A Tail of Obsessions:
It’s well known among my friends that I’m firmly a cat person, while one of my good friends is a fully certified, unapologetic pug fanatic. Despite our differing allegiances, we share the same deep affection for our adopted furry companions, the kind that turns casual pet ownership into full-blown obsession. So, when she welcomed not one but two (not so little) pug puppies into her life I knew I wanted to create something special. A quilt felt like the perfect way to celebrate them, a cosy, personalised space they could curl up on, lounge about, and confidently claim as entirely their own.
The design:
I knew from the start that I wanted to centre the design around a dog motif, something unmistakably pug, because if there’s one thing I know is that anything even remotely pug-themed will instantly win her over. She’s also had three pugs over the years, so it felt important to represent each of them in some way.
I came across the Otis quilt pattern, which became a big source of inspiration, and used it as a starting point to draft three different pug designs, one for each of her beloved pups. Along the way, I also found the cutest paw-print quilt pattern which I knew I had to incorporate into the final design.
The colour palette took a little more deliberation. I initially considered sticking to the natural tones of her pugs, then thought of the idea of a warm mix of pinks, purples, and oranges. But in the end, knowing how much she loves pink, I decided to fully lean into it, settling on a range of pinks to tie everything together.
Materials Used:
- Cotton fabric in a mix of pinks
- Cotton fabric in cream and brown
- Fabric Scissors
- Fabric Pen
- Thread
- Fabric Glue
- Wadding
- Fabric Adhesive Spray
- Fabric Ruler
- Rotary Cutter
- Cutting Mat
- Binding
- Paw template
The Sewing:
Each pug block was made up of 56 half square triangles (HSTs), and to keep things efficient, I used the four-at-a-time method. I cut my unfinished squares at 1.75”, which gave me a final size of 1.25”. It was definitely a bit fiddly working at that scale, but I think the detail it allowed was worth it in the end.
For the backing, I appliquéd paw prints and paw pads onto the fabric and used fabric glue to help it stay in position whilst I sewed it together. I decided on four paws per dog, which felt like a sweet little nod to each of them and, honestly, they turned out very cute.
In fact, it was such a hit that my cat decided the quilt should belong to him instead!
The Quilting:
To baste the quilt, I used fabric spray (Odif 505) to lightly adhere the quilt top, wadding, and backing fabric together. It made the whole process much easier to manage and kept everything nicely in place while quilting.
When it came to the quilting itself, I decided to keep things simple. With such detailed pug motifs, I didn’t want the quilting design to compete for attention. Instead, I opted to outline the motifs for a more minimal approach that would subtly hold everything together while allowing the pugs to really stand out as the focal point.
The final piece:
When I look at this quilt, I feel like it perfectly captures my friend’s personality in a single piece—pink, pugs, and cosy comfort all wrapped into one. It’s quite different from the things I usually make, but that’s part of what made it so enjoyable to design and create.
As always I added the pugs names on the back to make it extra personalised. There’s something really special about stepping outside your usual style to make something so personal for someone else. I only hope her pugs love it just as much as I loved making it and that it becomes their favourite spot to curl up, nap, and call their own.
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