Border Collie Quilts

I realized today I have been remiss in sharing something very special.

My mother is an gifted designer.  For many years she designed knitting patterns and her knitted creations have adorned each of my children as they grew up.   Many of the sweaters you see Bonnie wearing in her ridiculous photo shoots have been designed & knitted by my mom (for my kids, not the dogs). 

My mother is also an incredible quilter.  The quilts she makes make me drool in envy.  Last year I was blessed when she made me this beautiful quilt from discontinued border collie fabric that she found buried in a bin at a little quilt store.

I adore this quilt.  It is the perfect size for snuggling with in my chair.

Please forgive the crappy photography - I did not edit these pictures - they are straight out of the camera. 

This last Christmas my mother gifted me with another amazing quilt.  Earlier in the year I had found and purchased a 1/2 yard of another border collie fabric I found online.  This was another discontinued fabric line and very difficult to locate anymore.  I had no idea what to do with it, so I begged my mom for another quilt.

She made not, one but TWO of them.  One for me and one for my friend Cindy.   (click on the pictures to enlarge to full size.)  The quilt below is actually much brighter than appears in the pictures. 

 My mom and I spent a few hours scouring quilt shops for companion fabric.  My mother added the scraps from the first quilt into this one to make unique quilt blocks.

The green fabric with the handler/shepherd and border collie was what I found and ordered online.

My mother adapted another pattern for this quilt.  I loved how she put the star squares together.

Thank you Mom!  I will cherish these quilts forever.

Dogs, Swans, Socks, Quilts & Christmas

I have been MIA and apologize.

Blame my camera.

My brain has been sucked into the camera abyss and won't let go.

I keep hearing these voices in my head.

Errr, beyond the other voices that are there everyday.  You know the ones - the ones that told me to adopt border collies and buy cameras.  Nuts eh?

The voices keep saying "MUST PHOTOGRAPH EVERYTHING"

Like Vicki's old boy Grizz, a newfie-lab mix.  Who could pass up that drool face?

 

I think the voices are from a 'higher power'.   They make me photograph CATS!  Yes, CATS?  Ranger was disgusted with me.  Gus was a little bewildered too. 

What more proof do you need than this?  While driving to my parents for a Christmas get together - suddenly the rain clouds parted, the sun shone and a rainbow appeared - shining down upon a huge arse flock of migrating trumpeter & tundra swans.  Okay, so you have to squint to see the rainbow.  It is there I am telling ya!

Swans are good for the heart.  They make it smile and sigh.  This picture does not - it sucks.  But it shows a mixture of trumpeter & tundra swans together. I did not get a decent picture of the sheer volume of swans in the Skagit River valley that morning numbering in the thousands.  I focused on one smaller grouping of mainly trumpeter swans and their young.  Fascinating birds...

Trumpeter swan coming in for a landing!  Yeeeha!  (click on any picture for larger view)

 If I didn't pull off the free way (thus causing us to be late & my father to pace) then I would have been struck down by the great photo buff in the sky.

 Bad things will happen if you pass up excellent lighting and rare birds.  I'm just sayin'

These birds yell at you while you take their pictures too. They say things like "HONK HONK OVEREXPOSED"  or "HONK HONK YOUR F-Stop is FFF'ED".  Ever heard them?  They are loud and noisy. 

But I still think they are beautiful.

This is what happens when a young border collie escapes the car and runs to Camera Face.

My father didnt buy the "God made us late" story.  Shadow told him I am full of crapola.

My parents live at Shadows house

Shadow was very happy to see Bonnie & Brynn.  However, he was not thrilled about Camera Face

Even at my parents house I was compelled to photograph everything.  Like my father's empty chair.

Looking at this picture I had to ask myself a question.  There are pictures of sheep on the walls, and even a picture of a border collie with sheep.  The entire second story of their house is occupied by wool, scads and scads of wool.  Sheep are an integral part of my parents house. 

So how did they end up with this?

Well, you know he is black and white.  I will give him that. And there is the adorable factor - okay, he is an honorary border collie.  He does a very good job of protecting my mom's yarn, but guarding my dad's lap is the top of his 'to-do' list. 

My mother knitted John socks for Christmas.  When he took them out of the bag - they were still attached to knitting needles.  She fitted them to his feet and finished them right there.  John is the happy owner of custom fitted wool socks.  He is a happy electrician with warm feet.   

He was speechless when he opened this ... my Mom made him his very own quilt!  If you want to make a grown man get misty eyed - give him a hand made flannel quilt.  Works like a charm. 

But nothing, I mean NOTHING tops this.

My mom made me my very own Border Collie quilt.  Perfect for snuggling in my chair.  The quilt backing is sheep & border collies - the companion fabric to the border collies on the front. 

Best Christmas present ever.  Thank you Mom & Dad.  I will cherish it forever.