Tunut fish

Finally the day you have all been waiting for, more cute dog pictures!  I’ll teach you how to finish your tiny dog’s flag football outfit – complete with tiny football and flag belt!  In the meantime though, I thought I would amuse you with more child anecdotes.  These are specifically to educate you in toddler speech (if the need to translate should arise).

twonut/Tunut fish (n) – fierce, scary fish that is also incredibly delicious on sandwiches.

oat (n/v) – the noise a pig makes, especially when it is singing for old McDonald.

grown-nut (n) – someone much, much more ancient than a toddler.

My favorite so far is tunut fish, which Julius uses to describe the scary tuna fish in the book Swimmy which our friends Andrew and Emma gave him.  He loves the book and for about a week woke up every morning saying “where’s Swimmy?  I see the tunut fish?”  On the other hand, until fairly recently Julius would only ever say “sheep” when asked what animals were on Old McDonald’s farm, perhaps because “baa” was so easy to say.  He moved on to adding cows, ducks, chickens, roosters and goats into the mix, but never a pig.  In the last couple weeks he has stepped up his game and started adding pigs, but I can tell you these pigs are unique; they sing about what they want to eat.  And what they want to eat is oats.  Grown-nut may be what he thinks the word grownup actually is.  I mean, it makes perfect sense.  He understands that some nuts turn into trees, and nuts are to trees what toddles are to adults.  I think he gets it.

Anyway, now that your education is complete, let’s get down to the nuts and bolts of this operation.  (See what I did there?  Well, what can I say, I tried.)

Pomeranian Flag Football Belt

What you’ll need:

• 15″ 3/4″ ribbon for belt
• 33″ 3/4″ ribbon for flags
• 4.5″ of 1/2″ velcro

1. Fold 1/2″ of each unfinished end of belt ribbon under and press.  Make sure each end is folded opposite from the other.
2. Place 3″ strip of loop velcro to one end of belt ribbon on to top of folded unfinished end.  Place 1″ strip of hook velcro to other end of belt ribbon on to top of folded unfinished end. Stitch all around velcro.  Velcro should attach when belt is placed around the waist, with no twisting.
   

   I do not have a picture of the belt, except this one totally finished.

3. Cut flags from ribbon in 3 9″ strips.
4. Fold top end of each ribbon down 1/2″ then place 1/2″ inch of loop tape on top.  Stitch around velcro.  Repeat for other 2 flag.
5. Cut remaining fabric into 3 2″ pieces for the flag tabs.
6. Fold strip in half. Fold under 1/4″ on each flag tab, then stitch 1/2″ piece of hook tape to the outside.  Stitch around velcro.  Repeat for other 2 tabs.

Pomeranian Football

What you’ll need:

• 1 sq foot (or less) of brown material
• 1 baseball sized piece of stuffing material
• white yarn and a yarn needle
• PDF here

1. Cut out 4 pieces of brown material.
2. Pin two pieces of material (first and second piece) together along one curve.  Stitch.
3. Pin third piece of material to second piece of material along other curve. Stitch.
4. Pin fourth piece of material to third piece of material along other curve. Stitch.
5. Pin fourth piece of material to last unfinished edge on first piece and stitch, leaving a 2″ gap in the center to turn the football right side out.
6. Clip curves, turn inside out and stuff.
7. Invisible stitch opening closed.
8. Hand stitch football stitching pattern with white yarn on seam you invisible stitched close.