Dog Under my Desk - Giveaway Winner

Congrats Katy! You are the winner of the Sammy Bag PDF sewing pattern! So happy for you! Please email me at oohleela {{at}} gmail {{dot}} com :)

Thanks everyone who entered! XO.

The Sammy bag: a sewing pattern review and giveway

These days I barely have any time to sew anything for Miss Leela, but when the super talented Erin from Dog Under my Desk announced on her Facebook page that she was doing a blog hop in honor of National Sewing Month, I jumped right in!   

And I am glad I did! I la-la-love this bag, and so does Leela! Erin is a genius {{and such a perfectionist, much like yours truly, thank you very much}}. All of her sewing patterns, this dog bag included, are super easy to make and her attention to detail, as well as the tips she shares are truly invaluable.

Leela loves the bag and did not want to come out! It is comfy, padded and warm (and she doesn't even love most bags, so this says a lot!).

Would you like to make one for your pooch furbaby? Read on...

The Sammy bag is perfect for someone with little to no sewing experience. The PDF pattern includes tons of tips, and lots of pictures that explain each and every step. It took me 2 hrs., to complete it.

Some modifications I made:

• Instead of a quilting cotton for the exterior/shell, I opted to use a home dec fabric (from JoAnn's)
• Because home dec is a bit heavier than regular cotton, I left out the sew-in interfacing. Although the bag looks fine (and stands up on its own), I will definitely use the interfacing (as well as a home dec fabric) next time I make it.
• I ran out of batting, and ended up using some fleece instead - it worked out great.
• Instead of taping the bag body pieces together, I ended up cutting them as separate pieces, so that I could add that blue band in the middle. To do that, cut both the right and left sides of the bag separately (don't tape the pattern pieces together). Then add 1" to the width of the middle pattern piece, so that it becomes (2 1/4" x 9 1/4"). Then sew the band to both sides of the bag using a 1/4" seam allowance. 
• The interior fabric is a gorgeous gray chevron fabric, from JoAnn's as well.
• I only had 1 yard of the exterior fabric, so I shortened my straps to 36" instead. 
• I did not have a "sharp/microtex" needle on hand, so I used a size 16 jeans needle. I had no problem. 

I really love how it turned out.

Apparently, it doubles as a comfy bed too :)

Wanna win a copy of the Sammy Bag (a dog bag) sewing pattern?

Leave a comment below for a chance to win a copy of the Sammy Bag PDF sewing pattern. A winner will be chosen at 12pm PST on 09/29/13. Good luck!!!

Be sure to visit Erin's blog and these lovely ladies, who are also participating in this Blog Hop!

September 16th – Make Me Up Before You Go-Go – Kristen from KD Quilts

 September 17th – Daytripper – MaLora Ann from Bird and Bicycle

 September 18th – Quick Zip Lunch Bag – Jenn from knit ‘n lit

 September 19th – Essential Wristlet – Brooke from Custom Style

 September 20th – Notepad Organizers – Natasha from Houseful of Nicholes

 September 23rd – Zip & Go – Kristy from St. Louis Folk Victorian

 September 24th – Sammy Bag – Isabella from Ohh Leela!

 September 25th – Bigger on the Inside Drawstring Backpack – Stacy from Stacy Sews

 September 26th – Two Zip – Leila from Three Dresses Project

 September 30th – Dog Under My Desk Giveaway Winners!

Give Thanks weekend sale!

Did you have a nice Thanksgiving? We are grateful for so many things... Treats,  squirrels, stuffed mousies, but most importantly.... Our fans! 

And in case you are looking for a super pawsome gift for your furbaby... All US orders ship for free and include a free gift! Shop here.

Offer valid until 12am  11/27/12. 

Leela's holiday gift guide: cool dog beds

 
Leela has been talking about Christmas for at least 2 months. I tell ya, that puppy, err,  baby, loves to shop. And she claims to have been good this year - hah!

She has spent hours upon hours searching the web and has compiled a list with the most "pawsome" dog gifts ever!

Are you a dog mom/dad?
Wanna know what is on my spoiled baby's Christmas wish list?

Awesome! Because we will be sharing it with you over the next few weeks. If Leela had her own credit card, this is what she would buy herself for Christmas.

Leela's holiday gift guide: 
comfy & cozy dog beds

Green dog lounger // Chevron 

Reversible blue bed //  Green bed

Leela's pick: fun handmade halloween costumes for your dog

Moo moo, lion, dinosaur, boo hat, boob scarf, 

bloody bandana, Luigi, Harry Pawter, 

Waldo, Pirate, SuperDawg, black cat, Bob Marley

With Halloween just around the corner, Leela spent a couple of hours on the inter-webs and rounded up her favorite handmade pet costume ideas. 

