Three Bears Quilting

A cute baby quilt for Christina!

2012-01-24T19:11:00.000-05:00

We'll be delivering this quilt, among others, a week from tomorrow, Feb 1st, to Thimble Pleasures. We'll also be picking up new quilts that you'd like to have quilted. Remember, if you'd like to meet in person about your quilt project, just call or e mail and I'll put you down for an appointment. In the meantime, enjoy this adorable quilt. The fabrics had cute fish figures on it, so we thought why not---lets quilt it with this fun dolphin pattern:

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Twing's stained glass quilt is finished!

2012-01-21T11:08:00.000-05:00

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Twing used a variety of color full fabrics to create a version of a stained glass quilt. We used a variegated thread by Superior. Their Rainbows line has a bit of a shimmer to it, and looks just magical against black.

Two Quilts for Amy are on the way!

2012-01-21T10:58:00.000-05:00

I'm getting near the end of a stack of quilts that Amy requested to be finished. A very dear member of the family was a prolific quilter, and left a stack of beautiful quilts unfinished.

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We used a beautiful butterfly and rose quilting design on this one

This one was quilted with a vintage rose design.

A green and white check backing fabric picked up some green color from the quilt top. Very suttle, but oh so nice!

Another beautiful strip quilt

2012-01-14T16:47:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure if Charlet made this quilt, or if her DIL was the one that pieced it; either way, these ladies know how to sew! This wall hanging will look stunning in any room.

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We used a beautiful swirling leaves pattern. The thread is a variegated by Superior. In my opinion, Superior's King Tut line is some of the finest thread available. Sure, it is expensive. But there's no other thread that works as well with today's Batik's.

Joyce's Lantern Quilt is finished...

2012-01-11T18:46:00.000-05:00

Joyce made a very unique quilt that she calls Magic Lanterns. It has a pieced back---exactly the same dimensions of the space between the borders on the front appears on the back. OK, time for Johnny to go to work. Johnny is, hands down, the absolute best at centering pieced backs. Most long arm quilters won't even accept pieced backs. (read their websites). This one turned out perfect. Johnny said "it wasn't easy, wasn't hard either; no big deal". OK everyone...bring 'em!

Mary's Shades of Hope is Finished

2012-01-11T18:28:00.000-05:00

Mary pieced this beautiful Irish Chain lap quilt in shades of brown. It was quilted with a suttle rose pattern. I love this quilt....

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Here's the rose that was used in the quilting...

Kathleen's Brown Batik Strip Quilt is finished!

2012-01-09T19:19:00.000-05:00

Kathleen has made the most beautiful strip quilt in brown batik's. So why not use one of our brand spanking new patterns on this beauty? I recently went on a pattern shopping spree. And this is a sampling of what I found...

Page Johnson has teamed up with Anita Shakelford. Her new E2E patterns are perfect for today's Batik's. Gotta' keep it fresh!

Carol's Raggedy Ann Quilt is Finished!

2012-01-04T11:31:00.000-05:00

Carol hand embroidered red work images of Raggedy Ann and Andy. These were set amongst colorful 9 patch and pinwheel blocks. The segments were then separated by black sashing and framed by a butter yellow border. We used a 1.25 inch cross hatch on the blocks in ivory thread. Next, we switched to a crayon box variegated thread by King Tut and went to work on the black sashing. And finally, the outer borders received a sweet feather design.

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Linda's "I Spy" Quilt is finished!

2011-12-23T14:57:00.000-05:00

Linda made the most adorable quilt ever for a child. It's called Eye Spy. There's 117 squares separated by sashing. Each square is a different object, like animals, things around the house, etc.. that a child can point at to learn the names. Linda added 5 borders, some large and some narrow. Each block received a flower motif. This same design was then picked up and used on a larger scale in the wide outer border. A circular design was used in the black inner border. All of the borders were stitched in the ditch. And then, to really make this quilt fun, Linda used a white minke backing with extra long nap. It feels like my kitty, Romeo. Who couldn't resist that?? Nap time just can't come soon enough.

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All borders were stitched in the ditch

You can see the minke backing here.

Carol's Autograph Quilt is Finished!!

2011-12-20T18:52:00.000-05:00

I had some good friends ride up to the studio on their bikes yesterday. They told me they just had to stop in to see this quilt, as the colors really caught their eye. It was a beautiful day, and we had the doors open. The backing is a blue minke dot backing.

Two Quilts for Doris are now quilted!

2011-12-20T18:44:00.000-05:00

Doris was one of my very first customers back in 2006. And even though I have never had the chance to meet Doris face to face, I feel like I've known her all my life. She's a phenomenal quilter, and a wonderful person. I have another quilt in my queue that Doris has sent to me. I'll be working on that one soon. Stay tuned, it will be worth a look!! In the meantime, notice how Doris has used color to take this strip quilt to a new dimension.

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We used a funky feather meander E2E.

Julie's quilt will also be delivered tomorrow!

2011-12-11T17:33:00.000-05:00

These fabrics are simply luscious! A swirling leaf quilting pattern tied them all together.

the quilting detail really shows up on this beautiful fabric

Carole's T Shirt Quilt is Finished!

2011-12-11T17:24:00.000-05:00

We love how this T Shirt Quilt turned out. The thing that Carole does that sets her T Shirt Quilts apart is the layout. She puts a lot of thought into framing each shirt, using a variety of complementary fabrics for settings.

