March Madness Madness

We along with many other families we know are huge Gator fans and with March Madness in the air, I am in the process of making some custom Florida Gator harnesses for all the Chihuahuas in our extended family and our own! That's quite the pile of blue and orange aye?

When I made the first batch of Gator harnesses for my son's football games, I got several requests of onesies and twosies for Gators and even a request for a Seminoles harness, but this is, by far, the largest pile to date. Because the fabric is licensed, I cannot sell any in my ChiChi Gear section. But if you have a request for a college or NFL team, shoot me a message and I can sew it if you buy the fabric and send it to me! In the mean time....off to sewing the outer edges and Velcro on 24 Gator harnesses I go!

Another Crafty Project

My dog harnesses have been flying off the shelves, so much so that I made a huge stockpile to be able to keep up. Since I have received so many orders containing multiple sizes, I thought I best make me some clothing tags to make sizing easier. Well, to know which one is which size that is.

I made these color-coded size tags using inkjet iron-on sheets and a roll of twill. They turned out pretty cool - Rather impressed actually. Guess my Figgy Gear has been kicked up a notch aye?

11 Weeks Old and Movin On Up

The girls are 11 weeks old today and putting on weight quite nicely! Lady is still the smallest with her sisters closing in on 3lbs. As they spend more and more time with the rest of our dogs, the comforts of doggy beds have become their first choice when given an option. Since the rest of our dogs have upgraded digs (their new crate covers and mattress/pad sets) I thought I would create a couple sets for when we have puppies.

The puppy versions are fluffy enough to raised their sleeping portion above the bottom bars that their little feet often get held up on. The mattress covers also include a zipper. Since puppy mattress would get soiled daily, I cool the fiber-fill and placed it in a garbage bag before inserting it into the cover. Creating spare covers was a must - so they have clean place to nap while the spoiled one is being washed.

They immediately jumped in and made themselves at home. My latest crafty comforts is officially puppy approved!

Another Crafty Project

We are gearing up for our 2010 camping trips and need to get the dog's gear organized as well. The one thing on the top of that list was a new set of I.D tags. Our last batch was ordered from LoveYourPets.com. I loved the tags and the price was awesome! Problem was, the plastic was easily chewed by our more active Chihuahuas. About half of the tags are still legible. The sound of clinking brass or stainless tags was far more of an issues than the chewing. Any time they hear the clinking they bark - I am stuck with plastic.

Then I found the slide on tags. BRILLIANT! PetTags4Less.com even charged less than for my original batch! Since I am creating custom collars to match their new harness vests, the slide-on concept can be used and made "permanent" once I stitch on the clasps.  These will be PERFECT!!!

But this got me thinking - I still need a tag of some sort for their vests! Identification while camping is a must and since they will be sporting BOTH restraints, double I.D.ing is a fantabulous idea. So the crafty side of me emerged and the following is the result...

I created these adorable tags with shrink film, a black Sharpie marker, a box of colored pencils, split rings, jump rings, glittery nail polish and crystal glaze. VOILA!

I love how my prototypes turned out. (Btw, the blurred text is intentional - it's private contact information ;)  Working out the shrink to size ratio and what mediums work the best took the longest (it takes a MINIMUM of 24 hours for the glaze to dry completely) but  I feel it was well worth the effort. Now I just need to test the durability of the tags! I have a few test subjects on hand  - tee hee - and will share the results once they are in.

They Did Awesome!

Well, the crate cover project was worth every once of sweat and time. We came home after our full day out without a even a whimper at the sound the front door opening. Normally, the sound the door makes brings the dogs to a barking tizzy. Not this time! And they patiently waited for their crate door to open and be let out.

Cosmo is our biggest crate lover - Often seeking seclusion when a thunderstorm is coming or when he has had enough of little puppies trying to use him as a jungle-gym. When I opened his door, he looked up at me with those eyes of his with a look like, "Nope, not yet! I will come out later." Alright my man. Take your time. I have never seen you so happy and content!

Crate Cover Frenzy

We have a family outing scheduled for Saturday that will keep us from the house for over 6 hours. We have a few males that go through a bit of separation anxiety when we leave and their crate is the only way to calm their nerves. Since I created the first few cover sets, these same boys fight for the comfy crates every chance they can get.  This put me on the fast track to crate cover set completion so they all could have their own comfy spot for our full day outing.

