Winter can be a cold time of year, even for dogs. Some dogs don't have the fortune to have thick coats to keep out the cold, and can use a little help. Supplement your canine friend's coat with a dog sweater. You needn't buy one: you can make one out of an old sweater.
Measure your dog and write the measurements down. Measure your dog's neck, the circumference of the chest (measure from the point behind each front leg), from the tail to the collar, from the collar to across the belly to the crotch, from the collar to the front legs and the front leg's circumference. To all but the circumference of the leg and the measurement from the collar to the tail, add 1 inch seam allowance to the measurements. To the rest, add only 1/2 inch for seam allowance.
2
Cut a rectangle with a width that equals the circumference of the neck plus one inch and a length that equals the measurement of the collar to the tail plus 1/2 inch. Incorporate either the banding at the neck or the ribbing at the waist for a finished edge.
3
Subtract the measurement of the chest's circumference from the measurement of the neck's circumference, and add one inch to the total. Cut a triangle from the sweater that is as wide as the difference between the measurements plus the inch and is the same length as the measurement you took from the collar down the underside of the dog.
4
Cut off the finished neck or the bottom rib depending on which you decided to keep in Step 2.
5
Pin the triangle to one edge of the rectangle so that the point lines up with the bottom of the ribbing. Pin the other edge of the triangle to the other edge of the rectangle. Mark the leg opening by placing a pin at the beginning of the measurement for the leg circumference and the beginning of the measurement for the collar and down the belly. Do this on both sides of the triangle. Sew up the sides leaving a gap for the leg openings. Turn the sweater right side out.
6
Take out the pins. Finish the edges of the leg openings by sewing a zig zag stitch, which will prevent the edges from fraying.
7
Pin the ribbing to the right side of the bottom of the sweater, so that when you turn it over, it will give the bottom of the sweater a finished appearance.
