Sew DoggyStyle

Project Runway: All Stars - Part 7

2012-02-22T17:55:00.001-08:00

Challenge: Create an outfit for the Broadway musical "Godspell."

I did a little research of my own to get inspiration. The main character from this 1973 Godspell film adaptation is Jesus. When I saw the outfit for this character, I was confused...but instantly inspired. It's basically Jesus, Superman and a clown all in one!

Does this image make you scratch your head too??

There are some different versions of the Godspell Jesus costume, but I believe this is the original. Sebastian and I did our best to make our own version of it.

Clearly, the pants steal the show. Too bad I didn't have any fabric with such colorful stripes!

But I must say...I had the most fun making the red suspenders. They were pretty easy, considering I only used ribbon and a piece of leather. All dogs need a pair!

You can have a pair of suspenders ready in 5 minutes with just a little glue and a sewing machine!!

And did I mention these are crazy cute worn like this too??

For the shirt, I made the Superman "S" by cutting out the shapes in the fabric and topstitching the pieces on. I had to pay extra attention to the Godspell "S" as it's different from the original Superman "S."

The outfit looks more human-like than dog-like. But if you ask me, the cutest dog clothes are the ones that look the most human.

Walking around the house getting used to his very first pair of pants.

XOXOXOXO,

Erika and Sebastian

Project Runway: All Stars - Part 6

2012-02-15T10:19:00.000-08:00

Challenge: Create a Sportswear Look

A what??? The term "sportswear" is so broad that it really just made this challenge more difficult. Anything can be considered sportswear!

Sebastian and I saw a recurring theme on the runway - Capes/Cardigans/Jackets. So, we decided on a dog coat.

Of course we stuck to our true style and used recycled clothing for this project. I think the more worn out the denim is, the cooler it looks!

We cut and opened up one leg of the jeans and laid down our pattern diagonally, making sure it covered at least one hole. We removed one of the back pockets too.

If you don't have a real pattern, just trace one out from a jacket your dog already has...that's what we did!

Then we cut out a piece of fabric for the lining. I wanted a bright fun color knowing it would be showing through the hole in the denim.

Sew lining and denim right sides together at top edges and neckline.
Make notches around neckline and turn right side out.

Cover the rest of the raw edges with double folded bias tape.

Add velcro to both ends for neck closure.

Add straps with velcro for closure around tummy.

That's it!!!

xoxoxoxoxo,
Erika and Sebastian

Project Runway: All Stars - Part 5

2012-02-06T14:23:00.000-08:00

Challenge: Clothes Off Your Back

Designers had to go find a muse in Central Park, convince them to give up their clothes on the spot, and then make a fashion forward look with the materials. WHAT?!?!

Sebastian and I were not about to go to the dog park and ask for people's clothes off their backs here in Fresno. Instead, I used an old shirt someone gave me a while back and a verrry old pair of jeans from my dad's closet.

I wanted to keep the original features of the shirt (the collar and buttons), so I was extra careful when I cut my pieces out. You can do this with any old shirt if you place the pattern down right. Think of all the possibilities!!!!

But this isn't a "fashion forward" look. It's really just a smaller version of what it originally was. Oh well...there is no one to disqualify us, HA!

I threw in the bracelet using a strip of denim from the jeans and added some studs.

Definitely not our favorite challenge or look, but I do love the vibrant colors and crazy pattern in this shirt.

Cheers to upcycling old clothes!!!

xoxoxoxo,

Erika and Sebastian

Project Runway: All Stars - part 4

2012-01-30T15:20:00.000-08:00

Challenge: Good Taste Tastes Good

Designers had to pick a flavor to use as inspiration. Sebastian and I chose pineapple.

Photo from: pineapplejacks.org

I put off this challenge all weekend because I just wasn't sure how I was going to execute it. If only the designers had that option on the show, LOL!!!

I call it the Punky Pineapple. It's a wearable raincoat with a one-of-a-kind head piece...a must have.

The head piece is clearly the icing on the cake. I know all of the other doggies out there are going to want one, so here are the instructions:

You'll need:

Toilet paper roll

Glue,

Green Felt

Stapler

Elastic String

Cut green felt in long triangular shapes and glue around the toilet paper roll starting at the top and then overlapping a little as you work your way down. I used 3 entire sheets.

Staple two pieces of elastic to the bottom of the toilet paper roll to be tied around your pup's head.

That's it!!! Can you believe it??

The studs we added to the raincoat are pretty cool too. You can buy a roll of studs at any craft store and add it to any outfit.

Sebastian is going to rock this out around town on rainy days fo sho.

xoxoxoxoxo,

Erika and Sebastian

Make Leg Warmers From A Scarf

2012-01-24T06:00:00.000-08:00

This scarf I actually got at The Dollar Tree. One Dolla!!!

They have a variety of color combos and I think stripes make adorable leg warmers.

Sebastian models the "before."

You can virtually make these leg warmers to fit any sized dog. I made them for my big dog, since leg warmers are kinda for girls...LOL!!!

I cut the scarf at every six stripes since that seemed like a good height. Cut a total of 4 pieces.

For smaller dogs, cut every four stripes...or less.

Serge or zigzag the top and bottom of each piece to keep the threads from unraveling.

Then fold each piece in half lengthwise with right sides together and stitch down the sides.

For smaller dogs, take in the sides as much as needed. Measure their legs to determine how much needs to be taken in.

Turn each piece right side out and tada!!! Soooo easy.

xoxoxoxoxo,

Erika and Sebastian

The Bachelor: Final Rose Ceremony

2012-01-23T17:49:00.000-08:00

WOW, what a great contest!!!

Miss Brighette -

As the winner of this contest, will you accept this rose?

Congratulations to Miss Brighette!!!

Sebastian and I have decided to give a rosey prize to second place as well since Miss Lana was oh-so-close!!!

Thank you to everyone who participated!!!

xoxoxoxo,

Erika and Sebastian

Project Runway: All Stars - Part 3

2012-01-21T11:33:00.000-08:00

Challenge: Create a Cocktail Dress...for Miss Piggy

Photo: David M. Russell/Lifetime

Seriously???

After watching this show, Sebastian and I knew there was only one thing Miss Piggy could never turn down on the runway....

Photo: David M. Russell/Lifetime

So how did we create this look???

It's pretty much just a bright green hoodie...with eyes.

Make your own frog eyes for virtually any hoodie!

You'll need:

4 half circles of white fleece

2 black eyes cut out of felt

fiberfill stuffing

xoxoxoxo,

Erika and Sebastian

The Bachelor: The Ladies Arrive

2012-01-16T12:00:00.000-08:00

We have one rose from Sebastian up for grabs!!!

Please cast your votes at the top right of this blog.

Contestant #1: Miss Ivy

Likes long walks with plenty of sniffing time

Contestant #2: Miss Lana

Likes long beach romps and frolicking in the waves

Contestant #3: Miss Sunny

Smart and likes agility

Contestant #4: Miss Brandi

Pomeranian Chick

Contestant #5: Miss Sabrina

Star of Pugtails

Contestant #6: Miss Lillian Victorian Doll

Enjoys walks through the parks and dressing fancy

Contestant #7: Miss Zoe

Always sweet, sometimes sassy

Contestant #8: Miss Whimsey

Social butterfly and life of the party

Contestant #9: Miss Emmy

Likes to play and skateboard

Contestant #10: Miss Brighette Marie

Likes modeling

What a great group of ladies!!!!

xoxoxoxo,

Erika and Sebastian

Project Runway: All Stars - Part 2

2012-01-15T17:21:00.000-08:00

Challenge: A Night at the Opera

Sebastian decided to go with a look that complemented Austin Scarlett's dress, which won the challenge:

Photo Credit: Lifetime

Sebastian's gold tuxedo jacket has a fancy tail, vintage buttons and is definitely one-of-a-kind!! I added the hat and the royal blue feathers for extra flair.

