Monday, August 15, 2016


Quilt Block of the Week.



We will feature a quilt block of the week. You will be able to find them all grouped together in the page tab on the right side of the blog. We will have an example of the block and how it looks in a quilt and tell you a little about the history of the block, if known.




Week 1- August 15, 2016




Most Basic Block- Mother of all Quilt Blocks- The Basic Four Patch

This has to be the easiest of all quilt blocks. This is an excellent block for a beginning quilter to start with due to its straight sewing and simplicity. Here is what the block looks like.

Four Patch Quilt Block

To enhance the pattern, light and dark patches are alternated. It is called the four patch as it is composed of four patches. I believe that it was first identified by Carrie Hall in 1935. This block is a good one for thrifty quilters as it allows small scraps of fabric to be sewn together. The squares in the example above are 2" by 2."


Four patch is also the style, or basic grid-work, of a block when four similar units are combined together to form a larger four patch block, similar to the example below.


4 patch grid block example  

Here is how the 4-patch block looks in a quilt. It creates a checkerboard pattern when it is not combined with any other blocks. For this reason, this block is sometimes called checkerboard as well. This quilt is good for placing appliqué and/or quilting designs in the square blocks and borders.


4-Patch Block Quilt
Next week, we will talk about the Double Four Patch Quilt Block.

Friday, August 12, 2016

Barn Quilt in the Middle of Nowhere.

 My sister was recently on vacation in Montana and sent me a photo of a barn, along the road, stating that it needed a quilt. Looking at the photo, which is below, I agreed with her.


Unedited photo that was sent to me



I decided to give it one of my own quilts to adorn it. This quilt pattern, which I am developing, is called Modern Rainbow. I think it's an improvement on the barn! Wouldn't it be wonderful to be traveling down the road, in the middle of nowhere, and find this barn with a gorgeous quilt hanging on it? Let me know what you think.


My Edited Photo

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

New Patriotic American Quilt Pattern for Olympics and Election

Sparklers Quilt Pattern


https://www.etsy.com/listing/471490603/sparklers-on-liberty-square-digital


Antique Barber Shop

Antique Log Cabin

Quilt Close-up

Town Gazebo

Hamburger Hotdish For Busy Quilters


I purchased this beary cute embroidered towel while on vacation. It had a hotdish recipe attached for Hashbrown Hotdish. I made this using tater tots and it was delicious.




It is simple to make, and takes little time to prepare, so it is a great meal to fix for your family as it still leaves you lots of time for quilting. Your family will love it, and you, for making it.

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

New easy pattern for your holiday and Christmas gift giving


New Easy Pattern just in time for the holidays.


The Bear has just released a new pattern called, "Snow Angels." It is part of their BB Sew Easy Series of patterns that are designed for beginners. The pattern involves a center panel that is surrounded by half square triangles. This would be a great gift to give someone that is new to quilting and just getting started. It is also great for more experienced quilters to have a quick project that they can sew up as gifts for someone special on their holiday gift giving list.

Here is a link where you can download this adorable pattern for just $7.95: https://www.etsy.com/listing/468515609/snow-angels-quilt-pattern-baby-quilt?ref=shop_home_feat_4

During the Dog Days of the summer, this pattern looks very refreshing!

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Blue Bear's Etsy Shop is now live!

Blue Bear is so excited to tell you that his Etsy shop is now live. He is just getting started putting products in the shop, but so far there are patterns, books, kits, and fabric yardage. Check it out at this link: https://www.etsy.com/shop/BlueBearQuiltKits?ref=hdr_shop_menu. Here is a photo of what the shop currently looks like.

Monday, July 4, 2016

Happy 4th of July!


Happy 4th of July America. This is a patriotic home in Whitefish Bay Wisconsin.



Patriotic House all decked out for the 4th of July



Blue Bear is taking some time off to celebrate with his family. He has been working on several new patterns to be released soon. A couple are patriotic and use fabrics designed for Quilts of Valor. Another is a bed runner that he is designing. 
Here is Sparklers on Liberty Square.

Sparklers on Liberty Square