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An older man stitches patchwork quilt squares while a blue merle Border Collie sleeps on a pile of fabric scraps beside him. 33 / 39

Grandpa Earl Cut All the Quilt Squares and Stacked Them Up. Then Skye Found the Pile.

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Patchwork squares are spread across Grandpa Earl's lap: little diamonds of navy, cream, and dusty blue fabric pieced together one stitch at a time. He bends over his work with glasses down and needle in hand, concentrating hard, a spool of thread waiting on the table nearby. The room around him is a happy mess of craft supplies, with a basket of fabric, scissors in a mug, folded papers, and coats hanging by the door. And right next to him, sprawled across a mountain of cut fabric scraps, Skye is fast asleep, her head resting on the pile and her mouth relaxed in a contented doze.

Dogs love sleeping on soft piles of fabric and laundry for a few reasons. These spots are cushy and warm, and they often carry their people's scent, which many dogs find comforting. When you are sewing, though, a dog-friendly workspace takes a little planning. Pins, needles, and thread can be dangerous if swallowed, so a magnetic pin dish and a lidded box are good habits. Keep scissors and rotary cutters well out of reach, and sweep up stray threads afterward. Giving your dog its own soft blanket nearby can help, though some dogs will always choose the fabric pile instead.

Skye clearly has opinions about where the best bed in the house is. Earl seems to have accepted that a few of his quilt pieces will come with a light coating of merle fur.

Every quilt tells a story. This one will include a chapter about a very sleepy helper.

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A laughing older man rakes autumn leaves in a yard while a blue merle Border Collie leaps through the leaf pile.Grandpa Earl Finally Raked All the Leaves Into One Neat Pile. Then Skye Saw It.An older man in overalls sits on a covered porch watching heavy rain at dusk, with a blue merle Border Collie at his side.The Storm Rolled In and Grandpa Earl Went Quiet on the Porch. Skye Didn't Leave His Side.
An older man in a lawn chair smiles at the sunset while a blue merle Border Collie lies on the grass beside an empty chair.Grandpa Earl Set Out Two Lawn Chairs for the Sunset. Skye Had Her Own Seating Plan.An older man places a jigsaw puzzle piece on a kitchen table while a blue merle Border Collie sits on a chair watching.Grandpa Earl Spread a Big Jigsaw Puzzle Across the Table. Someone Pulled Up a Chair.An older man spreads old black-and-white family photos across a table as a blue merle Border Collie rests its nose nearby.Grandpa Earl Spread Out Decades of Old Photos. Skye Wanted to Know Who Everyone Was.A smiling older man tosses a tennis ball in a backyard as a blue merle Border Collie crouches, mouth open, ready to chase.Grandpa Earl Has One Good Throw Left in Him. Skye Is Ready for All of Them.