Teddy Bear Block Project

This page grew out of a project on Treadle On. The suggestion was made to have a project in which people would submit blocks with teddy bears on them. The blocks could be either pieced or applique. The idea was to build a bank of teddy bear block designs as a reference. When the project was over, we had a lot of good blocks, and we held a drawing for them. It was lots of fun. It's over now, but there is still room for a few good bears...

The Captain

Here are the blocks, and they were even better "in the fur" , as it were.

From Cranky MaeÖ in PA

Done on 1917 Singer Redeye HC and 1920's Damascus treadle

by Jennifer Hill, Calgary, AB

really interesting in that the high fringe for the fur was made on a Singercraft tool. The block was made on a Singer 27 treadle

Jane Dominguez, Gainesville, Fla.

"Nutmeg Brownie"

The original Nutmeg was Jane's bear from before she was even born! The camera didn't pick up the contrast here, but Nutmeg has been repaired many times in his life, including a "musicboxectomy". If you look very closely, you can see the scar from this surgery, faithfully reproduced on this block.

Terri Janson - made on a 201K hand crank. This is a clever and simple ideaÖ a small bear applique on a traditional pieced block. Picture a sampler with a different bear in each blockÖ

from treadleannieÖ Minneapolis, MN

"Teddy Bear with Cranky Pull Toy"

"Ms. Toto Bear"

by Amelia Sodorra, Camas, WA

done on 15-30 treadle

 

 

bear by Elaine Hurlbut, Duvall, WA

done on Red Eye treadle

 

bear by Sue Werkmeister, Maywood, NE

1926 Singer Red Eye Model 66Ö doesn't show up well on this jpeg, but he has his sewing thread all tangled up in his paws

 

bear by Linda Allen, Wellington, NZ.

Plush textures vary shading on faceÖ again, not best shown in jpeg.

 

 

 There you have the nine bears submitted. The page should be a great source of ideas for bear blocks, and I hope it will get used as such.

Many thanks to our contributers, and congratulations to the winner of the drawing for the blocks, Treadle Annie. Hopefully, she will send in a picture of a finished quilt made from the blocks.

Captain Dick

 

Here is a small gallery of bears submitted outside of the project above:

 

Here is a picture of a teddy bear quilt made by Melva Campbell:

 

As I recall this quiltÖ Melva said that the idea was simply that each block have a bear, some pieced, some appliqued. Shows what can be done with only six blocks. After we see how many blocks we get, I may ask for a vote on how many sets of blocks we draw forÖ 

Here is a teddy applique block made by Captain Dick awhile backÖ pretty simple/primitive, but effectiveÖ basically I copied a picture out of a coloring book.

 

I think a silhouette bear, made with a variable pattern, i.e. a body, a head an arm and a leg, would be pretty neatÖ you could vary the patternÖ sitting, standing, etcÖ. add clothes, or whatever. I think I will do one with a sitting bear flying a kite, like Horace does.

 Here is teddy quilt by Angie Helman

 

I think this is a real cute idea, and you could make it in advance of a birth, without having to know whether the baby is a boy or girl.