For all of our readers who love to DIY, I hope this inspires you to create a pawsome costume for your baby.

Have already made/decided on a costume? We would love to see it and hear all about it! Please share it with us in the comments, below.

Have a great day furryends!

Pet wall art, a review and giveaway!!!

You know when you come across something that is oh! so cute that makes your heart melt and your brain cells go: I **NEED** to have it? That's exactly how I felt when I came across these custom dog art prints, by Dogs Incorporated.

They are so whimsical and capture the personalities and quirks of each breed perfectly. This one is my favorite (I know, I'm biased tee hee hee):

I love the bright pink in the background and the message - ALL YOU NEED IS SILKY TERRIER LOVE - because let's face it! It is true! There is nothing better than coming home to a puppy who is jumping up and down, with a tail that wags so much it looks just like a motor boat. All that happiness just to greet you, to say: "Mommy, I've missed you." Even if I was gone for only 5 minutes. True story.

Photo courtesy of Dogs Incorporated.

And don't even get me started on that face. It portrays everything Leela is: a little reserved at first, but a quick look at those big brown eyes and you can see just how sweet she truly is. Sassy too. And her little wet nosy! Oh how I feel like biting it sometimes. It is so cute! And they come in different coat colors too, so you can customize it to truly reflect your baby's features.


Now look at this bad boy!

 Photo courtesy of Dogs Incorporated.

Melvyn was such a cool dog! I can totally picture him doing that. Listening to some jazz and blues.

Dogs Incorporated offers many different options, and you can shop by breed or by collection.  They have over 60 breeds to choose from and each one is cuter than the last.

 Photo courtesy of Dogs Incorporated.

They also offer custom pet portraits. You send them a picture of your beloved furryend(s) and their talented graphic artists spend hours dedicated to custom creating your dog portrait through an intricate graphic illustration design process. Made especially for you. Wouldn't it make an awesome Christmas gift? I know 2 grandmas that would love it.

5% of every sale gets donated to worthy animal related causes and efforts, nation-wide. 

Gotta love a company that supports animals in need.

Leela and I love our Dogs Incorporated Print and have found the most perfect place to display it in our studio. What do you think?

Wanna make their day? Visit them on Facebook and say hi :)

Giveaway Time!!!

Are you ready for this? Today we are giving you a chance to win your very own 8"x10" print from their "shop by breed" and "shop by collection" lines, brought to you by our sweet furryends at Dogs Incorporated.

There are 4 chances to win. Enter below via Rafflecopter. There are plenty of extra entries for you too! A winner will be selected on Sunday, 10/21/12. Open to US residents only. Good luck efurryone!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Leela and Sebastian go on a 2nd date in San Francisco

See part 1 of our date here.

Who knew that Baker Beach was such an awesome place??? The ocean breeze, blue sea and beautiful sand made this the perfect and most romantic place for Sebastian and Leela's 2nd date.

And how gorgeous did Sebastian look? In case you wore wondering, he is wearing a collar and neck tie made by his momma and available here). He really went all out to impress my little girl.

And even though it was windy and foggy... The two babies were mesmerized by the beauty and grandiosity of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Afterwards, we all headed to the Ferry Building.

Where we rested and watched humans....

Checked out the cool shops inside the Ferry building...

Photo courtesy: Sew Doggy Style

And grabbed a bite to eat.

We had such a great time acting as tourists in San Francisco. It is such a dog baby friendly place. Sebastian and Leela attracted so much attention. They do look really cute together.

To see more pictures of our wonderful dates, be sure to visit Sebastian's blog.

I also have a big surprise to share with y'all!!! If you follow Ooh Leela! on Facebook, you might already know what it is.... tee hee hee :)

What is your favorite spot to go on a date?

Have a great day sweet furryends!

The cutest, sturdiest dog toy: PrideBites™

Leela and I spent a week in Vegas, to visit our furryends at Super Zoo, a trade show for people who are in the pet industry: distributors, manufacturers, groomers, shop owners and more.

We had so much fun, made some awesome new furryends and got to see the coolest products ever.

 Source

Leela is as particular about her toys as she is her treats. You see, my little lady is picky. Very picky. Or as she puts it: she knows what she likes. period. BOL.

Which is why we were so very impressed when we came across PrideBites™...

Image courtesy of PrideBites™

She normally prefers her stuffed "mousies" (meet Lola, one of her faves), but she absolutely adores her new PrideBites™ toy. How could she not?!? The bright colors are so awesome, they come in different sizes (the small bow is perfect for her size), soft, washable and it squeaks! And you know this momma is happy when she comes across a company that values quality & workmanship as much as I do. These toys are well made folks. Really well made.

