puppy quilts

See this mess of fabric?  I keep adding to it with the intention of creating puppy quilts.  Puppy quilts are used in a child wading pool. Amy and the staff at AHeintz 57 contain new mommies and their litter in them when they are very young.

Well slightly before my surgery I dedicated a couple of days to clean up the clutter of this stack.  There was also a drawer full of binding tails that needed tending to.

The third week after surgery I was finally allowed to take the stairs, and I spent three glorious days just sewing fabrics together willy nilly.  I paid no attention to seams, colors or even fabric types.  I just sewed little strips to make bigger pieces.  

I was WAY OUT of my comfort zone.... but somehow it was really a lot of fun.

This was my first quilt I made. I started with those binding tails.

  You know I realized when I started working with those tails that over the years I have moved from 2.5 to 2.25 inch strips....and why I had 3 inch strips in there is beyond me!  But since I wasn't worried about matching up my seams, it was all okay. I even had some precut blocks that I threw in that quilt. 

The backing for it was two chunks of backing fabric that I had cut off of other Iowa Comfort projects.  They don't go together in any universe....but they were fine for this project.  After all the puppies will have their eyes closed, and they are just going to pee on them anyway. :-)

This is puppy quilt 2.  Not quite as busy as the first one, the backing was pieced together from the first picture.  Remember I was tidying two stacks with these projects.

The third quilt was made out of blocks that have been sitting in my room for at least 6 years.  They were originally going to be HST off set blocks for a 30's quilt I was doing.  They didn't work.  Then I thought I would use them in another challenge I am in.  The quilt called for an hour glass block.  After I cut and sewed them back together I realized my placement was wrong.   So puppy quilt it was.

Now I need to talk about that backing.  I have a whole bolt of it.  When Colleen brought it to me, she specifically called it UNIQUE, and that it was uniquely qualified for the doggy beds and quilts.

By the time I started piecing this quilt I was running a little low on the binding tails.  So I broke up the different sizes with the white.  I don't know why....maybe it was just to make the width that I wanted.  Proud to say 13 years of binding tails are all used up. 

 Again the backing was left over pieces of backing from other projects. That thin star print, is what I trimmed off the first puppy backing.

These are the last two completed projects.  I have one more to quilt and get bound this week.  

I am happy to say that all of my binding tails, backing chunks and batting chunks have all been recycled into these projects. Making my room a little less cluttered.

All of the puppy quilts are quality reviewed by a very picky inspector.  Mork is never very happy with me when I tell him his inspection time is up.

I really enjoyed working on these.  If you have chunks of batting that you have saved thinking you could do a wall hanging or table runner with, and you decide you want to declutter your room.  I can help you out.

Think something like this.  At least 10 inches wide by 20 long. (longer or wider would be even better)

If you are anything like me.  I am guessing you have chunks of fabric that you have been aging in your stash.  It is that fabric that was donated to you  That you inherited from a family member...or even that fabric that you purchased and now years later you are wondering what possessed you at the time.  

I challenge you to use it.  Make a quilt for your local animal rescue.

  Don't want to do the whole project?  I will accept  puppy quilt tops and assembled puppy backings and get them married together and donated to animal rescues.

IF you are wanting to donate puppy quilt tops, they should be around 36 X 48.

Puppy backings should measure about 48 X 60.

Hope you all enjoy the sunshine this week.