Just like Project Runway, I winged it with no pattern and did some tacky things just to get the outfit done as fast as possible. The arms ended up being a little too long and I glued the buttons on. But hey, at least Sebastian knows this outfit will not fall apart on the runway, HA!

If only Sebastian really had an Opera to attend...

Sebastian's sister stops by during the photo shoot.

xoxoxoxoxo,

Erika and Sebastian

The Bachelor

2012-01-09T07:00:00.000-08:00

A new season of The Bachelor has started.

Sew DoggyStyle is throwing its own Bachelor and we are looking for contestants!!!

A new Bachelor...

xoxoxoxoxo,

Erika and Sebastian

Project Runway: All Stars

2012-01-08T16:40:00.000-08:00

If you are a sewer like me, you probably watch Project Runway. The new season just started up again last week with the best of the best designers competing against each other - the All Stars. Sebastian and I have decided to play along with it and take on the challenges...doggy style!

First challenge:

Create a look using items from the dollar store. Contestants had a $100 budget. We had a $30 budget from the husband. HA!

Photo Credit: Lifetime

I didn't know where I was going with this yet when I first headed to our local Dollar Tree, so I took a picture of everything I bought ($28.07 worth of stuff) before I started. I circled everything I ended up using.

1. Red and metallic two-way cleaning towels for the main piece

2. Aluminum foil for the bow tie

3. Fresh Cup Coffee Filter to stuff the front pocket with

4. A zip tie to attach the bow

5. A gold headband for the belt

6. Safety pins to attach the main front piece to the main back piece

I tried my best to make this outfit as manly as possible. I wanted to crank out a crazy evening dress sooooo bad!!!

Reminds me of something Michael Jackson would have worn had he been born in the Medieval Times...

xoxoxoxo,

Erika and Sebastian

Upcycled Shag Rug Dog Bed!

2012-01-04T04:00:00.000-08:00

Old 2X4 shag rug + old dog + 15 minutes = IDEA!

I was lucky enough this rug happened to have a separate layer of fabric already attached to the bottom. However, this idea would work with any shag rug and a piece of fabric sewn to the bottom with a sturdy sewing machine.

This rug had stitched columns, which I like because it keeps the stuffing spread out evenly. I cut a slit in the middle of each column and stuffed it with fiberfill I ripped out of two ugly old pillows (maximizing my upcycling !

Then I hand-stitched the slits closed.

Not bad for an old rug, aye?

Success!!!

xoxoxoxo,

Erika and Sebastian

What Up Dawg?

2011-12-29T06:00:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year 2012

2011-12-28T04:00:00.001-08:00

Get The Look

All you need are three things:

1. Silver Chenille Stems

2. Silver Star Decorative Garland

3. Cute Dog (hahahaha)

Take one Chenille Stem and wrap around dog's head. Twist together to create the perfect fit. If you have a larger dog, twist two stems together as one and then wrap around head.

Should look like this when you are done:

IMPORTANT:

When working with chenille stems, it's important to make sure all the ends twist outward (Away from where the dog's head will go). Wire ends are sharp and will not feel good if poking your pup's head.

Create your numbers by folding stems into number shapes. Cut off extras.

Use your cut off pieces as ties to connect numbers to the head piece. Twist the connecting strips around head piece and numbers a few times as tight as you can.

Add stars by twisting star garland around top of head piece.

Celebrate the New Year!!!

xoxoxoxo,
Erika and Sebastian

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T09:31:00.000-08:00

Ho Ho Ho, Merrrrry Christmas Everypawdy!!!

Oh what fun it is...to dress up.

What are YOU wearing?

xoxoxoxo,

Erika and Sebastian

Ugly Christmas Sweater Vest

2011-12-21T08:32:00.000-08:00

Is it just me or does this look add like 10 dog years??? He looks so mature!

Get the look:

Plain sweater or vest

Dark brown felt - trunk of tree

Green Tulip Fashion Glitter Transfer Sheet - tree

Mini poms - ornaments

Star patch - top of tree

Dog bone patches - under tree

String to tie bows on dog bones

You will also need:

Iron and ironing board - tree and patches

Fabri-Tac Glue - ornaments, trunk, and bows

Now, should I make a matching one for the husband??? HA!

Can't wait for Christmas!!!

xoxoxoxo,

Erika and Sebastian

Glitter Dog Silhouettes

2011-12-14T04:00:00.000-08:00

Winter and Glitter and Shimmer, Oh My!

If you are a big fan of silhouettes like I am, you are going to LOVE this project!!! Check out how easy you can make glitter dog silhouettes of your own pup or favorite breed on fabric with

Tulip Fashion Glitter Transfer Sheets.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Print out a profile picture of your adorable pet on regular computer paper. Here is the original of Sebastian that I used.

Tape it to top of glitter sheet covering the entire photo with tape for a sturdy cut. Carefully cut out dog silhouette shape with a zacto knife.

Peel off top film on glitter sheet.

Place glitter sheet on shirt. Lay a press cloth or piece of fabric over it and press iron down for 40 seconds being sure to cover all corners.

LOVE IT!!!

Make gifts for all of your dog-lovin' friends!!!

Here is one using a red glitter sheet for an accessory piece.

For silhouette with neck tie, print 2 copies of the same dog silhouette. Draw a tie on one of the silhouettes and leave the other silhouette as is.

Cut out one full silhouette and one tie silhouette with a zacto knife.

Follow the rest of the steps from above for applying silhouette to tee.

Find my post disclosure here.

xoxoxoxo,

Erika and Sebastian

Paw Print Keepsake Ornament

2011-12-09T16:14:00.000-08:00

Sebastian and I have been busy this afternoon making a new Paw Print Keepsake Ornament for 2011!

This one is perfect for his baby Christmas tree.

Check out my tutorial on this project from last year to see how you can make your own!!!

xoxoxoxoxo,

Erika and Sebastian

Sebastian Loves Greeting Cards!!!

2011-11-30T04:00:00.000-08:00

If your pup is the star of the family like Sebastian is, then I'm sure you have a gazillion photos that would make the perfect Photo Holiday Card!!!

SAVE 20% thru Dec. 8th on all cards -
just use PROMO CODE "sewdoggystyle20" at checkout!!!!

You all know Sebastian and I are DIY freaks, so we love anything customizable!!!

We jumped at the opportunity to do this product review for GreetingCardUniverse.com, which has thousands of cards to choose from AND customize...both inside and out!

If you don't have photos in mind, no worries!!!

Click here to see hundreds of already made Christmas Greeting Cards.

Now the real challenge...who gets what card???
As a proud mother, I want everyone to see all of Sebastian's Christmas Cards. HA!

Thank you GreetingCardUniverse.com!!!

DIY Candy Cane Pimp Hat!!!

2011-11-23T04:00:00.000-08:00

Sebastian is raising the bar this Holiday with something other than the typical Santa Hat.

You can have your very own Candy Cane Pimp Hat too!!!

INSTRUCTIONS

What you'll need:

A black hat (found this one in the doll section of Joann's - only 99 cents!)

Red ribbon

Green feathers

Red and white chenille stems

Elastic string, Stapler, Glue

First, measure your dog from one side of chin where ear lays to the other side. Cut two pieces of elastic string and staple them to the bottom of each side of the hat to help secure hat to head.

Attach red ribbon around the rim with glue.

Attach green feathers on one side of hat with a dab of glue at the stem.

Make a mini candy cane out of the chenille stem. The candy cane shown in this picture is for a 3-6 lb chihuhua. Luckily Joann's has a few hat sizes to choose from!!

Apply candy cane on top of feathers with glue and cover up the stems of the feathers at the same time.

Put it on and tilt it to the side!

