Blue Bear Quilt Pattern – Page 5

Posted on January 5, 2021February 10, 2022 by Reed — Leave a comment

Quilt Block Mania- Blue Bear Hug- Complimentary Block Pattern for January

Before we get to the Quilt Block Mania block for January, we have some news of contests to share. Our very first fabric line with QT Fabrics, called Coco Chic, is the free fabric download for the month of January on the Electric Quilt blog.

If you don’t own EQ 8, now may be a good time to get it. There is also a contest on the Electric Quilt blog where you can design a quilt project with the Coco Chic fabrics and there will be two winners chosen, who will each win a fat quarter bundle of the Coco Chic line. You could be among the first people to get your hands on Coco Chic, a fabric line that is inspired from authentic 1920’s fabrics. How fun is that?

Also, on our Instagram page, toward the end of January, we are going to be giving away a fat quarter bundle of QT Fabric’s Evolution Illuminations line. We designed our Kings and Queen quilt pattern using this fabric.

I know that you love being able to receive all of the free patterns we are giving away on Quilt Block Mania every month and this month, I am asking, as a special favor, that you would go over to our Instagram page, @bluebearquilts, and follow us so that you will not miss out on that fat quarter giveaway. You can click on the instagram link, under Get Social, to get to our page.

It’s hard to believe that Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. We have some wonderful quilt patterns you could make for the loved ones in your life. This month, we are offering 20% off of our digital download Box of Chocolate Covered Cherries, There’s a Bear in my Watermelon Patch and Ring Bling quilt patterns. You can find the links to those patterns here: downloadable-patterns/

Box of Chocolate Covered Cherries Quilt Pattern

Quilt Block Mania is starting off the new year in January and 29 quilt designers are at it again with this month’s theme of Romance. Here is a picture of the theme colors.

Nothing says love more than shades of pink.

Here is the Blue Bear Hug block.

It features an adorable blue bear hugging a double heart. This might be just the hug that someone you love needs this Valentine’s Day.

Here is a photo of the block that has been sewn with fabrics from my stash. I have turned the block into a pillow. This block would make such a fun gift to give someone on Valentine’s Day.

You also can turn this block into a fun pillow which measures 16 x 16.” You start with a Blue Bear Hug block; add a 2.25,” unfinished, light pink border on the front and white backing pieces, which are 9 x 16-1/2″ and 14 x 16-1/2.” Someone special in your life may need a hug. The additional yardage required to make this pillow would be: 1/4 yard of light pink for front border; 1/2 yard of white for the backing pieces. If you would like a pattern for how to turn a 12″ block into a pillow, you might want to check out our Wonky Heart Pillow pattern in our shop.

If you would like to see a video on how to do machine appliqué, we just posted such a video on our You Tube Channel.

If you are interested in downloading a complimentary PDF pattern of our block for January, all you have to do is look for the box on our blog, on the right hand side, that says “Like this content? Sign up for free updates” and sign up to receive our newsletter. When you have done that, you will receive a welcoming email from us that will contain a coupon code and a link back to the complimentary pattern. You will act as though you are purchasing the pattern and in the cart, you will apply the coupon code, which will make the pattern free. You will need to fill out contact information, but no payment method will be necessary. Don’t worry, we do not send out newsletters very often and we never sell email addresses or contact information. Here is what the pattern looks like. It is in a format very similar to most Blue Bear Quilt patterns, so if you see what you like in this free pattern, you will like our other patterns as well. Please note: This pattern will only be complimentary during the month of January 2021.

Current newsletter subscribers, don’t despair! You will be able to download the complimentary pattern as well as you have already been sent a newsletter on January 5th which gave you the coupon code.

We are so happy that you stopped by to visit us in the Quilt Block Mania hop and we hope that you like our block. Please stop by to see all of the other designer’s wonderful blocks.

You can click on the links to the other blocks here.

