Bear Paw block tutorial
Posted on: June 29th, 2016 by Lorna McMahon
Since I have been spending the past couple of weeks working on the Modernitional Bear Paw quilt, I thought it would be nice to share a simple tutorial for making the Bear Paw quilt block.
In my “Down on the Farm” post from June 23rd, I shared photos of all the calves born in the past two weeks. And a progress pic of the 940 half square triangles required to finish Step #1 in the Modernitional Bear Paw queen size quilt.
Since then, along with the help of my new Oliso iron…..
I completed the 240 PAW UNITS required to finish Step #2.
And to update the farmyard progress….
Pookie had a girl. Meet Midnight.
Bear Paw Quilt Block Tutorial
The following instructions will result in a 7.5” square block including seam allowances and will finish at 7” square. I press all my seams open. If you prefer to press to one side, when making the PAW UNITS press seams toward the Light Brown D square and when making and adding the sashing press toward the Background C rectangles.
Using an accurate 1/4″ seam is required. For more information on how to test the accuracy of your 1/4″ seam, please click here.
Step 1: Please note that the fabric squares should be ‘sandwiched’ with right sides facing together, and line up on all sides as accurately as possible. The diagram does not show this accuracy for demonstrative purposes. Draw a diagonal line across the wrong side of the Background (B) square. This is your guide line. Place the Background (B) square on the Light Brown (B) square and sew a ¼” seam on EACH SIDE of the blue line from edge to edge, as shown in red. Cut along the blue guide line. Press the seams open and trim each of the resulting Half Square Triangles (HST) to 1.5”. (For a more detailed guide on how to make these HST units please click here.)
Step 2: Sew these HST units together in opposite pairs. Add the Background (A) square to the top set. Add the Light Brown (D) square to the bottom set. Sew the sets together to complete the PAW UNITS. Block will be 3.5” square including seam allowances and will finish at 3” square.
Step 3: Sew the PAW UNITS to the sides of the Background (C) rectangles.
Step 4: To make the CROSS SASHING, sew the Dark Brown (A) square between the Background (C) rectangles.
Step 5: Sew the CROSS SASHING units between the PAW PAIR sets.
This simple block, used on it’s own, would make a handsome traditional style baby quilt. The Grey sashing strips would measure 1.5″ x 7.5″ and would require Background 1.5″ squares for cornerstones. This setting would measure 39″ wide by 47″ long.
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BEAR PAW baby quilt finishes at 39″ x 47″
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Here are some other great variations on the Bear Paw quilt:
MOD Bear Paw quilt
Keep on Quilting On!
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Another baby on the farm? Busy days! Maybe busy nights too…?I always admired bear paws and thank you for this tutorial. I make a few someday.Pinned
A beautiful calf and what a lovely name, Midnight. Also thanks for the Bar Claw tutorial and all the other links – I love seeing all the different variations of fabrics used.
Another cute baby! What does that bring the count up to now? And will there be more? There can never be too many babies 🙂 And for a second I actually though that super cool iron had your name on it, then I realized it's your water mark. Hey, I'd buy an iron from the Sew Fresh Quilts iron line 🙂
Beautiful baby! Thanks for the tutorial. I'm thinking a throw pillow or two.
P.S. Love your iron, it looks good with your name on it even if it a watermark.
Oh, I just love the babies on the farm pics! Keep 'em coming! And thanks for the tutorial!
I plan to use cotton/polyester if I ever get my first quilt done.gandn74@ymail.com
Bear Paw was the first block I ever made to enter into a BOM draw at the LQS, (I had stopped in for fancy lace for dresses I was making my girls–the shop was then mainly a higher-end dressmaking with a litle quilting on the side, place, but it soon became just quilting, and was a Top 10 Shop in Quilt Sampler in 2014!), anyhow,encouraged most boisterously on by my eldest daughter, Brianne, 10 years old at the time (she's 30 on Monday–how did that HAPPEN??) Anyhow, I won the blocks, (so bizarre because I said to her I never win anything) so I had to go back to the LQS and learn what to DO and how to do it, to make all the blocks into a quilt, which Brianne received! Love to see this tutorial and cringe to think of all those little HSTs! Love your new iron!
Great tutorial. The Bear Claw is one of my favorite classic block patterns.