dapper doxie duds: i like ike

Okay, I admit it. I was a little intimidated by the thought of making a dud for Ike. Don't get me wrong, it was nobody's fault but my own. You see, Ike is famous. Joey n Maggie superlative famous. World's longest dachshund, AND he's a city boy, AND he's never worn a dud style harness before AND he needs a little sumptin to take him through spring and summer? All the wrinkles in my brain smoothed to a glassy surface. Ike was a sizing and fabric challenge for which I had nuttin, and there was little inspiration to be found in my piles of wintery woolens and girly prints and perky hand dyes.

While the back of my mind whirred furiously thinking of fabric options, I sent a gajillion prototypes to his patient mom, unsure how Ike's body might be different. Some prototype bodies were wider, some longer, some narrower. Surely Ike's extended length required an alteration to the basic dud shape, I figured. Only to find out with a bit of a blush that Ike was pretty much Baxter sized, only rounder. Okay, I realized, I totally need to chill and just see what happens.

So with a lightened brain and score of some lightweight indigo wash denim, I came up with this. A study in balanced asymmetry and texture, incorporating a bit of silk necktie and fab old watch face that help lend this dud a vintage city boy feel, all lined in cotton interlock to keep things cool on those hot summer days. Ooo, I'm thinkin with a bit o naughty, maybe Ike won't like it so I can size it down for chumley. Ooo but I do like Ike. Guess I'll be a good girl after all and see what his mom thinks.



Tiny chumley, by the way, had a fine time modelling Ike's dud in warm afternoon sun, til a squirrel fight proved too much for his patience to contain. It only took seconds to take off Ike's dud before I let the kielbasa loose to frolic in the fracas, but time that seemingly took forever for this little hunting dog . Hey, which way did they go???

dapper doxie duds: otto n linus

dear diary,
yippee! it seems like forever since i have talked to you about modeling duds and lucky for me and my tummy, that streak is now broken.  cuz this is me, modeling the duds that my mom made for ike's brothers otto and linus!  and i will tell you all about them.

this is otto's summer dud, made from a nice green and blue cotton batik and trimmed in solid green twill. it is super cool because not only did mom use vintage woven label trim, but she also put a squirrel charm on there that u cannot see very well unless u enlarge the image, but trust me, it is very cool and personally i would like one on one of my duds so mom if u ever read my diary, i forgive u so long as u remember this.













this is otto's winter dud and it is made from a super nice pendleton wool houndstoothy plaid.  and a swell silk necktie that my mom quilted to add texture. and just like his brother ike's winter dud, my mom made an etched and stamped copper tag with otto's name on it.  very dapper, right? :)

now every dog needs an all season dud and dontchoo think that a dud pieced together from double mercerized golf shirting materials would fit the bill, especially when there is a snackie pocket involved because the material is so stretchy  that if u are lucky enough to have more than one snackie to put in your pocket, you can? mom, if u are still reading my diary, i really would like one of these too please.













and last but not least, here is linus's happy trains n boats pieced necktie dud!  and it would probably be helpful to know that linus is actually technically ike and otto's uncle, because linus once belonged to ike n otto's mom's dad. but sadly, ike n otto's mom's dad passed away, and linus now lives with ike and otto.  so to help linus remember his dad now that he is gone, my mom made linus's duds out of some of his dad's neckties.  that way when he goes walkies, his dad will always be close by, hugging him and keeping him safe.



anyhoo diary, those are the duds for otto n linus and i hope they like them a lot - i know i did, and i could not even focus on them for very long on account of the visitors we had yesterday who were working on the house so as u can imagine it was quite a zoo around here and if you are still reading my diary, i do not believe you mom when you say it is of my own doing because u know i am barking to protect our house and those guys were so taking things away - even if they were replacing it with other things.  and they did not give me snackies.    which every grown dog knows is totally a barkable offense.

toodley-doo!
b. :)

dapper doxie duds: ike's pendleton plaid winter woolen wonderland

Today, a tiny peek at Ike's winter duds, made from a Pendleton wool jacket, olivey brown tropical weight wool binding, a vintage silk necktie, and lined in super cozy blue flannel chamois. Made extra dudly with an artifact from this past Sunday's science experiment, an etched and stamped copper oval tag complete with Ike's name on it. Stately duds for a stately boy.

