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DIY Sun Protection for Paddling Pooches

You’ve probably heard someone use the saying, “the dog days of summer,” to talk about the hottest and most humid days of the year. But did you know that this phrase originated in Ancient Rome?

You see, the astronomers of the time noticed that the sweltering weather coincided with the period that the star Sirius, also called the “dog star,” was visible in the night sky. The astronomers thought that Sirius was adding its heat to the sun’s to make the days hotter. They started calling this period “the dog days of summer” after the dog star, and the nickname stuck.

Today, this phrase usually refers to a period from early July to early August, when temperatures tend to skyrocket in the Northern Hemisphere. And the heat doesn’t just bother humans. Our dogs are just as vulnerable — if not more so — because of their higher body temperatures and fur coats.

Sailrite customer and small-business owner Katrina Fairchild frequently ran into this problem in 2017 when taking her therapy dog, Harley, kayaking with her. A sweet Shih Tzu, Harley is the perfect size to sit on the bow of Katrina’s kayak and take in the sights and smells of the outdoors while Katrina paddles.

A Shih Tzu dog looking at a river. — On or off the kayak, Harley loves exploring the outdoors.

But while Katrina could paddle for hours under the hot sun thanks to hats, sunglasses and sunscreen, Harley didn’t have much fun on these excursions. Katrina told us more: “[Harley] and I are pretty much inseparable. [He] is with me in stores, hotels, in the car (unless it’s too hot), restaurants, hiking, biking and on the water. He’s very tolerant of most things except one: the sun.”

Sitting on the bow of Katrina’s kayak, Harley had nowhere to hide from direct sunlight or high temperatures. “Harley would display discomfort by constant agitation after just a short time on the water,” Katrina said. “He panted like he’d just run around in the sun. Even if I poured water on him or dipped him in the river, he still couldn’t relax.”

Harley’s discomfort was contagious. “This intolerance of getting too much sun and its reflection off the water while kayaking prevented me from enjoying my relaxing time paddling. I had to rush back to shore too soon,” Katrina said. “I also had to fix this problem.”

As the saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention. Katrina needed to make sure that Harley was safe so she could enjoy her time outdoors. She was proud to tell us that she did indeed fix the problem — with help from Sailrite® and the Ultrafeed® LS Sewing Machine.

Inventing the WoofShade®

So, how did Katrina address the issue of taking a dog kayaking in high heat? “[In 2017], I developed a prototype of what became [the] WoofShade.”

What’s a WoofShade? It’s Katrina’s invention to protect paddling pups like Harley from excessive heat and direct sunlight. It’s a portable, dog-sized shade — the first shade designed to attach to paddle-powered watercraft like kayaks.

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Katrina told us more about developing the WoofShade. “I went through about three months and two prototypes of design and testing. Deciding on the shape was probably the most challenging.”

At the end of the prototyping, she had settled on a large-diameter circle with flexible internal wires that allow the shade to bend. When attached to the front of a kayak, canoe or paddleboard, the shade becomes a self-supporting tent that perfectly accommodates small- to medium-sized dogs without blocking the paddler’s view of the water in front of them.

But size wasn’t the only consideration. Katrina also had to find the perfect fabric. “I needed a high-quality, marine-grade, perforated mesh material that was see-through and provided ventilation for the dog,” she said. She didn’t have too far to look to find exactly what she wanted. “Once I saw a sample of the Phifertex® [Standard Vinyl Mesh Fabric], it was a no-brainer.”

The fabric, which has a 70% shade factor and good breathability, is ideal for applications that get heavy use outdoors. The fabric is also easy to sew — a helpful feature since Katrina hadn’t sewn for quite some time.

“I learned to sew in the ’70s as a child on my mother’s [home] sewing machine, which I still have,” she told us. “I was motivated by wanting more clothes for my Barbie® dolls.”

Once her dolls had full wardrobes, however, Katrina didn’t do much sewing until she started prototyping the WoofShade in 2017. In fact, she sewed the prototypes on the same machine her mother taught her to sew on years earlier.

Although she had to relearn how to sew after decades and her home machine wasn’t quite strong enough for the job, Katrina’s determination to keep Harley safe kept her going. She eventually finished a usable prototype and wasted no time seeing if Harley liked it.

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“As soon as I used my first prototype, [Harley] was able to relax enough to sleep for almost the entire duration of the kayak trip. This, in turn, made my paddling much more enjoyable because I knew Harley was comfortable and safe,” Katrina shared. Now, “he is eager to get in the boat and gets situated quickly in his usual position under the shade.”

Manufacturing WoofShades With the Ultrafeed LS

Thanks to Katrina, Harley isn’t the only lucky dog to have a personal shade. “Once I realized how many other paddlers are accompanied by their dogs, I then decided to market [the WoofShade].” She built a website and an Etsy shop to share her pup-protecting product with the world. Other dog-owning paddlers loved the idea, and Katrina started receiving orders right away.

But filling those orders wasn’t an easy task. Her home machine didn’t have the power to consistently sew the tough materials that the WoofShade called for.

