Dog coat, Dog and Cat bed - Dog and Cat toy box

Christmas might have been a few weeks ago, but Freya had a new coat this week.
NOT ANOTHER COAT, I can hear you all from here.

Freya is still growing and trying to find a dog coat in the shops that will actually fit her has been a nightmare. Apart from the fact I seem to pick the day when at least five other dogs and their owners are clustered around by the dog coats stall, all trying them on, all getting flustered. Dogs sniffing around trying to pull you towards the dog treat bar. Why on earth do they put chewy bones by the dog coats in pet supermarkets ?

Apart from the hassle, the coats are either too small, too big or a colour that is really dull. I don't want to put our pup in a blue coat, she is female, or a bright pink one, although if I could have found a bright pink one that fitted, she just might have now been the proud owner of it. Cute as they look, I didn't want her to wear one with bone patterns all over it either.

.I just wanted one that was a little quirky. Does the job keeping her dry and warm. One that I can at least alter when she starts to fill out.One that says, "FREYA ROSE BLOSSOM, Soggibottom pup". After all, we all want the best for our dog. Part of the "see and be seen" culture in the park and on the beach. With this coat we can see exactly where Freya is, not that she ever goes far from us, but with this on she sticks out in the crowd.

If you have a dog who needs a coat you need to visit this link....   Dog Clothes Patterns. by Mimi.
Free downloads for various costumes and dog coats, Mimi even tells you the proper way to measure your dog. Small dogs, medium dogs and large and EXTRA large dogs.

Freya is now the proud owner of her very own ladybird spotty coat. I've lined her coat with fleece, and then quilted the inside.  Velcro strips hold it in place around her belly and her chest. No squirming or rolling around in the mud will shift this one. It won't fall off as she runs either.
The best thing is, I can let out the fastening if I need to and it's quick and easy to put on. One thing I put on that is extra to Mimi's pattern was a button hole at the top. As Freya wears a harness the harness goes under her coat and the clip can poke out from the coat and still be easily clipped on and off.

Just like to add, Frankie de tabby didn't have a new coat.

You could argue, Freya is a young dog and she doesn't really need a coat.
At least her new coat will protect her slightly from the rain. She goes out in all weathers, it's so much easier to take off her coat and only have her paws to dry.  No hood on this one, as she tends to try to reach around and chew them.

We all know I'm not the greatest artist in the world.

Panic sets in at the sight of a paint brush.

I try my best.

Frank and Freya's old toy box was looking worse for wear, chewed corners of the old toy box when Freya was cutting her teeth. So lucky little guys, have a new one, made by Tony in his Soggibottom Shed from odd bits of wood.
Looking at the prices for dog and cat toy boxes, I'm amazed how expensive they are. This really is just an oblong shaped box, held together with screws and lots of felt on the bottom to help it slide and glide across the floor. Open with no lid so they can help themselves to their toys.
Same thing with decoration, I didn't want a picture of bones all over it. I didn't want one that was painted or varnished either. I might not be the best artist in the world, but I know who the subjects on the box are.

Freya and Frank know exactly where all their toys are and really do help themselves. The catnip mice are down the bottom, Frank finds them without any help.

Same with dog beds, why are they so expensive ? Am I looking in the wrong places again ?

Is it that hard to make a dog bed ?

A square (or round) piece of material for the bottom, a covered piece of foam for a base..

Four oblong shaped cushions.

Attach the cushion sides one at a time to the material base. Then when all the cushions are in place, sew the corners together.

Place the covered foam square in the bottom to stabilise the bed, tucking it into the corners. Then top it all with another cushion....... NOT HARD........ no bone pattern in sight either.

I'm going to make extra covers, maybe bright pink material. At the moment gold chintz will have to do. This will all wash.

Frank loves it.
Then Frank normally helps himself to anything.
 
I haven't got a thing about bone pattern material, incase you ask. There are enough bone toys around here after a while tripping daintily over them is a bone of contention. You'll have to go and visit Freya at CATFLAP CAVAL:IER    to see why. 
In the meantime, it's getting colder and colder here, coats on for the beach definatly.