de Jong Dream House: dog quilt

Friday, August 17, 2018

Quilt #110: Murphy's Oops and Orphans quilt

A few years ago, I stumbled upon Elm Street Quilt's One Monthly Goal challenge. Quilters and creator write a post describing a goal they hope to complete that month. Then share the goal in Elm Street Quilt's linky party. At the end of the month, if we complete our goal, we write another post sharing our success and add that that post to the completed goal party. Then we are eligible to win prizes!

I've often used the challenge to finish UFOs or start quilts that taken a little more mojo to get started (or finished!) At the beginning of the month, I look at my whiteboard of projects and often choose one of my tier two projects as my OMG.

For months and months and months, one of the projects in my third column was my "oops and orphans" quilt. I have a ridiculous about of scraps from all the quilts I've made. Mostly, they are sorted by color, but I have another bin with practice blocks and leftover pieces like half square triangles and strip sets. (Note to self: 2019 will be the year of scrappy quilts).

In May of 2018, I finally choose my Oops and Orphans quilt as my One Monthly Goal. I had three goals:

1. Use up some of the fabric in my Oops & Orpans bin.

2. Practice free motion

3. Use Quilt as You Go

I didn't have any intention of doing anything big, just a little something to whet the appetite for later on. I ended up making a four block set. You can see more detail pictures of the quilt here.

I wasn't sure what I was going to do with quilt, so I left it unbound until Mom and her Havanese, Murphy came to visit. That's when I decided that Murphy needed his own quilt.

This quilt has been a little small for D to sleep with to wrap his love in it. But he has played with Murphy instead, so I think that counts.

We haven't had a dog in the house since our Bailey passed away in 2011. D is very allergic to dogs. He has been taking desensitization drops for more than two years. Mom purposely bought a Havanese because they are said to be hypo-allergenic (or as much as a dog can be). D has done amazingly well. As long as he takes a Benedryl in the morning, he has no reaction at all!

Murphy decided to spend the summer with us in Ohio to avoid the Arizona heat, so he uses his quilt in my car. We've had to have a few discussions about who gets to drive, but he's getting used to his shotgun position.