“For the first few years I battled with my [home sewing machine] to make her work for high-demanding, thick material, but she kept fighting back and won. … I was wasting too much time and churning out too many expletives,” Katrina laughed. “I knew I had to get the right machine for the job.”

The right machine turned out to be the Sailrite Ultrafeed LS. Katrina discovered Sailrite while researching her options for heavy-duty machines.

“Sailrite kept popping up as I looked at different companies and products,” she said. Her research and testimonials from other Ultrafeed owners convinced her that the LS was the best machine for her needs.

“I trusted Sailrite to sell the right, high-quality, semi-heavy-duty machine that I noticed a lot of hobbyists and small business owners were using. And it wasn’t too expensive,” Katrina told us. She purchased her LS in 2020 and has been happily using it to run her small business ever since.

The Ultrafeed turned out to be a wise investment. “[My LS] has elevated my sewing abilities and skills. It never lets me down — it’s a workhorse,” Katrina said.

A woman using a sewing machine. — The LS makes it easy for Katrina to sew Phifertex shade material.

She’s also found Sailrite to be a reliable supplier of the Phifertex shade material she uses, and a few Sailrite tools have made their way into her sewing room. But while it’s “fun and inspiring to look at all the supplies and parts that Sailrite sells” and pick out a new tool now and again, deep inventory isn’t the only thing that keeps Katrina coming back.

When we asked what Katrina likes so much about Sailrite, she said this: “Quality and excellent customer service. Over the years I’ve needed help … Sailrite has yet to let me down.”

In particular, Katrina mentioned that she loved Sailrite’s videos on setting up and using an Ultrafeed. “Not only is there a video for just about everything I needed to know, but each is well done and informative,” she said.

More Time for Outdoor Exploration

After Katrina purchased her LS and watched several Sailrite videos to get up and running, making the WoofShade not only became easier, but quicker too — which was exactly what she wanted.

“I run this company part time,” she told us. “[The WoofShade] has proven to be a seasonal product, which I don’t mind because I enjoy doing so many other things.”

As we’ve already seen, Katrina especially loves being outdoors. Her goal is to get outside every day. “Anything in nature is my happy place,” she said.

Among her other outdoor hobbies are “hiking, biking [and] walking.” She also told us that crafts and painting make her happy, especially when she can incorporate interesting natural items into her artwork.

A painting of a bird accented with a real tree branch. — Katrina used real branches to give this bird painting a 3D effect.

In addition to land-based outdoor activities, Katrina has experience with other types of boating besides kayaking. She’s dabbled in waterskiing and using powered watercraft, but those didn’t catch her attention as much as using paddle-powered boats.

“Paddling has become my absolute favorite because the boats are quiet, easily transportable and allow me to connect with the feel of water that I love,” she shared. “Kayaks are especially my favorite because I’m closer and more a part of the water than in a canoe.”

Her preference for kayaks over canoes has a humorous origin. “My first experience with paddling was 32 years ago when my then-boyfriend rented a two-person canoe to paddle the Buffalo River in Arkansas. We dumped with the first Class II rapids, cursed at each other, got married and then bought separate kayaks,” Katrina laughed.

While her home state of South Carolina offers waterways to paddle, Katrina prefers to travel a bit farther for kayaking adventures. “I … go out of state because I don’t find that South Carolina offers enough of the kind of paddling I like, which is quiet lakes or Class I rivers. I go to North Carolina quite a lot, but recently went all the way up to the Adirondacks in New York.”

Of course, Harley goes with Katrina and her husband on these out-of-state adventures. And a new addition to their little family will soon be going with them. “I have recently adopted a rescue puppy that is half German Shepherd,” she told us.

A young puppy. — Katrina’s adorable rescue puppy, Sky.

The puppy, appropriately named Sky by her nature-loving parents, has some skills to master before she’ll be ready for long outdoor excursions. “We’re working on the proper hiking etiquette,” Katrina said. “As soon as [Sky] learns to behave, I’ll be teaching her to trot alongside my bike.”

Sky will also have to learn how to be on the water before she can go paddling. “I need to get her on a boat sooner than later. The rocking motion is probably the scariest to overcome,” Katrina said.

Sky will be much larger than a Shih Tzu when fully grown, so a sit-on-top kayak won’t be the best option for her. Katrina will have to expand her fleet of watercraft to accommodate Sky. “Yes, I will be buying a canoe,” she laughed.

Having a larger dog will mean a larger boat for Katrina … but could it also mean a larger WoofShade? Many other paddlers have requested a shade that can cover large dogs, and Katrina says that is the biggest challenge she’s faced with her invention to date.

“I’ve tried to accommodate the large-dog-breed owners’ request for a taller WoofShade. However, a taller shade … will impede the line of sight of the paddler,” she shared. “After a multitude of prototypes, we have found that the best way to take your large or tall dog paddling is in a canoe, in which case our current single-size WoofShade will provide the dog coverage without obstructing the paddler’s view.”

This makes sense. Large dogs will have plenty of space under the shade if they sit down inside of a canoe rather than on top of a kayak. Still, we have a feeling that Katrina’s love of innovation will lead her to a kayak-friendly shade for large dogs eventually.