Chain of Hearts by Carolina Moore
Heart Postage Stamp by Slice of Pi Quilts
Special Delivery by Appliques Quilts and More
Intertwined by Devoted Quilter
Interlocking Heart Halves by Blockofthemodotcom
Romantic Patchwork Heart by Love to Color My World
Love Notes by Blue Heron Quilting
Woven Together at Patti’s Patchwork
LOVE ARROWS by Cotton Street Commons
refracted heart at Duck Creek Mountain Quilting
Puppy Love
Be Mine by Perkins Dry Goods
Love is family at Puppy Girl Designs
Love Owl-Ways by Studio R Quilts
Lacy Hearts by QuiltFabrication
Piece of My Heart by Orange Blossom QDS, LLC
Quilting by Candlelight by Snowy Days Quilting
Sunset Walk Block by Sara Flynn
Mini Log Cabin Heart by Katie Mae Quilts
Flowers and Candy by PhoebeMoon Designs
On Point Heart by Oh Kaye Quilting
Love My Gnome
Love Conquers All
Blue Bear Hug by Blue Bear Quilts
Love Me Knot by Pretty Piney Quilts
Pieceful Heart by Off the Wall Quilt
Rose Buds by Rona the Ribbiter
House of love
First Love by Sarah Marcina
Love postcard by Capaquilts

Posted on December 1, 2020February 10, 2022 by Reed — Leave a comment

Quilt Block Mania- Seward Star Block- Complimentary Pattern for December

How about some winter quilt patterns? This month, we are offering 20% off of our digital download Greek Isles Modern, Kaleidoscope and Dancing Bears quilt patterns. You can find the links to those patterns here: downloadable-patterns/

Quilt Block Mania is happening in December and 21 quilt designers are at it again with this month’s theme of Stars. Here is a picture of the theme colors.

These are fun colors for wintery stars.

This is the Seward Star block. It features a gorgeous double purple star surrounded by a pink and teal sky. It reminds me of some of the colors you might see in the northern lights in Alaska set against the deep blue sea.

Here is a photo of the block that has been sewn with fabrics from my stash. There is a lot of play in this block with the light and dark shades of colors. The block would make a stunning quilt.

You can also use this block to create a fun quilt that measures 56 x 56.” You combine 16 Seward Star blocks; add a 1″ inner border and a 3″ outer border. It makes a sparkling star quilt sure to brighten your mood and warm you up on a cold winter’s day. The yardage required to make this quilt top would be: 1/2 yard of navy; 3/4 yard of dark pink and maroon; 1 yard of pink and purple; and 1-1/2 yards of teal.

Here is an alternative version with pink border. For this version, the fabric requirements are the same except you need 1-1/2 of pink and only 3/4 yard of teal.

If you would like to download a complimentary PDF pattern of our block for December, all you have to do is look for the box on our blog, on the right hand side, that says “Like this content? Sign up for free updates” and sign up to receive our newsletter. When you have done that, you will receive a welcoming email from us that will contain a coupon code and a link back to the complimentary pattern. You will act as though you are purchasing the pattern and in the cart, you will apply the coupon code, which will make the pattern free. You will need to fill out contact information, but no payment method will be necessary. Don’t worry, we do not send out newsletters very often and we never sell email addresses or contact information. Here is what the pattern looks like. It is in a format very similar to most Blue Bear Quilt patterns, so if you see what you like in this free pattern, you will like our other patterns as well. Please note: This pattern will only be complimentary during the month of December 2020.

Current newsletter subscribers, don’t despair! You will be able to download the complimentary pattern as well as you have already been sent a newsletter on December 1st which gave you the coupon code.

We are so happy that you stopped by to visit us in the Quilt Block Mania hop and we hope that you like our block. Please stop by to see all of the other designer’s wonderful blocks.

You can click on the links to the other blocks here.

