"I get by with a little help from my friends" - remember that line from the Beatles song? Today is one of those days when Brenda needs a little help and as the other half of Just Takes 2 I'm happy to oblige. Earlier this week she tripped over a cardboard box and broke her arm. One of the worst things to happen to a quilter! She asked me to post her block here and I'm sure you won't mind making an extra stop to get today's little beauty.
Block 4
I have to say I just love, love, love this little block. It's easy to rotary cut and sew together. The star points are all made with connector corners so there aren't as many triangle to work with as you'd imagine.
I wish I had time to make lots of these. I think they'd be adorable set together with sashing between them. Even as a two color quilt they'd shine!
No time for chit chat today. I'm off to the grocery store before it starts snowing in a couple of hours. It will be Zoe's first time in her crate. I know I won't like it and I doubt she'll like it either but she's just not old enough to be on her own in the house with Clutch. Scroll down and there's a link to get today's block.
Have you ever heard the saying "When opportunity knocks.............open the door"?
Well that's just what we did last Friday night and it's been a pretty exciting (and exhausting) week around our house.
Things will never be the same here but we're having fun and there's been lots of learning, laughter and compromise.
You've seen this photo of Clutch in his "desk dog" position doing his very best imitation of working.
Here's a wider look at his space on the desk. Notice anything unusual?
Peek-a-boo! There's another basket on the desk! Another set of ears! What???
I'd like you to meet the newest member of our family. Her name is Zoe!
We've been talking about getting a little sister for Clutch for quite a while and watching the puppy listings in the Michigan/Indiana area since last summer. Clutch is 8 years old and pretty set in his ways. You can't blame him for that because we've made no secret of the fact that "it's all about Clutch" around here. He has heating pads in his bed, a seat at the dinner table, sleeps with us at night and has more cuddle blankets than he could ever use. We knew if we didn't introduce him to a sister before too long it would be too hard on him as he got older.
I wasn't regularly checking Craig's List for puppies but took a few extra minutes one morning to see if there were any listings and saw this picture. I can't explain the feeling that came over me. It nearly took my breath away for so many reasons. Someone was looking for a home for a little girl Chihuahua they didn't feel they could take care of any longer. I knew we had to do something to rescue that little angel! I emailed, called and left a message...then waited........waited...........and waited. After a couple of days I figured someone had adopted that desperate looking little girl especially since the listing was almost a week old by the time I called. DH suggested I call again so another message was left when no one answered the phone. A couple more days went by and still no response. Each day after work DH would ask if I'd heard anything and I'd have to say "no". When he said to call again I thought he was crazy but said okay. When the answering machine kicked in again and I decided I couldn't leave another message so I hung up.
Persistence (and prayers) paid off - about 20 minutes later Zoe's owner called. We talked for quite a while and made arrangements for them to come and visit us later that evening. Believe it or not, she only lived 2 miles from our house! Zoe's name was Ana at that time and she'd come to her current owner from a rescue several months ago. They'd never owned a dog before, weren't sure how to take care of her and their busy schedule had our little lady in a crate at least 9 hours a day. That was causing quite a bit of crying which was not making the neighbors happy.
One of the biggest questions was.....what would Clutch think of her and what would she think of him? They couldn't believe how big Clutch was (he weighs 7 3/4 pounds) and we couldn't believe how little Zoe was (she weighs just under 3 pounds). When you get the two of them together you have to do a double take. It's like a mini version of Clutch! The two dogs said their howdies and got along pretty well. In retrospect I think Clutch thought she was just there for a visit and quite surprised when he realized she was going to live with us forever!
It's been quite a while since I was "new doggie mama" and it's exhausting! It all happened so fast we weren't prepared. Zoe didn't have a bed, collar or toys of her own. She didn't seem to even know what toys were so we rustled up a bed, divided the toys, blankets, etc. Did you notice her deck bed is the basket from my 9" x 13" baking pan? I've learned you can't easily find collars or clothes for a little lady this small. It's a good thing I'm a fan of Cuddle fabric and have quite a stash. Business opportunity someone!
So what does Clutch think of all this? That tongue sticking out isn't the bad sign you might imagine. He does that when he's happy and relaxed! We've had a few little squabbles and I'm 100% positive we'll have a few more. Zoe is only 13 months old and has a lot to learn - just ask Clutch! She's constantly watching him and everything he does.
After a week, we're sharing Mom pretty well. We've learned our new name, had our nails trimmed and our ears cleaned. We're sleeping in bed together at night (she snores!) and sharing the couch sometimes during the day. We both have a seat at the dinner table and sit on Mom's lap in the car. We share the window basket when the sunshine is coming through and...........
spend a lot of time taking our frustrations out on a Nylabone. We really are pleased with how well they're getting along. I hope we settle into a more regular schedule soon so I can get a bit more work done. The only real sewing I did last week was on a little pink cuddle blanket. Too bad the Daylight Saving time change tonight will mess things up even more.
On my lap while I'm working.
I do have great hopes for next week and will be on the lookout for a pink polka dot life jacket for Zoe to take to the cottage!
It's time for the next block in the Just Takes 2 Schoolhouse Quilt. Today's pattern also includes instructions for the pieced border used in the quilt. This will give you time to divide up the mundane task of making the same unit over and over and........... 116 times to be exact!
Before we get to today's block let's take a look at how to make the pieced border unit.
You'll need one of the red rectangles, a white square and a red print square.
Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of the white and red print squares from corner to corner.
With right sides together, match a white square to one end of the red rectangle.
Sew on the drawn diagonal line.
Press the square over to make a triangle.
Trim the bottom two pieces under the triangle leaving a 1/4" seam allowance.
Match a red print square to the opposite end of the rectangle and sew on the drawn line. Press and trim like you did on the white square.
There's your first Flying Geese unit! One down............... only 115 to go! Divide them up and do a few each time you make a block and that way they'll be ready when your blocks are.
Here's today's block sewn inside Schoolhouse #2
I have to admit I really like this block and it's fun to sew together. I'd like to try it in a scrap quilt, maybe 1930's or Civil War reproduction prints. What do you think? It's all rotary cut and machine sewn so you'll have it together quickly.
There's a lot of miles between Michigan and Texas but Brenda and I do a pretty good job of staying connected. I have a special treat for you today. This is one of Brenda's blocks using Kaffe Fassett fabrics. Isn't it beautiful? She was thinking of changing her background to a deep green but I love the block just as it is and am waiting to see what the green fabric looks like before I cast my vote. Be sure to head over to Brenda's Dear Jane web site and see her other blocks.
I wish I had time to make lots of these. I think they'd be adorable set together with sashing between them. Even as a two color quilt they'd shine!
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