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Remember, use a stabilizer such as French Fuse on the backs of the shirts. No glue, spray adhesives, or peel and stick stabilizers of any kind. My machine, whose name is Yogi, will snarl, growl, and foam at the mouth at the mere mention of glue. If Yogi ain't happy, no body's happy.

As far as the quilting design goes, we prefer a meandering type design with a very even density. And one that does not stitch over itself or cross over any lines.

As always, should you have any questions about making your T Shirt Quilt, do not hesitate to call the Bears before you start. As we said, just a few simple changes in the process can guarantee excellent results every time!!!

By Request.....

2011-12-09T10:20:00.002-05:00

At the request of our customers and readers of my blog, I have enabled the share features. These features appear below every posting, (old and new posts) and allow you to post instantly to Face Book, Twitter, or Email to a friend directly from the blog. Enjoy! Today I'll be working on a Queen size T-Shirt Quilt that was made by Carole. I know lots of Long Arm Quilters that won't work on T-Shirt Quilts. Of course, the Bears would love to quilt yours, but please give a call first, especially if you have not made one before. You need to use specific materials to stabilize the shirts. French Fuse works especially well, and we can guarantee great results if you do a few simple things! Check back later on for pictures of the T-Shirt Quilt!!

Kathryn's Christmas Quilt is Done!!

2011-12-07T19:21:00.000-05:00

O.K. Every now and then one of our beloved customers entrusts The Bears with a quilt that SCREAMS for custom quilting. A lot of it. Here's one.

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we wanted the stars to be emphasized. it might be hard to see, but there is a "vein" that travels out of each star point that connects to the rest of the background fill. plus, each star is "broadly" outlined. it's just the way the bears do it.....

Star of Roses is Finished!

2011-11-30T17:08:00.000-05:00

Mary pieced this stunning wall hanging called "Star of Roses". It was custom quilted using a variety of patterns. The Bears love custom quilting, large or small!

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Valerie's Latest Quilt is Finished!

2011-11-29T08:46:00.000-05:00

Valerie requested a swirly quiling pattern, along with a warm and cozy batting. Hobbs Tuscany Wool was the obvious pick for the batting. As far as the quilting design, we auditioned 7-10 different patterns, and ended up choosing this Tammy Finkler original.

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Nancy's Green and gold quilt is finished!

2011-11-26T16:16:00.000-05:00

It was great to meet Nancy recently, as she is a new customer for me. She and I are both members of the Twin Rivers Quilt Guild in New Bern. By the way, this is a terrific bunch of folks. I'm really excited about getting more involved with the guild in 2012!

Nancy came to the studio and together we selected the quilting design as well as the thread.

Ruth's Blue and Yellow Quilt is finished!

2011-11-26T16:07:00.000-05:00

Ruth did a beautiful job piecing this blue and yellow quilt for a special holiday gift. They are going to love it, I just know it!

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I've already packaged this quilt for shipping, so I can't show you how wonderful the binding looks on this quilt. Ruth normally chooses our service that we call "binding #1". For 2.50 a running foot, we will construct a double fold binding, cut on the bias if you like. (some opt out of bias cut, as it requires a bit more fabric). The ends are joined for you, so all you need to do, once your quilt is returned to you is hand stitch the binding to the back of the quilt. If you have a label, we can either tuck it inside the binding, or quilt it in. I'm always happy to sew the label on the back for you, if you wish to have it quilted in. This way, we know it will be placed in the correct spot. (It's hard to tell where it might go unless you see how the quilt top and backing are loaded onto the frame).

One more Christmas quilt for Lisa!!

2011-11-23T12:26:00.000-05:00

I wonder who the lucky recipient will be?? I wish it were me!

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We used a swirly quilting design. We kept the swirls to the same scale as the circular designs on the fabrics.

Winifred's Strip Quilt is Finished!

2011-11-22T14:44:00.000-05:00

Winifred made this beautiful strip quilt in all green tones. I LOVE this quilt. BTW, green is one of my favorite colors.

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We used an all over swirly, leafy design

Two Quilts for Gayle are finished!

2011-11-15T17:26:00.000-05:00

Gayle makes contemporary quilts, most always (always???) out of batik fabrics.

The backing is pieced, and requires careful centering

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Her it is in blues!

Susan's Christmas Dolls is finished!

2011-11-15T15:27:00.000-05:00

Here's a perfect example of "less is more". All this adorable Christmas quilt needed was a simple stipple type quilting pattern and an obscure thread.

Susan chose Dream Wool for her batting.

Wedding Quilt is finially finished!

2011-11-09T18:31:00.000-05:00

Maryanne started this autograph quilt for her daughter a few years back, but now it's finished! I have a few projects of my own hanging out that I'm going to make a point to finish in early 2012. Thanks for this jolt of inspiration, Maryanne!

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We used sew fine thread #402. If you use a fine thread like this, quilting over the lettering is no problem at all.

Carolyn's Tree Skirt is finished!

2011-11-09T18:20:00.000-05:00

This tree skirt will look beautiful around any Christmas Tree. I like this pattern that Carolyn used, as it's cut after it's quilted. Makes it really easy to work with!

A very special gift for Jan's son

2011-11-09T13:07:00.000-05:00

Jan pieced this beautiful brown and blue quilt for her son. She says he kept the last one for over 20 plus years, so perhaps it was time to break down and make him a new one!! Lucky guy!!

The photo was taken in the owners quarters of the Inn. I think it looks quite nice, don't you?

At Jan's request, I constructed the binding and attached it to the front of her quilt. Now all she has to do is plop down, turn on DWTS and stitch away. It'll be done in no time! BTW, this service is called "binding #1", and we can do this for any quilt, any size. This quilt is BIG, a California King, and can be difficult to handle if you don't have a lot of space.

