
When I was thinking about my entry for Spoonflower’s Festive Animals design challenge, my mind kept returning to a quick diary sketch I did back in 2020. I had looked out the window and spotted a woman walking a greyhound – nothing unusual, except the dog was wearing a ridiculously long holiday hat that flopped jauntily as it trotted along. It amused me so much that I sketched it right then and there.
I’m not sure I’d still remember that moment if I hadn’t drawn it, but I’m so glad I did because that’s where this whole festive dog fabric design began. Once I had the greyhound down, I couldn’t stop. I started imagining a whole cast of whimsical Christmas dogs getting into mischief with wreaths, sleds, presents, and Christmas lights.
Of course, I had to include my sweet Cloud Dog too. She’s peacefully sleeping with some candy canes. I miss her so much. Including her in the design felt like a small way to bring her into the season with me again. As a Samoyed, she loved winter the most and her sweet sleeping pose reminds me of her later years curled up at my feet as I sketched.

To color the design, I used the same pastel holiday color palette from my Nutcracker fabric designs – peppermint pink, mint green, and pops of holiday red. I scattered snowflakes to create a soft winter background to balance the chaos and cuteness of the dogs.
I sketched all the dogs in Procreate then vectorized them in Affinity Designer. The greyhound in the hat was first but by the end, I had a whole pack of cheerful dogs ready to take over a gift wrap roll or a holiday quilting project.

This design is now available in my Spoonflower shop and I think it would be perfect for:
- Christmas quilts for dog lovers
- Whimsical holiday throw pillows
- Cozy fleece throw blankets
- Reusable eco friendly gift wrap or bags for pet lovers
Whatever you’re dreaming up, I hope these pups bring you some holiday joy too!










