unique pieced and scalloped border, and is made up of 169 five-inch blocks containing a total of 5,602 pieces. Within this complex quilt, no fabric or pattern is used for more than one block. The patterns are a combination of original and traditional designs. The quilt is backed by a cream fabric.
Jane A. Blakley was born in Shaftsbury, Vermont, on April 8, 1817 to Sarah Rein (1776-1864) and Erastus Blakley (1786-1831). By 1850, she was married to Walter A. Stickle. Through the couple never had children, school district records note that they had assumed responsibility for three children. The 1860 census lists Jane as living by herself, while her husband Walter is listed as living with his brother-in-law. This arrangement was most likely work related, since the 1870 census shows Jane and Walter living together on their farm. The couple lost their farm after declaring bankruptcy in 1877 and lived as boarders. Walter died on February 19, 1883, and Jane died on March 2, 1896 at the age of seventy-nine. Jane is buried in the Shaftsbury cemetery on Route 7a."
Oh my goodness! Does that actually say 169 five-inch blocks containing a total of 5,602 pieces? What in the world have I gotten myself into???
Tonight is the first meeting of our guild's Dear Jane group. We will be doing a show and tell of the blocks that we have finished, sharing DJ tips and hints and working on our blocks together. I am really looking forward to seeing what everyone has accomplished so far and getting started on the first of 169 blocks for my quilt. I must be crazy!
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