We released a new pattern on our website today featuring Painted Paradise fabric from Timeless Treasures. It is called Snow Cones.
Snow Cones Quilt
Doesn’t it look like those fruity, slushy, ice cold treats you used to get as a kid in the heat of the summer? We had so much fun designing this quilt. It’s a fairly easy pattern that would be suitable for an advanced beginner quilter. Here is what a couple of the individual blocks look like.
SC Block 1SC Block 4
This is the pattern cover.
Snow Cones Cover
Our Testers had fun making this pattern. Sharon Buman really got into the spirit of a snow cone quilt when she chose these bright colors. She cut out all of he pieces using her Accuquilt cutter and said that sewing it together was a breeze.
Tester Sample
Jogi made the quilt in her grand daughter’s school colors and is giving it as a graduation gift. She wanted the quilt to be longer, so she added a piano key border to the top and bottom to turn it into a rectangular quilt. I love how she used white rectangles instead of the navy ones from the original pattern.
Tester Sample
What do you think? Didn’t they do a great job? Please let us know what you think in the comments and please sign up to receive our newsletters in case you are not already signed up. We should be having some giveaways in the near future and you don’t want to miss out.
I hope you like this fun and festive quilt pattern as much as I do.
We have been very busy creating many patterns, which we hope you will enjoy. We’ve done Facebook Lives with other talented designers over the summer. We created a YouTube channel. And, we have our first fabric collection.
We have been busy sewing lots of face masks. We even found a Quilt in a Day scallop ruler which helped cut out the mask shapes. Even the bears got into the act. Silly Reed thought you could wear them on top of your head but Beauregard Bear showed him the correct way.
Reed with masksBear with maskQIAD ruler
Our Quilt Cruise to Alaska did not happen in June due to the pandemic, but it was fun thinking about the possibility and we hope to schedule another quilt cruise in the future when we can all be together.
We have two new fun summer sailing patterns we created for Accuquillt. One is called Ahoy Mate Table Runner.
This quilt brought some joy to my 4th of July this year.
Next was 50’s Diner in the May/June 2020 McCall’s Quilting magazine.
50’s Diner Quiltmay/june mccalls 2020
Can’t you just imagine drinking an ice cream soda at the soda fountain with your date?
Have you ever tried curved piecing like you would find in the Drunkard’s Path block? The Waverly Path quilt was in the July/August 2020 issue of Quiltmaker magazine.
Waverly PathWaverly PathQM July/August 2020
Finally, named after a grand niece, Thoroughly Modern Vivs was in the premier issue of Fons and Porter Quick and Easy Quilts. It was such an honor to be in this magazine with so many esteemed designers.
Modern Vivs QuiltQuick-Easy
We created several patterns for Timeless Treasures new collections. They are There’s a Bear in My Watermelon Patch 2, using their One in a Mellon collection; Patriotic Polka, using their Treats Freedom collection; Adore Him, using the Come Let Us Adore Him collection; Peaceful Valley, using the Winter Blessing collection and Cowboy Claus, which uses the Ho Ho Hoedown collection. These fabric lines are at quilt shops now and you can purchase these quilt patterns on our website.
There’s a Bear in my Watermelon Patch 2Patriotic PolkaAdore HimPeace in the ValleyCowboy Claus
On Facebook, we did four facebook lives covering a virtual trunk show, accurate cutting, fussy cutting tips and our top 20 favorite quilting notions. We also have a video debuting our first ever fabric collection. If you missed any of these, you can catch them all on our YouTube Channel.
Speaking of a new fabric collection, our first fabric collection is with QT Fabrics and it is called Coco Chic.
Coco ChicCoco Chic Collection
It will be available in quilt shops in January 2021. This fabric collection was inspired by authentic 1920’s fabric from deep in the QT Fabrics archives. Wouldn’t it be fun to have a Great Gatsby or Roaring 20’s party using these fabrics from the time period. We see this fabric being used in quilts, bags, lady’s dresses and men’s shirts. We hope you are as excited about this collection as we are.
Be sure to ask you local quilt shop if they will be carrying Coco Chic. We have designed several quilts using the collection and will have demos on Youtube using the fabrics. Stay tuned for much more regarding this exciting fabric collection.
On August 4th, we will be participating in Quilt Block Mania, A blog hop with other designers, where they all will be giving away a free block pattern with the theme of Back to School. Watch for this coming soon! Keep on quilting. Oh, and Beauregard says Hi.