Tada!!!

XOXOXOXO,

Erika and Sebastian

Remembering 9/11

2011-09-10T20:28:00.000-07:00

XOXOXOXO,

Erika and Sebastian

King of Doggy Style!

2011-09-04T14:05:00.000-07:00

Ok, first of all...get your mind out of the gutter!!! We are talking about pure fashion here, HA!

This is the hat Sebastian wore to BlogPaws this year and it was definitely an attention grabber!! Since my blog is all about pet crafts, it seemed quite appropriate. I should also mention this hat survived Hurricane Irene AND being stuffed in a suitcase to and from BlogPaws. Amazing!

If treated like a king, will act like a king.

As promised, here is the tutorial on how to make your very own crown!

INSTRUCTIONS:

Believe it or not, this was originally a "visor" for kids. It can be found in the dollar section of Joann's Craft stores!!! If they don't have one available in the color you want, buy one of the foam glitter sheets in your color and trace it out (as shown in picture).

Cut it out with a zacto knife on the back side.

Now, if you found a visor in the color you wanted, then you can just start here. Bring sides in to create a circle. Obviously the larger the dog, the larger you want the circle to be. Use the distance between his ears as a guide for this part. Then glue into place.

You'll need some elastic string to help secure the crown to the head. Tie a double knot on one end and staple it to one side of the crown.

Then place the crown on dog's (or cats!) head and determine how long the elastic needs to be. Make sure it's snug, but not too tight. Cut, tie a double knot, and staple it to the other side of crown.

Now time for the decor!! I used bias tape as trim around the bottom of the crown.

Then decorate the tips with gems, rhinestones, glitter...anything you can think of! I used 3D fabric paint and then sprinkled glitter on top.

Here is the finished piece. Doesn't she look like a princess?

WIN A CROWN!!!

Sebastian and I are making and giving away one crown to one lucky reader.

All you have to do is leave a comment below to be entered into the drawing!!

Giveaway ends September 18th at midnight Pacific Time.

XOXOXOXO,

Erika and Sebastian

Sebastian awaits Hurricane Irene!!!

2011-08-26T20:36:00.000-07:00

BlogPaws brings us Hurricane Irene, as if all the earthquake aftershocks weren't enough!!

Nothing stops the pawty at BlogPaws though.

Stay tuned for Sebastian's adventures to the East Coast and our "survival" story next week. HA!

Sebastian Travels!!

2011-07-04T10:47:00.000-07:00

Nothin' like traveling with your furry companion.

Taking the ferry that goes to and from Port Angeles, WA and Victoria, Canada all day. Yes, all dogs are allowed on the ferry!!!!!!

In front of the Victoria, Canada Harbor. Beautiful day!!!

And my favorite picture of the trip...Sebastian in front of the Canadian Parliament building.

Then off to the Victoria park.

Sebastian spotted turtles, and ducks, and peacocks, oh my!!

Tired baby waiting for the ferry back to Washington. The Empress in the background.

Back in Washington, we went on a little bike ride. This path goes along the coast line and is just gooorgeous!

Enjoying the wind! Sebastian fits snug in my hiking pack. I carried him one way and the husband carried him on the way back.

A little break. This background looks a lot like California here!

Also had some fun at the La Push beach in Washington!

Now back home to 105 degree weather. BLEH!!!!

Where has your pooch traveled? We want to hear about it. =)

XOXOXOXO,

Erika and Sebastian

DIY Dog Bed - Bamboo Frame!!!!!

2011-06-19T17:04:00.000-07:00

Many of you will jump with joy when you read this:

This is a "NO SEW" DIY project!!!!

Yep, that's right.

And along with this awesome bamboo bed tutorial, Sebastian and I are celebrating one year of Sew DoggyStyle this month. Wow!!!

INSTRUCTIONS:

First, you will need bamboo. Home Depot and other related stores sell bamboo stakes. I was fortunate enough to have bamboo growing in the backyard!

Then you'll need to cut the bamboo to size (easiest with a man...with a chop saw). To determine the size of your bed frame, measure the size of your dog bed and add a few inches on each side for the bamboo to overlap.

What's awesome about this project is you can use an already made dog bed that you have to place inside the bamboo frame. You can also make the frame as big or as small as you want it so virtually any sized dog can have one!!

You will then need some twine. I purchased this bundle from Home Depot.

This part is going to take TWO people. We used the "square" knot technique to combine the bamboo. I recommend searching some videos on You Tube to determine which knot technique you like the best.

After you get the bottom frame done, I would give it a test fit with the bed you will use. As you can also see in this picture, I used a standard bed pillow as the "mattress" since it fits Sebastian perfectly. But ANY bed will work.

Next it's time to square that baby up as you attach the top frame. I mainly "eyeballed" it, but measuring always helps eliminate mistakes. =)

Well, that's it for the frame!

We took it outside to do another test fit and put the pillow in with the cover on. (if you also want to use a standard bed pillow but you don't sew, you can use an old pillow cover from your bed set!)

Sebastian approves. Moving on...

Now on to the NO SEW curtains!!! Yep, you read that right.

Measure the bamboo frame around all sides. You'll have 2 different measurements, unless your frame is a perfect square. Cut out 8 rectangles of fabric based on these measurements: measure from floor to top of frame and double that measurement for the length. Measure from one side all the way to the other side for the width (no need to double up on the width unless you want extra gathering).

Fold each rectangle piece in half and lay over the top bamboo strip like this:

As you can see, I sewed the edges. However, no sewing needed if you use TULLE and it works great!!!

Then just gather the piece of fabric to one side and tie a piece of twine around it to hold it in place...like this:

Repeat these steps for each corner of the bed frame.

That's it!!!! I know, so easy.

Here's more pictures to enjoy...

And of course Chanel couldn't help but get involved after I pulled out the beef jerky.

If you make this project, post your finished tutorial on our Sew DoggyStyle Facebook page!!

You may re-post any of my projects as long as you credit Sew DoggyStyle.

XOXOXOXO,

Erika and Sebastian

Look at me, I'm Anthony Weiner!

2011-06-04T13:44:00.000-07:00

It's raining here today and a perfect day to relax inside.

Why not lounge around in a classic pair of boxer briefs, take pictures, and then post them on the web?

Unfortunately, since I did make these from an upcycled adult pair, you wont be able to find any on the web for your own pooch. I know...bummer!!!!

Here's a little clip on the topic.

But if you want to see the actual picture of Anthony Weiner's underwear photo, you'll have to google it.

Have a great weekend everypawdy!!!!

XOXOXOXO,

Erika and Sebastian

Easiest Upcycled Tote Transformation Ever!!!

2011-06-01T18:40:00.000-07:00

If you're like me, I know you have closets full of JUNK! I had been thinking of what to do with this old tote for the longest time. And to think that just last week, I almost cut the straps off to use on something else. Eeeekkk!!!

BEFORE

(hanging on my dad's handmade dog house he built in the 70's)

I think it will take me longer to type up the instructions than it took me to transform this bag!

Instructions:

First, I cut out an oval shape on paper to be traced onto the side of the bag with chalk.

Then I cute it out with some sturdy shears.

I covered the raw edges with double fold bias tape and then stitched a straight line on my sewing machine to attach it to the tote.

(I'm sure there's many other methods of doing this part!)

VOILA!!! There you have it!

Even though this tote is just a tad bit too small for Sebastian, he willingly jumped in!

XOXOXO,

Erika and Sebastian

Momma and Puppy Photo Session!

2011-05-24T20:56:00.000-07:00

First of all...yes, I dyed my hair red!

My friend Alexa from The Swell Life was tired of seeing my self portraits I was taking with my phone to show people my new hair color on Facebook. HA! So we met up for a little photo session and of course Sebastian had to be there.

As usual, Sebastian was a natural and made me so proud.

