Monday, June 7, 2010

Rottweilers and quilting ... a great mix!

Notice my new quilt layout underneath my assistant?
So many blogs lately have been featuring their dogs and cats.  It's made me wonder if quilty/crafty type people are drawn towards animals?  Or do I just gravitate toward blogs by people that also love animals?  Hmmmmm..... Well, either way, I have noticed a lot of animal talk lately.  Which naturally leads me to thinking about my own faithful, hardworking assistant. 

I'll be honest here.  I have no clue what she is doing or how it helps me.  She has made it her job to lay on absolutely every piece of fabric I place on the floor.  I mean she is totally serious about it too!  She can be upstairs all tucked into her bed snoring peacefully away and I will ever-so-quietly start laying out some squares on the floor and, before you know it, I'll hear her tags jangling.  She'll come thumping slowly down the stairs (it's hard for a 103 pound dog to get moving after a sound sleep) and give me an annoyed look.  "Do we REALLY need to be doing this NOW," she says as she lands on the squares with a huge exhale.  Hurrumph! 
Here she is laying on my very first quilt

Rottweilers are a working breed of dog and are happiest when they have a job to do.  They originated with the Roman armies as cattle herders and cart pullers.  I'm not sure how a Roman soldier would feel about one of his dogs being a quilter but I bet he'd be real impressed by her work ethic! 



Something doesn't feel right.  I better sleep on it. 

I'll never forget the day my oldest son brought her home as a tiny five pound, flea infested puppy.  I had told him that he was absolutely NOT allowed to bring a puppy into our house.  Especially a Rottweiler!  He was moving out soon so I agreed that she could temporarily stay here.  He had brought her home in a plastic rubbermaid bin and she was going to be either in that bin or in his arms the whole time she was in the house.  He paid his younger brother to babysit all day while he was at work and repeatedly take her outside for bathroom breaks.  I tried so hard not to look over at her when she was out because I was still simmering with anger that he had defied me. 


One afternoon I was in my garden pulling out yards and yards of tangled pea vine and I felt a tiny tug.  I looked down to see Jada with a piece of vine in her mouth.  She was shaking her little head and pulling with all her might and then she looked up at me with the conspiratorial look that said "Don't worry Grandma, we'll get this old vine out together!"  My heart just melted .... She became my gardening helper that summer and when I was watering she ran beside me with the hose in her mouth and when I was shoveling she was beside me digging holes.  Always with the sideways glances to make sure I saw her working. 


To make a long story short .... Jada was relinquished to me when my son moved out.  She's my best friend and my assistant in all matters of my life.  Baking, gardening, and, of course, sewing.  Jada is by my side throughout the whole quiltmaking process from beginning to end.  She is the inspector and sniffer of all fabric parcels that enter the house (did you know that many fabric shops have resident kitties!?).  She lays at my feet while I sew.  She lays on all my work.  She gets involved in the quilt primping when I'm doing a photo shoot.  She gets yelled at to MOVE! a lot but she never goes away.  She's there for me every step of the way.  

Now I understand the real reason that the Roman armies were such a formidable, dominating force during their time.  They had the best helpers. 



Jada and I making dog biscuits in our matching aprons. 
I'm entering this post in the Lily Pad Quilting Pets on Quilts Show.  Please pop over and take a look at all the other pet posts.   

43 comments:

  1. Pups are the greatest quilting companions! Mine drives me nuts when she tries to 'help' me pick out fabrics, picking them up & trotting around the room with them.

    Thanks for stopping by my blog!
    Jaclyn

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  2. I love this post! The part about little Jada pulling vines with you brought a tear to my eye! So cute

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  3. P.S. - Your blogs are all very well written! I love reading them!

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  4. Matching aprons?? Oh, you are a kindred spirit, I think!...Of course you know that all good dogs lay directly on whatever it is that you are working on once it's placed on the floor. They're steady and reliable that way, aren't they?? :D Your sweet dog seems to be more helpful with chores, as mine merely watches and waits and occasionally gets in the way....But they're great, aren't they? A constant source of joy. I'm glad Jada became yours!

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  5. Ok, I don't know you and this is the first time I ran across your blog (through Sugarstitches), but I'm teary! I'm such a dog lover and this was the best "love letter" to your canine BFF that I have ever seen! I love this post so very much. Thanks for sharing!

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  6. Lovely post! and aaaah... look at her as a puppy... soooo adorable !!!

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  7. I have my helpers too. I have just started blogging and after reading a bunch of quilting blogs i wasn't a quilting blogger till i posted pics of my pets helping! Its amazing how many 4 legged quilters (cats and dogs) there are out there. Jada is beautiful and what a wonderful best friend!

