Saturday 7 March 2015

Bear Paw blocks for Capital Quilters

My local quilt guild, Capital Quilters, will be 30 years old this year. This morning I thought back to what I was doing 30 years ago. I was living in Auckland and studying for my Bachelor of Commerce degree. I had a busy social life, but I was doing a bit of knitting and cross stitch in my spare time. I certainly wasn't quilting 30 years ago, but my mum was starting to dabble in it.



I only joined Capital Quilters last year, but they are very supportive and welcoming group. We meet once a month, and each month there is a show and tell. Quilts are held up on the stage, and the makers give a brief description of how and why they made the quilt. The quilts are then all hung on a rope that goes half way around the room. We break for tea and coffee and you can walk around having a close look at the quilts and chat to the makers. I really enjoy getting to see the quilts up close.



The logo for our club is the bear paw block.  New members are all given a little badge with it on.



Some members decided that it would be fun to make bear paw quilts this year to celebrate 30 years of the guild.  Some examples were held up at the January meeting and they were all quite different.   Some of them had dark backgrounds, some were French General, but the style I liked was a scrappy single colour on a low volume background.




I've now made 3 blocks for February, March and April. I'm taking a break until May now, but I am putting aside relevant fabrics as I come across them.  You can see the colours for some of the future blocks in the photo below: yellow, lime green, cobalt blue and pink. Yhen I'll just need to think of two more colours. Purple has to be one of them, but that leaves one slot free. Maybe black? I"m not sure yet.



And here they are together. They are quite big - 21" each. But it will be a fun quilt when it's done, and it will have special significance. Maybe I'll still be going to Capital Quilters in 20 years time when the guild turns 50. Then I'll hold up my quilt at show and tell and say I made this quilt back in 2015. The "young people" will probably think "how quaint".



12 comments:

Yvonne from Quilting Jetgirl said...

Your blocks are coming together so nicely and I love the pulls you have made for future blocks. I really am a fan of gray fabrics, and would lean that way before black (but that is just me)! :)

Karen - Quilts...etc. said...

Those bear paw blocks look really great

HeathersSewingRoom said...

Isn't it great that you have a very supportive quilt group as they are really so important for inspiration and in developing quilters. I really treasure the quilt groups that I have belonged to. That is going to be a big impressive bear paw quilt.

Oops-Lah said...

I've been admiring your blocks already on IG. I think it's a terrific idea to commemorate the "birthday" of your quilt guild in such a way.

Oops-Lah said...

I've been admiring your blocks already on IG. I think it's a terrific idea to commemorate the "birthday" of your quilt guild in such a way.

Serena @ Sewgiving said...

More low volume backgrounds! We've created a monster :) Maybe the last block could be a rainbow compiled of all the colours of the other blocks?

Her Indoors said...

I love the idea of making something today that will still be here way into the future, perhaps even after we ourselves are no longer here, and that it will still be being used and loved. There is a lot of heritage in craft. My great-grandfather made sewing boxes for each of his daughters and daughters-in-law. I have the one that he made for my Grannie, along with all her sewing tools and materials. Last week I came across some iron on embroidery designs which were dated 1940.

Helen@Till We Quilt Again said...

I have been seeing them on I/G and enjoyed seeing the beautiful colors you are using. It is so nice to hear the story behind them! 20 years seems so far yet as we both know is right around the corner!

Joanna @ Riddle and {Whimsy} said...

I was thinking just the same as Serena! Who knew you would ever have so many low volumes? ;) (you have some of my favourites in that stash there too *hint hint*!!).

Patti said...

I love these blocks, Wendy! Think I might try some myself!

Mary W Quilts said...

Oh. I love your blocks.

Granny Maud's Girl said...

Newsflash: Wendy builds low-volume stash. Welcome to the not-so-dark side, Wendy!
Love these colourful blocks.