Wednesday, January 11, 2017

New Beginnings Blog Hop

Displaying New Beginnings Blog Hop.jpg
Hi, and Welcome to my day for the #IslandBatikAmbassador's New Beginnings blog hop! 

These fun collections have been out since Fall Market, so they're arriving in stores now!  If your favorite LQS didn't order this, you're going to have to ask them to get this for you. If you're a pet lover, you need this!  My collection is Fifi and Fido, an adorable group of bright batiks featuring paw prints and a variety of dogs.  You may have seen this collection when Aurifil Thread, Island Batik and some other companies had information about October's National Adopt-A-Shelter-Dog blog hop.  You can read more about that HERE.

Photo from Island Batik.

So, here's my reason to love dog prints!  
This is Hazel.  She's 7 and was adopted from North Shore Animal League when she was only 7 weeks old.  She's a sweetheart, and loves to play ball, and snuggle on my quilts.  She approves of this new top!  
I received this bundle, and had no idea what to make!  I thought of a purse, and of some kennel quilts for shelter dogs (and I'll make some), but what could I do that was different?  A friend suggested Attic Windows featuring the dog print, but I needed to use 8 prints.  Finally, an idea popped into my head.  I had been seeing lots of posts from the Be My Neighbor by Moda quilt, and I purchased a copy of American Patchwork & Quilting, which had Wendy Sheppard's Close Quarters house quilt on the cover.  
So, I figured the neighborhood also needed a dog house!  

I checked on EQ7, and they didn't have an actual dog house, and most of the houses looked more like people houses, so I drew my own.  Here's what I did.  

Dog House Block
1 12" finished size block.   Use 1/4" seam allowance.

From Red FQ (I used 2 from previous Island Batik collections):  
Cut one 6 1/2 by 10 1/2" rectangle.   
Cut one 5 1/4 by 7" rectangle (you'll need 2 if using regular prints, but 1 will work for batiks and solids) (1 FQ will give you 2 house blocks).  

From Blue Sky fabric:  Cut 1 strip 2 1/2" by 12 1/2", and one 5 1/4 by 7" rectangle (again, 2 if using regular prints).
Green scraps for side lawn:  2 pieces that are 1 1/2 by 6 1/2"
White Accent Trim:  Cut one 1 1/4 by 20, pressed in half, wrong sides together, to make a piece that's 5/8" wide.  

Dog House Opening:  Black piece about 3 1/2" square.  I fussy cut dogs from the Black Dog print, SKU 121614795, backed it with fusible web, and then trimmed it into an arch top shape.  I was thinking of adding a template for this shape, but since each of my dogs has a different size, it didn't make sense.  



Directions:

1.  Sew the green to the sides of the base of the house (6 1/2" by 10 1/2" rectangle) to make a 6 1/2" by 12 1/2" rectangle.  Press to the red.  

2.  Place the blue and red 5 1/4 by 7" rectangle right sides together, and cut on one diagonal.  

Sort the pieces so they look like a peaked roof, with the red on the bottom and blue on top.  I wanted to have the accent, so I layered the triangles and the accent together, and sewed in 1/4" seam.   Line the white accent cut edge along the diagonal edge of the red triangle, and the flip over the blue, and match all cut edges.  The corners are close to matching, but there's extra to trim, so if it's a little wonky, it's fine.  
   
Press this seam to the blue.  

Now, trim your roof/sky section to 4 1/2 by 6 1/2" 


The white section should be 1/8" away from the top corner.  Note where that is, as well as the white on the bottom left section.  Since it's a weird angle, the ruler doesn't have a line to place the white on, so just make sure it looks even and square, and that you've left 1/8" at the top of the peak so you won't chop it off when sewing.  

Do the right side, reversed, lining up the white on the top left side, again, down 1/8" from the left top of the ruler.  

Join the left and right peaks together, matching the top roof line, and press this seam open.  




