I promise to make this quilt related, but first I want to share a word about dogs. I love them – especially beagles and/or beagle mixes - actually I gravitate towards all breeds of dogs. Here’s the thing…a dog does not care if your hair is done, your nails look good, if your face is scarred, or if you are wheelchair bound….none of that matters to them, they would adore you if you had one eye in the middle of your forehead that rotated all the time as long as you feed them, water them, give them shelter, and a head pat – it is that simple. You do those things and you will earn their loyalty for life.
I used to work part-time at a Humane Society and I was willing to do just about anything they asked of me – cleaning cages, potty pick-up, fur washing, feeding, walking, etc. etc. just to be with the dogs. That job was a real eye opener – it is amazing what people do to animals – simply put some people should never be allowed to have them.
Nicky Red Dog (Red Beagle Mix) - The first day at our home. I was told she had gained enough weight and was given the okay by the vet to be adopted out. Before us -- someone had left Red Dog on chain, dead of winter – no food, no water, she was infested with cooties which caused hair loss – actually they had almost starved her to death.
Nicky Red Dog Today – In quilt maker terms she is a rectangle with legs. Like me she has gotten a little robust as she matured – cheese will do that to you. She has a repartee of tricks – sit, sing to me, talk to me, bang your dead, high five, circle, circle, circle, lay down, fetch, and I want some cheese. She loves to go on walks. She loves to go for rides to Dairy Queen. She loves to work on the farm with my husband (actually she has become his dog). She helped my husband and I when we became empty nesters. She is a joy and her previous owners did not deserve her.
Our very first family dog was a beagle mix named Miss Spud – she was a sweet corn addict, absolutely adored our son – she was his dog, and we had her for 14 years. She passed away the winter before our son left for college. Spud had “street smarts.” She was quite a dog and faced off two coyotes in our backyard – and a skunk or two. Ewww! She was a brave little dog and protected our son with her life– loyalty like that, you have to love.
I promised to make this quilt related. There is a wonderful art quilter/designer from Illinois named Sharon Malec who has created a variety of animal patterns. She has a web site http://www.malec-designs.com/ If that url does not get you in just Google Sharon Malec the dog lady and you will be able to reach her site that way.
Here is the cover of the pattern I purchased and used for our son’s high school graduation sampler:
Beagle
Sharon Malec Design
It seems to me that most quilt makers I know have a pet, whether they are Team Dog or Team Cat or both. Do you agree?
