AHT Outfits - make your own dog clothes

Over the last 10+ years, many people have emailed me asking where to find clothes for their AHTs and other hairless dogs. There are several choices. You can buy them from a pet shop, order from a catalog, shop online, or make them yourself. Simple or fancy! This page is about making your own doggie clothes.

My original "AHT Outfits" page got so large that I separated it into several pages. The other outfit and pattern pages are now located at the Boutique section.

This page includes inexpensive pattern books for sewing, knitting, and crocheting dog clothes; dog clothing patterns; instructions for making hand-sewn dog fleece sweaters and no-sew cut-out body warmers; and lots of links to free online dog clothes patterns (knit, sew, crochet).

* For many more dog clothing patterns (sew, knit, and crochet), visit the Boutique section.

These dog clothes pattern books are inexpensive. Each is less than the price of one nice store bought outfit. Click on the titles for more detailed descriptions.

SEWING PATTERNS for Dog Clothes - on amazon
* For more dog clothes sewing patterns, go to the Sewing Patterns page in the Boutique section. New books have been added there.
	Sew Dog: Easy-Sew Dogwear And Custom Gear For Home and Travel by Jennifer Quasha, Pamela J. Hastings Creative Publishing International, October 2004 25 projects include coats, costumes, beds, travel gear, furniture protectors, safety vest, and treat bag step-by-step instructions, photographs, line drawings, and patterns enlarge patterns by photocopying
	Doggy Fashion by Alison Jenkins Barron's Educational Series, September 2003 directions for making 12 doggy party costumes for small to large dogs many of the outfits can be changed to everyday wear by using different fabrics and leaving the extra accessories out detailed instructions with 250 photos and illustrations enlarge patterns with grid paper
Japanese Dog Clothing Pattern Books - on eBay * Must See!
In addition to amazon, eBay is a great source for dog clothing patterns. I found these wonderful Japanese dog clothing pattern books on eBay. The text is in Japanese, but the clear drawings and full-size patterns make it easy to put the outfits together. You can view many color photos of the books' pages before purchasing. Most precious doggie outfits! Must see! * Read reviews of these Japanese dog clothing pattern books written by visitors to Sweet Lucy's website. Or leave your own review. If you are new to eBay and worried about security, let me just say that PayPal lets you pay for your eBay purchases without sellers ever seeing your credit card or bank account information. PayPal's antifraud technology is a leader in the industry. You can sign up for PayPal when making your eBay purchase payment. Then you can pay by credit card or directly from your bank account. PayPal is free for buyers. Most eBay sellers will be happy to walk you through the purchasing process if you are new to eBay.
	Japanese Pattern Books - seller 1 highly rated seller (100% positive feedback) in Japan ships worldwide usually has about 10-20 different dog clothes pattern books Japanese Pattern Books - seller 2 highly rated (100% positive) seller in Japan ships worldwide usually has about 10-20 pattern books Japanese Pattern Books - all sellers more dog clothes pattern books