3:  Sew the 2 1/2" by 12 1/2" sky strip to the top of the peak, (press to sky) and sew the peak/sky section to the house/grass section (press to house).  Choose your puppy, and applique it on!  I used Aurifil 40 wt in black, and a blanket stitch.  

Your Doghouse Block is done!  


For my quilt, I made 3 doghouses, chose 3 different dogs, and set them apart with a 2" by 12 1/2" black paw print sashing.  


I set aside the multi/dog and multi/paw print for border and binding, and cut the other fabrics with my 6 1/2" Accuquilt GO! Tumbler die.  I wanted something that would be fun to show the prints, but not be just blocks.  I sewed 9 tumblers into a row, and made 5 rows.  I trimmed the tumblers even with the doghouse blocks, added the black paw print inner border, and the multi/orange dog outer border.  My top measures about 50 by 53", great for a toddler bed or a fun lap quilt, or Tummy Time quilt.  


If you make some Doghouse Blocks, please share on my Facebook page!  I would love to see them.  I would also love it if you would "LIKE" my page while you're there.  


I have a great idea for some quilting, and plan to use a Minkee type backing fabric.  I'll get this finished soon, hopefully before the blog hop ends.  I can't wait to show my idea for quiltig! 


So, have you been following along with the other Ambassadors? Check them out for inspiration and chances to win prizes. 



Here's the schedule...

Monday, January 9 – Coastal Mist
Stone Cottage Quilts
Wednesday, January 11 – Drizzle
Webster Quilt
Thursday, January 12 – Fifi and Fido + Happy Hounds
Mary Mack Made Mine
Quilting Affection
Friday, January 13 – Fresh Catch
Bejeweled Quilts by Barb
Monday, January 16 – Glowing Embers
Purrfect Spots Designs
Tuesday, January 17 – Lake Life
Freemotion by the River
Wednesday, January 18 – River’s Edge
Ark Angle Creations
Jennifer Sewing
Friday, January 20 – Blushing Blooms
Desert Bloom Quilting
Monday, January 23 – Gone Fishin’
Maria Michaels Designs
Wednesday, January 25 – Surf and Sand
Linda Pearl
Beaquilter
Thursday, January 26 – Twilight Blush
KISSed Quilts
Friday, January 27 – Happy Harvest
For Quilts Sake
Monday, January 30 – Jolly Holly
Connie Kauffman
Tuesday, January 31 – Frost
MooseStash Quilting
Wednesday, February 1 – Merry and Bright
Patchwork Breeze
Sally’s Quilting Corner
Also, I have a prize for someone.  Just comment below with the name of your pet, or what you would do with this collection.  I'll be sending someone some Island Batik fabrics, a few FQs for you to play with.  I may even include some Fifi and Fido 1/4 yd cuts.  (International winner will be asked to help cover the difference in shipping).  I'll draw a winner on Feb. 2.  
And Island Batiks is giving away 2 bundles of fabric, so please use the Rafflecopter link for more info on that.  
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thanks so much for visiting!  Enjoy the rest of the hop, and I hope you have fun with my block!  

Maryellen

53 comments:

Anonymous said...

Very cute Maryellen!--atthebrightspot

Allison said...

I love the doghouse block! We have Jake, a blue merle rough collie, and Morgan, a Scottish terrier.

Emily C said...

Very cute!
I would make a pillow out of the paw prints.

Nancy Tanner said...

Charlie, thank for the giveaway, Make a quilt for my grandson.

Joyce Carter said...

Very cute Maryellen! You did an awesome job in making your block. I don't have a dog, but my grandson has a beautiful white dog that he named Row. I would use the fabrics to make some pillows for him. Thank you for the giveaway.

mumbird3 said...

Cute cute cute!!! Love the quilt! My furbabies are Darby - who just turned 13 and our new addition Cookie who is 7. mumbird3(at)gmail(dot)com

cindy m said...

