Friday, January 16, 2015

Hot diggity dog

I have been stitching some hot diggity dogs these last couple of days. Yes indeedy, hot diggity dogs of the Scottie kind; fashioned from blankets that I have been collecting for a li'l while.

When I was a wee girl, everyone seemed to snuggle under these 100% woollen, seductive and soft bed coverings at night. With doonas being the popular bed covers of choice these days, blankets have been relegated to the linen closet smothered under moth balls, or perhaps donated to the op shops.

Once upon a time one could acquire a blanket for a song but not so now. Is it just my imagination or is it true that op shops these days are  a li'l more expensive than they once were? Some of the prices are not that much cheaper than some of the chain stores. I have discovered an op shop which is run by a high school where a shopping bag can be filled with oodles of goodies for the princely sum of $5!! As I teach kiddos in all matters of fun stitching this op shop is a regular on my "to visit" list.

One has to be quicker than quick in acquiring these woolly bed coverings in an op shop, because as soon as they are put out on the shelves they are quickly swooped upon by the savvy public. I suppose everyone has cottoned on to the versatility of these blankets in all things stitching.

I have collected blankets for a good while now. At The Kim Sharman School of Stitching Excellence, when the kiddos make a quilt more often than not they use blankets as the backing. As I teach quite a few kiddos I am always in need of a blanket, or two, or three on hand, and of course as blankets are lovely and soft they make excellent softies for kids to snuggle up to. My kiddos have fashioned quite a few softies from blankets.


I also love to collect vintage chenille bedspreads, though they are as rare as hen's teeth in Australia. Those of you who live in the USofA are soooo lucky as it seems to me these gloriously coloured and patterned, tufted pretties abound in your flea markets. I always salivate at the lovely chenille designs that appear rather abundantly on Ebay in the USofA.


So......back to the Scottie dogs I have fashioned. They are super quick to stitch and depending on how one embellishes the neck they can be finished in an hour or two.

This Scottie was fashioned from a pretty pink and taupe chenille bedspread that I found at my favourite market. I decided to embellish this doggity dawg with a taupe wide ribbon around the neck, finished with a ruched ribbon flower and a pretty pink button.



Another Scottie made from a chenille bedspread. This time I embellished the collar with snippets from some crochet doilies. Oooh....'tis a bit sweet!



One of the mums of one of my stitching girls asked me if I could use this lovely, old, brightly coloured blanket. Mmmmm....now let me see.....will I or won't I......why of course I swiftly said "yes indeedy", before she could change her generous, benevolent mind. This li'l doggy was super quick to fashion as the only embellishment is a ribbon and a vintage buckle for it's collar.


Another Scottie embellished with ribbon, snippets of lace and crochet doilies.




Four hot diggity dogs all waiting either to be gifted to someone or to go off to market and wag their tails at the madding crowds.


Funnily enough, with all the blankets that I have happened upon over the years, I have never come across the same design or combination of colours. It seems to me there was a plethora of patterns and colours loomed at the Woollen Mills in days of old.

Anyway, with my hot diggity dogs safely ensconced in their kennels it's toodles from me. Hope you all have a lovely weekend filled with a li'l happy stitching.

Linking up with Janine's Wool on Sundays over at Rainbow Hare.


27 comments:

  1. LOVE! Those woolen blankets call to me with all their colour. What fun to give them a new beginning - the Scotties are fabulous xx.

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  2. They are gorgeous!!! We still use woollen blankets. I like them better than a doona.

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    1. There's nothing like a woollen blanket to ward of a chilly night, is there, Ann.

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  3. Lovely scotties! You are so lucky to have a source of such beautiful blankets, and what amazing colours - there's nothing of the sort to be found around here.

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  4. I must be in agreement about the cost of items in the thrifted / op shops. Sometimes I am quite disgusted by the price placed on items which were donated in the first place and not in the best knick either! I am loving your scotties especially the chenille variety. The chenille gives a lovely fuzzy soft cuddly look. I am also loving the pattern of the scotty, they would make a sensational item at a school fete, pray do tell are we allowed to pilfer your idea? Superb as always xxM

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  5. They are so adorable. I love them all. Chenile bedspreads remind of my Mom. She loved them and I still do too.

