Things You'll Need:
- Polar fleece fabric
- Fashion fabric
- Velcro or buttons
- Paper for pattern tracing
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Step 1
Start with a pattern. You can draw your own pattern, trace a dog sweater you already own, use a pattern available on line or buy a pattern at your local fabric store. Most dog sweaters, particularly if they actually need to provide warmth, cover the dog's back and chest. Fit around the chest and neck are especially important. If you have a dog with a long coat, a simple jacket to provide water protection without chest coverage may be adequate.
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Step 2
Choose your fabrics. Polar fleece is ideal for dog sweaters. It is water resistant to keep the dog dry, affordable, easy to sew and washable. It does pill easily and show significant wear, so you may find that you are happier with a different outer fabric. You could also choose to use wool as an outer with a cotton liner; however, wool is much less washable.
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Step 3
Measure your dog. Compare your measurements to your pattern, and adjust if needed. Be especially careful of the fit around the neck and chest. Also, be careful that the dog sweater is not too long and will not be apt to get dirty. Male dogs may need a slightly shorter chest piece than female dogs for obvious reasons. Sewing dog sweaters for your dog allows you to size them perfectly.
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Step 4
Cut your dog sweater per the pattern instructions. Lining dog sweaters produces a warmer and sturdier garment. To line, simply cut both an outer and a lining and sew these right sides together and turn for a simple flat dog sweater. A more complex one may be easily lined by simply cutting both the liner and outer and pinning or basting the lining pieces to each outer piece. This will not result in finished seams on the inside. Sewing dog sweaters can be quite simple or more complex, depending on the level of detail.
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Step 5
Construct your dog sweater. Dog sweaters typically require fasteners at the neck and chest, depending upon the cut and style. Velcro, buttons or snaps will work. Velcro is the fastest option, but may not be ideal for an active dog. Some sweaters may button at the back of the shoulders instead. If you have chosen to work with just fleece, or with fleece and knit, you may find that fasteners are less of an issue due to the natural stretch of the fabrics.