Katrina’s Parting Advice for DIYers

After all, Katrina loves coming up with new ideas. She told us that the “constant challenge to [her] mind” is her favorite part of her DIY lifestyle. “I hate being bored, so I’m always coming up with small and large projects to keep me motivated and stimulated,” she said. Whether it’s painting, sewing or collecting eye-catching nature finds, Katrina always has a project going — and plenty of inspiration for her next one.

She had a lot to say about ideas, including how to make an idea like the WoofShade into a real product. It’s great advice for any DIYer who isn’t sure where to start making their own product concept come to life.

“I’ve had many ideas over the years, but they were just that — ideas. It wasn’t until I did an actual prototype, which I used many times, that the idea became reality.” That’s a great roadmap for creating a new product. Start with a prototype of your idea, test it thoroughly and work out problems in the design along the way.

Once you’re ready to share your design with the world, what then? Katrina had advice on launching a small business too. “Like many other small-business owners will say, start small and think big. At first, keep it small and manageable. Keep your day job. If it’s still fun, or at least pleasing to do, then consider growing it.”

Katrina has hit on a fundamental aspect of a successful DIY lifestyle or career: If you enjoy what you’re doing and you feel the level of work is manageable, you’ll be able to enjoy your creative hobby or business over the long run. Katrina would know: She’s been happily running her small business part time since 2017.

“It’s sometimes hard to believe that I’m still making WoofShades after almost six years,” she said. “At one point I temporarily closed my shop, but the demand kept coming so I reopened it. I continue to make them because of this: If there are still dog owners who care enough to protect their paddling pets, then I will continue to help and sell WoofShades.”

We love that sentiment, Katrina, and we’re happy that your small business fits into your active lifestyle so well! Sailrite is proud to provide you with the tools and materials you need to help keep dogs like Harley and Sky safe and comfortable outdoors. We wish you all the best for many more years of DIY innovation and outdoor adventure!

Who We Are

Sailrite is your one-stop DIY shop! We are a passionate crew of do-it-yourselfers who strive to equip you with the supplies and how-to knowledge you need to tackle your next project. Do you want to learn upholstery, leatherwork, canvaswork, hobby sewing, bag making or more? We have the fabric, tools, hardware, sewing machines and notions you need to master any DIY. And even if you’ve never sewn before, our tutorials and how-to videos are designed for beginners and experienced crafters alike.

Start your DIY journey today: www.sailrite.com

A Coat Above the Rest

What do a sheep farm in Pennsylvania, Sunbrella® binding and the Fabricator® Sewing Machine have in common? Heather Loomis. This creative DIYer uses her Fabricator machine to sew dog coats made from warm and protective wool felt. The wool comes from her very own sheep raised on her family farm. Learn more about Heather, her sheep, and how she got the idea to sew dog coats from their wool!

dog in coat — Heather’s dog, Fiat, is one happy and warm pup in her custom-made dog coat!

Down on the Farm

Heather and her husband, David, have owned, maintained and operated their farm, Bohlayer’s Orchards, for 16 years. They are the fifth generation to steward the land. Though there’s no such thing as a typical day in farm life, here’s what Heather shared with us regarding her daily routine: “Our days always begin and end with chores to feed and care for the animals. The rest of our work is driven by the season and can include pruning the orchard, skirting wool fleeces, moving sheep to different pastures, making hay, harvesting fruit, packaging and shipping wool, and on and on!”

They harvest apples and pears and raise sheep on their 130-acre orchard and farm. “We have a flock of 70 Romeldale CVM sheep. The number can ebb and flow as we welcome new lambs each year and sell breeding stock or fiber sheep to other farms.” Romeldale CVM sheep are a breed of domestic sheep native to the United States. They are a very rare breed known for their unusual coloring.

heather with sheep — Here’s Heather with her Romeldale CVM sheep on her beautiful Pennsylvania farm.

The soft wool and unusual colors of the breed’s fleece are sought after by hand spinners to create high-quality wool yarn and roving. “They produce a soft (fine) wool in many different natural colors, including white, gray, brown and black.” Heather sells spun yarn and wool roving made from her sheep’s fleece. Turning the wool roving into water-resistant and insulated dog coats was a natural next step.

Dog Days of Winter

Where did Heather get the idea to sew dog coats from her sheep’s wool? “The idea for dog coats came out of a need to keep our own dogs warm and dry during cold and wet winter days. We knew the wool felt would be a perfect material for a dog coat. The wool would keep the dogs warm, and it naturally has some resistance to wet conditions.”

Heather learned to sew at a young age from her mother, a skilled seamstress and quilter. With her sewing background, she felt comfortable designing and creating the dog coats. “I spent time developing a pattern. As this project came together, [my husband and I] realized others were interested in having a coat made for their dog. I created prototypes in different sizes using our friends’ dogs as models to get the right fit and shape.” After months of designing, patterning and sewing, the dog coats were officially ready. Heather named her new side business A Woof In Sheep’s Clothing and began selling the dog coats seasonally at their farm store, at local festivals and on their farm’s website.

