Scottie's Done

I have finished my Scottie crib quilt. Ta Da! A completed project is always cause for celebration at my house.

The fashion for Scottie dogs may have originally come from Queen Victoria. She had a royal kennel which influenced taste in pets both in England and the United States. The revival  of  that interest in the 1930's may have been sparked by President Franklin Roosevelt's Scottie dog, Fala.

I started mine in March of 2009, inspired by the vintage examples I'd admired and the fact that my son had a little stuffed Scottie dog toy that he loved as a boy. I had the idea that a small quilt might come in handy for a possible grandchild someday.
And perhaps it will....but for now I'm the caretaker.





I chose this shape from a Gwen Marston miniature doll quilt. It's simple applique. I didn't want to add embroidery. It's just what I wanted.

I enlarged it and off-set them and have them trotting across the quilt.
Such orderly puppies!





I used both printed and woven plaids and checks, a small scale black and white check for the border and a traditional Scottish plaid on the bias for the binding.




I hand quilted it with rust colored thread in an overall plaid from edge to edge.






For the back I used what I had of a cute little Scottie dog print...a 30's reproduction, I believe.



Not having quite enough of that I pieced two ends with the red plaid I also used for the binding.





I do label my quilts - right away - or it doesn't get done. I manage that by using a very simple piece of plain muslin pressed to freezer paper and cut with a wavy rotary blade. I make a pile of them at one time so they are ready when I need one. Then I hand write with a Pigma pen and baste it on. It contains the important info and is easily replaced with a nicer, more specific label if the quilt is to be used as a gift in the future.

There are tons of patterns and layouts for Scottie quilts, most more complex than I wanted to do! Most are applique but some are pieced or embroidered.
This one is one of a set of blocks from the 1940's. The dog is appliqued to a 10" square. Embroidery is done in black.

Here's another from Traditional Quiltsworks Issue 7. It was found on a doll quilt in 1951. It also requires a 10" block. The collar is to be of contrasting fabric and you may choose to add 'studs'.  (seriously?) This one is machine appliqued with black embroidery covering the stitches. His eye is also embroidered. On close inspection the embroidery is somewhat crude. It may have been done by a young person.

Pieced versions are cute but it seems like a lot more work to me.









Here's a cute layout found in Aunt Graces' Scrap Bag. The quilt measures only 26 x 36 so the blocks are mini's but you could use the setting for any size block

Many items in the 1940's featured the Scottie motif.
Here's an ad for a pillow design sold by Needlecraft Company of Augusta, Maine....

and a hand towel from my collection



















and a little vintage ceramic planter. I pushed a little plaid fabric in the hollow to make a pin cushion.

Can't forget to add a few vintage examples....

I saw this in person at Cindy's Antiques
It is also quilted in a plaid with different colors of thread.

Keep your eye out for Scottie quilts and patterns. You may get bitten by the urge to purchase a vintage example or make one of your own.