My house is full of rescued furbabies of the feline persuasion:) Bear, Shadow, Niblet, Tabbers, Tardy, BK and Stripe as well as our outdoor visitors Bubba, Sweetie and Marble!
lstangl482 at aol dot com

Pam Geisel - For Quilts Sake said...

Cute!

Anna brown said...

Muffin is his name ..Because he came home looking like a brain muffin. .. happyness04431@yahoo.com

djw quilts said...

Love your block ME! We have 2 feline fur babies, Maggie, an all black love bug, and Annie, our gray and white orphan.

Kathy E. said...

Your pets certainly are loved and appreciate every moment of kindness you give them! We have a 3 year old Morkie named Sophie that we rescued from a home that was too busy to give her any attention. She is the light of our lives and gives love to anyone who will look her way!

Lori said...

this is such a cute block. Our cat is named Shadow. He is grey with a lighter gray at the tips of each hair. He has a white oval on his chest. He is Russian Blue/Main Coon. He is 19 lbs. and 10 yrs. old. He still plays like a kitten. He is my quality control when I am sewing, my constant companion. And my husband asks all the time what our conversation is all about. LOL Shadow is a huge talker.

@lutzcats said...

My cat, Mary Alyce, is 11 years old and makes me laugh EVERY Single Day!

Calicojoan said...

What a cute dog house! Your pooch is definitely going to love that!

Jessica said...

I have several pets, Baker, jasmine, Honey, Cinnamon, Ginger and Squirt. They all keep up on our toes. I love th e dog house block.

Vicki H said...

Our dog, Goldie, is no longer with us and we don't plan to get another. We will be enjoying the new puppy our grandkids will be getting this spring.

OhioLori said...

Love your pictures of your sweet doggies!! The idea for dog house is sooo fun!! I might have to make a lil' surprise for my Daughter...she has 3 big dogs...Delilah, Shadow & Lacie! :)

Thank you for chance to win your Give-a-way too! :D

lalaluu said...

I have two rescue dogs at the moment. They are great sleeping buddies, greeters, and eaters.

Seacoast Quilter said...

The dog house is a great idea. Your puppy is so cute! I look forward to seeing your quilt. I have 3 cats, Seamus, Nosey and Emeline.

JANET said...

My dog's name is Pup. Original, I know! Cat is Little Bit.

LInda Pearl said...

Your quilt is great - I know a lot of dog owners with more than one, so the neighborhood idea made me giggle. Too fun - and a great tutorial.

Sewgirl said...

What a creative block. Thanks for sharing. My dog's name is Pal...he's an all black mutt! I also have an all black cat named Midnight.

Rebecca said...

I have Poppy and Sylvie, two yorkies. I would love to make one of my grandboys who loves animals a quilt. Happy New Year fabrics....

Quilts for Sale said...

Your Dog House Block is delightful. How nice that your dog approvees, too! :-)

Elizabeth said...

I love your doghouse block also. We don't have any pets at the present time, but have grand cats and grand dogs. (From Kellett Kreations)

Lee said...

My "wonder pup" as my husband calls her is Loki! I would love to make a cut pooch quilt for us to use! thanks!

Kathy Kinsella said...

Great doghouse block ... our rescue dog, Penny, would undoubtedly love to snuggle on a quilt made from those fabrics!

pamspretties57 said...

Hi MaryEllen. I have two rescued furbabies, Misty and Rio. I would have to make them a new quilt to sleep under. They love to burrow under the covers with me, so I know they'd love that. Thanks for having the giveaway. Blessed be, hugs!!!
pamspretties57 at gmail dot com

Amy K said...

I love your doghouse block. What a great idea! -- Amy Krasnansky (SeamsLikeRain)

Barb said...

I love that collection and wonderful dog house!!

GranChris said...

Such beautiful fabric and of course I like the dog house. I have a Sam, Sunday, Malcomb, Bear and that is enough.

Cloud 9 said...

Beautiful fabric. I have two rescue cats, Luna and Hoshi.