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Now look here, won't you? The back of the quilt is fabulous!

some detail of the quilting

What's for Breakfast at the Inn?????

2011-11-05T20:25:00.000-04:00

This Sausage Apple Quiche has become a favorite at the Cartwright House

We do a candlelight breakfast at the Inn...always something different

Lisa's Latest is done...

2011-11-05T20:03:00.000-04:00

All these fabrics can be purchased at Thimble Pleasures in Chapel Hill. Lisa works there, and is everyone's go to gal when it comes to choosing fabrics for your latest project.

Sharon's Offset Batik Quilt is also done!

2011-11-05T19:50:00.000-04:00

Sharon's Gold Asian Inspired is done!

2011-11-05T19:30:00.000-04:00

Sharon works at Thimble Pleasures in Chapel Hill. I don't know her schedule, but if you're lucky, she'll be there when you are! Sharon choose Dream Wool Batting, and it looks sooooo nice. We expanded a feathered Sashiko design, and repeated it in alternating rows over the quilt in a gold thread. Very happy with the final look.

Linda's Latest....

2011-11-05T19:02:00.000-04:00

This quilt has a double fleece backing (reversible fleece) with a silk batting, at Linda's request. You can't believe the drape and the softness. She calls this quilt "Seeking Serenity" and let me tell you...I felt serene working on it.

The quilting design is called Arabian Knights by Tammy Finkler. Thanks Tammy :-)

It's all Kaffe for Kat, and it's a beauty!!

2011-11-05T18:51:00.000-04:00

All the fabrics can be purchased at Thimble Pleasures in Chapel Hill, NC where Kat works.

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The quilting was fairly dense, but these fabrics and this pattern can stand up to it!! After this quilt is washed, blocked and dried, it will look dynamite on any bed!

Christina's made another baby quilt!!!

2011-11-05T18:26:00.000-04:00

This quilt is for a boy, and we couldn't resist this cute frog quilt pattern. You can see the frog design on the back really well. This photo was taken on the machine.

There's the frog..on the back

There's the frog on the back. Christina uses a lot of Minke for her baby and child's quilts for a lot of reasons. First, they produce a super soft instant fav of a blankie for the recipient. Second, if you choose a solid color minke, you can really see the quilting design on the back of the quilt. So it's 2 quilts in one!!! Yeah!

JoAnne's Brown Bear Paw is finished!

2011-11-05T16:46:00.000-04:00

JoAnne Pieced this Bear Paw quilt in browns for their cabin. We just LOVE this quilt. It was custom quilted with a leaf pattern throughout. JoAnne requested a dark brown thread. Good choice!

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Yes, you can quilt over embroidery.......

2011-11-05T16:32:00.001-04:00

.........and not be put in quilting jail! Ha! No really, lookee here...Nancy made this adorable Redwork embroidery quilt for little Daisy. The overall Daisy design goes right over the embroidery, but does not take away from her work. We used Sew Fine #401--a very thin thread in a light ivory.

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Lynne's Jinny Beyer Wall Hanging is Finished!

2011-11-05T14:42:00.000-04:00

Time to catch up! I'll be posting 9-10 completed quilts today, so enjoy! I'll start with a beautiful wall hanging that Lynne pieced for a friend. We had a hard time choosing between an all over design and custom quilting. We finally decided on an elegant all over feather design in a neutral grey/silver toned Omni thread. I could not be more pleased with the outcome, and am so glad that Lynn and I spent the time we did talking it through!

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Valerie's Star Quilt is Finished

2011-10-05T11:49:00.000-04:00

Valerie requested a simple, overall quilting design for this project. At first, I wasn't so sure an overall was the way to go. So after careful consideration, we decided on an ivory thread. This way, the lighter fabrics recede, and the star design is emphasized. The feathers look great on the border as well. It really is a custom look without the custom price tag. Thanks Valerie! This idea will probably work for a lot of quilts!

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Border detail

Valerie's Batik queen Size is finished!

2011-10-02T16:45:00.000-04:00

We love working on Valerie's quilts. This girl can sew!

An all over fern quilting design looked great!

King Tut thread by Superior really works well with Batik fabrics. We can always find a variegated that blends with the colors in batik fabrics. Plus, it's a heavier thread that can stand up to the stiffer hand of a batik.

The Wedding quilt is finished.

2011-09-22T17:28:00.000-04:00

Rhonda made this beautiful quilt in browns for a wedding gift. It's big, 99 x 104, so it will fit nicely on a bed. It's just beautiful. They will love it!

the solid white backing makes it a true wedding quilt. Actually, they are getting two quilts in one, as the reverse is a beautiful white whole cloth quilt!! Picture that on a bed with a few bright throw pillows.

Rhonda requested fairly dense quilting, as she knows the recipients plan to use this quilt. I can assure, it is quilted to stand up to heavy use.

Walnut Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

2011-09-22T17:18:00.000-04:00

What's for Breakfast at the Cartwright House? This morning I made a new version of an old standby. This bread was a hit with the guests, and has now been added to the wall of fame. We serve a full breakfast at the Inn, and there's always something new coming out of the kitchen. Remember, you can always bring your quilt to Three Bears, and then stay a night or two at the Inn.

JoAnne's Star Quit is beautiful!

2011-09-22T17:06:00.001-04:00

These stars are floating against a dark blue background. We quilted an edge to edge design that more or less connected all these stars. Rainbows Thread by Superior is a high sheen poly that was used to quilt the top. The Bears love to use specialty threads to achieve special effects.