How cool is this Glow in the Dark toy? Source.

Made with DuraBite™ fleece, two layers of super durable material, soft foam and encased squeakers, they are durable. I love me some durable toys! Because let's be honest: Leela is not always gentle when it comes to play time.  I love it that even after she pulls on it, chews on it, beats it to death, it returns to its original shape.

I also love that I can use it to distract Leela while giving her a bath. It floats! And it doubles as a cool accessory. Trust Leela and her furryonista tendencies!

They current offer 2 lines: PrideBites™ and PrideBites™ Custom. The PrideBites™ consists of 25 different characters made up of animals and symbols. The PrideBites™ Custom line gives a company or retailer the ability to create any PrideBites™ design they want, whether it’s their own logo or their very own dream toy!.

Source

And our absolute favorite reason for supporting these guys? For every toy sold, PrideBites™ donates to animal shelters and other organizations that help dogs in need, through their Buy a Toy, Help Save a Dog program. How cool is that? 

 You wanna know more, don't cha?

PrideBites™ was founded by 4 furryends who are avid animal lovers. While playing with their dogs, they realized that none of their toys could withstand the rigor of everyday playtime. In their quest for dog toys that would survive hikes up the canyon, muddy park outings, and swimming in the lake, the PrideBite™ was created.

 The Pack: Sean, Ting, Steven and Sam, image courtesy of PrideBites™

(Fun fact: Sean secretly told us that he would love to be an invisible bear so he could steal beef jerky from campers in the woods and not get caught - BOL)

To learn more about the PrideBites™ pack & meet their best furryends, click here.

Maybe you can even use it as a Howl-o-ween costume? BOL 

If you would like to purchase one of these toys, you can do so on their website (they are back-ordered until mid Oct). For every toy sold on their website they donate $1 towards their social movement, Buy a Toy, Help Save a Dog. 

Be sure to enter coupon code "Oohleela" for 10% off!

You can also find them on Facebook, You Tube and Twitter. 

Disclaimer: Leela received her toy free of charge, but all opinions are 100% our own and we truly do love this toy!!!

Wordless Wednesday

Linking up with BlogPaws.

Leela and Sebastian go on a date

Leela and I met some very spawcial people at BlogPaws this year: Sebastian and his mom Erika, from Sew Doggy Style.

We share so many common interests and we became instant furryends. You see, Sebastian loves fashion just as much as we do and Erika makes beautiful dog apparel and comes up with the most adorable craft tutorials for pets.

They came to visit us this weekend. We had so much fun!!!

Leela spent all day Wednesday licking the floor and putting her toys away. She also made a list of all the places she wanted to show her furryend Sebastian. She was so excited.

Sebastian and his mom arrived Thursday afternoon. Both Moms were a bit stressed out, so the puppies took us out to dinner and watched us chat as we gulped down sipped on a few 'Ritas.

Sebastian says: "Another round?!?"

Then on Friday, with a long list of things we wanted to do and see, and 2 puppies in tow, we decided to head into San Francisco.

First stop: The Presidio. The Presidio happens to be a very dog friendly place, as long as your dog doesn't mind having a messy hair do afterwards. BOL, it is windy.

Both puppies were hoping to take some pictures by the beautiful Golden Gate Bridge, but it was covered with the famous San Francisco fog.

Although we only saw a wee piece of the bridge, we did get to see lots of interesting things. Lots of nature mixed with man-made structures and graffiti art. There were lots of places to be sniffed. Divide and conquer we say!

Being able to photograph two adorable puppies made this Mommy so very happy.

Next stop: the beach. Be sure to come back later this week to see the 2nd part of our date. Oh, and don't forget to stop by Sebastian's blog as his Mom took tons of pictures as well. Told you we had a lot in common :)

How was your weekend?

Wordless Wednesday

 May I please have some water now Mommy???

Linking up with BlogPaws.

Leela's taste test: Life's Abundance dog food

One of the topics we discussed at BlogPaws was pet nutrition. They talked about the importance of being aware of what's in your dog's food, since most dog foods contain a large amount of by-products, fillers and even cancerous animal tissue.

I was like, "no problem! I got this!" I had been using what I thought was one of the safest options available.

I checked the back of the bag as soon as I came home and almost had a heart attack. As it turns out, it wasn't as good as I had thought. Here are 5 things you want to keep in mind when shopping for dog food:

1. NO Glutens
2. NO hormones or steroids
3. NO by-products or chemical preservatives
4. NO recalls
5. U.S. ingredients

{{I dare you to check what is in your pet's food (please sit down before doing so, bol). The first 5 ingredients are the most abundant ones, but do read the whole label - for more information about what to look for click here}}

A well balanced, all natural diet is key to a long, healthy life. 

