How to Make Felted Dog Sweaters
Even dogs need extra warmth during the cold winter months. This is especially true for small and short-haired dogs, as they are prone to getting cold during winter outings. Treat your pooch to a handmade felted wool sweater; he'll stay warm during long winter walks and he'll look adorable. If you use old wool sweaters that you've machine-felted, you can create a functional and fashionable dog sweater in a short amount of time. The materials will cost you next-to-nothing, and you'll keep your dog from shivering through the winter.
Instructions
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1
Measure your dog to determine the finished sweater's size. You need the following measurements to create a sweater that fits your dog perfectly: The circumference of the chest directly behind the front legs, the circumference of the neck, the length of the back from collar to tail, the length of the belly from collar to right before the rear legs, the length from the collar to the top of the front leg and the circumference of the front leg.
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2
Cut out the body of the dog sweater from the felted sweater's front. This piece will be a rectangle with a width equal to the neck circumference plus 1 inch and a length equal to the length from collar to tail plus 1 inch.
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3
Cut out a triangle whose width equals the difference between the neck circumference and the chest circumference plus 1 inch and whose length equals the length of the underside from collar to hind legs plus 1 inch.
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4
Pin the pieces together, matching the triangle's long edges to the rectangle's long edges. Make sure the front sides of the felted fabric face one another.
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5
Mark the leg opening by placing pins at either end. The distance between the top of the triangle and the first pin should measure the length from the collar to the top of the front leg and the distance between the first and second pin should measure half the front leg circumference.
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6
Sew a zigzag stitch seam (see Resource) along the pinned edges, leaving a 1/2-inch seam allowance. Stop when you reach a pin the marks the top or bottom of the leg opening, stitch backwards to secure your seam, and resume sewing at the next leg opening marker.
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7
Turn the finished felted dog sweater right side out.
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Tips & Warnings
Felt wool sweaters in a top-loading washing machine. Place the sweater to be felted in a pillowcase, add a few pair of jeans (to promote agitation) and a small amount of laundry soap, and set the machine to wash with hot water. Check periodically to see how the sweaters are felting, and wash a second time if necessary.
If you want to create an extra-special felted dog sweater, cut the dog sweater pieces from a solid-colored felted sweater, sew as directed and embellish with needle-felted decorations ( see Resource).
