Pets give unconditional love. Conditional love says, "You didn't match your plaids." Unconditional love says, "It's perfect!" Think about it - pointers do not point out your mistakes, setters don't set impossible standards, boxers don't know box pleats from a hole in the ground, and (gotta love 'em) cats are little snots anyway. Looks don't matter and they say animals are mostly color blind. So, ignore fussy details in favor of actual production.

Thread: Don't skimp on thread. Don't use cone thread in a regular machine. It won't last. Since color doesn't matter to the shelter pets, use up leftovers.

Fabrics: For any item, be sure new material has been machine-washed and machine dried on heaviest cycles at least three times. This assures that the fabric has shrunk most of what it is going to shrink and will not distort when washed at the facility.

See the patterns for ideas on garments used mostly 'as is.' T-shirts seem to breed in some households. Thrift shops in southeastern Michigan normally sell cotton t-shirts for a dollar each. They are often less during weekly specials.

Next look for items that contain large blocks of useable fabric. Scarlett O'Hara is famous for her drapes but you might want to start by cutting the corners and elastic from fitted sheets. Sheets are mostly worn in the middle, there's often useable fabric at the outside edges. Fold the sheet so the worn parts form the comfort material and keep the fresher fabric on the surface.

Fabrics from garments that were torn through use, not wear, make the most sophisticated of the Snuggles. In this way, shelter pets will luxuriate on the Lanz of Salsberg flannel that caught in my porch door lock. Roughly darn the ripped material together and enclose within the Snuggle. Sew or quilt the layers at both edges of the rip or tear.

Stains in clean material are fine. A rule of thumb: If you've washed it twice and the mark is still there, it's a stain, not soil. Use only safe methods to 'dude up' a stained piece. Over dying a stain rarely makes it less visible as the stain particles resist the dye. Adding fabric paint petals and stems to a splotch isn't necessary. To a shelter pet, your work is a masterpiece.

Safety: If you pin baste, please count your pins carefully before and after to make sure none stay in the Snuggle. Consider using tape for basting. Plain old invisible tape can be sewn right through and peeled off later.

Consider any trims and applied designs that might not be pet safe. I don't usually chew my clothes when I'm bored or scared, but many animals do.

Actual construction isn't key as the creator or someone else can power zigzag over anything iffy and seam seal (Fray Check) what's left.

Non-ferals gone wild: This is a great chance to practice and make (or hide) mistakes.

Non-sewers, the love you put into this piece is what is important. If you fear that the 'thing' will fall apart, let a skilled sewer check it before you deliver it to the shelter.

Beginners, learn how your machine works and what the tension adjustments really do. Change stitch lengths and see what happens. Try every single 'how to sew straight' tip on the Internet. All of us started somewhere and made outrageous mistakes along the way. Whatever it was supposed to be, if it's a rag now, pick yourself up and move on. Almost anything you made from cotton cloth can be re-created into a useable Snuggle.

At the intermediate level, go ahead and try out the fancy stitches that came with your machine. Turn wobbly pin tucks and way off pleats to the inside and your secrets are safe. Are you a quilter with beginner's pieces you'd rather not display at this point OR EVER? Divide and donate! Bind twenty Quasi-Qwillows and watch your mitered corner skills improve.

For advanced sewers and quilters, test out that new machine or serger technique. Use up half full bobbins. Pre-shrink and convert that guilty stash of someday fabrics into a proud pile of Snuggles. You will sleep better and so will shelter pets!