so here is the quilt

Now I can show off the quilt I have been keeping secret.
It was a gift for my older brother and I gave it to him over the holidays...even though it's for his 60th birthday which isn't until early February.

I knew it was the quilt I wanted to make for Dennis when I first saw the pattern (called Dogs in Sweaters).

 When we were growing up we had a daschund mix dog named Wilbur.   He was loved by all the family members but he had a special relationship with my brother, Dennis, who gave him lots of attention.
Much of the time this attention consisted of play-fighting... in which Dennis would wrestle with the dog over a toy or a sock. Wilbur would end up showing his teeth and growling like he was ready to rip someone's throat out. Dennis would spin him in a circle in the floor, flip him on his back and pretend to choke him.
It all sounds horrible and violent but neither one would dream of hurting the other, and Wilbur was always ready for more.

Later on in life, Dennis even created a small robot and named it "Wilby Walker" in memory of his old friend Wilbur.

You can see a photo of the robot here, although the robot doesn't actually look like the dog.

So that is the story behind this quilt. Happy Birthday, Dennis!

I enjoyed making this quilt.  The pattern called for flannels for the sweaters, but I just picked out some prints and plaids from my stash - ones that I thought would make good shirts.

I cut the pieces for the entire quilt before I started sewing so I could concentrate on following the directions carefully.

I put them together in assembly line fashion but it was a bit tricky since some dogs face left and some face right. 

It was fun seeing all the parts coming together...turning into dogs.

This one is wearing fabric from a shirt that belonged to Chopper. 

This one is wearing a shirt that is printed with circuit boards.  I got that fabric with a kit one time and I wondered how I would ever use  up what was left over.  Perfect for this - keeping the Wilby Walker robot in mind. 

The pattern included a template for adding glasses so I chose this dog to wear a pair.

I added an extra border along with the checkerboard corners. The original pattern stopped with the gray borders but I wanted it a bit larger and more colorful. Final size - about 83"wide x 87" long.

I machine quilted in my usual meandering style...

I do wish the gray background was a little darker.

The pattern maker, Elizabeth Hartman, did such a nice job writing the pattern and including helpful tips, that I am now a big fan of hers. I bought another of her patterns (Lamas !) to add to my "some day" list.

 But first...finishing up things I have started on!