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TUE-FRI: 10-6 | SAT: 10-5

The Dear Jane Quilt Series with Diane Rode Schneck (Virtual/Zoom)



Have you heard all the rage about Dear Jane? For seasoned and newbie quilters alike, the mention of "Dear Jane" elicits reactions ranging for joy to dismay. Why? The Dear Jane quilt is comprised of 225 patterns in the blocks! There are 169 square blocks and 52 pieced border triangles. 

The original quilt was made by Jane Stickle in 1863 without a corresponding pattern. Brenda Papadakis, the author of the Dear Jane books brought the quilt to life by drafting the blocks and publishing the book. With the recent 25th Anniversary of the book, "Janiacs," as we call Dear Jane fanatics came out the woodwork to share their love/hate of the project and new quilters were exposed to the meticulous pattern as well. The beauty of the quilt is not only in the blocks itself but the layout and the ability to play with print and color. 

Join Diane on the Dear Jane journey. She has taught this project for more than 20 years and is a true Janiac. Diane will make this an enjoyable and fun process! Each block requires a different technique and although many require hand sewing, Diane will share techniques to make everything approachable. This a great opportunity to learn new skills and share in community! Classes are themed by technique, so even if you've taken a Dear Jane class previously, this is an opportunity for a refresh and learn new techniques to complete your Dear Jane.

The Dear Jane journey continues with more advanced topics for sewing these challenging little blocks. The topics will include: 

  • Curved seams by hand or machine
  • Multilayered appliqué
  • Foundations with strip sets, and piecing complicated blocks
  • Border triangles and corner kites, and finally, sewing it all together 

This class is designed as a follow up to the original series of classes, but it will be open to anyone who has done the easier blocks and wants to continue with some of the more challenging, intermediate blocks. 


The book will be required for class and available for purchase at Sew Right. We will be using the 25th Anniversary Edition. 

This class is VIRTUAL and will meet on Zoom. A Zoom connection is required. Prior to class, you must download Zoom via this link. You will receive a Zoom invite in your email inbox the day before class.

Beginner quilters and repeat Janiacs are all welcome!

View Judy and Diane's Dear Jane quilt, title "In Our Time" via this slide show here and see details and other inspiration!

Supply List
All supplies are available for purchase at Sew Right. Call or visit to place an order. Shipping is available if you are not local. 

  • Book: Dear Jane: The Two Hundred Twenty-Five Patterns from the 1863 Jane A. Stickle Quilt by Brenda Papadakis (This is available at Sew Right at a class discount.)
  • Basic sewing supplies
    • Thimble
    • Seam Ripper
    • Pin Cushion
    • Rotary Cutter
    • Cutting Mat
    • Acrylic Ruler (6 1/2” Square)
    • #2 Sharpened Pencil or Mechanical Pencil
    • Iron & Ironing Surface
  • Hand sewing needles. Common favorites are:
    • #9 Clover Golden Eye Appliqué Needles
    • #10 Clover Black Gold Hand Sewing Needles
  • 100% Cotton Thread. Common favorites are:
    • Aurifil 50 wt #6730 Steampunk
    • Aurifil 50 wt #2314 Beige
    • Mettler Silk Finish Cotton #0813/#0331
  • Fine Pins. Common favorites are:
    • Clover Patchwork Pins Blue and Yellow (Article No. 232)
    • Clover Flower Head Pins Fine (Article No. 2510)
    • Dritz Glass Head Pins, 1 1/4” size
  • Sand paper (1 piece) or Sand Paper board
  • Silver, yellow, or white pencil for marking dark fabric. Common favorites are:
    • Clover Water Soluble Pencil
  • Scissors for: fabric, paper, and small embroidery scissors
    • Kai 8in Dressmaking Shears
    • Kai 5 1/2-Inch Embroidery Scissors With Blade Cap
  • 6” Add-A-Quarter Ruler
  • Dear Jane Acrylic Templates (includes Dear Jane Triangle and Square rulers with easy to read big number design and built in 1/4in seam allowance).
  • Tracing paper
  • Freezer paper
  • Glue Stick (any kind)
  • Template plastic, 1 sheet
  • Compass for drawing circles
  • 6” Small flat ruler for drafting, not for rotary cutting
  • 100% Cotton Fabric
    • Your choice of solids, prints, or batiks
    • For the first class, you will need two pieces of fabric. These are 5” blocks so each block only uses a small amount of fabric. 
    • Google “Dear Jane Quilt” for inspiration on color choices. Some students try to emulate Jane’s color scheme, just as many others do their own thing.
Instructor Name:
Diane Rode Schneck
Instructor Bio:
Diane Rode Schneck has been teaching quilting and other needle arts since the early 1980s. She grew up with inherited quilts from both sides of her family tree, and was taught embroidery at age six by her grandmother. Her interest in line and design come from her father, a noted Cleveland architect, and her love of sewing comes from her mother and her aunts. She has experimented with nearly every kind of quilting, and loves the infinite variety of techniques, patterns and approaches, as well as the history. Her current favorite topics are scrap quilts, (especially string and crumb quilts) hand applique, crazy quilting, and the quilts of the 19th century.

Diane is a longtime member of Empire Quilters, and a member of New York Metro Mod Quilt Guild. Her designs have been published in many books and magazines, and she has taught at numerous shops, guilds and conferences. Teaching credits include International Quilt Festival in Houston, She works full time as a teaching artist (specializing in quilting and sewing classes) for the Carter Burden Network?s Covello Older Adult Center in East Harlem.

When not quilting, sewing or embroidering, she is also interested in reading, baking, crochet, trivia and crossword puzzles. She lives in Washington Hts.

The Dear Jane Quilt Series with Diane Rode Schneck (Virtual/Zoom)

Cost:
$ 200.00
Class Fee