B For Bear

I stitched this in 2007 for the American Needlepoint Guild Charity Auction 2008. I don't like to hurry and it still had to go to the finishers to get made up into a 'something'. Since I didn't know how it would be finished - pillow, stand-up, applique, I decided to stitch only a few rows of background, but I included additional background thread in the package when returned it.

I don't know who the designer was, the only indication on the canvas were the letters AT. Whoever it was, thank you for the fun, I really enjoyed working this Bear. He was such a fine fellow I decided he needed a ribbon (which was well secured at the back so that it could not be pulled out) to match his Mouse friend's. 

The Bear took 38 hours to stich. I can't remember the size - it was a long time ago and I didn't make a note of that.

The Bear On The Chair

This was a request from one of my Sister-in-laws. 

Would I make a cot quilt for H? With a bear on it like your big quilt? With lots of bright colours?

Why not?

You can't have a bear floating in mid-air, and most bears that I know are fond of a comfortable chair, so there had to be a chair for the bear and he became The Bear On The Chair.

As it was for a baby, I kept it simple and washable!!! The materials were all cotton and the wadding machine washable so that it could be put through the machine. We (still) have a wide selection of quilting fabrics so I had a search and selected two fabrics with bears on for the body of the bear and another larger pierce for the border. Since it was for H, I created the background as a series of interlocked H's in bright blue, yellow and red, the Mother's favourite colours. The quilt was all hand stitched using English Piecing, in 1" squares and hand quilted 'in the ditch'.

For those who don't recognise the term, "English Piecing" is where you tack each piece of material onto paper, in this case 1" squares, then join all the pieces of the quilt top by hand before removing the papers. I love English Piecing because it gives sharp edges and accurate corners.

Looking back, I'm not sure I actually enjoyed making this quilt, but I was determined that it would be properly done. I spent 140 hours designing and stitching this and whether I liked the finished product or not, H's mother liked it. She even sent me a picture of H on the quilt - a picture I am not going to share - no man wants his 'Cute Baby Snaps' to go public.

World Domination By Teddy-Bears

Deadlines! Don't you love them?

"We need these sewn up and stuffed, ready to go, by a week on Wednesday."
'These' were thirty knitted teddy-bears. They needed their seams sewn, stuffed, faces added and scarves fixed in place in two weeks.
It wasn't quite drop everything else to get it done, but it was a close run thing.

Jane-Beth knits the bears for Craft Tea for Charity, I get the 'fun' of sewing them up and finishing them, then they go off to various refugee camps.

At least that's the story I'm being told!

Personally, seeing Mr. G. Bear addressing his 'troops', I think he's planning World Domination By Teddy-Bears.

This is the second cohort he has sent out into the world and no doubt there will be more, then one day, at a given signal, they will all rise up and take over. The best advice I can give you in the event of Teddy-Bear Insurrection is that you keep hunny and smackerils handy to placate them.