There is going to be a Quilter’s Eye Candy Trunk Show Event on Facebook from April 1st through April 10th. Since you can’t come to the designers, they are going to come to you. Many quilt pattern designers will be holding a trunk show on their Facebook page. These will be Facebook Live presentations that will be 15 minutes long and will occur throughout the day, on the hour, from 12-8 pm. EST. Blue Bear Quilts will be doing our trunk show on April 5th at 4 p.m.EST. We hope you will join us and also check out many of the other fabulous designers that will also being doing Facebook Live trunk shows. If you would like to become familiar with the different designers before their trunk shows, click on the links to go to their Facebook page. This should be a lot of fun! The schedule is listed below. #quilterseyecandytrunkshow #fblivetrunkshow #quilterscandytrunkshow
These are difficult times. We are all concerned about staying healthy, employed and not going crazy. Social isolation is necessary in order for governments around the world to get control of the Coronavirus. There are things you can do to make this time go by a little smoother and more quickly.
Girl reading book
I thought I would offer 7 tips of what I am doing to get through this. In offering these suggestions, I do not want to diminished the suffering of those who are sick, have lost loved ones, have lost their jobs or businesses. I am also mindful and thankful for the hardships of those on the front lines, like doctors, nurses, firefighters, police, transportation workers, utility workers, food service workers, warehouse and delivery workers and those working in government or other essential services. This post is just to offer some ideas of what to do with your free time while in isolation.
1. Communicate with your friends and loved ones. We are social beings and still need that human connection with one another. There are many apps on your phone, or computer, that will allow you to video chat with friends and loved ones, such as Skype, Zoom, Facetime and Google Hangouts. The video chat is better than a phone call as it allows you to see facial expressions, show what you are doing or give virtual hugs. Many of these services will allow you to connect with several people at the same time and they all have a free component.
2. Volunteer your services. By volunteering, it will occupy your time and mind and has the effect of making you feel better as you are doing some good in the world. There have been many examples of people that are healthy and able offering to go out and get groceries and other needed supplied for those who are less able or more vulnerable. You could call the elderly that are sheltering in the senior homes with no visitors. One volunteer project for sewists would be to make face masks for healthcare workers as those items are in short supply and are desparately needed. You would need to check with your local health facilities to see if these masks are something they would be able to use and if they have any specifications. Here is a You Tube video tutorial on how to make masks:
3. Listen to music. Music has the ability to sooth the soul. Try listening to different music to see how it affects you. Watch this video of an Italian opera singer singing to his neighbors from his back balcony. It will be a few moments of pure bliss.
4. Exercise to bring your brain positive endorphins. Talk a walk outdoors and maintain your social distance of 6 feet and avoid large crowds of people. There are also exercise videos on You Tube which you can do at home. This is a video for doing exercises in your chair:
and this video might be a little more challenging, if you are so inclined and able:
5. Read a good book. There is nothing like a good book to take your mind new places and to forget your cares. There is a company called BookBub, https://www.bookbub.com/welcome, that you can sign up to receive daily emails of digital books that are free, or anywhere from $.99 to $2.99. Also, if you have a current library card, you can download an app called Overdrive or Libby, that allows you to borrow digital books from your library for up to 2 weeks at a time for free.
6. Nourish your spiritual side to find internal peace. For me that comes from attending a church service virtually online, or watching archived sermons, or reading a devotional or the Bible. For you, your nourishment may come from a different source. “Here is an example of a devotional that I recently read from the book 365 Devotions to Embrace what Matters Most by John Michalak. Peace Through Surrender. Here’s a simple definition of war: War is a conflict where the strength and weaknesses of each side are exposed so that one side eventually conquers, and the other side surrenders, resulting in peace. The wars you face will expose your weaknesses. They will give you the opportunity to accept the things you cannot change, and if you choose to see it, they will expose God’s strength and the need to surrender to His strength. Surrendering is scary. But know that God is more than just some distant higher power. He is someone who loves you deeply. He is someone who will stand faithful when you’re ready to give up. He will hold your troubles in safekeeping and offer you a peace that passes understanding. Will you surrender your troubles to Him?” “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”- Philippians 4:6-7.
7. Learn a new hobby or a new technique in your current hobby. If you are a quilter, you could learn how to make a mini quilt with Sue Bouchard from Quilt in a Day. Here is a video on how to make a mini red, white and blue star quilt:
You could take up knitting by watching this video:
Or, you might even take up the Ukulele by watching this video:
I hope I have given you some ideas that you can use while you are hunkering down. Please take this virus seriously and stay safe and healthy for yourself and your loved ones. We will get through this by being smart, caring and compassionate. Hang in there and keep on quilting.