When Heather started prototyping and sewing early versions of the dog coats, she realized her home sewing machine wasn’t going to cut it. “Due to the thickness of the wool felt, a typical sewing machine struggled to handle the material. I began asking others for ideas and doing internet searches. Someone told me about Sailrite and I began to research the company’s website.”

Testing the Fabricator

Heather liked the look and features of the Fabricator, but she wasn’t certain it would sew through the thickness of the wool. Luckily, she used the Live Chat feature on the Sailrite website to message a customer service representative who had the perfect solution. “They suggested I send a sample of my material. I mailed a sample of the wool felt to Sailrite headquarters in Indiana. They quickly responded with videos of the Fabricator easily sewing through multiple layers of the felt. Their prompt customer service and quality products meant that I did not need to look any further!”

Heather has owned her Fabricator for a few years now and is just as happy with it as she was on day one. “The Fabricator has given me the opportunity to expand my product line on my own terms. Anything I can think of to sew is possible with the Fabricator, the accessories and the how-to videos. This machine has been worth every penny.”

The wool felt from her flock has inspired a lot of project ideas. In addition to dog coats, Heather also makes felt accessory bags, coasters, felt knitting project bags, hot water bottle covers, teapot cozies and cold drink koozies. The Fabricator has enabled Heather to increase her productivity and boost sales. “I can produce a complete coat in approximately an hour. If someone has a dog that doesn’t match one of our established sizes, I make a custom-sized coat for their dog.”

To give the dog coats a beautiful, professional look, Heather uses Sunbrella binding to finish the edges. And the coats attach with easy-to-position hook-and-loop tape (also known as Velcro®). Heather purchases all of the supplies needed to make the dog coats from Sailrite. “I searched Sailrite’s how-to videos to see how I could attach the binding. Any time I have a question about the Fabricator or its accessories (like the binder), I go directly to the video library and find what I am looking for. I always learn something and sometimes get new ideas! And any time I have a question about a product, I use the chat feature on the website and get a prompt and helpful response.”

The reaction from customers has been nothing but positive. “We have received rave reviews from customers and their pups! Customers are thrilled to finally have a coat that fits their dog well. Some told us that their otherwise anxious dog seems to enjoy the warm fit and often does not want the coat removed when they come back inside. Others express appreciation for their dogs staying dry in the snow and cold rains of winter as well as for the fact that the coats dry quickly.”

Producing wool products from her flock’s fleece serves more than just one purpose. “Part of what can help to save rare breeds is to find jobs for them to fulfill. Creating a demand for the wool of this beautiful, personable breed is important for their survival. We love to share with customers that their purchase of a rare breed wool product from our small family farm makes a difference.”

Thank you for sharing your story with us, Heather! We’re thrilled that Sailrite is part of your DIY journey and that your one-of-a-kind dog coats are bringing awareness to rare-breed sheep and helping with conservation efforts.

Who We Are

Start your DIY journey today: www.sailrite.com

Boat Bengal: Andrew, Jazz & Captain

We all love our pets, and we often wish we could take them everywhere. But can you imagine taking them along to circumnavigate the open ocean? Andrew and Jazz might seem like your average sailing couple, but they have a unique sailing companion — their Bengal cat, Captain! The two have been happily sailing on their boat, Villa Veritas, for some time now. We wanted to know what it’s like to sail with a furry companion and see if this enterprising crew had any advice to offer new sailors or budding DIYers.

Humble Beginnings

The couple that sails together, stays together! Jazz first experienced sailing as a child on her uncle’s monohull in the Canadian San Juan Islands. In high school, as an exchange student on the coast of Spain, she joined a local sailing team and learned to handle small boats. Once in college, she made friends at the yacht club and went out for races when she could. In her adult life, Jazz went on to travel through Asia, helping crew a handmade 32-foot boat from Bali through Borneo and Singapore.

Andrew had gone sailing a few times as a kid, and then he took classes with the American Sailing Association in San Francisco when he married Jazz. Together the two crew a 1993 Prout Snowgoose Elite 37 named Villa Veritas after their last name. It’s the first boat that either of them has owned and the first catamaran that they’ve sailed, not counting vacation ride-alongs. The two moved onto their boat full time in October 2018, and have been blissfully sailing the open ocean ever since. They’ve traveled from the southern United States, through the Bahamas and the Caribbean, and even to locations like Saint Kitts and Saint Vincent. They’ve even documented the ins and outs of their journey on their sailing blog.

So how did Captain, the beautiful Bengal cat, join the crew? “We met Captain in Savannah, Georgia. He joined us full time in November when he reached three months old. We’d waited to get a cat until we had the boat because, supposedly, kittens will always adapt to a boat while older cats may never get over seasickness. Captain doesn’t always like it when the boat moves, especially when the engine is on. But aside from the death glares, he doesn’t seem to have any other problems, and he’s good about staying inside when we’re underway. At anchor he keeps a good watch, often from the top of the boom. One time a pelican (bigger than he is) landed on the front of the starboard bow, and after chasing it off, Captain now patrols that spot daily.”

