Blow, blow, thou winter wind, Thou art not so unkind
As man’s ingratitude ...
Although thy breath be rude.
Remember these lines from Shakespeare? He too had feared the chills, didn’t he? But what he actually dreaded more is man’s ingratitude. Dogs are man’s best friends. But men are not always the same. But you are not like them – you are not an unthankful friend to your pal. So let’s prove it and learn how to make dog jackets.
Related post:
Top 6 Best Car Seats for Small Dogs
How to make dog shoes for summer?
Best Brushes for Short Hair Dogs
Do Dogs Need Jackets?
Winter blows are difficult to fight with. You may expect your furry friends to handle this battle well by themselves. But their furs may not be enough to protect them from this hostile opponent. So,
Do you wanna be what Shakespeare feared more – an ungrateful friend to him?
Do you ever expect friends to leave you unarmed against such calamities?
You too shouldn’t do such a thing to your canine friend.
Then what you must do is to make him an armour to be protected in his fight. What should be the armour to protect him from the harsh bites of winter? Certainly, a cozy jacket.
Besides, Aren’t your pets included in your holiday celebrations? Obviously they do! Animals many times outnumber humans on social occasions. We try our best to have the best look while going to such parties. Shouldn’t your canine company look the same? Perhaps, your pet’s glamour adds to your credit too.
Best Gift for Your Dog : A Cosy Jacket
Each year, you may buy your pet several gifts. But the one big special present is usually planned to be on Christmas. Let the Christmas special present to your dog this year be a wonderful homemade dog jacket.
Making this cozy dog jacket is a super easy sewing work that requires a very beginner level of expertise. This job can be done in less than one hour. Let’s start the work and make the ludicrous gift for your furry pal!
How to Make Dog Clothes Step by Step
As a beginner, it is easy to feel intimidated by the activity. You might have a ton of questions, and you may have no clue where to begin, with no one to point you in the right direction. Well, look no further. This article is determined for the cause – intended both to quench your thirst for knowledge on how to make dog jackets and show you an easy way throughout the process.
Mainly a dog jacket is a piece which has flat fabric and needs an edge finishing. It also must be stable when put on the dog, and easy to put on/off.
The main fabric can be made from a recycled jacket. You can check out the supply of jackets in thrift shops and yard sales. There is a plan B and that is, you can make it with a good piece of warm cloth in your closet that’s outgrown, or showing its wear.
To begin our work, let’s assemble all the raw materials necessary and hopefully you will find them all quickly.
Necessary Materials to Make Dog Jackets
- A Pattern of the dog’s body collected on a paper.
- A Pattern paper
(you can buy tracing papers, but any large, blank paper will do – old wrapping papers, newsprint, kraft paper, newspaper etc.)
- Recycled jacket or quilted jacket
- Sewing scissors
- Measuring tape
- Pins
- Threads
- Sewing machine (you can sew this by hand, too)
- Sewing needle
- Heavy-duty velcro
- Iron and ironing board
- Disappearing ink pen
Note: Nylon jacket with a fleece lining is the easiest jacket to work with. You can sew a simple hem on the sewing machine to finish.
A usual M size jacket fabric would suffice for most dogs. If you have a tiny dog, you will have quite a bit left over, and if you have a heavy hound, you will need to get more. It is always better to err on the side of having too much fabric than not enough as per my philosophy.
Now follow these following steps. For best results, be sure to give a reading to all the instructions before you begin.
Directions
1. Select the pattern
If you want to make an existing dog jacket that fits the dog nicely, then trace it with newspaper, pattern paper, wrapping paper, or any other large sheet of paper.
Never forget to add a 1/2″ allowance seam all around the jacket before cutting it. Once you’ve done, drop it on your dog to check the size.
2. Make the pattern
It sounds complicated that we are going to make a pattern. But this is not that tiresome. This is the popular best way to make sure that the jacket fits your dog comfortably.
Measurements are the first need. Take the measuring tape, and measure the spots on your dog. It is recommended to be generous with your measuring. Never make a tight measurement. It is nice to have a little bit of space to adjust because dogs fluctuate in weight just like humans do. Write all those measurements down in the spaces provided.
Now put out the measurements you just took, on the pattern paper, wrapping paper, newsprint, or any other large sheet of paper. This shape will look very boxy.