We have a pattern on our website called Fit For a King and we also designed the pattern called Antique Americana on the Accuquilt website, so I thought it might be fun to do a tutorial for sewing this block. Here are photos of those two quilts.
Fit For a King Quilt PatternAntique Americana
Here is what the Accuquilt Die looks like.
Hattie’s Choice
The die has three shapes on it labeled A, B & C. Now at first glance, you may think that shape “A” is an equilateral triangle, and the die packaging would lead you to believe that it is an equilateral triangle, but it is not. When piecing this shape, there is a correct orientation for laying it out and piecing it.
Look at one of the shape A’s laid over another one, as in the photo below, and you can see that they are not the same on all sides.
Shape A laid over another
There is a distinct orientation for correctly piecing shape “A.” You need to identify the top of Shape” A and stack them all with the top on top.
Shape A next to shape B
The next photo shows the correct orientation of shape A on the right side of the shape B Diamond. You flip shape A over to the left on top of shape B per the photo below. Notice the orientation of shape A on top of shape B for sewing.
shape A flipped onto shape B
It helps if you sew with leaders and enders. These are scraps of fabric you start sewing on before sewing on your quilt pieces and stop on after you have sewn your chain of quilt pieces. This prevents the corners of your pieces from getting jammed down in the feed dogs. This next picture shows the 1/4″ seam sewn. Notice how the seam starts on the top point and ends by going through the bottom point.
LeaderSeam on 1st shape A and B
Next press the seam toward the triangle.
press toward shape A triangle
Place another shape A onto the B diamond. Notice the orientation of the top on shape A.
Adding 2nd shape A
Look at the 1/4″ seam below. Notice how the it starts at the top point and ends by going through the bottom point.
Seam on 2d shape A
Press toward second shape A. Second photo is view from the back. Make 4 of these combined units.
Press toward 2d shape AView from the back
Layout these combine units with shape Cs to the left of them.
Adding shape C
Flip the combined units onto shape C as depicted below. Note how they are sewn from point to point.
Combined units laid out on Shape C1/4″ seam
Press toward shape C. View from the back. Make 4 of these units.
pressed toward shape Cback view
Lay out the 4 units per the photo below.
4 units laid out
Place one of the units on top of another and sew along the right edge with a 1/4 ” seam. Second photo below is view of seam from back.
units laid out on top of each othercombined units showing 1/4″ seam
Press seam toward shape C.
Press toward shape C
Lay out two half units.
Two half units
Flip one half unit onto the other and pin where the diamonds intersect. Note the 1/4″ seam line in the second photo.
half units flipped onto each other.1/4″ seam on half units
Press the center seam open.
Center seam pressed open
Voila! You have a completed Hattie’s Choice block. In a perfect world, these blocks would measure 8.5″, but you can see that mine are only 8.25.” This will be fine as long as all of your blocks are consistently the same measurement.
On June 6, 2020, we will be in Seattle getting ready to board our quilting cruise to Alaska’s Inside Passage. We hope you’re coming with us on this trip of a lifetime to quilt at Sea and see the wonders that Alaska has to offer. It’s going to be a blast. You can register for the cruise @ https://quiltretreatatsea.com/quiltinginthewild/.
Quilt Cruise to AlaskaHolland America Ship
The trip starts out from the beautiful and vibrant Northwest city of Seattle. You will want to extend your trip in order to explore this wonderful city.
Seattle by daySeattle by night
There will be three days at sea. That is when we will be quilting. Sewing machines and quilt kits will be provided. Here is a picture of the project called Northern Star Garden. It will involve three different techniques. First, using shapes that have been pre-cut by an Accuquilt cutter. Second, paper piecing a mariner’s compass. And third, appliquéing snowflakes onto the border.
Northern Star Gardenan Accuquilt blockanother Accuquilt block
The first port of the trip will be Juneau where you will be able to see the Mendenhall glacier and perhaps a whale or two.
Juneau, Alaskahumpback whaleorca whale
The next port will be Ketchikan. Here you can watch a lumberjack show or perhaps check out one of the quilt shops that are in every port. Look at the different kinds of fabric you could add to your stash from Alaska.
Ketchikan, Alaska Photo by Curtis Gregory Perry. no changes made. https://www.flickr.com/photos/curtisperry/44435291191/in/photolist-2aGAtYc-2ayRmSs-N8f9Cv-oZAz2U-2c3t7hW-29JLxWw-2c7fzZb-pqtjmy-rDr465-a58tt1-bW1zh6-6acMHk-3ZvFH-fNt8Bb-fNboCn-bhqSc4-9H4fAe-4SusWm-4Sqfmx-syi5GX-9H4fABLumberjack showAlaska fabricAlaska fabricAlaska fabric
The last port in Alaska will be Sitka. Here you can see historic Russian churches or native totem poles. You might catch a glimpse of a mountain goat, puffin, bear or moose.