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Melody in Fabric

2011-09-22T16:55:00.000-04:00

Mary named this beautiful quilt "Melody in Fabric". My guess is because it's a gift for their Choir director. It was fairly densely quilted with a design called Gilded. I think this quilt sings!

Pat's "Midnight Star" is finished!

2011-09-17T15:45:00.000-04:00

I love the black background and the red inner border. All of this just makes the star shine out loud. It was custom quilted using a flat black thread on the black as well as the paisley border. The rest was quilted in a burnt gold using Superior Threads Highlights.

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The raffle quilt for the guild is finished!

2011-09-17T14:48:00.000-04:00

You better believe I felt honored when asked to quilt the raffle quilt for the Twin Rivers Quilt Guild. Tickets will go on sale soon.

A swirly, leafy border with continuous corners was added.
The inner narrow border was stitched in the ditch. that always adds nice framing to any quilt.

Hurricane Irene

2011-09-17T12:58:00.000-04:00

Hurricane Irene has come and gone. Today marks three weeks since the eye traveled directly over Oriental. Very, very scary to sustain a direct hit like that. Luckily, the Cartwright House, and the quilt studio sustained no structural damage or flooding. The old girl's been here since 1903!! Thank you, thank you, thank you for all your e mails, phone calls, cards and prayers. It worked. Now that we are back to a somewhat normal life here, I'm going to make every effort to post more quilt photos. That's the thing about blogs. They're great, if you keep up with them. If you don't, it's easy to assume that production has stopped, which totally is not the case here.

In the meantime, there are lots of pictures and stories on our local on line news resource.

www.towndock.net

On the right side of the screen you'll find links to stories describing the days leading up to and after Irene. Pull up a chair and a cup of coffee. Oh, and one more thing. You betcha, I'd move here all over again. We love living in Oriental.

JoAnne's Star Quit is beautiful!

2011-08-04T13:53:00.001-04:00

JoAnn is a new customer for us. Welcome! I wish I knew who to thank for the referral. Hello??? Are you out there? Let me know...In the meantime, here is her quilt:

The quilting in the solid white squares mimicked her piecing

Lots of quilting!

Here, you can see the quilting detail in her sawtooth border

Remember, you can click on any image for more detail

These pictures were all taken on the frame, in the studio. This way, we can control the lighting and get just the shots we want.

Some fab quilts to feature!!

2011-08-04T11:23:00.000-04:00

Somewhere between Dragon boat racing (more to come) and the grand (soft) opening of the Cartwright House B@B, some beautiful quilts were completed. The first to show you is Linda E.'s giant Dahlia. Really, it is spectacular. It was photographed in the Victoria Suite:

On a King Size Bed with a TALL mattress!

Wool Batting shows the quilting in a grand style!

The center of the Dahlia. Each section is quilted separately. This project was made easier because of Linda's perfect piecing. Johnny and I tag teamed on this quilt, as it was quite involved!!

Featured Quilt and Quilter!!

2011-07-12T19:34:00.000-04:00

Linda has trusted the Bears this time with not one, but two, king size quilts. Both will be delivered to Thimble Pleasures this Friday July 15th. The first one is a quilt that was made on a retreat. It's totally gorgeous, with appliqued

baskets stealing the show. There's so much going on here that we felt custom quilting would be completely lost. Not only that, we felt it would actually take away. So instead, we chose a beautiful feather overall design. Thread choice is critical in that it needs to blend everywhere. All we're shooting for is a whole lotta' texture. Superior Threads Sew Fine #402 came through.

Taken in the Victoria Suite in the Bed and Breakfast. This room boasts a king size mahogany sleigh bed and I soooo wish this quilt were mine. Because it it were, this is where I'd put it!

Yes, it IS ok to quilt right over those appliqued handles! See what I mean? Imagine if you quilted those baskets, and then oh so carefully outlined the handles. Waayyy too much. Click or double click on any image for more detail.

Ding Ding Ding!!! Bonus time! Linda's got a beautiful second quilt. Just turn it over! Johnny was the lead quilter on this quilt and nobody gets a more perfect balance of tension than Johnny. Seriously, he's taught me all I know about how to acheive perfect tension. (Quilt Judges know it too!) And something else you might not know about Johnny. He fell off the roof of the Bed and Breakfast recently, but he's OK. LUCKY! Thank goodness the Cartwright House is opening Monday July 18th. Feet on ground from now on. I got a pinky promise on that.

Unique Quilt to Feature

2011-07-12T11:11:00.000-04:00

Very unique, very creative, very beautiful! Peter's got it all going on with this 3D quilt in batiks. The open piecing presents some quilting challenges, at least for me. I need to be r-e-a-l-l-y careful when moving the machine head over the quilt. It'd be real easy to tear one of those squares if you get in a hurry. Alas, all of the little suckers are in tact! The body of the quilt was all stitched in the ditch. The borders were various widths, so careful thought went into the quilt designs here as the density needs to remain constant.

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SID detail

3 D Piecing, Border detail

Large Border Detail

Happy 4th of July!!!!

