Lesson Four: The Best In Show
"A dog might only be there for part of your life, but to them you are their whole life."
I very much subscribe to the theory that if you have a pet, you and your pet tend to emulate similar personality traits. My husband and I brought our Sweet Hank home 6 years ago and his presence in our lives will *always* hold a very special place in the heart of our family as he is the one that started it all.
For as long as I can remember, I was certain I would own Labrador Retrievers and only Labrador Retrievers. However, when we decided we were ready to get a dog, living in a one bedroom apartment was not an ideal condition for a puppy Labrador Retriever.
After endless research, we landed upon my husband’s beloved high school mascot, the English Bulldog. We searched high and low for both rescue puppies and reputable breeders (as you may know, English Bulldogs have a lot of health issues so a reputable source was VERY important to us). With minimal to no rescue puppies available, we finally found an incredible breeder with an extensive knowledge and high regard for preserving the health and integrity of the Bulldog breed(s).
As some of you may know, the Bulldog is part of the Non Sporting Group within the American Kennel Club, so when I saw that this exclusive canvas was dropping from the dream team collab that is Lycette Designs x Melissa Smrekar, there was NO way I was letting this canvas slip through my fingers. The biggest driving force for me wanting to get my hands on this canvas was because there really were not (and still are not) a ton of English Bulldog-related canvases out there (trust me, I had searched high and low) . I set my alarm to make sure I was ready to go when the capsule collection dropped and it was even better in person when I received it.
Our sweet Hank is truly the dearest companion to all of us in our family. He may not be able to walk as far as he used to;
he barks more than we would like;
he burns out easily and sleeps the majority of the day (ideal if you ask me);
he has mastered the constant look of disdain;
his willpower is definitely stronger than mine (he will stare at a piece of food that drops on the floor until we tell him “at ease” – his command that means he can eat it), but he has weathered many a storm with us.
He is so gentle with our little girls (they adore him) and I cannot imagine our family without his endearing presence. I am so grateful I have this pillow to always remind us of our first baby, our Sweet Hank.
Hank’s Favorite Bandanas: Fabulous washability and wear, we have used them for years….clearly! This link gets you 15% off your order.
Canvas: “Non Sporting Group” from Lycette Designs x Melissa Smrekar
Needle Minder: “I Am Not For Everyone” by Lycette Designs
Fibers:
Brown Paper Packages Silk & Ivory #01: Natural (background; used 4 skeins)
Brown Brown Paper Packages Silk & Ivory #31: Midnight (interior border; used 1 skein)
Brown Paper Packages Silk & Ivory #135: Boxwood (exterior border & words; used 2 skeins)
Rainbow Gallery Silk Lame Braid: #LB94 True Gold ( pawprint; used 1 card)
*This is an easy canvas to color swap and I highly recommend it. If you are unsure about colors and coverage, call your favorite needlepoint shop. I promise they are more than happy to assist!
Stitches Used: Basketweave and Continental (on some of the letters)
Finishing By: LME Redesign
Finish Type: Pillow: Inset with mitered corners, cording, ruffle and zipper closure
Fabric Used: *see Notes to Self*
I am unable to find this exact fabric, and originally wanted to do an animal print like this or a fox hunt fabric – I love a juxtaposition.
Here are some other fabrics I think would be fabulous with this canvas (and a few color swaps). About 2 yards of fabric were used for this pillow:
Fun print that is simple and classic – comes in a variety of colorways
Totally muted but totally fabulous
A classic for a reason
A total splurge but worth it for a keepsake
I love the crisp, clean lines on this canvas and how the beautiful print placement would really stand out. Can you even imagine how fabulous this ruffle would be!? Lots of wiggle room with fiber colors here.
Monogramming By: AnniB Monogramming
Project Started: November 2021
Project Completed: December 2021
*this speedy project timeline was brought to you by third trimester (pregnancy) insomnia*
Notes to Self:
Since Hank’s origin story and personality took up the whole beginning of this post, I wanted to make sure I carved out a separate space to tell you a little more about the story behind the fabric I used for this particular canvas.
My husband and I were marred in 2018 and dear friends of my parents run a fabulous family floral shop called Color It Green. I vividly remember everything about the day I went for the initial floral consultation. “Buzz” (the owner and founder of Color It Green) graciously took me, my parents and Vinny on their enchanting front porch, filled as you can imagine with the most beautiful assortment of flowers, and we began to talk about florals for our upcoming wedding.
At some point, the conversation took a drastic pivot and Buzz mentioned one of their family dogs…an English Bulldog. Not only did they currently have an English Bulldog but they had had ones in their family for years (many moons ago Buzz once brought a litter back home, on his way back from vacation). You can imagine my reaction, right? Aside from a penchant for peonies and cabbage roses, you also love the English Bulldog breed? Where do we sign?! You’re hired!
Fast forward (less than) two years after this meeting and Buzz had very sadly passed away. My heart broke hearing this news. I remember going out and buying the prettiest bouquet of flowers I could that week for our home, in his honor. Shortly after his passing, his one son (who has since taken over the day to day operations Color It Green along with his mother, Buzz’s wife) stopped by at my parents’ house with a bolt of fabric. “We are going through my Dad’s things and we found this random fabric”, his son told my Mom (who is an incredible seamstress and interior designer). “We thought if anyone would have a purpose for this,Lisa, it would be you.”
My Mom was so touched by their thoughtfulness during their time of grief and took the fabric because “there was something I just liked about it” she later told me. And so the fabric was tucked away and sat nestled in with the rest of her fabric library.
So here I come, almost a full year later, with this canvas I just finished stitching in honor of our Sweet Hank. My mom does all of my pillow finishing (her work and turnaround times lol are unmatched), and I showed her a few ideas I had for the fabric I wanted to use to finish this special project. As we were going through the options I selected, I saw something in her disposition change. She quickly went to her fabric library and came down with floral fabric I had not yet seen, or necessarily would have thought to consider before. But the more I looked at it, the more I saw how it could be a contender. My mom then told me the story about how she came to acquire this fabric…it was the fabric from Buzz.
So now she’s crying telling me this story, I’m crying listening to it, and from that moment on, there was no other fabric that mattered. We had the “best in show” right there in front of us.
For the rest of my life, I will always fondly remember Buzz when I look at our wedding photos and see our gorgeous flowers. Now, also, anytime I look at this pillow not only will I be reminded of the little puppy that started our family, but I will also be reminded of the fine man who loved English Bulldogs and peonies as much as I did.
xoxo,
Emily 🎀
Be right back. Need a tissue. 😭 what a beautiful story all around!
Beautiful story Em.