Puppies and Quilts

Last year I started a Yahoo group for quilters interested in making small quilts or doll quilts. It's really fun to talk about and see all the different little quilts everyone has made. Every couple of months we have a "challenge" to make a different little quilt (no bigger than 30" x 30"). I pick a block with directions to make it and then give suggestions for making a quilt using that block. The challenge comes from using your creative instincts to come up with a quilt that is uniquely your own. Everyone follows the same guidelines but fabric choices and layout are always different. Seeing what everyone comes up with is the fun part! (SmallQuiltTalk at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/smallquilttalk/)

The challenge we are working on now was inspired by some little quilts that several people in the group made--little scottie dog quilts. OMG, they're all so cute! Several of us decided we really needed to make one of these too. Not everybody had a pattern to use so I decided to come up with a template so those who wanted to could make their own appliqued dog quilt. The deadline is August. Can't wait to see all the quilts! A couple of the quilts were inspired by this quilt in the book Quick Quilts from Your Scrap Bag published by Leisure Arts in 1999.



I haven't actually had much time lately to get started on or even think about making mine yet, but yesterday, while I was going through a drawer of old fabric looking for something completely different, I came across a yard of this fabric that I bought years ago. I intended to make a little pinafore dress for my daughter when she was younger. Well, I never got around to making it (She's 16 now--sorry, Caitlin) but I'm sure glad I saved it. It has little scottie dogs on it! Who knew? This is definitely going to be perfect for the border. Pretty serendipitous I think.



Here's a trial scottie dog shape--not sure if I should do pink dogs on a dark background or dark on pink backgrounds, maybe both. And if I can find a way to use some of my favorite Civil War reproduction fabrics, you can be sure I will.