Wiener Dog Wonderland

Hello sweet friends. I hope you are fully enjoying this sweet, slow season. Are you ready to smile? Then join Mr. Decor and me as we walk through a Wiener Dog Wonderland.

Wiener Dog Wonderland

These retro-inspired fashions were worn by Mr. Decor and myself simply to bring joy to our kids. It has been almost a year since our beloved Rudi crossed the Rainbow Bridge. We knew that the Christmas of 2019 would be the last with our beloved “Toots” and so many photos and videos were made. As they often do, the “one year ago” messages popped up in their various feeds bringing with them the bittersweet memories of our wee red man. 

I put on my thinking cap and took color inspiration from the 1966 Disney Film, The Ugly Dachshund. 

We would wear the clothing on our annual tour of holiday lights. 

Simplicity 8775

In thinking about how to bring this concept to life I turned to Pinterest pages on Disneybounding. This concept is simply an outfit influenced by a Disney character, movie, or attraction. From there my brain moved from dachshunds/doxies/wiener/sausage dogs to the circle skirts of the 1950s. I decided to replace the iconic poodle embellishment with our lowrider dog of choice. 

Wonder Under

The pattern went together beautifully. It is the perfect project for a beginner. I used a midweight cotton twill in royal blue found in the Dallas fabric district. It was 60 inches wide so I only need 2 yards. 

The applique process I will describe as intermediate/advanced. I printed silhouettes of all the doxies we have loved. Rex (my childhood dog) Pepper (Mr. Decor’s dog) Franzie, Rudi, and of course our dear Gracie. A product called Wonder Under was ironed on to the contrasting red twill. The patterns are then cut out. You then peel the paper backing off of the fabric and iron it onto the other fabric. (In this case, it was the blue twill.) It provides a temporary measure to hold the fabric in place while it is appliqued. I don’t have a fancy sewing machine. I just used a very small and dense zig-zag stitch on the edge of the fabric. It took FOREVER!

Once I was finished with the appliques the skirt still felt a little flat. So I added red sequin trim as an accent leash. You can see the process in action in today’s VIDEO.

I’m still working on mastering the zipper. I like to share that my projects aren’t perfect but I’m willing to keep trying.

While it called for a hook and bar closure I dug through my collection of vintage buttons and found this red floral gem. 

The skirt was paired with a vintage red sweater I’ve had for ages. 

I spy with my little eye a black and white dapple pie doxie. 

Of course, the best thing about a circle skirt is the twirl factor. I used the petticoat I made HERE for the proper silhouette.

Simplicity R10696

Mr. Decor’s shirt was made from a fairly new pattern. While it says it can be completed in 3 hours. It took me six. I’m not really keen on how the collar looks unbuttoned so I probably will not be using it again. 

Mr. Decor, however, was very pleased with how the shirt turned out. 

I am very grateful for a man who is willing to be my very own Ken barbie doll. 

Also, this wee girl LOVES her daddy! I adore her smile as he snuggles her. 

Everyone on our street, who sees us walking every day, knows where Gracie lives. 

The nutcracking soldier dox lights up at night. He was found at Lowe’s several years ago. 

The effort was so worth it. The kids laughed and smiled at their goofy parents. 

We also had a good chuckle ourselves. 

A Fun New Video

You can see the fun video, complete with dazzling nighttime light displays, HERE. 

I hope you are savoring this slow season. I’ll be cutting back to one post a week for the next few weeks. After creating/photographing/writing for the website, producing videos, and cranking out several huge projects for the holidays I am in great need of a long winter’s nap. 

Have a very Happy New Year!

Laura