Smiling Beagles = Inspiration

 

I snapped this photo this past weekend at the dog park.  It was quite a feat...getting the three amigos to sit next to each other, look at me and smile...but I had a good supply of patience and treats.  Low and behold this is what I got.  (For a full run down of what I went through to get this, talk to my dog park pal Jen Chapman, who witnessed the entire photo shoot).

I used my swanky new IPAD camera card attachment and the Snapseed photo editor app for IPAD.  I love this photo. It captures the individuality of each of the beags (seriously people ask me all the time how I tell them apart---I think this photo illustrates how easy that is to do). It will likely turn into something silly for our Christmas card.

So, I've been quilting a lot and planning a lot of quilts too.  Next up, Wendy and I are scheduled to take the "Wren" log cabin class at Spool.  My sister has also requested a quilt for her office.  She picked out some great fabrics and I'll be making the "1, 2, 3" quilt from Modern Basics for her.  I was also fabric stash diving last weekend and (re)discovered these awesome Batik fat quarters (13 of them!) I bought at a quilt show a few summers ago.  I want to do a pattern with squares/frames of the Batiks and a stark white contrast.  That is down the road a bit.

Anyway with all this quilting I've gotten (back) into reading (quilting) blogs.  It seems like today quilting blogs are where knitting blogs were BEFORE Raverly.  These quilting blogs are really inspiring my creativity and desire to sew and quilt!  There is just so much great stuff out there!

One of the blogs I'm reading is Jaybird Quilts.  I took a class with the writer, Julie, at Spool about a year and a half ago (Wonky Table Runner-which adorns the table at the Joy House B & B).  When she was teaching our class, Julie encouraged us to label our projects as our own, and to incorporate this label into the quilt BEFORE quilting it, so it really couldn't be removed without ruining the piece.  She told us then about Spoonflower , an awesome place where you can design and print your own fabrics!  Julie also wrote an awesome blog recently about this subject complete with samples of her own labels.

Given my (BIG) plans for summer sewing, I finally decided to design my own fabric panel quilt label.This brings us back to the picture above.  I love it SOOOO much I wanted it (somehow) to become part of my quilt projects.  And, here it is

I LOVE IT!

Yes, I am inspired by my smiling beagles.  Gus, Maggie and Finn are such a huge part of my life.  Other than their dog hairs which are undoubtedly quilted and knitted into all my projects, I thought this was a great way in incorporate their inspiration into my creative projects!

I ordered a fat quarter of the fabric which should yield about 20 labels.  I cannot wait to see the actual fabric AND incorporate it into my quilts.  THANKS to my smiling beagles for their love, snuggles and an awesome name for my quilted projects!