2011-07-04T11:18:00.000-04:00

And I have a real firecracker for you.......Laura from Chapel Hill pieced this beautiful star sampler. As always, Laura did a spectacular job. This is a large quilt, 89 x 96. With wool batting and flannel backing, this will be used as a winter quilt.

on a king size bed

There were five borders. The large outside border runs the length of the quilt only. We quilted a beautiful feather design here

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you can see all 5 borders here. the narrow pink border was SID. this really creates a nice frame when on a bed.

it's all about the details.....

each star block was uniquely quilted. i have a lot of pictures, simply because we have seen a lot of these types of quilts lately. perhaps you might see something you'd like on your quilt????

stitch in the ditch is always worth the effort

this shot was taken on the frame

lastly, laura can flip her quilt over, and have a beautiful whole cloth quilt. the bears pride themselves with their stitch quality. the back should always look as good as the front when it comes to tension.

New Featured Quilt and Quilter!

2011-07-02T14:08:00.001-04:00

Carol from Scottsdale, AZ pieced this beautiful pink and white pinwheel quilt for her daughter. We just love it, and had a great time quilting it. Carol does exceptional work! Something tells me she had a good teacher.....

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Border detail

Custom quilting is our specialty!

Sawtooth border detail

We used warm and white 100% cotton batting

A new quilt to feature!

2011-06-21T11:38:00.001-04:00

This quilt is called "a new galaxy" and it's pieced by Joyce from New Bern. Joyce loves her batiks, and it shows!

It was custom quilted by Johnny. He took a much needed break from the remodel of the Inn long enough to quilt Joyce's quilt. Said he needed a quilting fix. Right on, Johnny!

Border designs were carefully placed, according to Joyce's perfectly mitered corners.

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Another shot of the border detail

The back of the quilt

Couldn't resist a 3rd featured quilt and quilter this week

2011-06-02T18:52:00.000-04:00

Mary pieced this beautiful Mariners Compass wall hanging. She is a new customer to me from New Bern, NC, and a brilliant quilter. We had fun goin' to town on this piece. All custom, our specialty.

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Another angle

lots of detail......

three borders, inner was SID, mid had geometric design, outer was much more intricate.

Our second featured quilt and quilter is..........

2011-06-01T12:18:00.000-04:00

......miss Natalie from Pomona Kansas. This quilt will be shown at the Kansas State fair. It's a beauty. And it's big--93 x 112, all custom quilted, and decked out with Prairie Points. There's a variety of star blocks, all separated with blue sashing that was stitched in the ditch on all sides. The borders were different widths on the sides, which created even more interest. The 10.5 inch outer white border had applique flowers and leaves in each corner and was echo quilted with a flower motif throughout. We quilted the veins into the leaves at Natalie's suggestion. Brilliant touch. Enjoy and good luck Natalie!

Taken in the owners quarters of the Cartwright House Bed and Breakfast.

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Each star block is different!

Stitch in the ditch around the sashing is time consuming, but totally worth it.

Pinwheel blocks went around the quilt

Detail of the pinwheel blocks

Detail of the echo floral quilting on the large white outside border. I tinted it in Picasa to show the detail.

Here you can see Natalie's expert applique, and the detail that was quilted into the leaves.

And lastly, just playing with Picasa!!

The first of two featured quilts and quilters for this week!

2011-06-01T11:43:00.000-04:00

This week there are two featured quilts and quilters. The first is none other than our very own Julie, owner of Thimble Pleasures in Chapel Hill, NC. If you have not been in the shop lately, they have lots and lots of new fabrics and patterns. Anyhoo, take a peek at this colorful quilt. I had a good time with the quilting, using all geometrics.

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I quilted the border with a wavy piano key

Here you can see the diagonals that run thru the quilt

Julie's String Quilt is finished!

2011-05-16T19:41:00.000-04:00

Julie pieced this beautiful lap size string quilt. I just love it! Click on any image for more detail!

This quilt looks stunning with the design that Julie chose. It's called "Mixin-it-Up" by one of my favorite designers, Tammy Finkler.

This photo was also taken in Room #5 at the Bed and Breakfast, AKA, the Crows Nest.

It's a Wedding Quilt!!

2011-05-16T19:29:00.000-04:00

What could bring more joy than a wedding? Not much, unless it's a wedding quilt! This one was made by Barbara, a brilliant quilter and, quite simply, just a wonderful person. When I first met Barbara, she was, without a doubt, the happiest, most content person I had met In a long, long time. What was it? Can't put my finger on it, but I do remember her comment about where she was living. "It's heaven on earth". Wow, I want to live in a place like that, I thought. Well, that's how I feel about Oriental, NC. Yes. Just like that. So here it is. Barbara's quilt:

Taken in the"crows nest". Click for detail.

Some tinting shows the quilting detail. Barbara chose a yummy flannel for the backing. The newlyweds will have two quilts; the back looks as good as the front!

Because the backing was flannel, I chose dream cotton select. This batting has no scrim, and really pairs well with flannel.

I enhanced this photo to show quilting detail. Click the image for more detail

A Study in Black and White

2011-05-06T12:42:00.001-04:00

Natalie constructed this beautiful Quilt using only black and white prints. Well, the sashing is all solid black, but that's it for solids. It's an Overbrook Quilt Connection 2010 Block of the Month. While I wish I could post every single quilt like I used to, at least for now, I'm limited time-wise to choosing 2 or three each week. When the Bed and Breakfast opens (soon!!!), and the renovations wind down, I'll be able to do more pictures. Remember, you can click on any image for more detail.

Small Applique

On a King Size Bed

Large Applique

Barbara's Snail Quilt is finished!

2011-05-06T12:18:00.000-04:00

Barbara was referred to me from Bernina World of Sewing in Raleigh. By the way, that's where I bought my first Bernina a gazillion (or so it seams) years ago. I still have it and still love it, even tho I've added a few others to the fleet. This is a really nice quilt shop that's stood the test of time. Pop in and see them sometime. Here's a few pictures of Barbara's adorable baby quilt:

She requested swirls for the background quilting, and outline the snail.

