It’s no secret that pit bulls are our breed of choice. We got Rue from MN Pit Bull Rescue and often donate to the rescue. For their anniversary party, I donated a pit bull quilt that my mom won!
As much as I’d like to say this was an original idea, it wasn’t. I knew I wanted to make a quilt inspired by dogs, but I didn’t have the time or patience to make a pattern. Enter the pattern from Sew Fresh Quilts on Etsy. I did upscale this significantly and trim fabric as I went, but this pattern gave me a general idea of measurements.
Note: I wouldn’t say this pattern is for beginners. There is folding, ironing and cutting fabric to get the geometric shapes. For a super savvy sewer, no issue. For me, a few mistakes that had to be redone.
Fabric
For fabric, I usually look for a good deal at JoAnn Fabrics. They often have coupons and I always find something that works. For quilt tops, I stick with standard cotton prints and I have found that I really like using wide flannel prints for the back. They can be a bit on the spendy side, making a coupon a must-have.
I like a variety of patterns on my fabrics. It adds dimension and breaks up large chunks of color. This is especially important when using black.
Having chosen gray tones, a pop of color was important.
I find simple to be best when it comes to the backing.
My inspiration
I mentioned there were all sorts of variations of dog patterns to choose from. I didn’t look too far from home for inspiration.
My favorite little guy. Be sure to consider adoption when you’re ready to expand your furry family.
The finished quilt
The finished quilt was roughly 6′ x (just short of) 8′.
I let go of desired dimensions when I had to start trimming down sections of keep the pattern even and spacing consistent. I added ties with embroidery floss. Had I planned better, I could have added some top-stitching. No complaining here though. It’s still in one piece after washing and looks cute.
My stained concrete floor makes for a perfect place to assemble quilts.