We took a walk around the neighborhood, talked, bonded, and had a good 'ole time!

This picture is a little silly. But if you know me, you know Sebastian is my baby!

Thank you Alexa for capturing us so lovely. =)

XOXOXOXO,

Erika and Sebastian

Pet ID's With an Edge!

2011-05-17T16:04:00.000-07:00

Sebastian and I are totally diggin' these stylish ID tags by ID4Pet on Etsy!

Not only does it resemble a driver's license (so cool!), but it also gives a personal touch and lots of information. You can list medication requirements, reward if found, and anything else you wish. There's even a design for every State!!

Oh and these are fabulous too.

ID4Pet also has a fabulous website worth checking out.

Thanks for stopping by!!

XOXOXOXO,

Erika and Sebastian

Flashback Fanny Pack!!!

2011-04-30T12:55:00.000-07:00

Oh yes. Oh yes we did!!!

As part of the anti-fashion movement and trend, I present to you:

Matching mommy and puppy fanny packs.

We went for the retro 80's look since I am on a neon craze over here. What do you think? Actually, don't answer that. HA!

You KNOW this is cute!!!

This is how huge the fanny pack is people!!! (And to think this photo is from 2009...we are so behind on trend)

Rihanna

And well...had to share this one:

This fanny pack is so so awesome, but I can't take the credit for it. I got the pattern from this tutorial:

XOXOXOXOXO,

Erika and Sebastian

Bunny Ears!

2011-04-19T15:17:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter from Sebastian and his NEW friend Brighette!!

Sebastian and Brighette teamed up to bring you two super cute tutorials on bunny ears!!
Click here for Brighette's Bunny Ear Tutorial

Sebastian's Bunny Ear Tutorial

(both small and big dogs!!!):

Materials:

Chenille stems, fabri-tac glue, super cute fabric, fur, and a camera!

Take one stem (or two for big dogs) and wrap it around dog's head. It should be snug. Twist it in place and make sure the wires are facing away from your dog at all times!

Fold two stems in half for the ears (make longer for bigger dogs by twisting two stems together and then folding in half).

Then twist the ends around the head piece and cut off any extra wire.

Trace the ears on the main peace of fabric and add a quarter inch all the way around (including the bottom) to allow a 1/4 inch inseam.

Cut out and trace two more pieces. You'll need a total of 4 pieces to cover the front and back. Then sew them right sides together leaving the bottoms open.

Slip them onto each bunny ear and then adjust stems inside to your liking.

Glue the bottom of the fabric ear to the head piece to hold it in place. Lightly glue on a small piece of fabric in the middle of each ear (see white portion below).

Then hide all the unattractive sightings by gluing a strip of fur on top!

Just like this:

Here is Sebastian's big sister taking a break from her rawhide to model the finished product!

She loves it!!!

Does anything say "Happy Easter" more than a good pair of bunny ears?

Happy Easter everypawdy!!!!

XOXOXOXO,

Erika and Sebastian
&
Sylvette and Brighette
TheDoggieHousePR.blogspot.com

Sebastian's Hair Confessions

2011-04-10T10:43:00.000-07:00

I'm sure all dogs have their own unique hairstyles.

Sebastian has naturally crimped and extra long hairs right by his ears. Just like baby curls - I too have a hard time cutting Sebastian's hair. In fact, I refuse to cut it!

He also has cute feet hair (I would imagine this next picture is a big no-no to dog groomers?).

Sebastian's grandma calls them "Dr. Seuss feet."

What is YOUR hairstyle? Sebastian and I would love to hear about it!

Or maybe you're a dog groomer about to have a heart attack? We'd love to hear your thoughts too!

xoxoxoxo,

Erika and Sebastian

Easiest Upcycled Dog TIE Ever!!!

2011-03-15T16:45:00.000-07:00

Are you ready for this???

BRACE YOURSELF...

Instructions:

Have you ever noticed the end of a tie? It's shaped like a mini tie.

I measured and cut the length I thought would look good on Sebastian (add an inch or more depending on the thickness of your dog's collar). Make it longer for bigger dogs.

Since I know a lot of my readers do not sew, I decided to make this a no sew tutorial! (Those who do sew can do a straight stitch in place of the glue as an option).

I used Tear Mender, which is some serious stuff! Bend the top of the tie back leaving enough room for the collar to slip through the loop and glue into place.

Slip the collar through the loop.

If your dog is fluffy like Sebastian, it really doesn't matter if the collar clashes with the tie. For short-haired dogs, you might want to coordinate the two!

I hope you enjoyed!!

XOXOXOXO,

Erika and Sebastian

Bib Dress!!

2011-03-09T17:21:00.000-08:00

If you have babies, had babies, know someone with babies...you will want to start collecting bibs after you read up on this tutorial!! That's right, baby bibs!!

The top of this dress is a baby bib. Oh, and the yellow ruffled part is actually the end of a pillow case!

If you know how to sew, you will know how to make this by looking at the pieces in the above picture. Pretty simple, right??

Unfortunately, this idea is only for the small dogs. But seriously, the possibilities are endless with all the adorable bibs out there! You don't even need an embroidery machine because the bib already has it for you!

If you make this:

Make sure you measure your dog for the belt (the green portion) where the bib will end. Add 3 inches when cutting the belt for the overlapping velcro (or a tie or button or...).

Measure the length you want the skirt to be on your dog's back starting from where the belt will end. I was lucky enough to have this yellow pillow case laying around. I made it 8 inches long. Ruffle the top edge, and hem the sides in.

Sew the belt on top of the yellow piece and bib piece.

And you're done!! Seriously!

She looks lovely.

Some of you may have seen the one I did for DollarStoreCrafts.com last week. After I made one using all items from The Dollar Tree, I knew I had to make an upscale/upcycled one for you guys!

This one (100% from The Dollar Tree) is made of a baby bib and a green tote bag. And unfortunately, Foxy wasn't around for the photo so Sebastian had to model the dress. I know...not cool!

You can check out this "Hug Me" dress here.

Hope you enjoyed!! And as always, if you try this, post it on the Sew DoggyStyle Facebook page for us all to see!

XOXOXOXO,

Erika and Sebastian

Doggy Gaga!

2011-03-05T00:00:00.000-08:00

Can you guess which one is the REAL Lady Gaga? Ha!

Sebastian had a lot of fun wearing this costume to the Bay Area Pet Expo February 26th.

He entered the costume contest, but all of the dogs lost to a leprechaun pony. This is the first and last time I enter a contest based on the audience clapping. I think half the audience was from some equestrian group. Not fair!!!

The winner

Anyways, we are done being sore losers.

My favorite part of this costume is definitely the little meat hat.

Want to have your own little meaty Doggy Gaga?

Here are the instructions:

What you'll need: Dark red felt, white paint, bright red paint, paint brush, some good glue and white elastic string.

Draw as many meat-like shapes as you need. Obviously you'll need more the bigger your dog is. Cut them out and make sure you have enough to cover your dog's back.

Make a special meat shape just for the hat and test-fit it. I made mine in a way that it sits on the side of Sebastian's head and curves around the one ear. You'll need to cut 4 strips of "bacon" for the leg wraps like this:

Decorate each meat piece with white and bright red paint. I'm pretty sure anything you have around the house as far as paint will work. I liked the red puff paint effect since it's 3-dimensional and looks like blood vessels.

Tada!

So, for the base of the meat, I made a little "jacket" out of some white fleece (I chose white because Sebastian is white). For those of you who sew, any shape will work as long as it velcro's around the neck and the waist - you know, just like a real dog jacket!

For those of you who don't sew, I suggest using an old dog jacket as the base.

Here is what mine looked like before the meat...nothing special.