I have gotten several emails asking for more information on the sets so as I created today, I took photos of the different pieces. The first step is the pillow and bumper-pads.  Using the Simplicity 4713 Pattern for Pet Crate Covers, I created the pads in two formats. One for the door opening on the side and once opening for the front. I have two-door crates and stack them so that the side door is used mostly. Instead of using the foam per the instructions for the mattress, I made a pillow, using a lot of fiberfill. Chihuahua's love to nest and dig - Foam doesn't allow for that.

The second step is to create the cover. As much as the bumper-pad and pillow create comfy seclusion, the cover is the final piece providing security and solitude. Using the rolled window shade format from the pattern, I made a door for the front and side. The pattern sizes didn't fit my crates for I sued their pieces as a guide and then customized per my needs. I also lined them in with a solid black backing, doubling the yardage per the patten, but the look is much more crisp and finished.

As of this evening, I finished all nine sets! Once you have one down, the rest are easy-breezy. If anyone is interested in creating them for their own Chi friends, contact me and I will share my hints in more detail :)

Crate Covers

I have been meaning to get to this project for years. Seriously! I have seen some fantastic dog crate covers out there, but when you have 12 crates - YIKERS!!!! It was getting a bit expensive. As much as I love giving our dogs the best possible, I couldn't justify $2200.00 on covers to replace the blankets we have used thus far.

I found this fabo Simplicity pattern that included a dog crate cover, as well as bumper pads and a pillow. My mind went crazy nuts with ideas. I have two doored crates - one on the front and one on the side - so I modified the pattern and turned the window shade into doors.

Now the bumper pads and "mattress" were their instant favs! ALL the dogs immediately crawled into their crates and actually laid down to rest, fluffing their pillows to find the perfect spot. Once the covers were put into place, you could tell by their demeanor that they were in heaven. I have 4 complete sets completed. Only 8 more to go!!!!

Now while on the topic of crates, I have many new puppy peeps  question or comment on the "cruelty" of putting a dog in a crate. DOGS LOVES CRATES!! It is their den - something their instincts search out and when you provide them one, they will retreat to it all on their own. It's like their own mini little home - Not a time-out chair.

New Collars For The Whole Crew

Aimee says that the key to obedience training is getting the dogs accustom to wearing and using a collar.  I finally got my hands on the "masculine" cocktail fabric and finished the boy's harness vests (which their all wear proudly!!!) and I have several yards left over that I found a perfect project to use it up with!

I discovered these fabo dog tags that would eliminate the annoying clinking sound the plastic dangling tags we have. Also, the plastic ones make a perfect tab for other dogs to yank on while they are playing. Being the newest chew toy in the house, I knew I had to find a better replacement.

By creating my own collars - to an exact size fit - I can slip them onto the strap before attaching the clips ends. PERFECT!!! Dewey was my mannequin to make my first attempt and he helped prove it was a success! Several issues resolved in one project. So love when that happens!

Took Him A Bit Longer

J.B. is not one for change. The changing out of the dog beds is a prime example! I finished up two of the new beds, allowing me to finally pull the old ones for us to use in the camper. J.B. was the only one who didn't jump right in and join the new bed party. He preferred the old ones - like men and their old, holey underwear over new ones. He napped alone in the old beds, not even being willing to jump out when we pulled them.

He then spent the next hour pacing in around the new bed, sniffing every crease and corner. After a bit of ruffling with his paws, he finally settled in for his first afternoon siesta in the new bed. See little man - change isn't so bad! We just need to give him his own space and a bit more time to acclimate.

New Bed Project

I have been planning on making new dog beds for a while but finding the right design has been my major holdup. One that is big enough for more than one dog, easy to clean, no piping for our chewers to devour and stylish. I know - just a huge list right? Well, with so much creating sewing going on lately, I got re-inspired using McCall's Sewing Pattern M545, I was able to fill all of my needs and then some! It has a cover and separate pillows, making washing a breeze!

I finished my first one today and the dogs quickly approved. It only took a few moments of sniffing and scratching for them to finally call it a new napping home.

Where's The Party?

I have been doing a lot of sewing these past couple weeks and during my search for the perfect cocktail print fabric, I fell upon this very retro looking pattern that was a bit lighter weight than I desired for the harness vests. My creative mind went bonkers and I had "party dress" ideas running wild. Here is the result - SO STINKIN CUTE!!!