Since then I have made a serious effort to improve Leela's diet. I have started cooking her food, and I have also started using Life's Abundance line of dog products.

Life’s Abundance Premium Health Food is veterinarian-formulated with safe and wholesome ingredients, including a blend of vitamins and minerals, high-quality proteins, whole grains, nutritious vegetables and fruits, omega fatty acids, calcium and phosophorus and dietary fibers. Life’s Abundance contains no artificial flavors or colors. And there’s no corn, corn gluten, wheat or wheat gluten.

They get all 4 paws up in our opinion:

1. I don't always have time to cook (even though I would love to). Knowing that I am able to complement Leela's diet with a healthy, wholesome alternative is great.
2. Their customer service is second to none - to keep it fresh, Life’s Abundance is not sold in stores; it is available through distributors who offer personal service. Fifi and Fido is an online distributor of Life’s Abundance. Owner, Dana Mayer provides super helpful tips on her blog and has a Facebook page where she shares holistic wellness tips and answers questions.She went above and beyond and answered all the questions that I had. And I had a lot of questions ;)
3. It costs less than my old brand
4. Mine was shipped as soon as it was made. It doesn't get much fresher than that.
You order online and it ships right to your door.

Here is what I've tried so far:

Leela is a picky eater but she loved her new Premium Health Food from the get go. At first, I mixed 10% of the new food with 90% of her old food (increasing the ratio of new food to old food as the days went by), to avoid upsetting her tummy.

Because of the lack of fillers, the dry food is a super food, which meant she only needed about 1/4 of a cup a day, instead of her usual 2/3 cup.

Wanna compare your brand to Life's Abundance dry food? They have a super cool tool on their site, that allows you to do just that. Here is the comparison chart for Life's Abundance and Wellness (the brand I used prior to making the switch). Cheaper and healthier? We'll take it!

I have also been giving Leela their Skin & Coat supplement. I have noticed that her hair is no longer matting like it used to. And her doggy scent has been a bit more pleasant. tee hee.

She also loves her new training treats. Maybe she will even learn a few new tricks? BOL

The result? 

Leela says it is chop licking worthy!!!

Is there a particular all-natural dog product that you use and recommend? Let us know in the comments!

**Just so you know, I received all products free of charge, but all opinions are 100% my own.

Wordless Wednesday

Shopping at the Dollar Store.

 Linking up with BlogPaws.

Screen printing with freezer paper stencils, a tutorial by Ooh Leela!

We prepared this tutorial to share with our friends at Sew Doggy Style, in honor of National Craft for your Local Shelter Day.

Freezer paper stenciling is so freaking addictive! You can use it to print shapes, text, and pretty much anything. Speaking of text, we thought it would be a great idea to add an “ADOPT ME” sign to the bandanas we donated to our local shelter.

Here is what you will need:

Freezer paper (found mine at Safeway)

Exacto knife

Pattern/sign (download here) 

Fabric paint (I like Tulip fabric paints)

Paintbrush

Cut one 8.5”x11” piece of freezer paper (so you can run it through your printer). Print sign on the dull side of the freezer paper (ignore the shiny side for now). 

 

Using an exacto knife, cut the image out being careful not to cut anything besides just the image. Any cracks or extra cuts in the paper will allow paint to seep through. Be sure to save the inside of the letters A, D, O and P. You will need them too.

Iron the stencil (shiny side down) onto your fabric.

This is where the magic happens. The shiny side becomes sticky with heat. Make sure you iron around all the edges of your stencil, so as to create a good seal. You don’t want paint seeping through. The trick here is to use low heat and make sure that the iron doesn’t touch the shiny side, or else it will lose its sticky-ness. Believe me, been there, done that.

Using a paintbrush, paint over the stencil. Use painter’s tape (like me), if you need to cover any additional areas. It is better to use a light coat of paint. Too much paint will cause the stencil to unstick and you will not get a crisp image. If you end up using more than one coat of paint, make sure you let it dry in between coats.

Let paint dry or if you are impatient like me, get the big gun out: use your blow drier to speed up the process. Oh yeah!!!

When the pain is dry, peel off the freezer paper (like a band-aid). Make sure you heat set your ink, according to the manufacturer’s instructions. **this step is really important otherwise the ink will fade when you wash the bandana.

Voila! The screen printing part of the process is done. Mind you, you can turn this into just about anything. But we decided to turn it into  a bandana, using one of these tutorials.

Oh, and instead of tying the ends, we decided to add a snap.  

Then if you have a cute little baby (no she is not a dog), ask her to model it for you. Warning: treats may be needed. Lots of it.

Got questions? Leave us a comment!

What sort of interesting projects have you been working on lately?