Sewing & Sailing

If you’re familiar with the sailing world, you also know that it pays to be a sewist in order to make much-needed repairs and other marine DIY projects. Much like sailing, Jazz’s sewing experience began at a young age. She received needles and thread in daycare and crafted new outfits for the resident dolls. Her mother and grandmother also sewed, encouraging her craftsmanship. For Andrew, things were a bit different. When Jazz started a cockpit enclosure project but got sick halfway through, it was up to him to learn the ropes. So he began watching Sailrite® videos and kept charge of their sewing machine — the Sailrite® Ultrafeed® LSZ.

But how exactly did these intrepid travelers hear about Sailrite? Andrew was kind enough to share. “We learned about Sailrite from another devoted fan and sailor who insisted that a sewing machine was a necessary piece of offshore safety gear. After breaking a borrowed home sewing machine on a relatively minor project, we decided that a more expensive but dependable machine actually had a pretty short payback period. We went with the LSZ because we wanted to work on sails. Actually, we justified the purchase when we priced out a new asymmetrical spinnaker versus a machine and a custom spinnaker kit from Sailrite.”

The Ultrafeed — loved by sailors and cats alike!

When it comes to sewing with the Ultrafeed LSZ, a circumnavigator’s work is almost never done. Not only that, but the majority of the repair work on a boat must be completed right away if one wants to continue sailing. Andrew and Jazz have completed their fair share of projects using the machine, with Captain’s help of course. One of their largest projects, and one that they are most proud of, is their spinnaker. Before the crew left the United States, they purchased a Sailrite spinnaker kit that they would later sew themselves. Captain had a part to play as entertainment and moral support. Since acquiring their Ultrafeed, they’ve crafted many projects including:

Cockpit Enclosure
Mainsail repair
Reflective/insulated covers for the boat windows
Winch covers
Outdoor bags
Grill cover

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But the Sailrite supplies don’t stop there! Andrew explained, “After borrowing two different friends’ hotknives for embarrassingly long times ‘because we’re almost done with projects,’ we finally got our own Edge Hotknife. It has a bit of a learning curve to cut cleanly…but we use it all the time, and even our friend’s 12-year-old was able to figure it out without any scorch marks. Everything else has been materials — Sunbrella® fabric, awning rope, zippers and a shockingly large number of snaps.”

The projects on a liveaboard usually always continue as the time and nautical miles go by, so we were curious what Andrew and Jazz planned to sew in the future.

Andrew: “There are so many more projects — replacing some covers that just weren’t made to sit in the sun, replacing the failing zipper on our stack pack (actually, replacing failing zippers has been a pretty regular project), adding some patches and chafe guards to the high-wear areas of our dinghy chaps, a more robust, water-resistant bag for our spinnaker so we can store it outside, and adding stainless steel seizing wire to the nose area of all the masks we’ve bought for the COVID era so they’ll fit properly without steaming up sunglasses and still be washable.”

Jazz: “It’s just a slow process of replacing everything on the boat with Sunbrella.”

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Sage Advice

There’s no doubt that Andrew, Jazz and Captain have a treasure trove of sailing experience. But what do they think is the most rewarding (and most difficult) part of the sailing and DIY lifestyle? “The most rewarding is when you make things yourself. When you know how it was done, why all the hard decisions were made, and just how trustworthy the work is. The biggest surprise about sailing has been how difficult it has been to pay for work to be done to our DIY standards. We do almost all of our own work because we can be sure of the results, even if it takes us a couple of tries. When we needed to run from hurricane Gonzalo, we hadn’t fixed our tack yet, so we had to sail with a reef in. But our neighbor boat was waiting for their sails to be finished by a shop, which had closed for the weekend, and so they had no choice but to tie down and stay put. In this sense, having this machine aboard is a huge boon for our safety — we never have to take the sails off our boat and depend on someone else’s timeline.”

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This crew of accomplished voyagers was kind enough to offer advice to anyone who wants to start sailing and sewing. “Just start. You can do this for literally any amount of money, only your comfort level changes. Your projects aren’t going to be perfect the first time, but the only way to get it right is to start trying and see what goes wrong. Just about every successful project on our boat is version two or version three.”

Andrew and Jazz are proof that the liveaboard lifestyle is always within reach — it simply requires a little tenacity, imagination and ingenuity. We can’t wait to see what other adventures this colorful crew will embark on in the future. And we’re honored that Sailrite could be part of their DIY journey as well. If you’d like to keep up with the Veritas family, you can check out their blog at andrewandjazz.com. Happy sailing!

Who We Are

Start your DIY journey today: www.sailrite.com

DIY Dog Toys: Tough Stuff for Playing Ruff

Do you have a dog who’s tough on toys? Mike Deering does. His dogs would destroy a supposedly “indestructible” toy in a matter of hours, stuffing and fabric remnants littering his home. Not only annoyed at the cost of such flimsy toys, Mike worried that the loose stuffing could be a choking hazard. Then inspiration struck. He had the idea to use old fire hose to create tough-as-nails tug and fetch dog toys. To sew through the thick material, he would need a heavy-duty sewing machine. Luckily, the Sailrite® Ultrafeed® was more than up to the challenge.

