How to Make Dog Sweaters and Clothes
There's no reason for Fido to feel cold on his morning walks. Sewing a simple sweater for your dog is easy to do. This project uses an old sweater for fabric, but socks will do the job for a small pooch. No matter if he is 6 pounds or 60, every dog can have his own stunning style.
Things You'll Need
- One old pullover sweater sized to match your dog and cut in half along the side seams
- Needle and thread
- Fabric scissors
- Sewing machine
- Chalk
- Yardstick
- Measuring tape
Instructions
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1
Measure your dog's length by finding the distance between his collar and his tail.
Next, measure the neck. Place one end of the measuring tape on Fido's mid-shoulder. Bring the measuring tape under his head, somewhat loosely, and stop at the opposite mid-shoulder.
The width is taken from halfway between his knee and hip and then up and over his bottom, to the same spot on his opposite leg.
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2
Cut to size. Assume your dog measures 12 inches in length, 8 inches for the neck and 13 inches in width. You will need the fabric length to measure 12 inches plus half the neck measurement (8 inches minus 4 inches), leaving a length of 16 inches total. The fabric, then, needs to measure 16 inches in length by 13 inches in width.
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3
Use the chalk and yardstick to mark a rectangle on one of the larger pieces of fabric measuring 16 inches long by 13 inches wide. Include the bottom finished edge of the sweater in your rectangle as part of the width. Cut the fabric according to your measurements.
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4
With the fabric laying flat, wrong side facing you, fold the top horizontal edge over, towards you, 1/4 inch. Sew this edge in place.
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5
Fold the fabric in half, lengthwise, keeping the fold on your right. The front side of the fabric should be on the inside of the fold with your top sewn seam showing. The finished bottom edge of the sweater fabric should be at the bottom.
Sew a vertical line, about 1 inch, at the top left corner where the raw edges meet. Do not sew along the 1/4-inch seam you just finished. Sew the 1-inch seam forward and back a few times for strength. Turn the sweater inside out.
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6
Cut a fabric triangle for the bottom of your dog sweater. Use your original width measurement and double it. Our virtual dog had a width of 13 inches so the total will be 26 inches.
Measure and mark a horizontal chalk line on the fabric measuring 25 inches long. Mark the exact center of this line with an "X." Mark another "X" 12 inches above, in a vertical line from this spot.
Draw a line between the left end of the horizontal line and the "X," 12 inches above. Repeat this process with the other side of the triangle. Cut out your triangle.
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7
Place your sewn sweater fabric over your dog's head. Mark the points, on each side of this top fabric, where his front legs need armholes. Remove the sweater.
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8
Turn the sewn sweater inside out, again, and lay it flat with the open side facing up. Place the triangle fabric on top with the tip on the small area you previously sewed. Pin. Leave a few inches, depending on the size of your dog, for armholes. Pin the left and right sides of the triangle to the left and right edges of the sweater.
Sew the fabrics together at the tip, skip the armholes and continue sewing each side. Turn inside out.
Finish your project by taking your dog for a long walk.
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