The patterned called for frilly lace and tulle - I mixed it up and made it my own for this look and I totally love the results! The kids want me to find Florida Gator fabric for the girls to have dresses on game days. Kinda goes against my party dress idea - but hey! No reason the girls can't dress for the game!

FINALLY!!!

With all of the harness vest and belly band making I do, I have always been on a search for the perfect "cocktail" fabric to use. I am not one for the cheesy patterns and such, so the fabrics I have found just were not up to my standards. I guess fabric with cocktails glasses and drinks are not in high demand because the pickin's have been far and few between.

Well, last week I found the fabric and I couldn't be more excited!!! I have a new vest design that I have been dieing to try out - which coincided with my discovery! Waverly has a collection of "candy" themed color schemes - this one being Good and Plenty - and the weight is thicker than my current lightweight vest design. I LOVE HOW THEY TURNED OUT!!!!

They have a couple other color schemes I need to get my hands on so I can make more masculine vests - All which will be my signature design!!! Can't have a cocktail Chihuahua with out a cocktail harness vest right??? Once I get them all finished I will add them to the site for purchase :)

Creative Juices Flowing!

I pulled out the sewing machine this weekend to make more harnesses - Custom orders as well as some new sizes and colors. While gathering fabric I fell upon these ADORABLE patterns called Parlor Pets with the most precious Chihuahua. I just had to give it a whirl.

The pattern called for a solid color but I decided to kick it up a notch and customize them - recreating one of each of or dogs. The first three that I made are of Dude, Blue and JB. See the resemblance??? SO STINKIN CUTE!!!

Well, the requests are already coming in and I have my remaining dogs to create too. With so much interest in customized chichis, I thought I would put them out as an option in our ChiChi Gear section. I will have them available by the end of next weekend I would hope. In the mean time, send me a pic and an email. You too can get your own custom stuffed Chi Chi for $20.00!!!!

They Solved The Problem

I designed a pattern and created belly bands for all three of our intact boys today. Double layered fabric makes them reversible and an inner layer of batting helps with absorption. I place a panty liner on the inside and voila! No pee-pee and no bang-bang! The 2" wide Velcro is the key! It holds the band on tight and creates a perfect fit.

TINY Dewey Dog Collar

The sewing machine has been calling my name this week and today's challenge was a custom collar for Dewey. Again, his size has been an issue in finding him the perfect fit.

I created this collar using a cat breakaway clip - A PERFECT way to put a collar on a Chihuahua - NO chance in hurting his trachea and a safe way for him to have identification. There is no slack because it was created to fit him exactly - LOVE it!!!!

Been A Busy Bee

As I have stated before, my search for the perfect harness as well as t-shirt for Dewey has been unsuccessful. I knew if this was the case that I would have to whip out the sewing machine and MAKE the solution. This week I did just that.

With all of my experience with toy breeds comes many lessons learned. When it comes to pet products - Dogs are dogs are dogs in this world. Thing is - when you have a tiny breed dogs are NOT dogs! And Chihuahuas are something even beyond that!

With their potential for a collapsed trachea, standard collars are not ideal. A harness is what I suggest for all families that adopt one of our puppies and I used to send them to Walmart for their harness vests - which were perfect for walking them as well as for warmth. They didn't have the bulkiness of many other on the market - perfectly lightweight and adorable! Unfortunately, they don't carry them any more.

Next, sizes are an issue. You can find a wall full of gear for medium and large size dogs and - if you are lucky - one tiny rack for toy dogs. Now you need to add in the fact that X-Small and XX-Small sizes are not universal. Fitting your Chihuahua is not an easy task.

So, I drug out the drawing board and got to work. I created a template for a harness that is specifically designed for Chihuahuas. There is a range of sizes that start at a 4" neck and move up to a 12" neck. The girth is where the commercial versions fall short so I made sure that mine have a larger range to make them more custom to the dog. They are a dream come true. Now all nine of our dogs have a custom harness that fit them perfectly.

I have made a few extras so that I can include them in my puppy kits for the upcoming litters. You can never start too early with leash training and these harnesses will make the perfect starting tool as well as a fashionable way to keep warm!!!