How to Sew a Dog Coat

Is there anything cuter than a dog dressed for the occasion? Learn how to sew a coat for your dog with our step-by-step tutorial and free pattern! Skill Level: Beginner

See What Size Coat is Right for Your Pup

See the size chart to see what size coat to make your pet. Since you are using stretchy fabric, sizing is based on the weight of the dog vs. pup measurements.

• 1-10 lbs: Extra Small Dog Coat PDF Printable Pattern • 10-20 lbs: Small Dog Coat PDF Printable Pattern • 20-40 lbs: Medium Dog Coat PDF Printable Pattern • 40-70 lbs: Large Dog Coat PDF Printable Pattern • 70-100 lbs: Extra Large Dog Coat PDF Printable Pattern

Dog Coat Supplies

• Free printable pattern (in the correct size for your dog)
• Polartec® Fleece—Stacie is using Moss-Scape-Emerald Green Plaid for the bodice and outer hood)
• Sport Piqué—Stacie is using Conifer Holiday for the hood lining
• Coordinating thread
• Fabric scissors or rotary cutter
• Pins or sewing clips
• Sewing machine or serger
• Marker or fabric chalk

Want to Skip the Hood or the Hood Lining?

If you’re looking for how to make a dog coat without a hood, just follow the instructions for the bodice pieces of this tutorial and you’ll have a cute hood-less coat! If you’d like to sew a hood but would rather skip the lining, that works too.

Steps to Sew a Dog Coat

Step 1. Print Your Pattern and Cut Out Your Pieces

Print your free Rudy Adventures Pattern, making sure it’s scaled at 100%. Cut out the eight pieces of the pattern, which you’ll be using as paper templates to create the dog coat. Given that Polartec® Fleece doesn’t fray, please note that the arm and body openings will have raw edges vs. finished ones.

Step 2. Trace Your Pattern Pieces onto Fabric and Cut Them Out

Once you’ve cut out your hoodie and bodice paper pattern pieces, lay them on top of your fabric. You should have eight paper pattern pieces, two of which will be placed on the fabric’s fold as noted below: 2 Bodice Pieces: • 1 front bodice piece (cut this pattern piece with the fabric folded in half) • 1 back bodice piece (cut this pattern piece with the fabric folded in half) 6 Hood Pieces (3 outer hoodie pieces, 3 lining pieces): • Outer Hoodie – Using Polartec® Fleece • 2 main side pieces (one for each side of the hood) • 1 main center piece (for the center section of the hood) Hoodie Lining – Using Sport Piqué • 2 lining side pieces (one for each side of the hood) • 1 lining center piece (for the center section of the hood) Using your fabric chalk or marker, trace your pattern pieces onto your fabric. Before cutting both front and back fabric pieces, mark the center of the neckline on both pieces. Once you’ve traced your paper templates onto your fabric, cut your pattern pieces out of your fabric. Now let’s start sewing!

Step 3. Sew the Bodice Shoulders Together

Pin or clip the front and back bodice pieces together with the right sides facing inward. Using a 3/8” (1 cm) seam allowance, sew the front and back bodice pieces together at the shoulders. If you’re using a sewing machine, start and finish with a zigzag stitch, as with all sewn parts of this project. If you’re using a serger, check out this post with ways to finish your serger chain.

Step 4. Sew the Bodice Sides Together

Next, sew the sides of the bodice. With the right sides facing inward, clip the side bodice sides together and sew the side seams. Start and finish with a backstitch, then turn the fabric pieces right side out. Set that aside, and let’s start working on the hood.

Step 5. Sew Your Hood Pieces Together

Organize your 6 hood pieces. To keep things neat, place your 2 main side hood pieces (one for each side) and 1 main center hood piece (for the center section) together in one small stack. Then do the same thing for your 2 lining side pieces and 1 lining center piece. Next, you’ll be sewing the edges of the hood’s center pieces to each hood side piece individually. First sewing one long edge of the hood center piece to one hood side piece, then the other. Starting at the top, clip the hood center piece to the top of one hood side piece. Clip these pieces together all the way down the curve of the bottom of the hood. Be sure to line up your center notches. Sew in place and repeat this step for the other side of the hood.

After both hood side pieces have been sewn to the hood’s center piece, sew the short front bottom of the hoodie (where the dog’s neck would be) into place and sew. Repeat all of Step 5 above for the hood lining.

Step 6. Create the Hood

Now comes the fun part—starting to see it all come together! Prepare both hood sections to be sewn together by laying your main hood wrong side out, and your lining hood right side out. Placing them with the right sides together looks like the images below:

Step 7. Sew the Hood to the Bodice

The final step is to sew the hood to the bodice. Turn your hood so that the lining is facing outward and your main fabric is on the inside. With the hood upside down and the face opening up, pull the coat bodice up through the face opening and into the open bottom of the hood. (See the image below.) Your goal here is to align the bottom raw edges of the hood with the bodice neckline.

Step 8. Dress Your Pup For Winter!

To put the coat on your dog, slide it on first over the head, then through each paw individually. To remove the coat, take out each paw one at a time, then slide it off your pup’s head. Enjoy!