Stargazing Sue
Starburst at Slice of Pi Quilts
Massachusetts Star with blockofthmo.com
Nova Star at Always Expect Moore
Nativity Star
Star Bright – Cotton Street Commons
Five Pointed Star at Duck Creek Mountain Quilting
New Year Star at Stash Bandit
Poinsettia Star
Wish Upon a Satar by Heidi Pridemore
Falling Star at Pretty Piney Quilts
Star Splash at QuiltFabrication
Seward Star at Blue Bear Quilts
Moon Star at Perkins Dry Goods
Starburst at Patti’s Patchwork
Cherokee Star
Christmas Tree Star
Christmas Star by Oh Kaye Quilting
Starfish by Appliques Quilts and More
Snowy Star by Seams To Be Sew
Combination Star by Devoted Quilter
Ablaze by True Blue Quilts

Posted on July 20, 2020February 10, 2022 by Reed — Leave a comment

Patterns, Facebook Live, YouTube Channel and First Fabric Collection

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.

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.

You can get the free pattern here: https://www.accuquilt.com/go-ahoy-mate-table-runner-pattern.html

The other is called Let’s Go Sailing, which is a fun combination of signal codes.

Here is where you will find that free pattern: https://www.accuquilt.com/go-let-s-go-sailing-quilt-pattern.html

We have had a bunch of quilts in magazines. The first one was Firework Flowers in May/June 2020 Love of Quilting magazine.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

You can see the videos on YouTube on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSRJrsvJV2uIdS1aquYw8JA

Speaking of a new fabric collection, our first fabric collection is with QT Fabrics and it is called Coco Chic.

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.

Posted on March 31, 2020March 31, 2020 by Reed — Leave a comment

Blue Bear Quilts is doing Virtual Quilt Trunk Show on Facebook Live April 5th 4 pm EST.

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

April 1

12 pm EST Andi Stanfield facebook.com/Anditruebluequilts
1 pm EST Nancy Scott facebook.com/MasterpieceQ
2 pm EST becky jorgensen https://www.facebook.com/patchworkposse/
3 pm EST carolina moore facebook.com/alwaysexpectmoore
4 pm EST Jackie Kunkel https://www.facebook.com/cantonvillagequiltworks/
5 pm EST Connie Jonson Sayler https://www.facebook.com/PacificRimQuiltCompany/
6 pm EST Laura Piland/Slice of Pi Quilts https://www.facebook.com/sliceofpiquilts/
7 pm EST Sandra Starley https://www.facebook.com/TextileTimeTravels

8 pm EST Swan Sheridan www.facebook.com/swanamitystudios

April 2

12 pm EST Lisa Ruble https://www.facebook.com/LoveToColorMyWorld/
1 pm EST Beth Helfter EvaPaige Quilt Designs
2 pm EST Diane Bohn/From Blank Pages https://facebook.com/fromblankpages
3 pm EST Deb Eggers/the cottage rose https://www.facebook.com/cottagerosequilt/
4 pm EST Heidi Pridemore/The Whimsical Workshop https:/www.facebook.com/thewhimsicalworkshop
5 pm EST Kate Colleran https://www.facebook.com/SeamsLikeaDreamQuilts/

6 pm EST Tammy Silvers/Tamarinis https://www.facebook.com/tamarinis/

April 3

12 pm EST Darcy Hunter www.facebook.com/darcydoodlequilts
1 pm EST Teresa Weaver www.facebook.com/yoursewingfriend
2 pm EST Annette Ornelas https://www.facebook.com/southwind.designs/
3 pm EST Jo Westfoot – The Crafty Nomad www.facebook.com/thecraftynomad
4 pm EST Lynn Kane https://facebook.com/puppygirllynn
5 pm EST Geeky Bobbin https://facebook.com/geekybobbinApril 3 6pm EST
7 pm EST Laura Strickland https://m.facebook.com/orangeblossomquilt/
8 pm EST Jen Frost https://www.facebook.com/FaithAndFabric/

