Simplified Bear Paw Blocks Are So Easy to Make
They’re Much Faster, Too!
Bear Paw blocks are long-time favorites among quilters but they’re also a good amount of work. Traditionally they’re made with half-square triangles and it takes quite a few to make a full quilt.
Jenny from Missouri Star Quilt Co. has a new technique for making the blocks that is so much simpler. Her method is similar to making a Log Cabin block and makes Bear Paws go together much more quickly.
Quilt from Grandma Helen’s Sewing Room.
Watch as she demonstrates her technique in the following video. Jenny starts with two rolls of 2 1/2″ strips. One is colorful and one is the light solid.
Click here to watch the video at YouTube if it doesn’t play on your device.
Toward the end of the video she shows two other ways of configuring Bear Paw blocks. We love the “baby bear” version without sashing between the paws. As Jenny says, the paws end up looking like stars.
The large quilt finishes at 65″ x 80″, including the pieced border. The sashing between the paws starts at 1 1/2″, the cornerstones are 1 1/2″ square and the wider sashing is 2 1/2″. Leftover 2 1/2″ squares are used for the outer border.
You’ll find a transcript of the video tutorial here.