Mike and his wife, Pam, have always been big animal lovers. “I was raised with cats for the most part,” Mike recalled. “Pam has had cats and dogs all her life. She also had a potbellied pig for 15 years.” The couple currently has four dogs: Sissy, a beagle/German Shepherd mix; Travis, is a German Shepherd/Belgian Malinois mix; Chico, a 9-year-old Chihuahua/rat terrier mix; and Luna, a mini schnauzer/poodle mix. The couple adopted all of their dogs from the Humane Society of Ventura County California. “One thing Pam and I agree on is, ‘rescued’ is our favorite breed.”

Sissy_I_Conquered — Here’s Sissy, caught in the act of destroying yet another store-bought toy. Mike knew he could make something that would actually last.

The couple transitioned their love of dogs into a business. In 2012, Pam started a pet sitting and dog walking business. Mike joined the company the following year. Both of their dogs are tough on toys in different ways. Sissy “kills ‘indestructible’ toys,” as Mike put it. The stuffing would be strewn all over the house, creating a potential choking and eating hazard. Travis, on the other hand, is a very aggressive tug of war player. Mike needed a stuffing-free toy that was not only tough but long enough to protect his hands from Travis’s sharp canines.

Fed up with buying toys that his dogs would destroy in no time, he started doing some research. “I read that zookeepers were using fire hose to make toys for tigers in their care, which started me thinking.” And soon, Mike took his idea and turned it into a unique side business. In 2018 he started sewing prototypes and in early 2019 he officially launched Doghoztoyz.

Surprisingly, Mike didn’t even know how to sew. However, he didn’t let this fact prevent him from pursuing this unique venture. His first toy prototypes were hand sewn, but he quickly realized he would need the strength and dependability of an industrial type sewing machine. “I’d never touched a sewing machine before and Sailrite came up in my searches for an industrial sewing machine. The instructions that came with the Ultrafeed LS were very helpful, but even more helpful were the videos. I came away, after watching the videos, a lot more confident that I could actually do something without either hurting myself or the machine.”

ultrafeed — Mike puts the finishing touches on a toy using his Ultrafeed LS Sewing Machine.

Mike does several things to prep the retired fire hose before turning it into dog toys. He thoroughly pre-scrubs the hose, if necessary, then machine washes it to remove all traces of ash and soot from the hose’s previous life. Once the hose is dry, he can then begin transforming it into durable dog toys. To punch through such thick and dense material, he uses V-92 thread and a size 20 or 21 needle. The Ultrafeed makes easy work of the tough material.

Where does Mike get the retired fire hose? “Initially I bought the fire hose from a wholesaler or got used fire hose from fire departments in my area. Ultimately, I located online auctions that dealt with government surplus and bought a pallet of hose.” This creative idea is a great way to recycle and reuse a material that has served its original purpose but is still entirely usable for other means. “Physical damage or failure to pass a water pressure test is the main reason fire hose is retired from active duty,” Mike explained.

mike pam and dogs — Mike and Pam pose with their dogs for a Christmas picture at the Humane Society of Ventura County for a fundraiser. All of the dogs, except for Leonard, the gray Schnauzer, are alumni of the Humane Society.

The reaction to his dog toys has been very enthusiastic and successful. He tested his original prototypes on his own dogs, on the dogs of his dog walking and sitting clients, and even sent some toys to several rescue organizations. Needless to say, the toys received thorough testing and were found to be a big hit with the dogs. The toys are intended as “interactive toys,” Mike clarified, which means they are great for playing tug of war, fetch and catch. “While the toys will withstand ‘some’ gnawing for a limited period of time, that is not their intended purpose.”

Now that he’s got the basics of sewing down thanks to his dog toys, Mike looks forward to expanding his skills. “I did some masks as a response to the pandemic. It is quite a leap back, material-wise, going from thick fire hose to mask material. I had to really back off on the presser foot.” What other projects does Mike have on his to-sew list? Patio furniture cushions. Luckily, Sailrite has a project video for that!

Who We Are

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Sewing for Man’s Best Friend

Who doesn’t love our four-legged furry friends!? Not only do pets provide much-needed companionship and cuddle-time, but it’s been proven that owning a pet can help you live longer and have a healthier lifestyle. If you’re a sewer and dog owner, have you ever considered sewing dog toys? Bruce and Joan Calendrillo recently adopted Toby, an adorable terrier mix, from their local animal shelter. After Toby destroyed a store-bought toy in a matter of days, Bruce put his sewing skills to work creating better-made, more durable toys for his new pup. Read on to find out how Bruce uses supplies and how-to videos from Sailrite® to further his sewing talents and keep busy during his “semiretirement.”

toby collage — Meet Toby! He enjoys walks, playing with his toys, and annoying Mona the cat.

Old Dog, New Tricks

Bruce didn’t discover a love of sewing until later in life. Following a long and prestigious career in the medical field, his career took a sharp left turn when he bought a dry cleaning business. He took every opportunity to learn as much as he could — and that included learning how to sew. He dutifully watched his seamstress repair people’s clothes. “I honed my skills with practice, practice, practice. I learned new techniques through videos and books.” After Bruce closed the store, he took a job as a tailor at another local dry cleaning business and put his sewing skills to good use. “One year later that dry cleaner’s closed. I purchased all of their equipment and supplies and moved it all into my basement. I bought a sign and put it in my yard.”

