Sewing for Your Dog: It’s a Dog’s Life Roundup

It's a Dog's Life

Who loves you unconditionally? Who stares at you with those big brown eyes, hanging on your every word? Who eats whatever you make for them (well, most of the time)? Who is always the happiest to see you and is always game for a cuddle?  You’ve got it…we love our pooches!

Every day they bring so much laughter and joy into our lives.  Indeed, for so many of us, they are our babies, our children, our be-all and end-all! And there’s nothing quite as delightful as seeing them decked out in new gear…sometimes it takes a little getting used to but soon they’re rocking it like Bow Wow.

Sew Many Dogs..

Did you know that there are 78-80 million family dogs in the US alone?  Around 40% of all households in the US have a family dog.  The percentages are about the same in the Canada and Australia and only slightly less in the UK (25%).

So we thought it about time for a serious Sewing for Your Dog: Dog’s Life Roundup, to get you channeling some of those (slightly misdirected) motherly instincts in a constructive manner! Sewing for your dog and reaping the rewards!

Whether you’re the proud mom of a pint sized Chihuahua (small enough to don an upcycled sock-frock or go for a tote-ride to the mall) or a more imposing woofster (in need of a custom collarette or a decent pair of leg-warmers), I’m sure you’ll find a project that’s the right fit.

Time to give back to the ones who love us the most, our precious pooches!

Let’s keep little bodies warm and woofing, ready to face the packs at the park in the best of doggy style! We’ve put together an array of easy dog sewing tutorials, dog clothes patterns and doggy up-cycles to keep you busy over a weekend or just for a couple of hours. A little bit of labour for a lot of love and laughs!

Sewing for Your Dog

You can also check out our mug rug or 21 sewing projects for pets posts for even more ideas on things to sew for your pets. Those of you who prefer your feline friends, don't worry…we've also got plenty cat sewing projects to keep you busy!

This one goes out to all the dogs out there, we love you too! Happy sewing, dog moms!

Pirate costume

Your matey will look shipshape in this piratical costume.

Pleated coat

I had drafted out the Doggy Pleated Wool Coat Pattern (For Small Dogs) a couple of years ago. I made the coat for my first dog, Mikki. I came across the pattern as I was going through my backup files. The patterns are self-explanatory; You can download the patterns & instructions below.

Easy coat

If you have a dog larger than a Frenchie (sacre bleu!), it's easy to improvise: This is essentially just a rectangle and two straps.

Doggy bandana

I almost forgot about the second baby shower gift I made! This is a slip-on collar bandana for Sadie, the big sister-to-be. Yes, Sadie is a dog.

Upcycled doggy T

In the demonstration below I will be repurposing / upcycling a t shirt, but you could also easily use your own material.

Leg warmers

You know you've made a great dog product...when it stays on! Unlike dog shoes, these leg warmers stayed on for hours, no problem. They were also incredibly easy to make. Just see instructions below and your dog can have his own leg warmers within the next hour!!!

Embellished dress

Ok. So it's not really a sweater dress. It's just so fun and fancy with the ruffles and flower that it feels more like a dress than a sweater so that's what I'm going with.

Spiderdog outfit

The spider's bulbous body and angular legs are made of felt; once assembled, the costume is sewn onto a doggy-size T-shirt.

Leash tutorial

Taking my dog for a walk is one of my favorite things to do. They love the outdoors and exploring everywhere. A leash is a must have for any pet owner– and even pets need a little bit of something extra special sometimes.

Kerry tent

The finished tent is 11 1/2” x 11 1/2”, perfect for stuffed animals and other little friends.

Starwars doggiecostumes

To start with, I planned each of the dog costumes using photos of the movie characters for inspiration. I then simplified them to their most striking asset and narrowed down what I would make for each.

Dog hoodie

This week, previous guest artist Anna Douglas, the artist extraordinaire responsible for Dodzilla, and former blog-dog Norton are going to show us how to make a seriously sweet little doggie hoodie for your favorite furry friend!

Legally adorable dog tote

Tote your little dog around in style with this Legally Adorable Doggy Tote from Erika Lindquist. Similar to the bag made famous in the movie, Legally Blonde, this fun and funky dog craft is a great way to travel with your BFF.

Harness vest

This is a simple pattern to make a vest for dogs that also has the function of harness.

Dogpants

At last, here are the dog-pants patterns!

DIY ccllarettes

I discovered this idea for dog collars while refashioning a shirt for myself, and even though it didn’t fit me at all, it is almost impossible for me to throw anything away.

Doggy dress

I wanted to experiment with a dress for my female Shih Tzu. I went to my local thrift store and bought this little infants dress in size 12 months, for only $1.75. My female weighs about 7 lbs so I did need to cut off some excess material.

Poochtie

I wanted to make a tie for my daughters dog for Valentines Day. Then I saw a tie from the dollar store and I was just going to tie it on him, but it did not look right, so I got out some scissors and thread and did some changes.

Dog tux

Last week I made him A little formal vest with a tie shape! and I wanted to share how I made his last little jacket in case someone else wants to try it. This is how it looks:

Sock sweater

This will work best if you have a small dog. I’m not sure where someone can find really big socks to make a sweater for a larger size dog. Perhaps you can use a holiday stocking, but then your dog may be embarrassed to wear a sweater with a big snowman or Santa Claus on it.

Round dog bed

Crafter Amy Brock demonstrates how to sew a soft, round dog bed with fleece and your choice of material. These measurements make a small dog bed.

Kimono harness

My Pomeranian/poodle mix Coco loves to go for a walk. Even though she is only 10lbs, she pulls when on a leash. I purchased a small nylon webbing style harness and it helped. But it wasn’t cute. So I took a look at the way it was engineered and duplicated the idea with soft, cuddly fabric. You simply slip your dog’s front paws through the loops and wrap it across his/her back. Velcro will keep it snug. Set aside an hour and make your best friend one soon.

Dog bed tent

Show your furry kid how special she is with a cozy bed/tent combo. This simple pattern can be scaled to the size of your pooch. As a bonus, design it to fit your décor. Home sweet home. Woof!

Pyjamas Adjustable size

Fantastic adjustable PJ's pattern.

Repurposed Men's Sweater

Just follow these easy steps and learn how to re-purpose a Large men's sweater into a Large doggie sweater.

Big Dog Raincoat

Here is her new Rain Coat. I am very happy with how it turned out and Jewel is too.
Now she is ready for the rainy days.