How to Sew a Fleece Dog Hoodie

Measure Fido and write down his measurements. Measure from the back of his neck to midway down the length of his spine, from the underside of his neck to the thickest part of his chest, the circumference of his neck, the circumference around his front leg, and from the spine to the center of his breastbone. Use these measurements to create the body of hoodie. Measure from the back of Fido's neck to the top of his head, from the top of his head to his nose and from the top of his head to the center of his collarbone. Add 1/2-inch to each measurement to provide a seam allowance, space to hem and to make sure the garment does not fit too tightly.

Create a pattern from the measurements you took. Make one pattern piece for the body and one for the hood. Think of the pattern as a side view of your dog. Draw the pattern pieces out on paper. Mark the side of the pattern that will lie along the dog's back and the top of his head. Double check the fit by holding the pattern up to your dog and making any adjustments before you cut out your fabric.

Fold the fabric in half. To cut out the body of the garment, place the edge of your pattern that you marked as laying along the dog's back on the fabric fold. Pin the pattern in place and cut out. Keep Fido nearby to determine the placement of the leg holes. Place the hoodie pattern piece on the folded fabric with the top of the head edge along the fold. Pin the hoodie pattern in place and cut out.

Fold the hoodie fabric with right sides together and sew a seam along the back if the head. With the right sides together, pin the hood to the body along the neck. To make sure the hoodie is centered on the body, place your first pin where the center back of the hoodie meets the center back of the body. Fold the body of garment with right sides together and sew along the chest edge from the neck to the waist.

Finish up the fleece hoodie by trying it on Fido. Make sure the body of the garment does not hang down so low that your pet catches his feet in the fabric and trips, or that the leg holes and neck are too tight. If needed, make a deeper seam allowance or added an elastic waistband to take up sagging fabric. Once you are comfortable with the fit, hem the hoodie if you want. Polar fleece does not ravel, so hemming is a matter of aesthetic rather than necessity.