It's Bella's Now...

"Bella's Retriever Quilt"

Yesterday after family left to go home, Handsome took his new quilt upstairs and placed it on the bed. He grabbed the old retriever quilt and placed it on the sectional in our living room. Bella noticed right away, and slowly got up onto the quilt and fell asleep. It's her quilt now and forever.

I will add that when Handsome went upstairs with the new quilt, Carly followed him. He called me into the room and wanted me to "see something". Carly - who has never really paid attention to the bed coverings - had slowly put herself squarely in the middle of the new quilt. She's claimed this one.

Handsome and I both smiled. The next quilt...the next generation. As it should be, I guess. (Sorry. I didn't get a photograph, but I'm sure I'll have plenty of chances going forward.)

I'll be back tomorrow. 

Completed Retriever Quilt II...

Retriever Quilt II Front

No sunshine today for my photographs of the completed quilt. We managed to get a couple taken before it began to sprinkle. Nevertheless, it's done now, and Handsome is so cute. He actually thinks I'll let him use it before Christmas Day! lol

Retriever Quilt II Back

Surprise! In order to make a backing large enough for this quilt top, I had to really get creative. I had fat 1/8ths of some fabric, fat 1/4s of others, three yards of the black "tossed" retrievers, and this gorgeous black labrador panel. It became the centerpiece for the back and the rest came together around it. 

I guess Handsome could actually use it as the front if he so desired, except that there will be a label on this side before Christmas. The completed quilt finished at 83" long by 68" wide. That's a lot of warmth to cover my sweetheart. 

Retriever Quilt Notes

These are the pages of graph paper and note cards I used to get the measurements right. That last card is my calculation for how many 2-1/4" strips of fabric I'd need for the binding. I wrote down the names of all the dogs so I wouldn't miss anyone, and they're all stitched into the gold squares. You may be able to read them if you enlarge the photo.

Retriever Quilt I Front

Finally, here's the first retriever quilt - actually the first quilt - I ever made. I used fancy stitches to go around all the motifs, and mostly used the panel as it came with all the bordered retriever images. I made this when Handsome and I were first married. That was forty one years ago.

Retriever Quilt I Back

Over all these years, this quilt has covered many snuggles, laughs, tears, people and dogs. We've always joked that once you sat under it, it was impossible to stay awake. It was patched many times, and got a new binding a few years ago because the old one was so tattered. In memory of this quilt, I incorporated two strips of the same fabric into a border in the new quilt. 

I didn't put a label on this quilt when I made it, but I'm going to add one after Christmas, officially gifting it to our beautiful Bella who will practically do anything to lie on it. It's hers now, and Handsome will enjoy the new one - which I'm sure he'll be happy to share with her, too.

Thanks for following this process with me. It sure is fun knowing that you all care about the things I make, and our life here at Hickory Hill Farm. 

Merry Christmas Week to one and all!!!