Mina's beautiful king size is finished!

2011-04-20T11:17:00.000-04:00

Mina pieced this gorgeous quilt --all Kaffe. I think I'm going to make one next. One of our guest rooms in the Inn will be called "the Garden Room" because it looks out onto the courtyard patio. This quilt would look stunning on the bed in that room, or any room for that matter:

A Beautiful Paper Pieced Wall Hanging from Carolyn

2011-04-20T11:04:00.000-04:00

This wall hanging was custom quilted using a variety of coordinating quilting designs.

Here's a few shots of the quilting detail:

My, my, why aren't there any new quilts?

2011-02-23T11:38:00.000-05:00

The Bears continue to quilt every day, and are working on all of the beautiful quilts that we have in our studio. However, until the renovations to the Bed and Breakfast are further along, we can't take the quilts over for any photo's. (We don't have any open wall space in the studio that's big enough for most of the quilts). Currently we have hardwood flooring contractors and painters in the Inn. The 2nd and 3rd floors have the most beautiful Heart Pine floors that have been restored to their original 1903 beauty. We elected to cover the pine on the main level with Brazilian Cherry. The Pine was simply to worn on this level. Hopefully, we can resume posting photos within the next two weeks. Until then, keep working on those quilts! I'll be at Thimble Pleasures Friday March 18th from 10:30-2:30 picking up, dropping off and meeting with customers if desired. Just call or e mail to schedule your appointment! I will have my computer with all 9,000 designs loaded for your viewing pleasure. Of course, the infamous "thread book" goes where I go. By for now.....

Julia's Jewel Box Quilt is Finished!

2011-01-28T13:41:00.000-05:00

This is a King Size Beauty in Jewel Tone Batiks

Border Detail:

Quilting Detail:

New Studio in Oriental!

2011-01-28T12:11:00.001-05:00

The studio's been up and running since Jan 5th, but I'm just now getting around to posting pictures. So much to do! So many things are working out like they're supposed to (we all know that doesen't always happen!!!). For instance, my first "run to the Triangle" went off without a hitch. It was wonderful seeing everyone that had made appointments with me that day at Thimble Pleasures. And for those that were only able to drop off their quilt and could not meet with me, you will receive a call/e mail to confirm any quilting decisions before I begin work. So for now, here's a few pictures of the new studio, a small two story cottage on the property of the now under renovation Cartwright House Bed and Breakfast.

The Studio is located around the back of the property. There's plenty of parking in the parking lot or on the street. Here's a few shots of the Bed and Breakfast. These were taken in October, when everthing was still nice and green. Aahhh, those days are comming....

The Wraparound Porch:

Joyce's Garden View is also finished!

2010-12-04T12:41:00.000-05:00

It was custom quilted with a beautiful feather design inside the borders. The inner pink border was SID, while the feather theme continued with feathered swags in the outer border. The silk batting gives this quilt a dreamy look and feel.

Pinwheel Jelly Roll is Finished!

2010-12-04T12:28:00.000-05:00

Joyce R. made this happy pinwheel quilt to hang on the wall of her studio.

Swirling feathers made up the bulk of the quilting; the inner and outer borders each were delighted to receive their own custom designs!

The Bears absolutely love making each quilt special and unique!

Janelle's Fall Leaves Quilt is Finished!!

2010-12-04T12:02:00.000-05:00

It was great to meet Janelle and hubby last weekend....perk of the job---meeting nice people. Janelle is a perfectionist. These pictures won't be able to show how meticulous she is. And the colors are beautiful:

Jenelle selected a beautiful leaves panto. This design will really show on the solid backing fabric!

Elaine's Flag Quilt is Finished!!

2010-12-02T10:53:00.000-05:00

It was great meeting Elaine the other day. This beautiful Flag Quilt is constructed using her original design. This makes an already special gift even more so.

Here's a bit of quilting detail:

Marian's Rail Fence is Finished!

2010-12-02T10:35:00.000-05:00

Marian made this beautiful bed size quilt. It's a gift, I think...The quilting design we chose was a beautiful meandering feather.

Linda's Quilt is Finished!

2010-11-28T15:27:00.000-05:00

Linda made this beautiful star quilt with Purple Minke on the back! She used a special tool (can't remember the name of it) that puts a star at the ends of the sashing. Brilliant!

Here's a shot of the purple minke backing:

Michelle's Wall Hanging is Finished!!

2010-11-23T12:00:00.001-05:00

Michelle made this beautiful wall hanging from an assortment of brown and gold batiks. It's going to look great hanging in her office!

Here's a birds eye of the quilting:

Callie's Quilt is finished!!!

2010-11-23T11:51:00.000-05:00

It was great to meet Callie last week. Her turning 20 Ocean Quilt is just beautiful!

We used a Bamboo Batting by Legacy. For some reason, Batik and Bamboo just simply play real nice together. It was quilted with a variety of shapes, swirls and coral looking things in a Shimmery Thread from Superior Rainbows line called Opal. Perfect!

Star Crossed x 2!!!

2010-11-23T11:30:00.000-05:00

Cindy made two of these beautiful Star Crossed Quilts. They turned out just perfect! Here's the first:

Both were quilted with a star design:

Here's the other one --slightly different border:

Cis's Quilt is finished!