April 4

12 pm EST Sherry Shish – Powered By Quilting facebook.com/poweredbyquilting
1 pm EST Bill Locke – Bill Locke Designs https://www.facebook.com/bill.locke.96
2 pm EST Toni Smith/Quiltoni https://www.facebook.com/Quiltoni/
3 pm EST Tammy Silvers/Tamarinis https://www.facebook.com/tamarinis/
4 pm EST Jennifer Fulton https://www.facebook.com/inquiringquilter/
5 pm EST Jessica Caldwell/ Desert Bloom Quilting https://www.facebook.com/desertbloomquilting/
6 pm EST Monique Kleinhans / Ladybug’s Cabin https://www.facebook.com/ladybugscabin/
7 pm EST Heather Long / Coffee and Quilts https://m.facebook.com/Coffee-and-Quilts-197254351073271/?__tn__=C-R

8 pm EST Marija Vujcic, Mara Quilt Designs https://www.facebook.com/MaraQuiltDesigns/

April 5

12 pm EST Ebony Love https://www.facebook.com/LoveBugStudios/
1 pm EST Bill Locke https://www.facebook.com/bill.locke.96
2 pm EST Marlene Oddie https://www.facebook.com/kissedquilts/
3 pm EST Sandy Fitzpatrick https://www.facebook.com/HissyfitzDesigns

*4 pm EST Reed Johnson https://www.facebook.com/BlueBearQuilts/
5 pm EST Diane Harris https://www.facebook.com/stashbandit/
7 pm EST Kathryn LeBlanc/Dragonfly’s Quilting Design Studio https://www.facebook.com/dragonflysquiltingdesignstudioApril 5 8pm EST

April 6

12 pm EST Becca Fenstermaker https://www.facebook.com/prettypiney/
1 pm EST Cherry Guidry https://www.facebook.com/CherryBlossomsQuiltingStudio
2 pm EST Cheryl Lynch www.facebook.com/CherylLynchFiberArts
3 pm EST Annie Smith https://www.facebook.com/anniesmithqs5pm EST Reeze Hanson https://www.facebook.com/Morningglorydesigns/
6 pm EST
7 pm EST Melissa Marginet https://www.facebook.com/melissa.marginet.quilter/

April 7

12 pm EST Margaret Willingham/ Eye of the Beholder Quilt Design https://www.facebook.com/EyeoftheBeholderQuilt/
1 pm EST Kate Colleran/Seams Like A Dream Design https://www.facebook.com/SeamsLikeaDreamQuilts/
2 pm EST Barbara Cline https://www.facebook.com/barbara.cline.520
3 pm EST Barbara Persing https://www.facebook.com/bpquilts/
4 pm EST Ms P Designs USA/ Sharon Andersen https://www.facebook.com/MsPDesignsUSA/

7 pm EST Diane Harris https://www.facebook.com/stashbandit/
8 pm EST Christa Watson https://www.facebook.com/groups/christaquilts/

April 8

12pm EST Tina Dillard/Quilting Affection Designs https://www.facebook.com/quiltingaffectiondesigns/
1pm EST Raija Salomaa/Quilters’ Treasure Chest https://www.facebook.com/quilterstreasurechest/
2pm EST Robin Koehler//NESTLINGS by Robin https://www.facebook.com/NestlingsbyRobin/
3pm EST Terri Vanden Bosch https://www.facebook.com/lizardcreekquilting/
4pm EST Jackie Kunkel https://www.facebook.com/cantonvillagequiltworks/

5pm EST Leanne Parsons https://www.facebook.com/devotedquilterdesigns
6pm EST Laura Piland/Slice of Pi Quilts https://www.facebook.com/sliceofpiquilts/
7pm EST Ebony Love https://www.facebook.com/LoveBugStudios/
8pm EST Tammy Silvers/Tamarinis https://www.facebook.com/tamarinis/