Bruce is now semiretired and runs his own tailoring and clothes repair business from his basement. He’s only been sewing for about 10 years, but he has already amassed quite a reputation. “Tailoring is the perfect retirement job. I do as much work as I want while putting a few dollars in my pocket. A side benefit is that instead of working all day long away from home, I now get to meet all of my neighbors who quickly turn from customers to friends.”

His tailoring business allows him to keep busy and stay active while doing something he enjoys. “I love learning new things. Sewing lends itself to that passion in that there are always different techniques to learn and projects to explore.” Bruce’s sewing skills aren’t limited to just clothing repair and tailoring. He has made huge dock covers, reupholstered furniture, redesigned gowns and more.

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Through all his career changes, Bruce’s wife, Joan, has been the steadfast one. Joan is recently retired from a lifelong career as a preschool director and program developer. “She wonders how I can always be looking for such a dramatic change, while I will never understand how she could spend more than one day with a room full of 4- and 5-year-olds.”

Bruce first learned about Sailrite through a customer. The customer wanted a new bimini top for his boat. While doing some online research, Bruce found Sailrite. “I am a boat owner as well. As this was something that I had never done, and something I wanted to do for my own boat, I took on the job. When sewing canvas projects for customers, I always refer them to the Sailrite website. I have them choose and purchase their own material, always recommending Sunbrella®.” Bruce used the Sailrite bimini top video tutorial to guide him through the fabrication process for both the customer’s bimini and his own.

Bruce has also used Sailrite’s free video resources to sew new patio cushions for a friend of the family. “A close friend of my wife’s asked me to make new cushion covers for her patio set — about 20 cushions. This was a perfect winter job that I did last year and completed by the spring.” Bruce referred to Sailrite’s “How to Make a French Mattress Style Cushion” video to complete the mammoth undertaking. “I purchased Silk Film from Sailrite and, following the tutorial, I was able to easily stuff the foam back into each cover.”

Dog Days of Sewing

Bruce and Joan recently adopted a rescue dog, and that opened Bruce up to new sewing projects he hadn’t previously attempted. “My wife and I have taken on the challenge of adopting a terrier mix from our local shelter. When I am not walking or training Toby to sit and roll over, I am in the basement making him stuffed toys.” When they first adopted Toby, the Calendrillos immediately went to a local pet supply store and stocked up on food, treats and a stuffed toy. Two days later, the store-bought toy was ripped to shreds.

Bruce knew he could do better. He immediately set to work sewing dog toys from higher quality materials that could stand up to Toby’s canines. Using leftover Sunbrella from a recent sewing project, he got to work. “I felt that the toughness of the fabric would lend itself to the biting and pulling of the animal.” Bruce adapted the same French seam technique he learned from the Sailrite cushion video and applied it to the dog toy. He took two circles of Sunbrella and sewed them together with a French seam, stuffing the toy with fiberfill and a squeaker. “I have made several of these toys for family and friends with dogs. The French seam adds extra durability, and Toby has yet to get a tooth through the Sunbrella.”

toby with frisbee — So many handmade toys to choose from!

He next adapted this simple design to make a Frisbee®-type toy. He added another circular stitch 1-1/2 inches in from the edge of the fabric disk once it was completed, making a flatter, more disk-shaped toy. “It flies much farther than the first toy. And since it’s only cloth and fiberfill, I can throw it in the house without breaking anything (so far).” Bruce challenged himself yet again when he designed “Toby’s Big Ball” — a pentagonal-shaped toy similar to a soccer ball. “The ball is half as big as Toby, but since it is so soft and light he can easily grab and carry it around. And he looks absolutely silly doing it.” Bruce added a small rope loop when closing the toy that he backstitched over several times to secure it. The rope makes it easier for Bruce to throw the ball and turns it into a pull toy also.

Not stopping at toys, Bruce has also made dog and cat beds from leftover fleece and fiberfill. “I am always looking to hone my skills and learn different sewing techniques.” Bruce shared that he plans on making a PVC-style elevated dog bed soon using the Sailrite video tutorial. Toby sounds like one lucky pup to be spoiled with all these handmade goodies!

toby bed — A cozy dog bed made from fleece and fiberfill.

What does Bruce do when he’s not busy with his sewing business or making toys for the newest member of the family? “When I am not working on hemming pants, shortening curtains, taking in dresses or letting out men’s pants that ‘must have shrunk in the dryer,’ I am putting my scrap material to good use.” With all the projects he’s done for customers and his own sewing, Bruce has amassed a large amount of scrap fabric. “Too much to throw away but too little to use on a major project,” as he put it. He sews eye pillows and sachets for his daughter’s farm store that she fills with organic herbs. He makes doll clothes for his granddaughter’s and great-nieces’ American Girl® dolls. “I volunteer at my granddaughter’s 2nd grade class and made Christmas presents for each of her classmates — wallets for the boys and wristlets for the girls.”

