sew what! fleece — can you see me now? dog vest

1865-07_WhoLetFleeceOut.indd 1441865-07_WhoLetFleeceOut.indd 144 6/13/07 1:52:04 PM6/13/07 1:52:04 PM

Stuff You Need

3⁄8 yard of 58"–60" medium-weight fl eece for a small dog or up to 1 yard for a large dog

1–2 yards of ribbon, trim, or refl ective tape (optional)

4" strip of 11⁄4" wide sew-on Velcro

Matching or contrasting polyester thread

What You’ll Do

Make and test a pattern

Cut out the vest

Stitch on Velcro strips

Embellish

Our fi nished size: 10" x 16"

Can You See Me Now?Do you and your four-footed friend enjoy long walks in the great outdoors?

For protection and style, outfi t your dog in blaze orange — the universal safety

color. With this blanket-style doggy vest, the two of you will stand out wherever

you go!

W H O L E T T H E F L E E C E O U T ? 1 4 5


MAKE IT1. Measure your dog. You’ll need two measurements to make the

doggy vest:

• For the fi nished length of the vest (A), measure your dog from the

back of its head to the beginning of its tail. A = ____"

• For the fi nished width of the vest (B), measure the distance from

your dog’s backbone to where you want the fi nished hem to end

(pretty much level with the dog’s belly). B = ____"

2. Make the pattern. To make the pattern, draw directly on the fabric

(folded in half) or on a large sheet of paper, as follows:

• Along the fold, draw a rectangle with the length equal to A and the

depth equal to B.

• To plot the chest strap, extend the length of the rectangle about 6"

(for small dogs) to 12" (for larger dogs), then divide this section into

quarters. Don’t worry about getting this part exactly right. These

fold-over fl aps are designed to adjust to the size of your dog.

• Draw two smooth curves and one half circle in the rectangles as

shown. Also draw a curve at the opposite corner (the back of the

vest).

• Near the center of the bottom edge, draw a belly strap that is 3"

wide by about 6". The position of this second adjustable strap is

purely guesswork, and you won’t know for sure if it’s in the best

place until you test the pattern on your dog.

3. Do a test run (optional). You might want to test the pattern by cut-

ting it from some scrap material before you cut into your fl eece

fabric. Try the test vest on your dog and check the following items.

Make any necessary changes to the pattern.

• Do the length and width fi t well?

• Do the chest straps need to be longer or shorter?

• Are the belly straps a good length and in the right place?

• Does the neck curve need to be adjusted?

STEP 1

A

B

STEP 2

A

B

6"-

12"

place on fold

1 4 6 S E W W H A T ! F L E E C E


4. Cut it out. Fold the fl eece with right sides together and the great-

est stretch running horizontally. Place the vest pattern with the top

(the side that will be on the dog’s back) on the fold. Cut out the vest

as one big piece.

5. Add the Velcro. Put the vest on your

dog. Mark a chalk line on the chest straps

and belly straps where you want the Velcro

strips to be. Take the vest off the dog and

stitch the Velcro in place. (See page 151.)

6. Embellish. Stitch a strip of trim, ribbon,

or refl ective tape down the length of the

vest, add a zigzag stitch around the bor-

ders, or anything else

that strikes your fancy.

D O G G I E-V EST VA R I AT I O N

City BabeIf you’re more likely to walk your dog around town

than in the woods, the doggy vest is easy to adapt

to any style. What a cutie!

W H O L E T T H E F L E E C E O U T ? 1 4 7


sew what! fleece — can you see me now? dog vest

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