April 9

1 pm EST Nancy Scott facebook.com/MasterpieceQApril 9 2pm EST Jayme Crow/Bella Nonna Design Studio
4 pm EST Jen Frost https://www.facebook.com/FaithAndFabric/
5 pm EST Annie Smith https://www.facebook.com/anniesmithqs/

6 pm EST Karen L. Miller / Redbird Quilt Co. https://www.facebook.com/RedbirdQuiltCo/
7 pm EST Kathryn LeBlanc/Dragonfly’s Quilting Design Studio https://www.facebook.com/dragonflysquiltingdesignstudio
8 pm EST Monique Kleinhans / Ladybug’s Cabin https://www.facebook.com/ladybugscabin/

April 10

12pm Sarah Maxwell https://www.facebook.com/DesignsSarahJMaxwell
1 pm Teresa Weaver www.facebook.com/yoursewingfriend
2 pm Karen Overton https://www.facebook.com/TheQuiltRambler

3 pm Alison Stothard https://www.facebook.com/hexadoodlequilts

5 pm Pat Sloan https://www.facebook.com/groups/QuiltWithPatSloan/

6 pm Cherry Guidry https://www.facebook.com/CherryBlossomsQuiltingStudio

7 pm Toni Smith/Quiltoni https://www.facebook.com/Quiltoni/

8 pm Marija Vujcic, Mara Quilt Designs https://www.facebook.com/MaraQuiltDesigns/

Posted on March 23, 2020March 23, 2020 by Reed — Leave a comment

7 Things to do While in Social Isolation.

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.

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:

https://youtu.be/P-g7TAjjAE8

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.

Posted on December 8, 2019September 18, 2020 by Reed — Leave a comment

Alaska Quilt Cruise June 6-13, 2020

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/.

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.

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.

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.

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-9H4fAB

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.

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.

Posted on October 15, 2019 by Reed — Leave a comment

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.

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.

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.

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/

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

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.

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

Posted on July 12, 2019July 12, 2019 by Reed — Leave a comment

Magazine Quilts Galore

Before we get to the magazine quilts, I have to tell you about an exciting discovery that I found. I was perusing the WWW.Accuquilt.com website and i did a search for embroidery patterns. What I discovered was that they have added many new free embroidery downloads for their older dies. We have two patterns that utilize Accuquilt appliqué shapes and now you can download the embroidery files for free, which will make doing the appliqué on these quilts so much easier. This is so exciting! They now have embroidery files for GO! Baby Baby, which has the bear and a duck and GO! Lullaby, which contains the sheep. Here is what they look like all stitched out in the satin stitch. The embroidery files also contain the blanket stitch and a motif stitch.

Here are the two Blue Bear Quilt patterns that use these Accuquilt dies: Dancing with Bears and Where R Ewe?, which are available on our website.

We have had several of our quilts appear in magazines recently. The first was Grandmother’s Garden, made with McKenna Ryan’s batiks in her Seed to Blossom line for Hoffman. This quilt appeared in the May/June 2019 issue of Love of Quilting magazine. The beautiful quilting was done at the Florida Quilting Center and I have included a close up photo of the quilting.

quilting on Mother's Garden — quilting on Mother’s Garden

The next quilt was Addie’s Garden, named after my great niece, appearing in the July/August 2019 issue of McCall’s Quilting magazine. It was made with gorgeous fabrics from the QT Fabrics Adeline line.

The third quilt was called Grandmother’s Garden, appearing in the July/ August 2019 issue of Love of Quilting. It featured fabric from Moda’s Morris Garden line.

We have been very busy creating new quilt designs for Accuquilt and these patterns are available as free downloads on their website. They have a die for making the Cleopatra’s Fan and our quilt pattern is called Cleo’s Garden Gate.

We also created cute mug rug rugs called Spring Medley Mug Rugs.

Finally, for Accuquilt, we created the packaging pattern for their Sea Life Medley die. The pattern included on the package is Fun at Sea Life Medley. We created a second pattern for that die called Storm at Sea Life Medley.