Julie said...

Cut fabric :) I have 2 cats right now named Pokey and Whitey.

Michele T said...

Awww that's sweet💕 Our Buddy, 13.5 yrs passed away Halloween night... I am still broken hearted and miss my baby.

Monica said...

Love the dog house. My dog would be name Othello.
monica(at)icanquilt2(dot)com

Barb Neiwert said...

Your dog house is adorable! Well done on the construction. We just lost our Cocker Spaniel on Christmas Eve, but she was with us for nearly 17 years, so we can't complain too much. Not quite ready for dog prints. Just wanted to tell you I really liked your ideas.

Cecilia said...

Cute blog! We had 2 labs, Samson and Sandy, who were 15 when they died. They were great to have, but we've moved and won't be getting anymore pets.

Donna W said...

Cute block. Our Nova Scotia Duck Tolly Retreiver (not many have heard of this kind of dog)is Tilly and she is the best,

Adele Mogavero said...

Love the way you have the Dog inside the doghouse. Very Cute

Rachell said...

cute pups, and creative blocks! i grew up with Akitas and Shiba Inu dogs, with a few other breeds thrown in, like german shepard and boxers. I tend to be pretty allergic now, so i dream of doggies from far way. Maybe a doggie-themed quilt will help!
reillyr2(at)hotmail(dot)com

Sues said...

Cute block MaryEllen!!! My dachshunds Trudy and Elsa approve!!! I have lots of dog lovers in my family...dog fabrics would make great lap quilts for snuggling with pups.

Beth said...

We have four dogs, all rescues: Cora (1 y/o), Silas (2 y/o), Billie (3 y/o), and Nick (13.5 y/o)--well, Nick is a rescue in the sense that we adopted his pregnant mom from a shelter and then kept Nick & three of his siblings, too! We also have five cats, because we adopted a pregnant rescue cat and kept all of the kittens. We're funny like that.

I love that you adopted from North Shore Animal League. My mom was a faithful supporter of that group. Even when she was a retiree on a rather limited income, she had a small amount of money regularly deducted from her checking account for them. After she died, I found one of their gift bookmarks tucked into the crossword puzzle dictionary she kept by her favorite chair. It was an indication to me of her pride in being a part of that group and the good work they do.

Pamela said...

My dog's name is Molly, and the minute I saw her at the humane society, I knew she would be part of the family. She tests all my quilts for me. Thanks so much for sharing your story and your blog and this beautiful fabric!

Rebecca said...

Max is his name and he came from the shelter 2 years ago on Friday the 13th!.. He is part hound and topped off at 80 lbs. He was suppose to come in at about 40 lbs but someone forgot to explain that to him.

Lisa England said...

We don't have a pet right now, but our last one was a lab mix named Hobbes.

Mom C said...

Chumper. The dogs in batik is a new one for me. Fun. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

Logan, a rescue boxer is my son's dog. Like the idea of dog houses for a quilt.
nikilsend(at)outlook(dot)com

Nancy said...

This is a great quilt block idea. We had a beagle named Flash who lived to be 14. She was a character and I miss her.

anna said...

BLUE is my best friend's name. And OMG, would never of thought of that. Thanks for sharing

Anita Jackson @ Domestic Felicity said...

I adore the dog featured in the dog house! The fussy cut made it a perfect addition! Thanks for sharing!

anitalynette(dot)simmons(at)yahoo(dot)com
http://quiltlovefordomesticfelicity.blogspot.com

Judi Duncan said...

Rusty and Lucky....both shelter dogs and happily adopted by us. Rusty is about 70 pounds and Lucky is 120 pounds!

Laura said...

Our beloved furrbaby died two years ago. We haven't the heart to replace her with another. Her name was Kira.

Denise said...

Hi Mary Ellen. I'm a beginner quilter and love the doghouse block. I quilt under the watchful eye of my springer spaniel, rocky.