Cover the "base" by randomly placing the meat pieces and gluing them. After that, you're basically done!! For the meat hat, attach elastic string to both sides and make the strings long enough to tie around your dog's chin. For the meat leg wraps, wrap them around your dog's legs and wrap elastic string on top to hold them in place. The meat leg wraps stayed on quite well with this method!

Here is the whole outfit with the meat hat at the top and the four leg wraps surrounding the body.

Tip: the ends of the elastic are going to want to unravel so just seal the ends by applying a little bit of glue.

I hope that was easy to follow. If you make this (or any of my other projects for that matter), be sure to let me know. I'd love to see pictures!

XOXOXOXO,

Erika and Sebastian

St. Patrick's Day Contest!!!

2011-03-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

Aaaaaaaaand here they are - our fabulous HAT-wearing contestants!!

(+ our very first kitty contestant!)

Please join in on the fun and cast your vote at the top right of this blog!

About the Contestants:

Sagira: 3 years old

Lives in Grove City, OH

Loves to play with brother and run agility!

Jazzi: 4 years old

Lives in Belvidere, IL

Loves to play with her toys and be the center of attention!

Jojo: 1 year old

Lives in San Diego, CA

Loves to cuddle and snore loudly!

Kilo & Narc: Both 8 years old

Live in Green Valley, Arizona

Narc is a frisbee champ and Kilo loves to chase balls and crows!!

Luna: 2 years old

Lives in Chandler, Arizona

Loves to take beauty naps, shop and wear pretty dresses!

The winner will get a tasty greeeeeen squeaker donut toy!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

XOXOXOXOXO,

Erika and Sebastian

Poll closes 3/8/11 at 11:59pm Pacific Time

St. Patrick's Day HAT Contest

2011-02-22T16:28:00.000-08:00

Another Holiday... Another contest!

This one is the "Who Wore it Better" HAT contest.

All pets (dogs, cats, ferrets, rats, turtles, etc) are welcome to enter!!

Make sure the hat is related to St. Patrick's Day. It can be handmade or bought.

Accessories (like beads, bow ties, etc) are encouraged!

Send your photos to sewdoggystyle@yahoo.com

Deadline for submissions is February 28th.

Prize: A tasty handmade greeeen squeaker donut with sprinkles!

(Please note: if I receive contestant photos who are not dogs, I will adjust the prize accordingly)

Contest will run from March 1st to March 8th.

If you are new to this blog, you can go here to see a similar previous contest.

I hope you join in on the fun!!!

XOXOXOXOXO,

Erika and Sebastian

National Love Your Pet Day 2011

2011-02-20T17:35:00.000-08:00

Sebastian and I declare a 3 day weekend for National Love Your Pet Day!!

We cuddled, we slept in until 7am (yeah), we pigged out on turkey meat, and we soaked up the sun at the dog park.

I also gave him the day off from wearing silly things.

What did you do?

XOXOXO,

Erika and Sebastian

One Dolla Dog Crown!

2011-02-16T14:01:00.000-08:00

Sebastian, The Leprechaun King!!

Sebastian and I are regulars at Joann Fabrics and it's hard to miss the dollar aisle along the checkout line. The instant I saw this visor for kids, I knew exactly what I was gonna do!!

All it took was a little tweaking and a few staples. Literally just bend the visor to form a circular shape and staple it in place. I was also excited that I was able to still use the stretch band it came with.

What's even more fabulous is this is basically a One Size Fits All hat!! The stretch band worked on both of my dogs perfectly too!

Test the size of the circle upon your dog's head before stapling. There is really no room for errors on this project. Here are some other things at Joann's (but not in the dollar aisle) that your pets can also rock!!

Here is Chanel modeling the bow tie as a headband

All of this brings me to my next mission:

St. Patrick's Day WHO WORE IT BETTER Contest!!!!

Submit your photos of your pet in any kind of St. Patrick's Day themed hat to sewdoggystyle@yahoo.com to be entered. The hat can be handmade or bought. Photo props (such as beads, bows, etc) are encouraged too!! More info on the contest will be up soon.

XOXOXOXO,

Erika and Sebastian

Cupid Arrow Carrier!

2011-02-08T18:22:00.000-08:00

Sebastian awaits his true love.

INSTRUCTIONS:

You'll need a paper towel roll, some paper, chop sticks, elastic, spray paint, paint pen, glitter and a belt.

I got extremely lucky because I had this red glitter belt laying around waiting to be transformed and it happened to wrap around Sebastian's body perfectly! (If you don't have a belt that fits, you'll need to make a strap of your own)

Cut the roll to the desired length and cut out a round piece of sturdy paper to close the bottom of the roll. Then glue it in place with a good glue, like Fabri-Tac.

Spray paint the roll black. While waiting for it to dry, lay down the chop sticks on sturdy paper and draw out the desired shapes/sizes of the arrow heads.

Cut out the arrow parts, glue to the chopsticks and then spray paint them gold.

Now back to the black carrier while the arrows dry! I used a white paint pen by Tulip to write "Love" and then sprinkled glitter.

After the writing dries, line the top edge. I used gold bias tape. Make 4 slits in the back with a knife and pull the elastic thru. You should have two pieces of elastic to keep the strap in place (hopefully this picture explains it better!).

And there you have it!

You'll have to get creative with how you wrap the belt/strap around your dog. I did it two different ways:

1. Around the neck, criss cross under the chest, between the arms and connecting back over (shown in first picture at the top of this post).

2. Diagonal over the chest, diagonal under the chest between the arms and then bring together at the waist like an actual belt (shown in next picture).

I apologize if this is confusing!! Sebastian's hair seems to hide the majority of the belt.

Oooooooh, he already busted out an arrow! Though he's looking at a squirrel. Hummmm.

XOXOXOXO,

Erika and Sebastian

Make a Cheesehead Hat!

2011-02-06T15:05:00.000-08:00

The Challenge: Cheesehead Hat

The Reason: Superbowl Sunday!!! Gooooo Packers!!

The Victim: Sebastian

Want your own cheesehead hat?!?!

Here's How:

You'll need foam, yellow spray paint, elastic string, and 2 small paperclips

Carve the shape of the cheese with a knife. Then make the "holes" by gently pressing the foam with your fingertip in random areas.

Spray paint that bad boy!!! Might need many coats to get rid of that green. In fact, I never entirely got rid of the green.

Here is a look at the bottom. I pressed in an area for Sebatian's head, but this step is optional. I BENT the paperclips and pressed them into the foam in a manner preventing them from pulling back out (bend and curve the clip, insert straight up and then turn). Tie the elastic around the paperclips (do that before insterting the clip) and voila!!

Time to get that camera out, share some smiles, and enjoy the game!!!

***Please be aware this is not a finished craft that will last very long! The foam didn't hold up as well as I had hoped, but it'll last long enough to take a cute picture.

Gooooo PACKERS!!!!!

Heart Shade Contest!

2011-02-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

I am so excited to present to you my 4 SUPER adorable heart shade contestants for my Valentine's Day giveaway!!!

Please join in on the fun and cast your vote at the top right of this blog!

About the contestants:

Bentley: 2 years old

Lives in Fort Worth, TX

Loves to play fetch and hang out in the shop

Lola: 2 years old

Lives in Prior Lake, MN

Loves the dog park and her Nyla bone

Cooper: 4 years old

Lives in Prior Lake, MN (Lola's brother!)

Loves tug-o-war and snuggling

Ginger: 13 years old (!)

Lives in Fresno, CA

Loves to eat and sleep

The winner will get to choose one of these handmade squeaker bone toys:

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

XOXOXOXO,

Erika and Sebastian

Poll closes 2/8/11 at 11:59pm Pacific Time

Easiest Upcycled Dog Collar Ever!

2011-01-17T13:43:00.000-08:00

I started this project 15 minutes ago and I'm already blogging about it...that's how easy it was!!

