To be a bit lazy

We didn't end up getting to Karra this weekend. Too much to do at home, plus the desire to be a bit lazy and catch up with friends.

I did get a bit creative and made a new dog muzzle for Maisie. You're allowed to take dogs on the passenger ferry, but they have to wear a muzzle at all times.

We have this black one but it doesn't fit her at all, plus she looks like Hannibal Lecter with it on.

"I ate her liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti..."

Just in case you ever find yourself wanting to make a cloth muzzle for a dog (and why on Earth WOULDN'T you at some point in you life?), I present to you...

The Weekend Island guide to making a dog muzzle

Firstly, I traced around the old muzzle to get the shape, which is basically just a triangle with the end snipped off.

Actually, I think it's more of a trapezoid. I'm not really sure, geometry and I never did get along.

If you're using a light-weight fabric like the cotton I used, reinforce the pieces with a calico backing to make them stronger.

I made the bottom part - the bit that goes under her mouth - from plain calico. I sewed it together at either side, being very careful to get it the right size for Maisie's snout. It needs to be reasonably tight, but have a little give in it.

I used the same cotton and calico to make two straps, which I sewed to either side of the nose piece.

I sewed velcro on the straps to fasten it. It's not super strong, you would want to use a more secure fastener if you had a bigger or more aggressive dog.

Ta-da! The end result fits her much more comfortably than the black one. She even happily wore it round the house a while while I was getting photos.

Plus, she now matches the sling bag I made to hold the small cooler we take over for weekends. Wow! What a lucky dog...