Bear Quilt Progress

Been working on my quilt for my bed. I think I shared before I seem to always be making a quilt for someone else but it's time I made one for me to keep and enjoy the fruits of my labor.  I've been working on it between miscellaneous other projects and am making some progress.  I thought I would share how it is coming along.  These blocks are a combination of traditional quilting and paper piecing.  I really like how the  paper piecing helps keep the block so straight.  It is so easy to stretch the fabric on the bias when constructing blocks from triangles and paper piecing  eliminates that stretch.  I had to eliminate a couple of the blocks I made because they just didn't work with the colorway.  I hate when I really like the way a block turned out and my husband points out how the yellow looks so orange compared to the other fabrics.  Thanks hunny.  I hate to say it but he was right.  So all that work had to go down in flames.  Another block was too green orientated and when I made it in reverse I thought it was too gold so I added the bear to the center and now it is one of my favs.  Definitely was worth the redo.  Wouldn't you agree?  Here is a picture of what I have so far.  The blocks finish at 16 and a half inches square. I need 16 of them and have 11 done so far.  The center will be a 48 and a half inch square comprised of a bear panel and a couple rows of paper pieced trees framing it.  You'll notice the bear paw block has a smaller green border.  That is not a mistake but what the pattern calls for.  The same block will be repeated on the top and bottom to even the look out.

There are really only eleven blocks done but the mosaic insisted I have twelve so one is a dupe. 

 I should have made another block before posting but fresh picked blackberries and vanilla ice cream were calling my name.

This is the one I knew didn't fit in so I didn't even bother to add the outside green border:

Can you find the one it is the same pattern as?   It is the same as the one on the bottom row, third one in. Isn't it amazing how much better it looks with the colors are reversed and the bear is in the middle.  It is sooo superior with the bears in the center of the block. This next one is the one hubby was right was too orangish looking compared to the other golds.

Nice block when viewed alone but just a little too much over the top bright when viewed with the rest of the blocks.  I was hoping to get some polariod pictures done today but the Olympics are drawing me in.  My daughter is spending the week with her grandma so I should have plenty of me time this week to knock them out.
Keep stitchin'

I finished Madelynn's quilt and I would love to show you the pics I took of it but I evidently forgot to load the memory card back into the camera after the last time I uploaded to the computer.  The good news is they appear to be on the camera's internal memory---bad news being I can't find the USB cord that came with the camera. I found one online at Adorama but it takes 5-7 business days to ship so I may not be able to post them for a week or two. In the meantime I've been busy surfing around looking for a new project to start.  I've been wanting to make a quilt for my bed for sometime.    I actually starting one years ago but changed the color scheme in my room since then so I had better get hopping on this one.    I am going to make it a sampler quilt incorporating the colors of green and golds.   The center will be a bear panel I picked up and I'll be putting some bears in some of the sampler blocks,too.    Most of the blocks are from the 2011 Dream Castle Quilt BOM from Betty Dietz.  You can find them here.     I think I will skip the March block as I really don't want to attempt the curved piecing.  She appliqued it but it still is not what I prefer to do.    I really like the flying geese block because it was just the right size for my bear center so I will probably make several of those.    I finished three blocks today.

         Keep Yourself in Stitches,