More on the Blue Dog love

[judecorp]

So when my Jennifer and I went to New Orleans last year, the high point of the trip (well, one of them - we had a good time) was stumbling across the Rodrigue gallery and getting to stare wistfully at all of the awesome Blue Dog-ness. I have a bit of a Blue Dog obsession that I don't talk about much because a) do you even care that I have a Blue Dog obsession? and b) I'm pretty much exclusively a pop art girl and I know a lot of arty type folks have commentary about that. So anyway, it's just me and my love for Blue Dog most of the time.

But after weeks and weeks of looking at and searching for baby nursery bedding, and coming up with NOTHING that really screams "WE LOVE THIS!" while coming up with some things that say, "We like this but it's not worth spending $400," Jennifer has allowed me the privilege of indulging my Blue Dog nursery fantasy.

Last night we used one of my Amazon codes from a holiday return to order two sets of Blue Dog notecards that we can frame to our hearts' delight! Instead of some froo-froo bedding set, we added some good old-fashioned solid color bedding items to our BRU list (bright red crib skirt, bright red bed sheet, red checked bed sheet, bright blue bed sheet, etc.) and found a mobile that is all primary colors with no animals, letters, cutesies. And we can fill our kid's room with Blue Freaking Dog!!

As much as I love George Rodrigue, though, I'm a little sad (though of course I understand) that he doesn't really mass-market too much of anything. I was hoping to find a Blue Dog wall calendar so I could hang up some bigger things... or to find an actual Blue Dog print that wasn't $1000. Alas, it is not meant to be. Jen is thinking of painting a mock Blue Dog for the baby's room which would be cool as well. I'm also thinking of scanning one of the notecards and printing it out in blue, red, yellow to keep the bright primary color thing going. (Don't tell the art cops.)

I know that babies do not need (nor should they use) quilts/comforters/etc. HOWEVER, they are cute and lovely and beautiful and can at the very least be hung on the wall until they become safe to use. rizzo41 has suggested that I toss out a call to my crafty friends to help.

I was originally skeptical to do this because I didn't want to be all, "Hey you, make stuff for my baby!" but Jodie assures me that some crafty people LIKE being crafty and LIKE to do projects but run out of ideas. So hey, I'll see if that's true. So... it would be kick-ass if some crafty folks could somehow help me out with a really unique and amazing baby quilt that would be in big, bold colors (like primary reds, blues, and yellows, maybe some vibrant green, but especially a Blue Dog blue). (We've looked. All dark primary colored things are full of boats and planes and cars, because apparently only BOYS like bright colors.) Or just suggestions on more things to do to add to the Blue Dog goodness. Or anything.

If people are really interested in doing this, and not from an "Ugh, I have to" standpoint but from a, "Ooh, that would be cool," standpoint, drop me a comment or e-mail and I will mull it over with Jen and Jodie as to how to work it out. And if you have any other suggestions as to how to make a nursery exploding with Blue Dog awesomeness, I am all eyes and ears.

What do you think? Am I totally off my rocker?

Comments

[wendywoowho.livejournal.com]

As Blue Dog is a Corgi, Puck most certainly approves.

Most! Certainly!

Do you have access to an opaque projector? If so, it would make muralizing a lot easier... just project the Blue Dog of your choice on the wall, and mark out your outlines!

[changinglight.livejournal.com]

I think that this is an awesome idea. My friend Jenn quilts like there's no tomorrow, and so I shot her an email describing your project, and will see what she says. In the meantime, I will see if Jess and I have any fun ideas rolling around...

[bigmeanie.livejournal.com]

I'd be thrilled to make a quilt for your baby! Have you seen the one I made for gala and hoo's baby? (Picture) I could do something like that, but in the colors you want, and I'll see about getting a background fabric with blue dogs. (It wouldn't be Blue Dog, but it would be blue dogs.)

All fabrics are high-quality cotton, the batting is cotton, and the threads were both cotton and a cotton-poly blend (because I couldn't find the variegated thread in just cotton!). The final size of this one was about 42" by 48". I know they've used it as something soft for the baby to be on on the floor, and I'm hoping it'll become a favorite blanket as she gets older.

If this is what you have in mind, I'll do a mock-up graphic for you and send it off to you. Let me know what size you want and your due date, too, please. :D

[changinglight.livejournal.com]

Also, less expensive prints can be found here:
http://www.bluedogrelief.com/

for Hurricane Katrina relief

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

Ordinarily I'd say yes, and I have plenty of brightly coloured fabric to back it up. I know I cannot possibly promise that anything be done this summer, though. I'm completely swamped with other things right now.


Sorry about that.

[rizzo41.livejournal.com]

It's also generally way cheaper to make something than to buy it. Generally, but not always...

*Cough cough* You might want to toss up the window measurements for the nursery. Maybe the person making a quilt could coordinate with someone else to make matching curtains?

[indigodove.livejournal.com]

I'd love to help out if I can -- life is a little tospy-turvy at the moment, as you know :-/

Post your colors when you have them, and I'll try something. I do have some bright rainbow-colored varrigated soft yarn, and was thinking that would be for y'all. :-)

[lunamoonwmn01.livejournal.com]

I love the Blue Dog! When I was doing relief work in Louisiana after Katrina, we ate (and drank, haha!) at a bar called the Blue Dog all the time (which of course featured a lot of the original artwork. As a thank you, the health department sent us a framed poster. I think it's a GREAT idea for a nursury!

[sacharine.livejournal.com]

you know, i saw a blue dog book filled with various blue dog things at Barnes and Noble on uber-clearance a while back. As much as it would pain me to destroy a book, you could totally get it, cut out the pics you want, and frame them yourself... still cheaper than $500!

[lemur68.livejournal.com]

I thought you were off your rocker for a minute, because this is what I thought of when I saw "Blue Dog".

[sunshyne72.livejournal.com]

My cousin was REALLY into the primarys for her first son. One wall, Blue, one red, one green and one yellow. The room is very fun, playful and awesome. She used reds in the crib which was on the blue wall. It looked great. I'll try and find a pic. Anyway it was a fun painting party and now that he's 3 and has a big boy bed, he has yellow sheets and blue comforter. It's really easy to coordinate in that room. Good luck with it... and just go with whatever makes you happy and at ease in the room.

Calendar

[girlinphoenix.livejournal.com]

I happened upon your journal as we have a mutual friend and eh.. regardless I happened upon it.

Blue dog does have a calendar.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0810978660/bluedogstuff-20