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  6. You have been having fun! The different fabrics produce quite different effects, each one unique.

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  7. Such cute and colorful little scottie dogs. Cute how you have added the different trims and buttons. Have a great weekend.

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  8. You have amassed a wonderful collection of blankets and bedspreads. And there's certainly nothing like wool to keep warm in the Winter, although I like a feather duvet as well! And I love your dogs - such a clever way to show off the lovely selection of colours and weaves :)

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  9. Hello Kim.

    Those Scotties are adorable and the best thing is they don't need feeding! I agree with you on some of the op-shop prices. I tend to look when Good Sammy's have there half price linen days. I can get metres of fabric sometimes for a few $. When you think of how many wool mills were around no wonder there are so many patterns.Have a great weekend Kim.

    Happy days.
    Bev.

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  10. So so cute! I do love to make pillows from chenille bedspreads. They aren't that easy to come by around here either these days
    I admit I have sold every one I put in my antique shop. I only cut up ones that aren't suitable for a bed.

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    1. Thank you, Beth. I am supposing your chenille beauties didn't sit in your antique shop for very long. :)

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  11. These are just too adorable. :)

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  12. Beautiful, so cute little dogs!
    Happy weekend.:*

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  13. Your blankets and chenille are wonderfully colorful! This little pups are priceless. I haven't happened onto any chenille in any of the op shops around me. Great pattern. I've never seen one like this. LOVE!!

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  14. How absolutely darling! The white one with the little flowers is so sweet.
    Have a lovely weekend Kim

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  15. Love love them they are so cute! :)

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  16. What a cute pack! Lovely work again!

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  17. You're so right about the prices in op shops....they've certainly changed!! lol Glad that you
    have the high school op shop to visit. We dip out a fair bit in Australia with being able to get
    your hands on the vintage stuff, especially when you visit overseas and see what is available.
    Love your scottie dogs, they're too cute.
    Cheers, Anita.

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  18. Love all the colourful blankets and chenille the Scottie dogs are gorgeous! Well done!

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  19. Thank you for linking these adorable dogs with Wool on Sundays :)

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  20. Lovely soft Scotties. See you at the party on Sunday

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  21. There's nothing like those warm woolen blankets to keep warm on a cold winter night. The Scotties are SO cute. I think the yellow and green one is my most favourite :)

    -Soma

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  22. I hate to burst your bubble, but at least where I am, the chenille Is just as hard to find and if we had wool blankets that color and with those stripes...I would have a ton of them in use! All we have around where I live are the olive green, army ones. Yuck!

    Love the chenille doggie! If I had girls, they would have these on their beds! So sweet!

    Thank you for always being so sweet and encouraging when you visit! You make me smile and laugh and it is much appreciated! Have a great and glorious day Down Under!

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  23. Really!! Then I suppose that I am a lucky gal 'down under' with all the glorious blankets I have unearthed. Here I was thinking that the grass is much greener on the other side with a couple of oceans in between; in that you over there have such a wonderful choice of patterns and colours in your woolly coverings. I am afraid that I don't do olive green very well and as for army........noooooooo!! The main reason I didn't join the army was I would've had to be clad from head to toe in Khaki!! Come to think of it I don't do sliding across mud, climbing rope ladders, swimming across rivers in the jungle..........very well either! ;))))

    'Tis so easy being sweet and encouraging when I visit your gorgeous blog, Dee. Actually I am addicted to popping in every Tuesday......you have sooooo many pretties to drink in, soooooo many pretties to oooh and aaaah over! I really, really can't wait to see your gorgeous log cabin quilt with the snippets of beautiful embroideries in all it's glory. But.....of course I will have the oxygen tank nearby to resuscitate me, as my pool ole heart will not be able to withstand all that gorgeousness.

    Thank you for your sweet, sweet comments. 'See' you next Tuesday. Kim xx

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  24. Your hot diggity dogs are adorable. Chenille was the bed covering of choice back when I was growing up. Oh, how modern, were the puffy comforters that made their appearance later. Chenille became old and they are so hard to find now. You have some lovely woolies/chenile ones there.

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