Learning to Sew Dogs' Clothes

Create an outfit that matches your dog's personality.

Most cities are home to plenty of boutiques filled with pet clothing. While you may covet the designs offered by retailers, these novelty items are often expensive. Avoid spending money and explore your creativity by making your own dog clothes. Learning how to outfit your dog will provide plenty of bonding time for the two of you and will result in custom-tailored outfits certain to please you both.

Things You'll Need

• Notepad
• Measuring tape
• 1 yard to 3 yards of fabric
• Fabric marker
• Scissors
• Sewing machine

Instructions

1. Go window-shopping. Wander around your town’s shopping center and peruse dog-clothing stores. Take notes on ideas for styles you want to try.

2. Measure your dog’s dimensions and write them down in your notepad. Use a measuring tape to learn the number of inches from your pet’s head to its tail, as well as around its shoulders, ankles, rib cage, neck and hips.

3. Take a measurement of the distance between your dog’s front and back legs. Refer to these measurements each time you sew a new outfit for your dog.

4. Spread your fabric on a flat work surface.

5. Mark your dog’s dimensions using a measuring tape and a fabric marker. For example, to make a dog dress mark a rectangular shape, the length of which matches the measurement of your dog’s body from head to tail. The width should match the circumference of your dog’s neck on one side of the rectangle and its hips on the other.

6. Cut out the rectangular shape. Turn it inside out and use a sewing machine to connect the lengths.

7. Turn this tube right side out. Cut two circular holes in the front of the dress for your dog’s legs to pass through. In the process, refer to your measurements of the size of your dog’s legs, as well as the distance between them.

8. Apply these basic principles of dog clothing construction to any type of outfit you wish to create. Once you have learned the basics and have noted your dog’s measurements, you can create endless possibilities.

Tips & Warnings

• Make an outfit with 1 yard of fabric for a small dog, 2 yards for a medium-size dog and 3 yards for a large dog. If you frequently sew clothing for your pet, take new measurements as your dog grows or loses weight. Remeasure your dog every two weeks if it is a puppy that is still growing and once every six months once it reaches adulthood unless you notice dramatic weight loss or gain.

Resources

• Dogwear: Over 30 Super Easy Sewing Projects: Fashionable, Functional, Fun Gear for Your Four-Legged Friend”; Mette Syrstad Hoydal; 2009