I've been lucky enough to see Iron Maiden live three times now, and the thing I always love about a Maiden show is that it's just good, clean fun. 

I know that sounds like an ironic thing to say about a concert where you're likely to hear songs like "The Number of The Beast," but it's true: nothing warms my heart like seeing three generations of metalheads spreading their picnic blanket on the auditorium grass on a warm summer evening, little boy riding on dad's shoulders, both in matching Iron Maiden shirts. 

Although Pepper is my family, she's not allowed at any Iron Maiden concerts, and I very much doubt she would appreciate the experience. But I know she is a rocker at heart, which is why I knew she would have no problem pulling off a Maiden jacket. 

I used my basic dog smock pattern, adding seams and seam allowances for both a yoke and denim jacket-inspired side panels. The main component of the jacket was a 2T chiId's tee with the Killers album cover. It's my favorite album art because (fun fact!) the original unpublished version showed that Eddie was murdering Margaret Thatcher. After cutting the main panel out of the front of the tee, I fused some heavy-duty interfacing to the wrong side to give it form and to keep it from stretching as I sewed it to two woven materials. For the jacket-style side panels, I simply used some discarded jeans for scrap denim and attached them to the reinforced tee with basic straight seams. Finally, for the yoke I used a Union Jack print purchased from Spoonflower, with a red piping accent. Striped twill straps and contrasting red lining finish the jacket off, and of course I completed the smock with a buttonhole in the center of the yoke so I can clip her leash to her harness through the smock and take her out and show her off! 

One day in February of 2012, I was at work, around midmorning, probably sipping a coffee as I do at all times. I heard the back door open and in walked one of my co-workers with what appeared to be a susuwatari on a leash. I remember saying "who's this?!" Resistance was futile. And that is how Pepper walked into my life. 

The co-worker had recently moved into a new apartment which was pet-friendly, and had immediately signed up as a foster with Copper's Dream, an organization that travels to far-flung corners of rural California to save dogs from local kill shelters and find adoptive families for them in the Bay Area. Pepper, who was then called "Maybelle" (bleah), was three days away from euthanasia in the Central Valley SPCA in Fresno when Copper's Dream got her. She'd recently had puppies despite only being a year old and was very well house-trained. I couldn't believe nobody had come to the shelter in Fresno to claim or adopt her. 

I hemmed and hawed for two weeks while falling deeper and deeper in love with her every day at work. I finally worked up the nerve to ask my landlady, and the next day I took Maybelle, already re-named Pepper, home with me. Pepper got her name because she is the embodiment of the word 'pep.' She's also black like pepper, and while she was overcoming the kennel cough she'd picked up in Fresno, she'd have occasional sneezing fits. It just made sense. 

A 10 lb. schnoxie is the only black pepper I can handle in my life. I'm not a huge fan (not any type of fan, honestly) of the spice that comes from peppercorns. Any other color of pepper, however, load me up! In addition to my FAVORITE type of Pepper, here are some of the trusty hot sauces I always rely on in my kitchen!

I've been a busy little bee! Sadly most of my spare time these days is not spent crafting so much as slowly and deliberately destroying all my fine motor skills and digits while working on renovating my newly purchased home. It will look fabulous when it's done, but at the moment I'm just spending a lot of time questioning the previous owners' thought processes (what kind of monster uses a 4" nail in a door hinge?).   Naturally, the room that is subject to the most scrutiny and backbreaking work right now is my future sewing studio, which used to be an attic. I have big plans, including a custom hideaway drafting table that folds out over the stairwell banister and can be folded and hooked out of the way against the wall (gotta love having a family of carpenters). I'll be posting all these projects when they're finished, but in the meantime, here's an update of all the unfinished work that haunts my nightmares!

OK, just a few more links from the proud Mama, and that's all you will hear from me on the topic of The Whole Enchihuahua (at least until 2014):

• The San Francisco SPCA The Whole Enchihuahua album on Facebook.
  
• Slideshow and video of the costume contest from media partner Dogtime Media
  
• The beautiful and talented Laura Beck writes it up on Jezebel. You may have left NorCal, Laura, but we will GET. YOU. BACK. With force if necessary. <3
  

I'm happy to say that Pepper and I recently partook in the apparent glut of worldwide dog costume contests at this year's The Whole Enchihuahua event in San Francisco's Mission Dolores Park. Sponsored by the SF SPCA and 7x7 Magazine, the open-air festival highlights the fantastic chihuahua, which is the most over-represented breed of dog in Bay Area animal shelters: more than half the dogs in our shelters are chihuahuas or chihuahua mixes! 