INSTRUCTIONS:

Find an old collared shirt and test fit it around your dog's neck.

Make sure it has the collared button with it (not all collared shirts are created equal). You can see what I'm talking about in this next picture.

Just cut the collar off the shirt...literally. Then use Fray Check (a product that stops fabric from fraying) along the bottom edge and voila!! Brand new dog collar!

He looks handsome, don't ya think?

Who Wore it Better??

2011-01-14T19:59:00.000-08:00

Baxter (on the left) or Orange Kitty (on the right)?

PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE ON THE POLL

***TOP RIGHT OF THIS BLOG***

May the best cat win:

a handmade tuna can toy!! Oooooooh

Ends 1/22/11

Meeeeeeooooowwwww!!!

National Dress Your Pet Day

2011-01-14T15:25:00.000-08:00

TODAY.

Sebastian's keepin' it simple...for now.

Stylish Blogger Award

2011-01-14T15:04:00.000-08:00

Helen at A Crafty Kind of Truffle has invited me to accept this award and I am honored!

There are 4 duties to perform to receive this award:

1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded you this award

2. Share 7 things about yourself

3. Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers

4. Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award!

7 Things about Me

1. I adore my pets and love to spoil them. (kind of obvious)

2. I'm married to a wonderful man who admires my overwhelming DIY personality.

3. I'm a homebody.

4. I would choose sugar over money.

5. My dad taught me how to woodwork and my mom taught me how to sew.

6. I prefer 100 degree weather.

7. I was a crafty chick before crafty chicks were cool!

I am delighted to award the following blogs with

The Stylish Blogger Award:

Paw Prints, Ears and a Tennis Ball

I Still Want More Puppies

Doggy Love

A Blog by Silvia Chenault

Two Dachshunds & Company

Miniature Yorkshire Terrier

Catsparella

Two Little Cavaliers

Wild Pony Beast

Thank you and enjoy!!

XOXOXOXO,

Erika and Sebastian

YES! I'm on Facebook!

2011-01-09T11:42:00.000-08:00

When I first saw this shirt, it put a smile on my face. Sebastian DOES have his own Facebook...with like quadruple more friends than I have - "Dog" friends of course.

Seeing this shirt also made me feel a little less weird...obviously if everyone is doing it, it's not so weird after all.

Sebastian's Facebook friends bark English, Chinese, German, Dutch, and more. He might not always understand what they are saying, but enjoying cute pictures of each other does not require words.

Are YOU on Facebook? If so, Sebastian would love to be your friend!

Oh and here is Minnie - a famous local rocking it out on Facebook too.

Woof!

Canine Crest Chandelier Shade from Anthropologie

2011-01-05T18:13:00.000-08:00

This is no ordinary lampshade...

Turn on the light...

I love it!!

I stumbled across this over the weekend while I was looking for inspiration for my bedroom lampshades that need makeovers. I love that it's like a surprise image every time you turn the light on. And of course since it's a dog silhouette, I had to share.

I am most certainly going to try this!!

100% Recycled Fashion

2010-12-31T11:47:00.000-08:00

It's New Years and I say anything goes!

Since I am all about upcycled fashions, I just had to share this crazy photo from crazyphotos.com! I wonder how comfortable this outfit is?

Baby It's Cold Outside

2010-12-26T13:44:00.000-08:00

Here is Chanel in her signature "am I really supposed to smile in this?" look.

At least it's not the evil eye!

What are some unusual things your pet has worn?? I want to know!

Santa Baby

2010-12-15T16:39:00.000-08:00

Funny how I'm not doing a tree, or presents, or decorating my house this year for Christmas...but I AM dressing my dog. Here is my first handmade Santa suit and I am so happy with how it turned out!

It's made of 90% upcycled materials. One of my favorite things to do is revive something that's on its way to the dump.

My mom found the red velvet material from a thrift store in Carmel, the black belt is from an old pair of work pants, the gold belt buckle is from a bag of random hardware from who knows where, and I used flannel plaid for the lining from my Upcycled Christmas Plaid Edition.

I take great pride in my upcycled fashions. The possibilities are endless and you get stuff you just can't find in the craft stores! Most importantly, Sebastian doesn't have to worry about running into another dog with his same outfit on.

JUST FYI - BONE TOY GIVEAWAY ENDS THIS WEEK, DEC. 18TH!!

Make sure you're on my "followers" list to have a chance to win!

Squaker Bone Toy Giveaway Post/Details

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

Upcycled Doggy Leg Warmers

2010-12-12T10:10:00.000-08:00

You know you've made a great dog product...when it stays on! Unlike dog shoes, these leg warmers stayed on for hours, no problem. They were also incredibly easy to make. Just see instructions below and your dog can have his own leg warmers within the next hour!!!

INSTRUCTIONS

Find an old pair of socks (for bigger dogs, use knee highs and cut them to the desired length). Cut the socks at the bottom of the ankle area.

Then cut the top part in half.

You should now have 4 pieces. Turn them all inside out and sew the new edges together leaving the top and bottom edges open (the type of fabric my socks were made of required hand stitching instead of the sewing machine). Take in as much as you need depending on the width of your dog's legs.

Reverse them again, and voila!!! Sooooo simple!!

EXTRA NOTES

For extra cuteness, add a bow at the top of each legging, add ruffles, add rhinestones...you get the point.

The stretchier the socks are, the better they will stay on. Also, thicker socks look best. Depending on the type of material, some leg warmers might need to be hemmed at the top and bottom holes.

I hope you enjoyed!!!

Poodle Dog Silhouette Ornament Balls!

2010-12-10T19:50:00.000-08:00

We had a little tree competition at work and my group wanted to do a theme from the 50's. Here is an ornament I contributed (I was given assignments revolved around dogs...go figure!).

This project is actually very simple. You can do your own dog silhouette ornament too!!

INSTRUCTIONS:

Find a picture of a dog you want to use as a silhouette. Virtually any dog shape of your liking will work. I happened to find some clipart that was already in black silhouette form. All I had to do was scale it down and print.

Cut your image out very carefully with a zacto knife.

Glue it onto the ball. I used Fabri-Tac (amazing stuff!!). Since I wanted my image to be glossy, I painted over the entire silhouette with black fabric paint.

After the fabric paint dried, I used hot pink fabric paint to add a collar and leash. I also used a rhinestone for the id tag. You can never have enough sparkle on a Christmas Tree!

I was pretty happy with the way these ornaments turned out. Went very well with the 50's poodle skirt around the tree and everything else my co-workers made!

Snow Globe Fun with Mini Dog Figurine!

2010-12-08T23:07:00.000-08:00

Tonight I went to a snow-globin' craft party! Here is my finished project.

It didn't quite turn out as planned...there is no water or snow to shake! After seeing a fellow crafter attempt the water thing, I decided I was going to stick with this idea since I didn't want to risk damaging Sebastian's homemade Sculpey figurine!!

It was a little tricky making something this small, but I'm happy with the way it turned out. I used a picture of Sebastian for the shape, added the scarf, punched eyes in with a nail and used a black dot of clay for the nose. Oh, then I added hair by scratching the entire figure with a nail. Here he is sitting in a pan ready to bake.

Then I headed on over to the craft party where there were allllll kinds of things to add to the snow globes. First I chose a baby food jar. I arranged some cotton balls on the lid for snow, picked a tree and a present for props, and then glued everything down.

I added a few snowflakes with some glitter on my props. I wiped glue on the bottom of the jar with a brush, sprinkled some glitter snow on that, and voila! My little snow globe wannabe is done!

I think I'll put it in the window sill.

2 DAYS LATER

I got brave and added water. It was beautiful...for about 10 minutes!

SQUEAKER BONE TOY GIVEAWAY!!!

2010-12-04T07:49:00.000-08:00

The winner of this giveaway gets to choose the bone!!

