Pet bed

On March 23, 2021March 19, 2021 By CarynIn Cats, Craft, dog

Awhile ago I bought a pet blanket I intended to go in the car. It was fuzzy and water resistent, and I thought it would entice Griffin, our older dog, to the back seat. Well, the thing had two layers and wasn’t quilted, so was crazy slippery. Not good to cover car seats! Flash past the initial purchase, the failed attempts, and the months of no car rides (we are easing Missy back to the car rides), and the blanket and some left over egg crate foam were taking up space in my craft room. So I used the blanket to make a pet bed. I cut the foam to make two layers, cut enough fabric to cover, sewed velcro to close (next time I’ll do a zipper, which is easier to sew than velcro), and sewed the open seams. The pets now compete to lay on it.

Izzy on the new pet bed, and Missy very confused

Sophie on the new bed, Missy just watching.

Oh yeah, and it is National Puppy Day! I don’t think the cats got the memo.

Fluffy puppy

On March 2, 2021 By CarynIn dog

Our temperatures soared into the 80s (Texas weather pretending the whole week of sub-zero temperatures didn’t even happen), so the dogs got a bath. Missy the puppy is not a fan of the bath, but handles it outside better than in the utility sink. And after the bath she is so fluffy, soft, and glossy!

Tiny treats

On February 25, 2021February 21, 2021 By CarynIn dog

It works really well to use a pyramid silicone baking mat to bake tiny dog training treats! The back side of the mat has tiny reservoirs, and it is easy to spread batter of a pancake consistency into the wells. I used two eggs, a can of tuna (not drained), and a cup of tapioca flour blended in a food processor. Then I baked it for 20 minutes at 350 degrees F. The treats come cleanly out of the wells, but it does take some time to get them all out. The dogs both love them! They aren’t my culinary cup of tea, but yes I did try one since I used all human grade ingredients. I stored them in a bag in the fridge, just in case.

Upside down pyramid silicone mat filled with batter and baked

Sitting sewing

On February 20, 2021 By CarynIn Craft, dog

When the cat and dog require a warm lap, what to do? Grab some sewing and give them the lap. Yes, this project would have gone quicker with the sewing machine, but at the time power was still intermittent and I was also cold.

The project was a new pad for Missy’s cage. None of the pads available to order quite fit right, so I ordered some fleece and some egg crate foam (twin sized because it was the most economical). The zipper came from my stash, and I hand sewed that in first, sewed the sides, then cut two rectangles of foam about an inch smaller than the case. It helped to fold the foam in half to slide it into the case, the zip it up.

Missy investigating the new mat (sorry for the flash, no power)

No sew dog coat

On February 18, 2021February 16, 2021 By CarynIn Craft, dog

This is unprecedented cold for Texas. Griffin usually doesn’t care about the cold, however zero degrees is a whole other matter. He outgrew the sweater I knit for him ages ago, and we needed something so he could at least go out for a couple minutes to do business. So I took some fleece earmarked to make beds and used some to whip him up a coat. I measured around his chest and added a couple inches, then measured from neck to tail. I cut a rectangle using those measurements, then cut leg holes and shaped around the hips. Strips cut along the neckline and chest made it easy to tie the sides together rather than sewing. Within about 10 minutes he had a new coat. He loves his coat!