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Keeping Texas?Pooches Trendy Mr. Bowtie Boutique offers custom dog apparel to North Texans -------------------------------------BY: TIFFANY DITTO Staff Writer -------------------------------------Wendy Stark considers herself a ?crazy dog lover ? and she m ay not be wrong. By day she works as a veterinary technician, and in whatever tim e off she has, she operates her
own
online boutique pet clothier: M r. Bowtie Boutique. Stark m akes custom bandanas and boutique dog collars with flowers and bow ties? em bedding her love of dogs into each stitch. ?I?ve always been crafty, from a young age I rem em ber doing projects with m y m om and sister,? Stark says. ?As I have gotten older and have adopted m any anim als (that need to be dapper) I have com bined m y passion for dogs, sewing and
fabric into
this fun
business. I get so excited when I com e up with a new design or find a fabric that inspires m e.? Stark begins her process at the craft store, searching for fabrics that spark inspiration. She?s known as a regular at her local M cKinney JoAnn?s Fabric store, so m uch so that the em ployees greet her by nam e. After selecting her fabrics, she begins crafting m ultiple collars at
from a client who sim ply asked for a Texas Flag bow tie, m y first attem pt was cute, but the final bow tie is now m y favorite piece,? she says. ?M ost of all, I have m y wonderful fur babies who not only energize m e creatively, they are also m y test subjects. I never sell anything that has not been worn and abused by m y crew.? Stark and her husband are the pet
once? cutting out all of the shapes in the various patterns she plans to
parents to 9 sweet pups and one cat
sew, and then sews them all at once. On average each collar takes her
she refers to as a ?cat-dog.? She prim arily sells her creations online in
about an hour to create, but she can
her Etsy shop, or at local festivals and craft shows. If you?re lucky you
som etim es spend several hours on custom pieces. ?M y m ost recent item was a request 12 | TEXASDOGMAGAZINE.COM
will see a m em ber of her pack at one of these booths? of course looking like a stud and sporting one of her
fam ous bowties. Collars can be bought
with or
without an accessory, and currently retail for $16-$28. Personalized reversible bandanas can be bought from the boutique for $18-$22. That ?s not all Stark dabbles in though. For the fellow crazy dog parents, she also m akes custom shirts. ?If you are asking about custom shirts for dogs, I have not m ade shirts,? she said. ?I have m ade custom jackets/ coats, but I never was 100% happy with m y design. I do m ake shirts for people and absolutely love when I get a special order
for
a shirt.
Working with
