Northwind Designs History

I have been a seamstress since I was in junior high school, making many of my own clothes to get a better fit. Skirts, lined welt pocket blazers, blouses, dresses, bedspreads, quilts and draperies have all been projects completed. My interest in sewing crossed over into all the whippet gear I saw.

During the years of participating in the various whippet activities of lure coursing, conformation showing and obedience I began to make my own equipment. Lure coursing slip leads, lure coursing blankets, martingale leads and martingale collars all followed traditional designs, embellished by wonderful trims. I began making them just for myself, but then found that others were interested and willing to purchase a well made collar or lead. It was a natural progression to expand the numbers of collars and leads and I began to bring them to the various events for sale. In 2015 I added a line of coats – not just the traditional fleece jackets, but also beautiful, durable fabrics such as Minky, Velboa and pleather (a wind and waterproof washable leather). Eventually I progressed to booth spaces at all breed shows and the American Whippet Club National Specialty. This is the booth setup at the AWC 2018 Specialty.

booth space 2018 National

Northwind Designs has been a hobby business since 1985. Although the business has grown over the years, I still handle each collar and coat personally. I am a meticulous seamstress – I use the same techniques on dog coats and collars that I use to make professional quality garments for human wear. I pay particular attention to details; stitching strength and quality, thread is carefully chosen to match the trim and webbing color. All my products use first quality hardware and fabric and I am perpetually searching far and wide for ribbons and trims that are interesting and of the finest material. I strive to produce an excellent product and customer satisfaction is paramount to me.

Wholesale pricing is available. I work with a number of pet stores, greyhound rescue groups and have provided product to many all-breed and sighthound groups. I have done trophies for English Cockers, Boxers, Salukis, and of course, Whippets. If you’re interested, please e-mail for details.

I hope you enjoy viewing the product and information on Northwind Whippets.  Thanks for visiting and I hope you will recommend us to your friends.