The Creative Cheapskate Discovers a Sham . . .

is good for more than covering pillows!!!

My last post showed you (literally) our dog Puppy's new-to-him              t-shirt to help keep him warm on cool days--- and how to simply and cheaply create a cool shirt to warm your pet.

But, like I had mentioned in the t-shirt post, since the hair on  his lower back and belly has thinned so much and the temperature keeps dropping we knew he would need something more than just a shirt for his time outdoors.

This past fall we bought a king size quilt from the thrift shop to protect plants in our garden at early frost. The $5 quilt came with two pillow shams which we didn't want --- but neither did the thrift store. 

I looked at the shape of dog coats at the store and made a paper pattern using Puppy's neck-to-tail and around-the-belly measurements from the t-shirt project --- remembering, this time,  to cut the thigh area higher to avoid accidents when he lifts his leg.

I cut the coat from the quilted top of the pillow sham, covered the raw cut edges with seam tape, and sewed lengths of velcro-type hook and loop strips to the front neck pieces and the straps that fasten over his middle.

For some reason the color doesn't show up here
as the maroon it really is.
 

Pillow shams are large enough to make a vest or simple coat or a robe for a toddler or even slippers for a larger child or adult.  These are the times (or finds) where . . . 

This is Puppy several years ago, and the first (and up to now)
only wardrobe piece he owned.

putting on your thinking cap comes in handy.