2010-11-18T14:29:00.000-05:00

Cis made this beautiful King Size quilt for her daughter. It's big -- I could only photograph the top half as it was hanging.

Here's some detail of the quilting:

The borders really frame out this beautiful quilt! There are two blue borders, each with their own design separated by a narrow white border. All are stitched in the ditch.

Antique DWR is back from the show!!!!!

2010-11-17T11:31:00.000-05:00

This Antique Double Wedding Ring is from ---we think---1930's???? It was custom quilted by the Three Bears and on display at the DOQ Quilt show in October. It could not be judged, as it was not pieced by a DOQ member. It's approx 90 x 90 and bound by the world famous Lynn Elliott. It's one of my favorite quilts ever, and I can't wait to display it in my new studio. Oooopppss! I almost let the cat out of the bag. Get back in the bag!! Now!! Bad Kitty!!

Corner Stone and Binding Detail:

This quilt was hand pieced. Perhaps you have an antique quilt top that was never finished. Maybe from a family member or even one that you purchased at an estate sale. The Bears have lots of experience handling these delicate quilt tops. We'll be happy to take a look at yours.

Melon detail:

Tracie's Quilt is Finished!

2010-11-17T11:10:00.000-05:00

It's another king size, all custom quilted--our specialty!

The fabrics are beautiful! The quilt has a giant star in the center and four borders: The outside border received a hanging diamond crosshatch. Johnny's crosshatch patterns are brilliant. They always line up perfectly all around the perimeter of the quilt!

The white border:

The green swag border:

Liana's Quilt is Finished!

2010-11-17T10:56:00.000-05:00

It a king size beauty!

It's a Ribbon Winner!!!!

2010-11-17T10:37:00.001-05:00

.........and it's mine this time!! Whooo-hoooo! It's the happy dance that I'm doing today!

The Quilt is an Amish Medallion Pattern that I found in an old book of Quilt Patterns. There weren't really any instructions, so I knew it was the perfect project for me. I rarely follow them anyway. And besides, now I have a built in excuse in case it's a flop. Here's a bit of detail:

basket detail:

I love breaking the rules, and a big one here was combining cotton sateen and batik fabrics. Apparently that's a no-no. I say yes-yes!! Here is some of the detail of the feathers used in the background quilting.

And here's a bit of quilting detail from the dahlia designs:

I should have used the sateen on the back, as it is now a beautiful whole cloth. Since I was going to use it as a wall hanging, I used 200 ct bleached muslin. But it looks nice too:

Becky's Princess Quilt is Finished!

2010-11-11T11:45:00.000-05:00

Becky made this princess quilt for her 4 yr old daughter. She will LOVE it!

Here's some detail of the fabric.

We just love Minke on the backs of Children's Quilts. Becky chose a purple minke with spots. The quilting design shows up on the back.

Kyoko's Bloomin' 9 Patch is Finished!

2010-11-11T09:42:00.000-05:00

Kyoko just keeps getting better and better! It's hard to see in the photo's just how beautiful this quilt is. It's BIG! 98 x 108!

The quilting design is called Gilded and it's from our extensive Ann Bright Collection.

There was some nice light the morning we snapped these!

I met this photographer once on a bike ride. He called it " magic light".

Nancy's Dresden Plate Applique is Finished!

2010-11-11T09:24:00.000-05:00

Nancy made this Dresden Plate Applique and I just love it!

It was custom quilted using Sew Fine Thread in Ivory.

Carefully outlining each blade with Stitch Near the Ditch was the thing to do!

Margaret P took home a ribbon!!!

2010-11-07T11:15:00.000-05:00

This quilt was so beautiful, I just knew it would take home a ribbon from the DOQ show. And it did! These pictures can't possible show the complexity of her piecing. Of course, it was custom quilted. I can't even tell you how many different designs and patterns were used. It was difficult to choose a thread color for the quilting. I consulted with Diane D. from Thimble Pleasures. She advised using a thread that blended with everything. There was so much quilting that any darker thread would have been a mistake. Thanks Diane!!!

Margaret's Green and Brown Quilt is Finished!

2010-11-07T10:53:00.001-05:00

Margaret also made this beautiful quilt of of greens/browns. I think it's a gift, but I can't remember for sure.

We chose beautiful leaves and curls for the quilting design:

Here's a good example of using an all over quilting design to achieve a custom look: We matched the thread to the beige background (King Tut Sands of Time). It stands out on the brown border fabric. Looks good, huh!!!!

Debbie's Baby Quilt is Finished!

2010-11-07T10:42:00.002-05:00

It was great to meet Debbie Friday, a new customer. Welcome to North Carolina!!

We just love this bright and happy baby quilt. Debbie and I chose tiny hearts for the quilting design.

This baby quilt incorporates one of my favorite combo's:
Minke on the back and silk for the batting! Here's a photo of the back. You can see how soft it is!

Pat's Heat Wave quilt is also finished!!

2010-11-06T12:52:00.000-04:00

Pat also made this wall hanging called "Heat Wave". She says it's for summer, but who knows..there's some chilly days and nights ahead. It might just be the ticket to heat things up a bit!!

Some funky swirls made up the background quilting

I love SID and use it often!!! I think this narrow green border really does it's job by stitching all around it in the ditch.

Lastly, the outer border was set apart with double wavy lines set 1" apart.

Pat's made another baby quilt!!

2010-11-06T12:36:00.000-04:00

...............and it's adorable!!

It was fairly densely quilted in a stars and loops pattern. We used a gold color

on the top and a silver color in the bobbin.

Another Quilt from the DOQ Show!!!

