Today my friend Jacqui tagged me on Facebook as part of the Happy Dog Life Challenge against animal abuse. The challenge is to post a picture of your dog or dogs for five days. Well, being me I know there’s no hope of my remembering to post a picture every day, so I thought it would be fun to include (nearly) all the dogs I’ve owned as an adult all in one go! My first dog as a grown-up was a little Westie called Lucy, but this was back in the 1980s, definitely before computers and digital cameras, and I don’t have any digital images easily to hand. But I do have images of the other four furry friends who’ve shared my life over the past thirty years ….
The first Newfie is Amy, who lived with me from 2006 to 2010. She was a very special girl as she actually saved a child’s life before I adopted her. The pretty little scruffy dog is Susie, our family dog throughout Rosie’s childhood. She was beaten, starved and abandoned, and came to us through Chichester Dog Rescue. I think she was about 18 months old when we got her, which would have meant she lived until about 16 years old. Ben of course needs no introduction – he’s now 10 years old, and though he’s a senior Newfie is just as silly as ever! And finally …. there’s Daisy! Looking uncharacteristically grown up and sensible in this picture. But as all our friends know – there’s always one and it’s ALWAYS Daisy! I really enjoyed looking back at all my old doggy pictures, and remembering some great times spent with them all.
But this post is about looking forward too. I’m in the middle of putting the June Magazine together ready for publication next week. All the patterns are finished now ….
And I think I know a little boy who will be more than happy to take possession of the little Wilderness Bear in the bottom left hand corner! Rosie and I have been chatting about this little bear – the sample is stitched from felt and his tummy and nose are appliqued and embroidered. But .. we wondered about producing a bear printed onto fabric ready to embroider, then cut out and stitch together. The simple shape would lend itself very well to this I think, so next month I’m planning to put some panels together and if all goes well they should be available in-store by July. Feeling very excited about this, and if all goes well there may be more animals to come!
Oh Susie is so lovely. Ben will always be my favourite, always will remember him treading on my feet and wiping his tail on my leg after somehow dipping it in his water bowl. Daisy is gorgeous too. Amy sounded a wonderful four-legged friend saving a child.
Julie xxxxxx
Aw, thanks Julie, yes Ben is just as messy as ever! X
Dear Helen. How I love your Bustle and Sew. I purchased some of your patterns and am in the process of cutting out the patterns. But my main reason to email you, is to tell you about my favorite four legged best friend. Her name is Squirty. She is a rescue from the Humane Society. She is mostly Cardigan Corgi with a bit of Jack Russell. As you probably know, she keeps me on my toes, but I love her to death. She is the funniest and most animated animal I have ever owned. she loves to be in my sewing room, and loves tearing apart a back of scraps that I keep aside just for her to have fun with. Please keep your publications going, I look so forward to making the Softies, and giving them as Baby/ toddler gifts.
Aw, that’s so kind of you Earleen. Squirty sounds great – I’m sure she and Daisy would have a great deal in common – and lots of fun playing together if they ever met! Tug of war with the fabric scraps might possibly be a favourite game for them! I do hope you enjoy making your softies xxx