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A grey scruffy dog sleeps on a heap of quilt fabric while an older couple hand-sews quilt pieces at a table behind him. 13 / 21

Dolores and Frank Spread Out the Quilt Fabric. Someone Else Had a Use for It First.

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Fabric squares are spread across the table, needles are threaded, and Dolores and Frank are bent over their stitching with the focused calm of people who've done this many times. In the foreground, though, the real star has already clocked out. Pepper is sound asleep on top of the folded quilting fabric, chin resting on a soft pile of calico, blue florals, and plaid, eyes shut, wiry eyebrows relaxed. A potted plant sits on the windowsill, a pincushion waits on the table, and the room has that hushed, sleepy feeling of a rainy afternoon spent indoors.

Dogs gravitate to piles of fabric for good reasons. Cloth holds the scent of their people, it's soft and warm, and a heap of material can feel like a comfy nest. That's sweet, but sewing rooms hold hazards. Needles, pins, thread, and buttons can be swallowed, and a string or long piece of thread can cause serious internal problems if a dog eats it. Keeping pins in a closed container, counting needles before and after a session, and giving the dog a designated blanket nearby can help everyone relax. If a dog might have swallowed a sewing item, contact your vet right away rather than waiting.

Pepper doesn't seem worried about any of it. Wrapped in the beginnings of a family quilt, he may just be testing it out early, and by the look of him, it passes.

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An older couple naps together on a grassy lawn with a scruffy grey dog curled up asleep against them.Frank Lay Down on the Grass for Just a Minute. Nobody Got Back Up.An older man scrubs a car in a driveway as an older woman sprays a hose and a scruffy grey dog leaps at the water.The Plan Was to Wash the Old Car. Pepper Heard the Hose Turn On.
A snow-dusted grey shaggy dog crouches playfully in deep snow while an older couple shovels the driveway behind him.The Driveway Was Buried in Snow. Pepper Had a Very Different Idea of Shoveling.A scruffy grey dog sits on a wooden chair at a kitchen table watching an older couple work on a blue jigsaw puzzle.Half the Puzzle Was Done When They Noticed Who'd Pulled Up a ChairAn older couple bathes a scruffy grey dog in a sudsy galvanized tub in a backyard, with a towel draped over the edge.The Old Metal Tub Came Out. Pepper Knew Exactly What That Meant.An older couple paints a landscape at a wooden easel in a garden while a large shaggy grey dog lies resting at their feet.Frank Brought the Brushes, Dolores Brought the Colors. Pepper Brought the Calm.