With no signs of slowing down in sight, Bruce will keep putting his sewing skills to great use. Whether he’s sewing canvas, hemming pants and tailoring clothes, or sewing more toys and dog beds for Toby, he’s doing it his own way and on his own schedule. Semiretirement isn’t slowing Bruce down one bit, and Toby is sure to keep him in stitches for a long time to come.

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Sailing With Pets: How to Cat-Proof Your Boat

After marrying in 2008, Luisa Mixon and her husband, Seth, set their eyes to the sea. Like many Sailrite® customers, their dream was to buy a sailboat, learn to sail, and eventually gain enough experience to live completely on board. When they envision their retirement years, they see themselves sailing wherever their hearts, and the wind, take them. Their journey towards making this dream a reality has been one of excitement, hard work and ingenuity. They grow closer to reaching it every day.

Before becoming sailors, Luisa and Seth would often browse used sailboat websites and peruse sailboat shows, window shopping and gathering ideas for the type of boat they would purchase when the time was right. Most of the searching was just for fun, as actually owning a boat had always seemed far on the horizon. Then one day at the end of May 2018, something amazing happened that would catapult them into a new life sailing and sewing: They found their dream boat for sale in Long Beach, California.

00001IMG_00001_BURST20180701132658_COVER — Seth and Luisa sailing their newest purchase.

“The boat — a 1989 Ericson 38-200 named Astral — was beautiful and in excellent condition, so we ended up buying it. Less than a month later we were proud owners of a sailboat even though we didn’t know how to sail! Crazy, right?”

The couple then chose a marina in San Pedro, California, so the boat would be closer to their home, and learned the ropes from a few neighboring sailors. By August they had completed their first solo sailing trip and had fallen in love with life on the water. To complete the crew, the next step was to make the boat safe for Luisa’s two rescue cats, Charlie and Astro. You see, these aren’t your average felines. Charlie, a 13-year-old tabby, needs special medicine every 12 hours and Astro, a 10-year-old Bombay, requires special food for medical reasons. Considering that both animals warranted extra attention and could not be left alone for extended periods of time, it just made more sense to bring them aboard. But in order to do that, the living area of the boat had to be completely “cat proof” first.

pjimage (13) — The Ericson (named Astral), Charlie (top right) and Astro – ready to set sail!

In preparation for this project, Luisa had already been following the videos of other sailors who had completed tons of DIYs for their boat. One of these was Project Atticus, a couple who sail abroad for months at a time and sew their own projects using the Sailrite Ultrafeed® LSZ. After looking at the Sailrite website and YouTube channel, Luisa finally felt she had the confidence to start a project of her own: a new bimini and screened-in cat enclosure. Naturally, the next step was to choose a dependable sewing machine and gather supplies.

“I had never touched a sewing machine in my life, so I was eager and nervous to start. We wanted the best for our boat, a machine with excellent quality that would last a long time, so I ordered the Sailrite Ultrafeed LSZ and every single material and tool that was suggested in the videos. It was so exciting!”

IMG_20180807_162614 — Luisa and her Ultrafeed LSZ were ready to tackle any project.

Now fully prepared, the real work could begin. With their marina being so close to Catalina Island (around 20 nautical miles), Luisa and Seth decided to challenge themselves and plan a Thanksgiving sailing expedition. This meant that the new bimini and enclosure would have to be done quickly. Being from Colombia, Luisa’s DIY adventure came with a new set of hurdles, all of which she was able to overcome.

“My first language is not English, and I had never sewn before, so the hardest part was my pace completing the projects. I had to go slow watching the videos, understanding the English. And because I wanted my project to be perfect, or at least close to perfect, I had to go back and forth, checking to make sure I was doing things right.”

Luisa took a week off work and toiled for 16 hours each day to sew her own bimini and screened-in enclosure with help from Sailrite. She soon developed a love for the work and was extremely satisfied when the finished product fit perfectly. By the end of it all, she had created a lasting addition to Astral that would come in handy on future expeditions with her four-legged first mates.

“My cats love to be on the boat … once it’s at anchor and they’re placed in the enclosure, they’re very happy. They love to see the seagulls, seals and fish. It’s amazing for them and I’m happy if they are safe and happy!”

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Luisa and Seth initially eased into their sailing journey, hoping to gradually acclimate their furry companions to life aboard. They started staying overnight at the marina on weekends and then practiced anchoring twice at White’s Island, staying for four nights each time. Luisa’s confidence with the Ultrafeed has allowed her to create several other useful projects for the boat. Along with the bimini and cat enclosure, she’s created screens for the windows below deck, modified her V-berth cushions and sewn a generator cover. She has her sights set on sewing new sheet bags and sail covers, with many more DIY sewing endeavors on the to-do list.

The plan for this sea-faring couple is to eventually move aboard Astral permanently. They’ve been placed on a waiting list, as it can take years to get the liveaboard slip, but the faster this happens, the faster they can retire and start exploring the open ocean. As for now, the pair are simply enjoying the journey that brings them closer to their dream.

“In the meantime, we are sailing every Saturday and doing boat projects on Sunday. We work regular jobs Monday through Friday but we are practicing and learning more about sailing every day … reading books, watching videos, and continuing to sail to Catalina and White’s Island. We want to enjoy our boat to the fullest before we cast off!”

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