Although the pint-sized pups from south of the border were the attendees of honor at The Whole Enchihuahua, enrollment in the costume contest was open to well-behaved dogs (and one dove in pants) of all breeds. And here's the exciting part: Pepper's NyanCat costume won first runner-up!

This was Pepper's Halloween costume from 2012. I was kind of amazed that even in the hipster petri dish that is Dolores Park, NyanPep only got about a 25% recognition rate. Most of the responses were along the lines of "... now, what is she, again?" or, "is that a Pop-Tart?" But even if you've never seen NyanCat, it's hard to not be endeared by a cute little dog wearing a Pop-Tart and a rainbow. Ultimately, though, I think it was the effort and attention to detail  evident in Pepper's custom, home-crafted outfit that stood out in a sea of store-bought (albeit adorable) costumes. The judges awarded First Prize and Second Runner-up to pooches who also had custom-crafted ensembles. You can always pay for something ready-made, but us creative types know that quality craftsmanship wins every time. 

Pepper is honored to be runner-up to Ace, a handsome long-haired chihuahua who was dressed as... wait for it... an ace! As in a playing card, with a very stylish plumed hat featuring the whole suite of aces. Sharing Ace's court with Pepper was a chihuahua "Beef Taco!" I've never had a taco that's also wearing a sombrero, but I'm also vegan, so maybe it's just something that comes standard with beef tacos? At any rate, I think all tacos, including vegan ones, should come topped with a wee taco-shell sombrero from now on. Just hold the beef and the chihuahua on mine. 

In addition to the Glory of Victory, Pepper also took home three (three!) swag bags filled with goodies and prizes from generous donors. Here's the little princess enjoying her spoils! She even got a cute new shirt from City Dog Share. I belong to City Car Share here in the Bay Area, so I was a little confused- is this an organization where you just "borrow" a dog for a couple of hours like you would a car? 'Cause that sounds messed up! But thankfully it's nothing of that sort- it's a San Francisco-based website where people can trade dog-sitting hours with other dog guardians! Sounds like a fun way to save money, build community, and make some buddies for your hound.

I'm not sure yet how many lucky pups (and birds!) were adopted out at this year's The Whole Enchihuahua, but there were a number of wonderful organizations with adoptable friends enjoying the festivities. Thankfully, the weather was obliging and surprised us with a gloriously warm and sunny un-San Fransiscan day. As you can see, the whole process was exhilirating and tiring for Pepper, who conked out as soon as we got home. 

Enjoy some more pictures from this and previous years' Whole Enchihuahua events below. This year's photos (the crappy ones) are by me, others are as attributed. 

Here are the "official" photos of Pepper's Vida Vegan Con 2013 outfit! 

The smock is made of a quilting-weight cotton calico, with two-tone double piping, recycled eco felt appliques, and cotton sashiko stitching. One side reads "Vida Vegan Con," and the other is the name of this site, Sews Before Bros. The pattern is my own devising, and I am going to give it to you for free.

That's right! This pattern has worked out so well for Pepper and I that I have no logical next step except to share it with the world. Gandhi told us to be the change we want to see in the world, and quite frankly, I want to see more impeccably-dressed dogs out there. 

What's that, you want the pattern now? Well, this is quite embarrassing, but... I'm still honing my Adobe Illustrator skills. Luckily for me, I have a brilliant tutor, and fully expect to meet my self-imposed deadline of May 24, 2013. Which is when Vida Vegan Con starts! How serendipitous. 

To get yourself hyped up in the meantime, here are two Vida Vegan Con badges (one official, one Pepperific) for you to put on your site! If you only use one badge, you should use the official one- it's clearer and has more information, plus it's, well, official. However, if your dog has his or her own blog, or maybe you want to put something VVC-related on one of your site's pages, Pepper would be honored to assist! Please link either badge back to the Vida Vegan Con website at www.VidaVeganCon.com.

Check back on both the blog and in the Apparel section of my Patterns page to get the free basic dog smock pattern, coming this May! Click on any of the photos below for a larger shot and your daily recommended dose of dog.