Tiny chumley was totally in the groove for this photo spread, game for posing every which way til the noise of a sliding window caught his attention, and I caught him, peering over with his bright, shiny eyes and big wet nose.





Tomorrow, a peek at Ike's summer duds. Cabana cruisewear, vintage godfather inspired.

dapper doxie duds: the cuban godfather

Okay, maybe it's just my mind seeing what it wants to see. It's been known to happen, especially when it comes to maroon fabric that I want to call plum. But here's the deal. I saw this fabric and immediately thought it was summery yet manly enough that a boy like Ike could get away with it. Especially if you're me and all you can think about when you see it is how it would make for a great cabana shirt that Fredo Corleone would wear in Miami or Cuba, back in the 50s when casual still meant well dressed, with nice tropical weight woolen slacks that would hang just so and a gold watch for a bit of elegant bling. So of course Ike's summer cuban godfather dud had to hark back to that fashionable time, when even the clothing labels were a work of art.

And what does a guy like Ike Corleone do in his free time? Why, hang out by the bunny tracks, of course. Here's hoping Ike doesn't spend all his kibble at the tracks, cuz I'm sure it would break his brother Otto's heart.





Badda bing, baby!

who dis?

Oh the things we must miss out on, having weak noses such as we humans do. At least, that's what I'm sure the little kielbasa must have thought yesterday. Else why wouldn't I be down there with him, on the floor, sniffing every inch of Ike's denim dud, back briefly so I could add a bit more velcro while we wait for Ike's chest to catch up with the rest of his body's growth.

As it was, tiny chumley sniffed Ike's dud enough for the both of us, investigating every inch with tail gently wagging, and inhaling so deeply that he sometimes made himself snort. Exhaling, so he could sniff again.

Bliss comes in many forms for this little wiener. A new toy, a cozy rug, and now, I know, even the scent of another doxie.

an affair to remember

Having been away now for six days from little boyfriend, I must say the withdrawal symptoms are definitely growing. Sure, we video chat every day, but there's nothing like physical presence, the feel of a little snuggly round sausage boy nudging against me when I write these posts, the sight of a waggy tail when I have food to share, the companionship of a four legged little buddy boy. And so, on Friday I resorted to bribing the cockapoo that lives at the place we are staying, luring him into loving me with tiny bits of watermelon and partially fulfilled promises of walkies. While his mom was away at work and we had the house to ourselves, Roscoe the cockapoo became my surrogate buddy, and we both hung out like two refugees brought together out of similar circumstances and needs. We developed an understanding, Roscoe and I, an arrangement. With no one else around, he was my lap buddy and I was his lap, and neither of us would let our respective loved ones know of our tryst.













By Friday evening when the amazing miss Molly came to visit and Roscoe's mom came home, our relationship was but a memory. It was time to get a real doxie fix, and Molly was the perfect little pumpkin at Saturday's show, ambling about while her mom, Robin, and I worked, poking her head out from under the tablecloth with the perfect amount of cuteness to merit the snack that she knew was waiting for her.


















Her big brother Max had visited our booth earlier, making himself very useful as a model for one of Robin's hats. I am so impressed, by the way, with Molly and her big brother and sister, they all do so wonderfully of leash and heed their mom so well!
























By the late afternoon I was striking gold in the doxie fix department. Isabella stopped by to say hi and start up a conversation about dapper doxie duds (oooh, yes! maybe aqua with a modern/retro feel? we'll be talking soon!!)













