Friday, December 23, 2011

Linda's "I Spy" Quilt is finished!

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.



Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Carol's Autograph Quilt is Finished!!

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!

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. 


Sunday, December 11, 2011

Julie's quilt will also be delivered tomorrow!

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!

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!!!

Friday, December 9, 2011

By Request.....

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!!

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Kathryn's Christmas Quilt is Done!!

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.....





Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Star of Roses is Finished!

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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Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Valerie's Latest Quilt is Finished!

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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Saturday, November 26, 2011

Nancy's Green and gold quilt is finished!

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!

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).


Wednesday, November 23, 2011

One more Christmas quilt for Lisa!!

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. 




Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Winifred's Strip Quilt is Finished!

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


Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Two Quilts for Gayle are finished!

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!