2010-11-06T12:17:00.000-04:00

This is a quilt that I made for Johnny's sister Bonnie. We called it 14 hearts.

It was a gift for their 40th Wedding Anniversary. It was designed on EQ6. I have not upgraded to version 7 yet. Has anyone else? Should I? I heard it's mainly about working with photo's....

Here's some of the quilting detail....

Joyce's "Rain Forest" is Finished!

2010-11-04T12:36:00.000-04:00

Joyce made this beautiful quilt in a variety of Green Batiks. The pattern is called "Kwik Shifted". Beautiful!

Joyce does a lot of things really well--but one thing she does really, really well is know how to use color. It's hard to pull off tone on tone...notice how the charcoal sashing does it's job...

Here's one of mine!!!!!!

2010-11-04T12:21:00.000-04:00

This is a French Braid Quilt that I intended to look like mountains. In fact, it's called "Fall in the Blue Ridge". I gave it to Johnny's son Levi and his wife Maria. Enjoy!

Each Braid was individually quilted.

On the Long Arm Machine:

Mary's Zig Zag was also at the DOQ..

2010-11-04T12:11:00.000-04:00

Mary made this striking Zig Zag Quilt with a jet black background. It's a gift for one of her children, her son, if I remember correctly. Mary, let me know if that's not correct...She used different scraps of fabrics from items that he may recognize. It really is a stunning quilt!!!

Barbara's Quilt is finished!

2010-11-04T12:05:00.000-04:00

Here's another quilt that I know was shown at the DOQ. Again, I don't know if Barbara had it judged or simply displayed it. I do know that I gave this one a blue ribbon the second it was finished quilting!! It was custom quilted with lots of detail. We used Hobbs Tuscany Wool batting for that really quilt-y look. Beautiful job Barbara......

The borders and the basket blocks were crosshatched.

My take on Quilt shows, big and small

2010-11-04T11:13:00.000-04:00

Quilt shows? Sure, they're great, and can be a lot of fun.....if.....you don't take any of it too seriously. I mean really now, boys and girls, the only person that truly needs to love, or even like your quilt, is you. It's helpful to get feedback from the judges. It might confirm something you suspected was a problem, or maybe point out issues that you thought were no biggies. In any event that's my .02. Oh, one other thing--I know quilters (myself included) that couldn't even get a sideways glance at show "A", and took home ribbons from show "B". Try that on sometimes. Kind of fun. OK, back to more posts....

Diane's Quilt Won a Ribbon!!!

2010-11-04T11:03:00.000-04:00

Again, I don't have a list of all the ribbon winners from the Twin Rivers Show, or the DOQ show, but I do know that this quilt was a ribbon winner at Twin Rivers in New Bern!! Congratulations Diane!!!

The quilt was truly amazing, with (12, if I remember correctly) paper pieced stars in beautiful jewel tones. The quilt was all custom quilted with different quilting designs on each star. The background was a "Galaxy" of lines and shapes that tied the entire quilt together.

Lynn's Pastel Flower Quilt is Finished!

2010-11-04T10:35:00.000-04:00

I just fell in love with this quilt that Lynn made. I think it was shown at the Twin Rivers Quilt Guild show, but I'm not 100% certain. In fact, I was out of town for this show as well as the Durham Orange Quilt Guild show, so I'm still behind the 8 ball so to speak. But sailing in the BVI was fun too. Best part, I got to spend some time with my Dad who lives in Boulder Colorado.

Top Half
Detail (this is a BIG quilt)

Detail

Kat's strip quilt is finished!

2010-11-03T16:50:00.000-04:00

Have some fabric that you love so much that you don't want to cut it to ribbons? Then this is the quilt for you! This one is on display at Thimble Pleasures, but Kat can help you get started on your own!

The pattern is designed to be asymmetrical. Imperfection is the new perfection. It's a lot less stressful that way.

Margaret F. made 4 of these!!!

2010-11-03T16:40:00.001-04:00

Margaret made 4 of these wall hangings. They are all slightly different, and so was the quilting:

center:

Outer Border:

small red border:

Kathleen's Star Wall Hanging is Finished!

2010-11-03T16:32:00.000-04:00

Kathleen made this beautiful wall hanging for Christmas. It was custom quilted using lots of different techniques. Kathleen requested that we match the thread to the silver colored fabric. Perfect!!

Joyce's Cappaccino Bali Pop is Finished!

2010-11-03T16:25:00.000-04:00

Joyce pieced this beautiful Batik Quilt in Shades of Brown and Black.

The pattern is called "Multifaceted". Love it!!! We quilted it in an allover Ginkgo design.

Julia's Bloomin' 9 Patch is finished!

2010-09-26T13:17:00.000-04:00

Julia's King Size Bloomin' 9 is beautiful!

The quilting design is called Gilded and it's from our Anne Bright collection.

Wool batting keeps these king size quilts from getting too heavy. Also, if you work a lot with Batik's, then you know that some tend to have a stiff hand. The wool counters this nicely!

Sharon's OBW is Finished!!

2010-09-16T17:45:00.001-04:00

This wall hanging is some kind of wonderful! That's what it is....

And it's a true one block wonder. What I mean is, each of the hexagon blocks received the same design. In the above photo, it may look like like an overall quilting design was stitched. The pic's below show the individual block detail. It's a stunning result. Sharon, you should show this one!!

The border design provides a nice contrast to the hex shaped blocks:

Here's a close up of just one block. Believe me, it was difficult to choose. Sharon made each one unique and beautiful.