Then the world's longest doxie brothers Ike and Otto showed up to join the party! Such beautiful boys, long, slender and oh so schnozzy. A pair of princes. Bringing a memorable doxie end to a super fun Saturday. Thanks so much bludog for EV-ertthing and sio and jeeve's friend and all the new friends that came out to say hi! One more day to go, and we'll be so sad to leave so soon. One day, we're totally bringing the little kielbasa so he can meet all his little buddies!! :)

dud me

So, I gots the itchies to make more duds and it always goes something like this. Find one fabric and use it as an excuse to buy more fabrics. Such was the case when I found this fabric in my stash, a fine liberty-esque corduroy that would look great on a black and tan or red doxie, that would work with some really swell green, purple, or iridescent gossamery butterfly wings. Fabric of course, that I didn't have yet. For an order I don't really have yet. But oh the possibilities!

Yesterday was too chilly and gray to enjoy making things, and so I took a break and ventured out into the fabric shops in search of gossamer organzas and laces, and of course came back with that plus some, including some swell fabrics I needed for Mister Ike and lovely Annabelle.

Rest well, my little buddy, more modelling is yet to come! :)





Update: Whee! It's 10:00 in the morning and I just pulled this cute strawberry barkcloth from the dryer. Barkcloth! It seemed only right that this be considered along with the liberty-esque corduroy for springy/summery dapper doxie duds, right? With wings, maybe in shimmery green or ivory or something equally flighty. Or without, as they'd also be super fun with a little ruffle detail or a flower or even a tiny pocket for posies. Ah, one day their princesses will come. Well, best get on with making things! Chumley is buried under his down blankie, thanks to a chilly start to the morning.

dapper doxie duds: Bucky Badger Bucky Jumpers

Buck-a-buck-a-roooooooooo!  It's Bucky Badger time, it's Bucky Badger time! Hee hee hee, hello my friends, it is me, Baxter, your roving rover reporter reporting to you today about the swell Bucky Badger dud my mom finished for my friend Linus.

Now, I have never really heard of this Bucky Badger fella, and I don't really know what badgers sound like, but he looks like he might sound like the kind of guy u do not want to cross, even if he buckadoodleroos if you know what I mean.  So, I think this Bucky guy probably has a lot of enemies and if a Bucky Badger friend does not live under Bucky's protection close to home in the faraway Land of W, well, then Bucky Badger friend like Linus might need to be subtle about showing his support for Bucky Badger.  Which is why mom says Linus's dud on the outside is a subdued, refined statement of Bucky affection while the inside is all I LOVE BUCKY BADGER!  And I don't know about you, but I LOVE HIS SNACKIE POCKET! Whoops, sorry, that was just my tummy talking, and even though I have a few more pounds to lose..boy is it telling me to..so hard to resist...okay okay...

(ssssnnnnnnniiiiifffffffffff!)

Oh salmon crunchiezzz. They smell so terriffic!  Um, this is (crunchy crunch) Baxter, your roving (crunch) rover reporter, wishing you (crunchy crunch crunch) a fond - whoops, didn't mean to spit crumbs on you - (crunch crunch gulp) bucka buckaroo!  :)

ps - Linus I hope you love your new dud and please say hi to Ike and send my best healing regards to  Otto :) :) <3

tags n wags

A tiny picnic lunch for the little kielbasa, his small reward for being such a patient little boy waiting inside while I bubble, bubble, toiled and troubled my way through another science sunday on the deck, making tags for precious Annie and irresistible Ike.

It's not very often really that I see Baxter reared up on his hind legs. By default, it seems our little boy is perfectly happy staying horizontal, save for the times when he's spied a squirrel in a tree. And that suits me just fine, when I think of all the trouble a little doxie can get into, just by rearing up on his stubby hindquarters. Digger, and the case of the missing porkchop. Kep, who could sit up on his hindquarters for hours if he wanted to, and the time he hurt his back trying, we think, to climb out of his confined space in the kitchen.

The knee high world. The level at which many a doxie might lose his way amongst all those lovely temptations, but I can only hope for tiny chumley, just a happy place to get an occasional picnic lunch.