FSDC: Giant Peg Bear

I finally came up with an idea to do with my small pieces of Jay McCarroll's Habitat fabrics right before I left for Kentucky. I had all summer to do something and I really procrastinated this project. I am usually not so prone to putting things off - but I wasn't really excited about the fabrics and knew if I made something for my home - it wouldn't match anything.

So I decided to enlarge one of my most favorite softie patterns: the Peg Bear by Jhoanna Monte Aranez of One Red Robin. This pattern comes in the book One Yard Wonders. Normally, this bear turns out to be about 14" tall, mine is about 32" tall after blowing the pattern up to 200%. I sewed Habitat strips along with various solid pieces together and then quilted them onto fusible fleece. I used fleece, wool felt, embroidery floss, and safety animal eyes (from Joann's) for the face and tummy.

The best part of this project was that my son absolutely loves it. This is what he said when I gave it to him, "It's a bear! It's a big bear. It's cute, it's cute. I like it. I love it." And he hasn't really let it out of his sight since. He wasn't happy when I had to take it to the BMQG meeting on Saturday!

I am so glad that he likes it because it's awfully big to be kicking around a small apartment. I used over 4 bags of polyester stuffing.

For our next swap, our guild is doing a non-blind kitchen goods swap. We were asked to bring our own fabrics to give to our partner and simply tell the other person what we might want. The fabrics I received are from Alice, who brought a selection of delightfully soft Christmas fabrics. Alice is pretty flexible about what I can make her - so that's great!

These are the fabrics that I gave my partner. I told her she could do whatever she wanted too. I don't have anything handmade for my kitchen - so this is going to be fun. It didn't take me long to recognize, that yet again - albeit subconsciously - I went for a pallette of red, yellow, and blue!