Progress on the Polar Bear

Made some great progress on the Polar bear wall hanging at Quilt Camp this past weekend.

I worked up the background with 2 pieces of crushed velvet that have been waiting for this very moment in time!

The one said Northern Lights to me as soon as I saw it.

The other one was from a bolt of of crushed velvet that I had planned to make a dress out of --  in a previous lifetime, before I started quilting.  Those days are long gone!

This came as a kit from Quilting to Pieces Quilt Company in Appleton, WI.  They used a pattern by XXX, modifying it from a strange lavender Holly Bear to a much more agreeable Aurora Borealis Bear with stars in the sky.   I took it a few steps further with the velvet backgrounds and the crazy quilting stitches to applique the bear down. 

I did use the whites and creams in the kit to make the bear, but then I crazy-quilted all the seams down with different stitches.   I was also considering using scraps and laces from my own stash to make the bear out of linens and wools (left over from my wedding dress), but I didn't quite get around to that ...  Maybe another round?

I also trapuntoed the bear to make it pop out more -- more of a 3-D effect.  The bear is stitched to a piece of black fabric, then he has an additional layer of batting (actually -- recycled from a nice thick and puffy mattress pad).

I got so far as appliqueing the bear to the background, adding the borders, and sandwiching the batting and backing.  I did use the batting layer as a stabilizer for the velvet.  So the velvet is quilted to the batting before the bear was added on top.  I still need to go through all 3 layers now to finish quilting it properly.  Then the binding, label, and hanging pocket for the final finish.  The end is in sight!

Stumbled across this picture on Pinterest, but the source was gone.  If I knew where it came from, I would certainly give credit.

Missives from Quilt Camp - Spring 2016

Officially finished Aidin's Quilt.  Just needed to add the "secret messages" in the borders.
There will be a separate post documenting the making of that quilt, to be posted after it has been gifted to the young man.

Not much contrast as it's meant to be a "secret message," therefore subtle.

Finished putting together Rosita's Wedding Ring Quilt for her grand-daughter.  Even added another row (4x4).  Not nearly so hard as it might have been, as long as you use the notches to mark the centers, pin and take your time (go slow ...).  It went much faster than I thought it would have -- It was all together by 3 pm on Saturday with me wishing I'd brought some batting and my basting boards so I could envelope it, and start on the quilting.  Another day ... 

 

Laying out the blocks for The Wedding Ring Quilt.

It didn't really matter how I laid them out.  Rosita mixed the colors in the football shapes so well that any layout seemed to work just fine. 

 The Wedding Ring Top is complete.  

I added an extra row at Quilt camp to make it a 4x4.

Polar Bear and ice flow are assembled.  Couldn't bring myself to start stitching down the applique part  -- sometimes I need a good breather between one stage and the next of any given project.

 

 

1 sheet of composed fabric made from scraps from Aidin's Quilt in blues, purples, grays with a few other scraps.  The quilting in lines was inspired by LuAnn Kessi's Quilting Journals.  This is also good practice for me for free-motion quilting.  Destined to be journal covers later in the summer.  Also considering making small beaded art quilts out of them, too -- Larkin Van Horn Style.

This was at Silver Birch Ranch outside of Langlade, WI, not far from where I grew up.  Ma sat across the table from me.  Nice to spend the time together, even if we didn't talk much.