We have some beautiful wooden and acrylic seam rippers for sale on our website. These were created by the husband of one of our students and they are a delight to look at and hold. They take the drudgery out of ripping.

One last thing, we are leading a quilting cruise to Alaska’s Inside Passage on June 6-13, 2020. It is aboard the Holland America Eurodam and departs and returns to that great city in the Pacific Northwest of Seattle. There are quilt shops in every port and we quilt while the ship is at sea so you don’t miss out on any of the fun in the ports. Our sponsor for the cruise is Happy Apple Quilts. Their website is located at www.happyapplequilts.com Please mention that they referred you when registering. The project that we will be working on is called Northern Star Garden. It will involve 3 different techniques: piecing with Accuquilt cut shapes, no fear paper piecing and Hawaiian appliqué. Janome sewing machines and kits will be provided with fantastic fabrics from QT Fabrics.

Quilt Cruise project- Northern Star Garden

Posted on December 21, 2018 by Reed — Leave a comment

Happy Holidays!

We have lots of news to share with you. We were the runner up in the Accuquilt Block Design Contest this year with our Sea Glass block. Here are pictures of the block that won this year, me saying goodbye to last year’s winning block and a pic of where my block will be displayed in the Accuquilt headquarters for the next year. Going to Nebraska for the unveiling event is always a good time and a great opportunity to explore the midwest. I met Kaye England, who brought a trunk show, and she was fabulous. I wrote a guest blog article about my trip on the QT Fabrics blog and here is a link to that article so that you can read all about my trip. https://qtfabrics.blog/2018/09/26/guest-reed-johnson-of-blue-bear-quilts/ While there, we saw the most amazing statue, called Dignity.

We designed several new patterns for Accuquilt, which are available as free downloads from their website. They are Lilac Table Topper and Fall Frolic Table Runner. We will have two new ones coming out soon called Spring Medley Mug Rugs and Cleopatra’s Garden Gate.

We designed four quilt patterns using QT Fabrics fabric. Two of the quilts, Seahorses in the Reeds and Pixie Party, were featured in the QT Fabric’s booth at Quilt Market 2018 in Houston. The other two are called Kaleidoscope, and Rhythm of the Stars. All patterns are sold through QT Fabrics and should be available at your local quilt shop soon. We will have them for sale on our website soon as well.

We taught several fun classes this fall and several of my favorites were the Triaxial Weave Pillow, the Snapshots quilt and the Jinny Beyer Sew Along Mystery Quilt. When Kaffe Fassett and Brandon Mably were giving their workshops at Happy Apple Quilts, I was able to be their assistant for a day and had a blast.

Several of our quilts are about to have their patterns published in the May/ June and July/ August issues of Love of Quilting and the July/ August issue of McCall’s Quilting magazine. I can’t show you the quilts yet, but here is a pic of a block from Momma’s Garden, which is in the May/June issue of Love of Quilting. This quilt uses a new line of batiks from McKenna Ryan called “Seed to Blossom” from Hoffman Fabrics. I love her fabric designs.

We will be hosting a quilting cruise in 2020 going to the Inside Passage of Alaska, where there will be quilt shops at every port. The cruise will depart Seattle on June 6, 2020. So if you have ever wanted to quilt while on a cruise, or travel to Alaska, or do both at the same time, this is the cruise for you. We will have lots of fun. Start saving now. Stay tune for details on how to sign up and what the quilting project will be for the cruise. It is not on their website yet, but in the meantime, if you can’t wait, the travel company is call Quilt Retreat at Sea and their number is 210-858-6399. Call Michelle and tell her that you would like to sign up for this cruise.

Whew! That was a lot of information! Thanks for reading to the bottom. We wish you a very Happy Holiday season and look forward to sharing many exciting adventures with you in 2019. Happy New Year!

Posted on August 30, 2018 by Reed — Leave a comment

Busy Summer

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!

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.