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  8. Aaaw! She is a beautiful dog - and I love her story. You were meant to have her, y'know? And, can I say how lovely it is to see YOU in a photo - great pinny, too.

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  9. Your story just melted my heart. She sounds like a great friend even if she gets in the way sometimes and lays on your quilts. And wasn't she the cutest puppy!

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  10. Aren't dogs just the best? My beagle boys love my quilts and they aren't happy unless they are laying on a quilt, ON the couch.

    Thanks for sharing about your girl; she sounds like she is such a sweetie!

    Jennifer :)

    PS: I love the matching aprons!

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  11. She is beautiful! Your story made me almost teary. And it is amazing to me how animals soften us.

    My dogs love to lay under my sewing table. And Ares (our youngest pit bull) is fascinated with my cutter when I'm cutting out fabric. (he stole it for a game one night)

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  12. Couldn't agree with you more. Mine (Emma) is right beside me this instant. And next, she'll probably be parked directly under my chair with her head resting on the wheels - so much so that I'll have to gingerly slink out from my chair. They are the very best for sure. Love the great photos and the matching aprons!

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  13. Jada is beautiful and what a wonderful companion! Love your story about how she came to be with you. Love the aprons.

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  14. Love your helper- if I was not owned by dachshunds I would be owned by Rottweilers! My babies are as helpful as your too, but I have to hold one of them usually!



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  15. Great, great story! I'm so glad Jada won you over. How would you ever get anything done without her help?! She is a beauty and from the pictures I can see she is helping you make some beautiful quilts!

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  16. Jada is a wonderful helper and just a beautiful gal too.

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  17. Jada is such a good quality assurance inspector. I love the matching aprons!! Thanks for sharing your story...and I do believe we gravitate towards things we love...and we tend to follow blogs that promote our passions.
    God Bless,
    Mama Mindy, Mama of The Slimmer Pugs & Purrs

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  18. How you could not love that little face. Such a sweetheart and she grew up into a beautiful quilting assistant. Love the story. Yeah quilters and pets pretty much the only way to go.

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  19. I love this story and I'm so glad you kept her. I don't know what it is with quilters and our pets but I know I'd be lost without my two, they're involved in everything I do and I wouldn't have it any other way.

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  20. There's no point in trying to resist puppies... when they set out to win your heart you just don't stand a chance!

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  21. Well, they are looking fab against the colors of your quilt.

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  22. Hi! I'm so happy that Jada came to help you that day with the vine and stayed at your home! She is beautiful and I know your best friend! Your quilts look beautiful - I'll go to see more! Sunny wishes from Greece with 2 dogs and 1 cat! x Teje

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  23. looks like she loves being your helper...

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  24. Lovely Rott...she is a beauty. I have always wanted one...but I'm allergic to most animals...except poodles...I found out...so I have a pack of them..LOL!!! and they follow me every where too...I wouldn't have it any other way:):) thanks for sharing:):)

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  25. Your story of how you and Jada met cracked me and gave me my laugh for the day! I see she stole your heart when you were determined that it wouldn't be! She does look like she is quite the assistant!

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  26. Gorgeous!!! I love the dogs and the quilts :) I entered too, check mine out:
    http://adventurousquilter.blogspot.com/2013/08/it-is-finally-august-which-is-time-for.html

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  27. Lovely dog and story. So sweet.

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  28. Too cute. What a great quilt helper you have!

    SewCalGal
    www.sewcalgal.blogspot.com

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  29. She is just adorable. She definitely takes her work very seriously. Love the quilts.

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  30. How great to have a willing helper!

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  31. Jada is cute, even if she is large!!! Love the fact she helps you at everything. My dog, Treacle, is just the same. In fact sometimes I fall over her as she follows me so closely. Susie x

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  32. Helloooo ~ Let me introduce myself, I am Sweet William The Scot, and I am taking the tour of the quilts. I am more of a dog blogger, but I have made three quilts in my lifetime. Jada is definitely a star on the star quilt. Love your apron and Jada's matching scarf.
    Sweet William The Scot

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  33. Truly pawesome post...love it! So happy that you are joining in our party!

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  34. Love the post - she is a beautiful dog and a great help I'm sure!

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  35. She certainly does seem to be dedicated to her work as quilt inspector. It's great to read about you two coming together despite rocky beginnings :)

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  36. Great story!! Jada is precious in all ways! Your quilts are lovely too!

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  37. OMG - I love the matching aprons - Great pictures - good luck in the contest.
    xo jan@sewandsowfarm#84

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  38. Beautiful dog and beautiful quilts.

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  39. What a sweet dog! Why do they always like to be in the middle of the quilt works?

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  40. Adorable! Thanks for sharing:)

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