To enter, you must be a follower. For an extra entry, just leave a comment and voila!

The winner will be chosen DECEMBER 18TH @ 12pm Pacific Time.

The winner will be notified on this post and sent an email with 48 hours to reply or another winner will be chosen.

Thank you for supporting Sew DoggyStyle!!!

Upcycled Fashions - Christmas Plaid Edition!

2010-11-26T21:57:00.000-08:00

If this isn't embarrassing, then I don't know what is.

Today's challenge was to create whatever I could think of (for my pets of course) from this plaid nightmare...I mean, nightgown.

Enjoy!!

First I cut off the end of the sleeves, which already had elastic in them for a ruffled look. Fancy.

Then I stitched on jingle bells. Voila!

Chanel has brand new Jingle Bands for Christmas!

I cut off the lace collar and took it in about 6 inches with the sewing machine to make a "snazzy" collar for the cats. It already had a button closure so I kept that part.

Looks kinda cheesy to me, but I think the cats rocked it as best they could.

Next I opened up one of the sleeves. The round edge is from the shoulder. I thought this would make a perfect plaid jacket for Sebastian!

This project was a lot more detailed. I lined the inside with fleece, cut a hole out for the head, added velcro for the neck closure and straps for the tummy closure. I think this was my best upcycled transformation.

Here are some more views of the jacket.

Ok, so then I got inspired to make a few toys. Here's an easy upcycled toy anyone can do! First cut three strips of fabric (luckily this gown was a long one).

Tie into a knot at one end and then braid it!

It can be as long or as short as you'd like. Perfect for tug-of-war!

Sebastian gives it his tug of approval.

Here's a squeaker bone toy I made out of this same fabric (the middle bone) a few weeks ago.

And last project of the day...bow ties! I'll be selling these ones with the rest of my bow tie collection at my craft booths.

What a stud!

I still have haven't even touched the backside of the gown. Hummm, all the possibilities.

That's all for now.

I hope you are inspired to upcycle some of your own "fashion" pieces from the past!

Christmas Tree Paw Print Ornaments!!!

2010-11-15T18:24:00.000-08:00

Give your pooch something of his own to bark about this year when your guests "ooooh" and "aaaaah" at your glimmering Christmas Tree!

I adopted Sebastian the morning of Christmas Eve last year so this Christmas will be extra special as we celebrate our one year anniversary as a family.

This ornament is sooooooo easy and fun. Just follow these simple steps to create your own:

INSTRUCTIONS

First things first - make sure your pooch's paw is clean to avoid a dirty paw print! Roll a piece of Sculpey into a ball and then flatten it with your hand (Sculpey can be bought at any craft store).

Make sure you have enough to fit the whole paw plus additional room for decor and ribbon hole. The first thing you want to do is the actual paw print, trust me! Make sure you press down each area of the paw. If it doesn't work out the first time, roll it up into a ball and start over. If your dog is wiggly, this will be the hardest part.

After you get a decent paw print you're happy with, it's time to decorate!! Start with the hole for the ribbon. You can do a circular hole with a nail of some sort or you can do a flat rectangular hole with a misc. object. The end of my spoon worked perfectly.

The decorations for the ornament are endless! You can use rhinestones, beads, carve your dog's name, make shapes out of sculpey, etc. I used a nail to carve the year "2010."

When you're all done decorating, bake the clay at 275 degrees in the oven. This piece took 6 minutes. Larger dogs will require bigger pieces of clay and will need to bake a little bit longer. Then glaze the ornament to give it that finished look and extra protection.

Let the glaze dry, string some ribbon through, and voila!! Time to hang that baby up on the tree for all to see.

Cheers to Holiday crafts!!!

1st Sew DoggyStyle Craft Booth - Oct. 30th

2010-11-05T07:18:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to blog about this all week! Holiday season is kicking in and I'm getting eye strain from starring at my sewing machine all day (and some nights). And how can you ever be "finished" creating products for a craft booth? You can't!

Pooch Parade Oct. 30th

One of the first things I wanted to do for my first booth ever was to create a sign that was unique and different. I think I scored with this one. The lime green and pink popped out from far away. I may have spent more time on this sign than I had, but I will have it for years to come! Also, this sign was $80 cheaper than paying for a banner, can you believe that?? The letters are made out of wood, hand painted, and attached by magnets.

So what sold? Bandanas and pawty hats stole the show! Here is one of my very first customers with two pawty dogs.

Some other items I worked on for this booth are backpacks, squeaker bone toys, and this hot pink bed! Also included was original paintings by Liliana Garcia.

All in all, my first booth was a great experience, lots of fun, and to top it all off...I profited. Could I ask for more? And for those of you locals who have never been to the Pooch Parade, they have it every year in October. Don't let your pooch miss out next year!

Santa Hat Giveaway!!!!!!!!!

2010-10-29T19:51:00.000-07:00

I know, you are still focused on Halloween! But I wanted to get an early start on this giveaway. This Santa Hat is similar to my party hats, which happen to be my #1 selling item!!! I never would have guessed my party hats would do so well.

3 lb chihuahua baby

All you have to do to win this adorable Santa Hat (in your pet's size of course) is make sure you are on my followers list. That's it!! I will announce the winner here as well as notify the winner via email.

Chanel, my firstborn

I'm also adding a new twist to this giveaway...if you leave a comment on this post, your name will be put into the drawing twice to increase your chances of winning!!! Wooooohoo.

Giveaway ends November 20th at 12pm pacific time

Simple Howl-o-ween Bandana and others!

2010-10-25T21:02:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a crazy week it has been. I am preparing for my first craft booth ever on Oct. 30th and I feel so overwhelmed!! I feel like I had to bypass Halloween this year as I've been working on Santa hats and other christmas items since I got back from vacation last week!!!

I decided to take a little break and share this simple Halloween bandana I made for Sebastian before I left for vacation.

He's actually had this bandana on for over a month now! It slips on over the collar so there's no tying and it doesn't interfere with his name tags. Does it get any more convenient than that?!

Here it is in a different print laid flat. These are two-sided bandanas so the pup has his options. Oh and of course cats can wear them too!

I have lots more bandanas just like this in different themes that will be for sale at my booth. If you live in the area, be sure to bring your dog to the Pooch Parade in the Tower District this Saturday from 1-5pm for lots of fun and games!! (oh how I hope the weather isn't as bad as the weather forecast is predicting!)

And here is a glimpse at all the Halloween-inspired pet crafts I created this year. Not too bad considering I was out of the country for 17 days of the month!! Next year I should be more prepared. =)

The Halloween Party Hat

The Halloween Squeaker Toys

The Halloween Shark costume (which one second place at the Petsmart Howl-o-ween party Oct. 23rd!!)

And last, but certainly not least: The Superman Costume

And that's all for now!

2010-10-19T07:37:00.000-07:00

Halloween craft projects collected by SwellDesigner.Blogspot.com

Sebastian made the cut! =)

Sebastian as Superman!

2010-10-17T17:39:00.000-07:00

Here's Sebastian's costume finally done after a long day of measuring, cutting and sewing!

This was a fun, but challenging project...much harder than the Shark from yesterday. The boots were easy though. They are made of spandex and are basically nothing but tubes.

"S" for Sebastian!

Chumlee...The Little Shark!

2010-10-16T18:05:00.000-07:00

Chumlee is a chihuahua puppy who is celebrating his first Halloween this year! This is also the very first dog costume I've attempted so I had to share it with you guys. I think it tuned out pretty cute.

Chumlee's mom Becka and I designed our own pattern. It was pretty simple! Basically nothing but a hooded sweatshirt with teeth and fins.

Chumlee is wearing it to the Petsmart Halloween party next weekend! Here's some more pics...he's just so darn cute!

