2010 Blocks of the Month: Nancy's Bears!

Happy New Year! Happy new decade! Happy new Block-of-the-Month! Boy, it took me forever to decide what I wanted to do for you this year. But once I decided, these little guys just seemed to flow from my pencil - guess I made the right choice. I hope you enjoy them all.

So, a few helpful hints. First is fabric selection. Use anything you want! Use really funky colors, use prints, plaids, stripes, polka dots. Never forget this is your quilt, so fabric selection is entirely up to you. My drawings are just a starting point; don't let them hold you back.

Some of the drawings are of bears with lots of shaggy fur. Never fear, there are many solutions. Stitch the bear in place with nylon or polyester monofilament thread then use a rayon or cotton thread a little darker than your fabric and use free motion straight stitching to create the "fuzzies". Some of the bears' fur can actually be cut out and stitched around because there are not tons of those fuzzies. OR, use flannel, suede cloth, or fleece for your bears. Does any of that help?

Some of the mouths, insides of ears, and certainly the eyes are way too small to comfortably applique`, so draw them in with Pigma Micron pens or Fabrico pens. Be sure to heat set them. Several of the bears have bows around their necks. If you would prefer, make a bow from a soft ribbon and tack it in place.

And what about embellishment? Heavens, use all you want. A couple of the bears are just screaming for earrings, maybe one of them makes you feel he would like a sweater - so put one on him! Have you got an old sweater you can cut up? That's the easiest and one of the most effective ways to provide that much-needed garment for your bear. Many of them could benefit from the use of a silk flowers(s), maybe buttons, even a jewel or two. Cut loose and have fun with this part. I hope these suggestions are helpful to you. If you have any trouble, don't hesitate to e-mail me.

Happy stitching!

Nancy

Current Block

August 2010

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Previous Blocks