Lesson # 11 -The Bear Claw Block
Every quilter eventually has their favorite
block. Mine is the Bear Paw.
Some blocks lend themselves to certain
colors. The Bear Paw is one of those rustic designs that looks good
in Autumn colors, and seems to bring nature into your home.
It can be confusing when you see the blocks
together. At first you think that you will have to make the blocks
differently- with the "claws" going in different directions. However, they
are all made the same. It is just because they are turned that they look
different.
There is nothing new to learn with
this block. It is made up of squares and half squares.
Sashing strips are often put between the blocks, and a small
square added in the middle.
When I made my last Bear Paw quilt,
I didn't use anything but the block itself.
I made the large blocks
half triangles,
and used plaid on one half of the square to give it a more homespun,
rustic flavor.
You can make the center block and
paws (half triangles) any size you want. They just have to fit
together.
If your paws finish at 2-inches, you
center square will finish at 6 inches, and you small
squares in the corner will also be 2-inches.
Refer to the
Half Square Triangle Lesson for making the large squares.
I hope you are beginning to see
that if you learn just a few basic skills, you have lots of ways you can
use them creatively to make your own projects that reflect your own
style.
On to the
final Lesson-
#12 -
The Churn Dash
