more pinwheel quilt - basting

So, I've finally finished basting the layers together and have started quilting! First I taped the quilt back to the floor, wrong side up, then I put down the batting (Warm and Natural - doesn't it look cozy?) and smoothed it out. Next I lay down the quilt top and pinned the whole thing together. After it was pinned, I basted the three layers together with red thread in a grid pattern across the whole quilt. Phew! I am actually sore from crawling around on the floor for four days. Listening to Cadfael helped, but what I just did is probably my least favorite part of making a quilt. Now I have started to quilt by hand, using black cotton thread, a plastic frame, and 1/4 inch tape to mark out the distance from the seams where I want to sew. This is my favorite part.

Dogs

Here is a charming little guide book I found at a second hand store.

It was printed in 1946, and there are some unusual breeds mentioned, including the Bush Dog, somewhat cruelly described here as "unlovely." I'm not entirely convinced it's not just a badger of some sort after all.

Some drawings of my dog Pete on the couch. I've no idea how he makes himself so compact and so perfectly spherical.

And here's the original, soaking up a sunbeam. As you can probably tell, he is in a near-constant state of complete relaxation.