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New Patterns Aplenty

It has been a busy summer at Blue Bear Quilts. We taught our Pixie Party Quilt and Quilt in a Day’s Autumn Leaves table runner, in August, at Affinity For Quilts in White Bear Lake Minnesota. Everyone had a great time and some beautiful quilts are in the making.

Pixie Party Class
Pixie Party Class
Autumn Leaves Table Runner
Autumn Leaves Table Runner

While we were in Minnesota, we ran into the editors from one of our favorite magazines. Quilt Folk. They were kind enough to pose for a photo. If you have not discovered this magazine, you need to. It has gorgeous pictures of quilts on premium matte paper and really interesting articles about everything Quilt Folk might be involved in. We also went to the Great Minnesota Stae Fair and I had to have photo with my favorite lumberjack, Paul Bunyan.

Quilt Folk magazine
Quilt Folk magazine
Paul Bunyan
Paul Bunyan

 

We had a couple more of our quilt designs show up in magazines. Canoe Junction made the cover of the September/ October issue of Love of Quilting magazine. It uses Flower Garden Gatherings Fabrics from Moda. Winter Visitor is featured in the November/ December issue of McCall’s Quilting magazine. It uses the Cardinal Woods flannel collection from Northcott Fabrics.

Canoe Junction
Canoe Junction
Canoe Junction in Love of Quilting
Canoe Junction in Love of Quilting
Winter Visitor
Winter Visitor

 

Speaking of lumberjacks, don’t forget about our Quilt Cruise to Alaska’s Inside Passage June 6-13, 2020 aboard the Holland America Eurodam. We will be making the beautiful Northern Star Garden Quilt, a pattern that was designed exclusively for this cruise. It involves shapes that have been precut for you with Accuquilt, a no tear-out the paper, paper pieced center star and Hawaiian (should be called Alaskan) appliqué snowflakes in the border. A different technique for each day were are quilting, while the ship is at sea. When the ship is at sea, it is up to you as to how much time you want to spend sewing. When the ship is in port, you will be able to go into the the ports of Juneau, Ketchikan, Sitka and Victoria, BC with your family and friends. This is a trip of a lifetime to one of the most beautiful places on Earth. The trip is over half full, so don’t miss out and sign up today. Here is the link if you are interested in joining us on this cruise. https://quiltretreatatsea.com/quiltinginthewild/

Quilt Cruise to Alaska
Quilt Cruise to Alaska
Alaskan beauty in fabric
Alaskan beauty in fabric
Northern Star Garden
Northern Star Garden

We have created some wonderful free patterns for Accuquilt, which we hope you will enjoy making. They all were designed with Timeless Treasures Fabrics. Speaking of which, we have several new patterns, which will be making their debut at Fall Quilt Market for Timeless Treasures Fabrics. More to come on these patterns at a later date. A couple of them do involve panels, however. The first Accuquilt pattern is Antique Americana, which involves the use of the Hattie’s Choice die. Here is the link for the pattern.   https://www.accuquilt.com/go-antique-americana-throw-quilt-pattern.html  Then, we have Orange Cream Soda which involved the use of the Studio 6″ setting triangles. Here is the link for that pattern.   https://www.accuquilt.com/studio-orange-cream-soda-throw-quilt-pattern.html  Sherbet Dreams involves the use of the Glorified Nine Patch die. Here is the link. https://www.accuquilt.com/go-sherbet-dreams-throw-quilt-pattern.html   Love Letters uses the Studio 8″ setting triangles. Here is the link for Love Letters. https://www.accuquilt.com/studio-love-letters-throw-quilt-pattern.html And finally,  Fall is Coming, which uses the Studio 8″ setting triangles. The link to Fall is Coming.  https://www.accuquilt.com/studio-fall-is-coming-throw-quilt-pattern.html

 

Antique Americana
Antique Americana
Orange Cream Soda
Orange Cream Soda
Sherbet Dreams
Sherbet Dreams
Love Letters
Love Letters

 

 

Fall is Coming
Fall is Coming

Last, but certainly not least, we have two new patterns making their debut with QT Fabrics at Quilt Market, In Houston, October 2019. They are Fit For a King, which utilizes the Accuquilt Hattie’s Choice die and Kings and Queens. You will be able to purchase these patterns from QT Fabrics, if you are a quilt shop and also from our website, very soon. Fit for a King uses QT Fabrics basic lines, Quilting Illusions and Color Blends. Kings and Queens uses a fat quarter bundle from QT Fabrics Illuminations collection, which will be arriving in shops around April 2020. Kings and Queens pattern is perfect for those fat quarter bundles you would love to turn into a beautiful quilt.