The last port, before returning to Seattle, aboard Holland America’s Eurodam, will be Victoria, BC, Canada. Among the amazing things to see here will be the Butchart Gardens and the Parliament building lit up at night.
Victoria, BC, CanadaButchart GardensParliament Building at night
If going on a quilting cruise, or to Alaska, has been on your bucket list, then this is the trip for you. Bring your friends, spouses, kids and grandkids. There is something for everyone on this trip. Spouses will not be bored when you are quilting, as there are so many different activities on board the ship everyday or numerous places to sit and relax, if that is your thing. We hope you will join us on this trip of a lifetime. We are going to have a great time.
Here is what the National Park Service had to say about this block, which they called Nebraska Pinwheel: “Wheels represent movement. The pioneers depended on wheels to carry them across the plains.
For the homesteaders, wheels were vital to their lives. They were the basis of their transportation. Wheels were used in sawmills and in gristmills where grain was ground into flour or meal.
In the early 1900’s, windmills pumped water for livestock and made life on the homestead easier. Because of its importance to the homesteaders in their everyday lives, the wheel was often a favorite quilt pattern.
When the United States entered World War I in 1917, quilt making took on new significance. The government took all the wool produced for commercial use, and actively urged citizens to make quilts using the slogan, “Make Quilts-Save the Blankets for our Boys Over There.” As a result, many utilitarian quilts for home use were made. These quilts soon earned the nickname of, “Liberty Quilts.”
The block originated in 1977 with the Lincoln Quilters Guild. Here is what they have said about it: “In 1977, The Lincoln Quilters Guild (LQG) sponsored a contest to select a quilt block to honor the State of Nebraska. The contest was in conjunction with Quilt Symposium ’77: Fine Art, Folk Art, planned & hosted by LQG. The 85th Nebraska State Legislature passed Legislative Resolution Number One in January 1977 to designate the winning block as the Official Nebraska Block. The winning block, Nebraska Windmill, was designed by E.S. “Bud” Dunklau of Lincoln, NE. Bud & Carol Dunklau gave the original block pattern & rights to the pattern to LQG. LQG gave the original cloth block to the Nebraska State Historical Society.”
You can clearly see why the block became the official state block, as the green windmill blades, in my example, look like the shape of the state of Nebraska. Here is a slightly different coloring of the block.
Alternate Nebraska Windmill Block
You can create a striking quilt by just laying the blocks out in a horizontal layout.
Horizontal Quilt
The quilt takes on a different look when you add sashing and use the alternative coloring of the block.
Quilt with sashing
Here are a few more quilt layouts for this block.
Quilt with alternate coloringQuilt with half square trianglesQuilt with four patch
Quilt with alternate bear paw block
Quilt on point
This block is fairly easy to cut out and sew together. You will have to see what creation you can come up using the Nebraska Windmill block. Post a picture on Instagram, or Facebook, and tag it with #BlueBearQuilts so we can see your creations.
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 SpotSnow ConesSea GlassBlue DiamondBig 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 MississippiCrossing MississippiLlamasSunflower 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 husbandStillwater RiverboatLights at WeddingWedding BouquetHot Air BalloonComo Park ConservatoryVery large hibiscus
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 KiteKylee’s Kite classStudent’s Kylee’s KiteStudent’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
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
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.
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
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
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.
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.
Today, I participated in Electric Quilt’s Design and Discover Strip Quilt Lesson, which can be found at http://www.doyoueq.com, and designed two quilts using a vertical strip layout. The quilts were easy to design, but I would not want to rotary cut them, so I think they would be best as paper pieced blocks. The first one is called Royal Court and the second is Tumbling Hearts. What do you think of them?
Royal CourtTumbling Hearts
During the third quarter of 2018, from May through August, at Keep Me in Stitches, I will be teaching at an event, where on the first day students will learn the basic operation of Electric Quilt 8 (EQ8) and to design a basic quilt. Then on the second day, we will use the Accuquilt Go Big Electric cutter to cut out the shapes for the quilt we designed, and then sew it together. Students will be provided a free two week trial of the EQ8 software and will be able to use the Accuquilt die and cutter, without having to purchase them first. This will be a great opportunity for students to test out EQ8 and an Accuquilt cutter. I will update this blog when the dates of the event have been determined.
