Monday, August 17, 2009

Quilting and Dogs

For this first time in a long time I actually did some quilting. I worked on a small wall hanging, but now need to run out and get some batting and maybe a pretty backing fabric to finish it. Then I worked on a quilt that I had started a while back. As usual, I can never do anything simply, so of course the sashing for this quilt is harder and more complex than the individual blocks. I have only 3 large blocks left to sew, and about half the cornerstone blocks to do.

It seems I am the same with quilting as I am with the dogs. I have a hard time waiting until all the individual pieces are done before I start putting it together. I have a need to see something substantial for the work I have put in. So although all the parts are not done, I have started putting some pieces together. It's my need to see progress and my own personal reward I think.

Its the same with the dogs. I often enter events with my dogs, really before I am done with the training. I need to see that we are making progress. Its not that I need another persons judgement, it's that I need to feel that we are moving toward a goal, and those Q's or even NQ's give me a real feel for where we are. I don't think that I could ever be a person who has a dog trained through utility before entering novice. I wish I could be that person, but so far have not mastered that. So you will probably continue to see me at shows with half trained dogs. But I guess that is OK as long as that is what makes me happy. Right?

On the dog training side, this weekend David worked with Siren and I worked a bit with Peace. Grace is in season, and the boys are driving her crazy. Me too really, Kazin leave her alone, Magic get off Grace. At one point yesterday, Grace shut herself in the living room crate. I think she was fed up.

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