Fit For a King
Fit For a King
Kings and Queens
Kings and Queens

Well, that’s it for now. Happy Quilting till we come back and share more of what’s happening at Blue Bear Quilts.

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Busy Summer

Kaleidoscope Quilt

It has been a very busy summer, designing new quilt patterns, teaching classes, attending a Niece’s wedding, designing quilt patterns for magazine submissions and entering a contest.

We entered the Accuquilt Block Design contest again this year. They should be announcing the winners very soon. Here are a few of the blocks that I entered this year. Thank you to everyone that voted for my blocks. I appreciate it very much!

X Marks the Spot
X Marks the Spot
Snow Cones
Snow Cones
Sea Glass
Sea Glass
Blue Diamond
Blue Diamond
Big Star Grid.
Big Star Grid.

 

Before attending a wedding, we went to a family farm, in Northern Minnesota, and I was able to walk across the Mississippi River, in Itasca State Park. This is where the great river originates and it is very narrow and shallow, enabling you to walk across. I would not try that in New Orleans where it is deep and wide. I also saw amazing sunflower fields and llamas.

Reed at start of Mississippi
Reed at start of Mississippi
Crossing Mississippi
Crossing Mississippi
Llamas
Llamas
Sunflower Field
Sunflower Field

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Niece got married this August in Stillwater, Minnesota. It was beautiful wedding at a flower farm and the rehearsal dinner was on a riverboat.  I also went to the Como Park Conservatory, which has amazing floral displays.

Niece and husband
Niece and husband
Stillwater Riverboat
Stillwater Riverboat
Lights at Wedding
Lights at Wedding
Wedding Bouquet
Wedding Bouquet
Hot Air Balloon
Hot Air Balloon
Como Park Conservatory
Como Park Conservatory
Very large hibiscus
Very large hibiscus

 

 

 

 

 

 

Butterfly at flower farm
Butterfly at flower farm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I taught a Quilt-in-a-Day class on Kylee’s Kite at Bear Patch Quilting Company in White Bear Lake Minnesota. Everyone had a great time. Several students brought in their completed tops from this year and last year.

Kylee’s Kite
Kylee's Kite class
Kylee’s Kite class
Student's Kylee's Kite
Student’s Kylee’s Kite
Student's Bear in My Watermelon Patch
Student’s Bear in My Watermelon Patch

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can’t reveal the quilt designs for the magazines yet, or several new patterns I developed with QT Fabrics. However, I can show you the Northwoods Holiday Medley Placemats that were designed for Accuquilt and the pattern is available as a free download on their website https://www.accuquilt.com/go-northwoods-medley-holiday-placemats.html 

Northwoods Holiday Medley Placemats
Northwoods Holiday Medley Placemats

I can also show you our latest pattern, Kaleidoscope, that was designed with QT Fabrics. This pattern is available on our website, Craftsy, and coming to a quilt shop near you soon.

Kaleidoscope Quilt
Kaleidoscope Quilt

It is going to be a busy fall writing patterns and making a sample quilt for QT Fabrics that will be displayed at quilt market this November, utilizing a new line of fabrics for them.

 

Also, Blue Bear will be teaching on a cruise in 2020. We are very excited about this and hope to be able to provide you with details soon. When it is this far out, it will give you lots of time to plan and save for a quilting cruise. We are so excited to have the opportunity to quilt and cruise with you! Stay tuned.

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Secret Sewing Projects

In the Jungle Quilt

At Blue Bear Quilts, we have been very busy getting ready for the summer 2018 classes. We also have been working on some secret sewing projects for Accuquilt that we can’t wait to share with you. We also have been designing patterns with QT Fabrics. Hopefully, we will be able to share these projects with you very soon.