KNIT PATTERNS for Dog Clothes - on amazon
* Be sure to visit my Knitting Patterns for Dog Clothes page in the Boutique section as well. Several new dog clothes knit pattern books have been added there!
	PuppyKnits: QuickKnits for Pooches with Panache by Jil Eaton Breckling Press, September 2005 12 fun and upbeat knitwear designs for the stylish dog about town measuring chart for breeds of all sizes, knit-to-fit instructions primer on basic stitches
	Knitting for Dogs: Irresistible Patterns for Your Favorite Pup -- and You! by Kristi Porter Fireside, October 2005 for dogs of all sizes with foolproof instructions on how to properly measure your dog so that the projects come out just right patterns for all skill levels
	Dogs in Knits: 17 Projects for Our Best Friends by Judith L. Swartz Interweave Press, May 2002 17 canine styles for all skill levels patterns fit dogs from under 10 lb to about 75 lb in both knit and crochet with instructions for measuring your dog and sizing patterns correctly color photos of each of the designs with charts and illustrations
	Stylish Knits For Dogs: 30 Projects To Knit In A Weekend by Ilene Hochberg Quarry Books, February 2006 128 pages
	The Gift Knitter: Knitting Chunky for Babies with Four Legs and Two by Tara Jon Manning, Kate Burton Berkley Publishing Group, August 2004 simple patterns a dog coat pattern in different gauges and with different details and trim
	SimpleChic: Designer Knits, SuperQuick! by Jil Eaton Breckling Press, September 2005 projects are quick and full of fun, with bright colors, soft yarns, and design touches 20 patterns including a dog jacket
	Donna Kooler's Encyclopedia of Knitting by Donna Kooler Leisure Arts Inc., February 2004 comprehensive guide, how-to instructions for 150 stitches and stitch patterns, tons of photos and diagrams contemporary projects by today's top knitting designers, includes a dog sweater for any knitter, beginning to experienced
	Knit it! Wear It! 33 Knitting Projects for Men, Women, Children and Even the Family Dog by Jean Leinhauser ASN Publishing, 1998 sweaters, booties, gloves, socks, shawls, dog clothes all patterns are written out, special techniques are illustrated

Sewing dog outfits is fun! Check out the patterns for doggie clothes and accessories at your local fabric store or visit the links below. Use old sweat shirts for test fabric to get the fit just right before using more expensive materials. You can also use an existing, well-fitting outfit as a guide for making a custom-fit pattern for your dog. Just open the seams and trace the pieces.

An easy way to make doggie shirts without a sewing machine is to use polar fleece fabric! A two-legged pattern is ideal for this because it has less seams to sew :o). Besides, many dogs like two-leggers better because they are so easy to put on and take off.

Buy the doggie clothing pattern from the Lucy wearing a handsewn fleece sweater

local fabric store, from the links above, use one of the free patterns below, or trace your doggie's existing outfit on paper. Then just cut the fleece pieces to size. No extra allowance needed for seams if sewing by hand.

Sew the body and sleeve seams by hand with a simple "over-the-edge" stitch. Polar fleece hides small stitches well. There's no need to finish the open edges (sleeves, waist, neck) because polar fleece doesn't ravel. Cutting the fabric with pinking shears ("zig-zag scissors") gives a more decorative edge.

In the picture on the right, Sweet Lucy is wearing a totally hand sewn polar fleece sweater. The collar is just rolled down. No need to sew a separate collar piece. You can also sew the collar down with a few stitches so that it doesn't unroll. Adding a crochet or lace collar would make the outfit even cuter.

To get the fit just right for your dog, you will probably need to experiment a bit with your pattern. Have fun!

If you don't sew or knit, don't give up! Many hairless dog owners just cut off sleeves from sweatshirts or legs from sweatpants to make "body warmers" for their hairless dogs. Use your own old shirts and pants, or buy some from your local second-hand shop. You can use child or adult sizes, depending on the size of your dog.

Just cut the sleeve or leg into the right length (length of your dog's back from collar to tail) and cut two holes for the front legs. The sleeve or pant leg seam will go under the belly.

Then put the outfit on and see how you need to cut the belly part for your dog. You might need to experiment a bit on how to cut the openings for front legs or the belly opening for boys to get the fit just right for you dog. Girls can wear their shirts longer under the belly because they squat outside. Boy dogs will need a deeper cut under their belly to keep the outfit dry when they do their outdoor business.

Using pinking shears gives the edges a more decorative and neater look. Pinking shears are scissors that have zig-zag shaped blades. The cuff of the sleeve or leg will be around the dog's neck, kind of like a turtleneck.

I like to use cotton sweat fabric, or at least 50/50 fabric, not any synthetic material. Great use for sweat pants your kids have outgrown!