And of course while I had Chumlee over, I tried a few of my new products on him. Here's a bandana perfect for a baby chihuahua.

And yes...already time to start thinking about Christmas attire...

Here's the 3 wild boys together (Sebastian, Chumlee, and Tobey - Chum's big brother). Getting this picture was a lot of work!!!

That's all for now. Sebastian is waiting for his costume so gotta go! Can you guess what he's going to be?

Candy Corn Squeaker Toy GIVEAWAY!!!

2010-09-20T16:54:00.000-07:00

Trick or Treat,

Sniff or Greet,

Give me something good to eat!

Ok pet lovers, it's time for another giveaway!! Up for grabs is a handmade candy corn dog toy (item shown) made with 100% upcycled fabrics and a squeaker for lots of noisy excitement.

All you have to do to enter the drawing for this Halloween toy is to make sure you're on my "follow" list. That's it!!

The winner will be announced Oct. 12th. Good luck!!

Doggy Style on a Ruff Budget!

2010-09-08T18:07:00.000-07:00

This is Foxy, Sebastian's girlfriend. She comes over through the neighbor's fence every day to see him. The dress she is modeling is a project I've been meaning to work on for quite some time. The best thing about it? It didn't cost me a dime!

If you're crafty like me, I know you have a lot of materials laying around. Here's what I used:

Jean pocket from an old pair of jeans for the back, leftover fabric from curtains for the skirt, ribbon for the straps, and old shirt fabric for the "tube" part underneath. I ended up using teal ribbon instead of the brown. I think either would have worked.

BIG dogs: You can have this dress too. Just put the pocket on top of a tank and attach the skirt to the tank.

Here's the curtains I made a few months back. By the way, I got this chic paisley print fabric in a box of cheap remnants in LA. What a deal!!! I made them extra long for a romantic look and hung them extra high to elongate the ceiling.

Ok, so back to the doggy dress. Gather the skirt part with your sewing machine, stitch it to the bottom of the denim pocket, attach the tube underpart from one side of the pocket to the other, and then sew on the ribbon however you'd like the straps to go! Easy, right?

Sebastian likes it!

And here's a view of the bottom for ya with the tube part showing. I used stretchy fabric for the tube so it could be easily slipped on and fitted.

That's all for now!

Bow Tie Giveaway on Chaotic Mommy Reviews Blog!

2010-09-02T16:51:00.000-07:00

Like this tie?? You could win it!

Chaotic Mommy Reviews is a super cool blog with lots of giveaways. Check out her blog to see a little bio about me and my Sew DoggyStyle creations!! The bow tie giveaway ends Sept 15th. Visit her blog post on me for how to enter. Good luck!!

http://www.chaoticmommyreviews.info/2010/09/sewdoggystylegiveawaydoggy-bow-tie.html

*******

And congrats to Beth in Washington who won my "I Heart My Dog" pen giveaway. It shipped out today, woohoo!!!

Paw Print Keepsake

2010-09-01T21:23:00.000-07:00

Today I decided to make an impression of Sebastian's paw in a flattened circle of Sculpey. Then I thought how cool it would be as a pendant!! I made a hole for the necklace, carved "2010" at the bottom and added some rhinestones for fun. This paw print could be used for so many different things though! Maybe a magnet or a fan pull or a paperweight or???

If you try this yourself, I want to see pics.
And that's all for now!

Tie-Dye Paw-er and the Quickie Muscle Tee!

2010-08-20T13:36:00.000-07:00

Sebastian has been wanting a tie-dye tee F-O-R-E-V-E-R!!!

This project is super easy AND eco-friendly.

Instructions

My first step was making the tee. I call it the Quickie Muscle Tee because it's so easy and fast! All you need is an old shirt. Since Sebastian is a small dog, the sleeve of my brother's XL shirt fit him perfectly!! (If your dog is large, you can keep the shirt as is and just bring the sleeve holes in closer at the bottom)

I cut the sleeve off, then cut the collar of the shirt off to use for the new collar by attaching it to the sleeve. Here it is inside out with the bottom side up. Trace a circular object for the arm holes and then cut them out (so simple!!). I used a zig zag stitch to secure the arm holes.

Here's the completed Quickie Muscle Tee (you can add sleeves if you'd like with the remaining fabric from the original shirt)

The Tie-Dye Paw-er look was achieved with this really cool tie-dye kit by Tulip. It comes with great instructions. Plus you can never go wrong with tie-dye!!

Here I am applying the dye in my bathtub. I used the "bullseye" technique from the kit instructions.

After the dye is soaked in, wrap up the shirt in plastic wrap, let it sit for 8 hours, and then wash it. That's it!! Time to get the camera out and capture your masterpiece!

So easy and I have enough dye left over to make more. Here is a look at the bottom of the tee.

Cheers to upcycled eco-friendly styles for dogs!!

Make Art Not War!

2010-08-19T18:23:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things to make is the doggy backpack. I spent many hours designing this template a few months back. Now that the hard work is done, I can have fun cranking 'em out in every possible theme I can think of!

Sebastian and I headed to Joann's today (together as always) and picked out this hot new Make Art Not War patch. Sebastian met the designer of this patch (Alexa Westerfield of swelldesigner.blogspot.com) so he was excited to buy it!

Backpacks are perfect for carrying poop bags, treats, cell phones, and many other things!!

While I was taking these pictures, I caught a glimpse of Sebastian's Love Shack in the background. My dad built this himself in the 70's (or maybe the 60's??). It has a second story for cats and a porch too! Pretty groovy huh?

Want your own doggy backpack to decorate? You can purchase a plain backpack from my Etsy shop at sewdoggystyle.etsy.com. All backpacks are handmade by me and have my label on the back. =)

This is Sebastian's backpack that you will most likely see him wearing out and about. Sebastian carries my business cards at all times.

And that's all for now!!

ARF!!!

"I Heart My Dog" Sculpey Pen GIVEAWAY!

2010-08-18T16:11:00.000-07:00

Ok guys, my very first giveaway has arrived via the craft table. It's a pen covered with Sculpey, which is a super cool clay that bakes in the oven! All you have to do to enter to win this pen is to become a follower of this blog. I'll announce the winner on September 1st here.

The Prize

Since this is a craft blog all about Sew DoggyStyle and its creations for pets (or the owners of course), I've decided to share the instructions for all you crafty people out there who want to make your own!

Instructions

Sculpey can be purchased at local craft stores like Joann's or Michael's.

You can make thousands of things with Sculpey. For this super cool pen, you will also need a basic plastic ballpoint pen with removable ink. Remove the ink before you do anything to avoid messing up your clay once it's on the pen. Pick out your colors and cover that bad boy!

Once it's covered with clay, decide how you want to decorate it. The options are endless!! Just don't go too big because it might break. For letters, I roll out a long piece of clay and then form the letters on the pen as I go.

When you're all done decorating, it's time to bake it! No need to worry about the plastic melting. The clay should be thin enough on the pen to where it will only need to bake at 275 degrees F for 2 minutes. Lay it on a cookie sheet and pop it in the oven.

Do not over-bake it! When you remove the pen, it'll be super hot, but I like to make sure it's done by giving the clay a gentle poke with my fingernail. If there's no imprint, it's done (it'll continue baking for a bit afterwards).

Put the ink back in while it's still a little hot. This is because sometimes the pen will shrink a little and you don't want to force the ink in as it might cause the clay to crack.

Glaze that baby!! Glazing will give it a nice shine and also protect it.

And tada, your amazing pen is ready to use!!!

Believe it or not, I've been making these pens since high school. I even had a little business and sold custom pens for $5 (even if it took me 6 hours to make) to people on campus. I still have just as much fun making them now and they make great gifts too!! Here's a photo of some of my collection.

I hope you enjoyed!!! And if you try it yourself, I want to see pictures!!