Then, take any of the sharp corners or edges and round them to make a smooth curve. Cut the pattern out, then lebel with green pattern markings from the printable, as well as what it is and who it was sized for.
3. Put it for cutting
Put the pattern on top of the piece and make sure its placement. In this step you have to decide where to incorporate a dream, the zipper, or a pocket in the design of the dog jacket. Disassemble the jacket as needed so that it lays flat. It may be needed to cut open the side seams and cut off the sleeves. Then you have to pin the dog jacket pattern onto the recycled jacket, smoothing both as you go.
4. Cut out the jacket
You may be able to cut the jacket in one piece by depending on the size of your pattern and recycled jacket. You may need to cut the underbelly straps separately if the pattern is unfortunately too big or the jacket too small. If this really happens, there is no other way except to sew them onto the main body at this point. With the right sides of the fabric together, remember to sew the straps to the outer shell in one step, then the lining tabs in a second step.
5. Finish the edges
The outer edges can be done in two particular ways.
Way 1: Sew a hem. This way is especially easy if you have chosen to make the jacket from a ripstop nylon jacket with a fleece lining. Because of the clean-cut edges of these fabrics. Turn under the jacket edge to one side, pinning as you go, and sew it by machine.
Way 2: Bias binding is necessary for finishing the edges. In this more advanced method, a long strip of fabric is sewn on the jacket’s edge to encase it, much like the bound edges of an area rug. After that cut the strips from the leftover jacket fabric or purchase a package of bias binding or ribbon trim from the craft store. Sew one edge of the strip to the raw edge of the with a 1/4″ seam using a sewing machine. Then fold the strip up and over to encase the raw edge, pin, and sew.
6. Sew on the velcro
Sew the looped pieces of velcro to the neck by using a sewing machine and underbelly straps of the jacket. To determine the best placement for the hooked pieces of velcro, try the jacket on the dog. Mark each spot with a pencil and pin when you have got a snug fit and then sew the hooked velcro pieces by machine. After this put the jacket on, admire the dog and your handiwork and take them both out for a prance around the block.
7. Add Hook-and-Loop Fastener
To place the first batch of hook-and-loop fastener on the chest strap, pin with the rough side of a 2” piece to the outside fabric in the middle of one of the sides of the chest strap. If you are sewing this for a medium or large size dog—or if you just have a particularly rambunctious dog —It is recommended that you use two strips of hook-and-loop fastener on each strap. Pin the soft side of the fastener to the middle of the lining side of the other chest strap. Repeat with the belly band straps. Sew hook and loop fastener pieces down using coordinating thread.
If you do not need to add a hole for a harness loop, you are all done! Put it on your puppy and go for a walk. If you do need a harness hole, move onto step five.
8. Make a hole for harness loop (Optional)
Transfer the harness loop marking to your dog coat using the measurement you took, and then using the buttonhole setting on your sewing machine, create a buttonhole large enough to fit your leash through.
9. Make it extra special
Your dog coat is all finished and ready for your precious pup to head out for a walk. Keep it as-is, or customize it with one of the options below.
- Sew on reflective strips so your dog is visible while walking at night or on rainy days.
- Embroider your dog’s name on the back of the coat.
- Sew a little pocket on the coat and store your contact information inside.
- Stitch a cute tag into the seam for a fun detail.
10. Letter applique (Optional)
This is also an optional option. A jacket can be a great means of communication. If you write down something on the jacket and spread it on social media, it will be great social work. So let’s make the jacket messenger and make the world awarded.
To personalize your dog jacket, choose a no-sew iron-on adhesive to cut out the letters or image, and then follow the package directions to bond it to the jacket. Then it will be ready. And it can be said that dog is sometimes perceived as a vicious breed, so a little friendly street communication works wonders.
And that is it! Look how cozy and cute she looks in her brand new custom dog coat. It is going to be a happy Christmas for this puppy. Happy holidays!
Last Words
You may have seen medieval knights with heavy jewelry on their armours and weapons. Would they use jewels in fights? Absolutely not.
So, get ready to prepare your pup’s Christmas surprise. He will like it too.
Related post:
How long can a dog live with arthritis?
Leave a Reply