For very tiny dogs and little puppies, you can make body warmers from socks. In very cold climates, some AHT owners use cut out socks as snoods (hats covering the head and neck) on their dogs as well.

Here's my 15+ years old rescue Xolo Pepe (30 lbs) modeling a cut-out body warmer made from an adult sweat pant leg. Here's the same body warmer from a slightly different angle.

I also like to buy 80% cotton velour baby pajamas and cut the (back) legs off to make outfits for Lucy. If the design is very wide, you will need to sew one seam along the back to make the design fit your dog's body better. Cotton velour feels so soft and comfortable against Lucy's and MY skin when she snuggles up with me! No unpleasant, itchy acrylic. Cute baby jammies are a bargain at second-hand shops.

If you need to resize dog clothes sewing patterns that are too large or too small, see the Pattern Reviews page for resizing instructions.

Sewing.CircleOfCrafters.com - with tons of pics!
This site includes a photo gallery of over 50 pages showing dog outfits made with these two patterns. Each page has 4-5 different outfits. Great for new ideas!

Dog Dress with Pattern
Designed for a Chihuahua, but can be modified to fit larger breeds.

Dog Snow Suit
A 4-legged winter suit. This pattern is designed to be used with pattern making software, but the page has several drawings, photos, and instructions showing you how to make the suit.

Fleece Dog Sweater - site gone?
For a 40 lb dog, but you can downsize the pattern. With lots of links to sew, knit, and crochet patterns on the web.

Greyhound Manor Crafts
Lots of various patterns for doggie stuff, including hound coat, hooded hound coat, snood, fancy collar, and boots.

Hound Tuxedo
The design is flattering to the build of a greyhound, but can be used for other dogs as well.

Noppa's Sewing Club
Patterns for winter coat, raincoat with legs, quick coat, wool shirt, and cooler. For Dalmatians. With photos to show ideas.

Reflective Dog West
Orange mesh fabric vest with reflective stripes for day and night.

Stafford Dog Coat
A very simple pattern for Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Downsize the pattern for a smaller dog.

Caroline's Dog Sweater
A sleeveless argyle sweater for a smallish dog. Pattern can be altered for size. No photo.

Custom Dog Sweater for Fido
Enter your dog's measurements into this automated online pattern maker and it will make a knit pattern for your dog.

Knitted Dog Sweater
Adorable sweater knitted with Fancy Fur and Microspun yarns Two sizes.

Midnight Knitter
Size to fit a dog with a 16" collar. Length of sweater is 15". Add a few sts at cast to fit a larger dog, remove a few for a smaller dog.

Plain Pullover Sweater For a Small Dog
Fits Cairn Terrier or Miniature Poodle - a dog with a wider body or heavier weight (15-20 lbs). This pattern supposedly has an error somewhere. No photo.

Poodle Jacket
An easy to make polo neck knitted coat 30cm, 35cm, and 40 cm. No photo.

Cabled Dog Sweater
Fits a medium dog, approx. 14.5" around the chest and 11" long.

Crochet n More
Crochet patterns for small pooches. With lots of cute photos for ideas.

Dog Sweater Tutorial
Sample shown a dog with 14" neck. Can be resized to fit any dog.

Yarn Market
Patterns for two crocheted pet sweaters, plus three knitted ones. No photos.

AHT Pillow (photo)
A no-sew doggie bed! Just cut and tie! You can buy a $3 sleeping pillow from a discount store and cover it with a simple to make fleece covering. Just cut the fleece pieces to size with extra for the fringes (ties). This second photo shows how to tie the edges. (Photos courtesy of AHT owner Tracy.)

Pet Cushion Cover
Make a perfect fitting cushion cover, with mitered corners and envelope back opening. Use to cover any square or rectangular cushion.

Simple Pillow Case
You can use human bed pillows as doggie beds and make pillow cases for them to match your home decor.

Slipcovers
Measure and make furniture slip covers (a pdf file). Because slipcovers are washable, they are great for allergic dog owners.