One Teddy Two

One Teddy Two is a baby quilt I made using two Bear Quilt Blocks from Sandra Healy Designs. I recently tested these two blocks for Sandra, and they were so cute I had to make them into a quilt top.

One Teddy Two consists of Sandra’s two blocks, one finishing at 12 inches and the other at 18 inches (both blocks are included in one pattern). I’ve tested several blocks for Sandra, and I’m always impressed with her clear instructions and photos in her patterns. Once the pieces are cut and labeled, these two bear blocks stitched up quickly and easily.

The construction of this little quilt was fairly simple. Once the Bear Quilt blocks were made from Sandra’s pattern, I added a 12.5″ x 18.5″ rectangle of background fabric above the large teddy, and then added a second rectangle of background fabric, 12.5″ x 18.5″, underneath the small teddy. I stitched those two units together, then added a 3.5 inch border to finish the quilt top at 36 inches. I chose Grunge in Faded Denim for the background fabric, a favorite of mine for quilt backgrounds. The bears are made from my solid scraps – Sandra’s patterns are great for using up your scraps!

I tried something a little different for the quilting. I started by quilting diagonal lines through the quilt. Then, rather than sewing diagonally the other direction, I switched to vertical straight lines, which creates a diamond pattern. It was quick and simple to do. I used a hera marker to mark my first lines in both directions, then used my seam guide to space the remaining stitched lines. I chose 50 wt. Aurifil thread in Light Delft Blue (#2720) for the quilting, which blends into the Faded Denim Grunge really well.

This quilt would have been done sooner, but I was waiting for this perfect backing fabric to arrive. This teddy fabric is an AGF flannel from their Arctic Tale line. It is so soft and cuddy, especially after washing! It was too cute not to use for this little quilt. Hobbs 80/20 was used for the batting, and I opted to use the Grunge Faded Denim for the binding, which was all done by machine.

While Vicki and I were sewing together this week, we talked about quilt photography. I’ve gotten out of the habit of taking some fun shots of my quilts, so I thought I’d try a few with this quilt. The stuffed teddy in the photo was a gift to me from a friend years ago, made by a fellow quilter who used an antique quilt to construct the bear. He now resides in my quilt room, keeping me and Wilbs company.

One Teddy Two was a fun little quilt to stitch up, and I’m so pleased that Sandra asked me to test those Bear Quilt blocks for her. Does this little quilt have a destination? Nope, not yet. The two Bear Quilt blocks were just too cute to set aside, waiting to be used. I’m pretty sure this little quilt will find a home soon!

My previous quilt block I tested for Sandra is in this post, and would be a fun one to stitch up for Fall. You could use Sandra’s Bear Quilt blocks for your own version of One Teddy Two, or you could make one of the Bear Quilt blocks for a cute pillow. Sandra’s blocks can be used in so many ways, and you can mix and match her patterns too. You can find both the Bear Quilt block and the Sunflowers Quilt block patterns and many more in Sandra’s Etsy Shop.

Happy sewing, friends!

Wendy