Bear Tracks: My Original Design

My husband's Christmas quilt, "Bear Tracks" is now finished!  Jan unknowingly helped me name this quilt when she referred to it as bear tracks in her comment on my first post about the quilt.  I am so grateful for her help, because I couldn't figure out what to call it.  The names that came to my mind were "Walk in the Woods" or "Bear Walk."  I like "Bear Tracks" much better. 

I designed this quilt because I couldn't find any outdoorsy prints to do a simple patchwork.  I decided to use bear paw blocks to match the fuzzy minky I wanted to use for the back. 

After I sketched it out, I went to buy the fabric when my LQS was having a great sale.  I tried to select fabrics which would give the quilt an ombre feel, and I think I succeeded. 

I just love taking a pile of fabric and turning it into a cuddly quilt.  It turned out even better than I imagined.

It was actually made at my husband's request.  He asked me, "Do I get a fuzzy quilt?"  So this is his Christmas present, finished nice and early.  But now I have to wait three months before giving it to him. He requested a longer quilt (7 feet instead of 6) and an outdoorsy look.  I think I fulfilled his request.  He has officially been banned from reading my blog until Christmas. 

Because this is to be a cuddle quilt, I quilted it simply by stitching in the ditch. 

I love the way it looks on the back. 

I added a label to one corner, and used Leanne's tutorial which has you stitch around it before hand sewing it to the quilt.  This extra step was so worth it. 

I used the same green from the corners for the binding which I sewed down by machine. 

It looks great in our family room. 

But he better be careful, because other people may try to confiscate his quilt.  I had to reclaim it from Cheetah to hide it until Christmas.  (Good thing Cheetah will receive his own quilt this Christmas.)

Quilt Stats #113
Name: Bear Tracks
Pattern: Designed by me
Quilting Design: Stitch in the ditch
Fabric: Miscellaneous browns from my LQS
Amount Used: 8 yards
Batting: Warm and White
Size: About 60 x 84 inches
Date Finished: September 2014
What I Learned:

• I like stitching around the edge on the label before hand sewing it to the quilt.
• It is easier to ban my husband from the craft room for sneaky sewing than my children. 
• It is fun to design a quilt with someone special in mind. 

So now I have one Christmas quilt finished and three more to do.  It will be a bit harder to find my sneaky sewing time.  Hopefully my husband will take them for more long bike rides and other father/son activities.   And my husband is now able to come in the craft room, as long as he doesn't start looking in the boxes or other containers where the quilt may be hiding.  ;o)

XX,
Jasmine

P.S.  I will be linking up with Finish it up Friday and Can I Get a Whoop Whoop. 

P.P.S.  I am also linking up with Jennie of Porch Swing Quilts for her Santa's Sweatshop linky party.