Triaxial Weave Pillow
Triaxial Weave Pillow

 

Here are some of the exciting classes that we have coming up this summer. We will be offering a Triaxial Weave Pillow at Keep Me in Stitches on May 22& 29 in Tampa and July 12 & 19 in Largo. This is a weaving project that has little sewing and offers many creative ideas to incorporate into your sewing projects like garments, bags, and quilts.

 

 

We have an exciting Electric Quilt 8/ Accuquilt Event coming up at Keep Me in Stitches on May 25 & 26 in Tampa, and June 22 &23 in Largo. In this two-day event, you will learn the basic functions of EQ8 and learn how to create the “In the Jungle” quilt in EQ8 incorporating Accuquilt die shapes. The second day, we will cut out the quilt pieces using an Accuquilt cutter and die and sew the quilt together.

In the Jungle Quilt
In the Jungle Quilt

Finally, at Keep Me in Stitches, we have an Accuquilt party called “Patriotic Windings Ways,” perfect for the 4th of July, on June 8 & 9, in Largo, and June 15 & 16 in Tampa;  a 3D Pinwheel Serger Blanket for the Baby Lock Serger Club, and the Bright Hope Quilt, in Tampa,  on June 7 & 14th, and, in Largo, on August 20 & 27th.

Patriotic Winding Ways
3D Pinwheel Serger Blanket
Bright Hope Quilt

At Happy Apple Quilts, We are offering “Hawaiian Stars” on May 31st and “Box of Chocolate Covered Cherries” on June 28th.

Hawaiian Stars Quilt
Box Chocolate Covered Cherries

 

Country Quilts and Bears in Clearwater will have two offerings this summer. The first is our Accuquilt block contest fan favorite, “Not Your Grandmother’s Flower Garden”  on May 23 & 30 and then “Water Wheel,” on July 14th, A Quilt in a Day Pattern.

Water Wheel

At Bear Patch Quilting Company in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, on August 8th, we will be teaching a Quilt in a Day pattern called “Kylee’s Kite,” which we have put a modern spin on it with black and white fabrics and lots of geometric quilting.

Kylee’s Kite

 

Finally here are some photos from classes that we held this last session: Zippered serger pouch, Wonky Heart Pillow, Hawaiian Stars, and Snapshots Quilt.

Hawaiian Stars Class
Snapshot Quilt
Snapshot Quilt
Snapshot Quilt
Snapshot Quilt
Wonky Heart Class
Barbie Snapshot Block

Serger Zipper Pouch

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Happy 2018!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blue Bear wishes everyone a Happy New Year! It’s going to be an exciting new year, with new looks and exciting new patterns.

Blue Bear
Blue Bear

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here I am in a catoonish image with my new look. Going for a more artsy.

 

Here are two of Blue Bear’s latest patterns. They are sure to warm up any home during this cold and brutal winter.

Pineapple Welcome Quilt
Pineapple Welcome Quilt
Bright Hope Quilt Pattern
Bright Hope Quilt Pattern
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Greek Isles Modern Quilt

For the 2017 Blogger’s Quilt Festival, I thought I would share Blue Bear’s most popular pattern, Greek Isles Modern. 

This pattern is much easier than it looks. It is made with 2.5″ strips of white and 2.5″ strips of light, medium and dark batiks, that you may obtain from jelly rolls, or cut on your 2.5″ strip die with your Accuquilt Go! Cutter. The blocks are all constructed the same way, and placement is what determines the pattern. At 70 x 90,” it is the perfect quilt to curl up with on the couch for binge watching your favorite Netflix shows.

Here is a picture of Kim at Keep Me in Stitches in Largo, Florida, quilting this beauty; followed by a close up of her fantastic quilting.

 

Here are several more photos of the quilt out and about.

 

 

I have taught this class several times and here are some of my students interpretations of the quilt. Click on the links for short videos. They did a fantastic job!

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If you would like to purchase this pattern, it is available on our website here, www.bluebearquilts.com, or on Craftsy here- https://www.craftsy.com/quilting/patterns/greek-isles-modern-quilt/490532

Greek Isles Modern Quilt Cover

Sharing at the Blogger’s Quilt Festival hosted by Amy’s Creative Side.