It's so Easy to Match for the Holidays!
When it comes to Holiday Fashion, I try to get the whole family involved. That means even my Furry Family members get holiday swag. Making matching outfits for you and your pet can be quite fun and much easier than sewing for kids. Dogs aren’t picky about colors! Plus sewing for your dog is a great way to use up those scraps left over from sewing something for yourself. Below I’ll show you how I made my doggo and I cute matching outfits perfect for the Holidays.
The Patterns
I’m not gonna lie, this year has been rough, but one of my favorite discoveries was made this year. Sewing matching outfits for my pet and I! The Oversized Tee and the Hoodie Dog Sweater patterns both by Ellie and Mac Patterns are perfect for that. Also, if you are feeling ambitious a simple pants pattern to pair with the oversized tee is Simplicity 1072. For that pattern and the fabric pictured above check out this link here.
All these patterns have helped boost my spirit this year. I have loved making little outfits for my doggo and I to match and believe it or not, he actually likes wearing them. So if you are like me and want to match your floof keep reading for some ideas and tips.
Pick Your Sizes!
Take your measurements and decided what size to make yourself for the tee. Keep in mind it is supposed to be oversized. That's why its so comfy and perfect for matching. Above is the size chart. You may want to size down one size.
Now measure your furry friend to know what size to make. This above guide comes with the pattern and is pretty accurate. My fluffy white dog wears a medium for thicker, less stretchy fabric or a small for thinner, more stretchy fabrics. My short haired husky mix wears a large no matter what fabric I use.
Pick Your Fabric!
For our leopard outfits I chose this knit stretch velvet for the contrasting sleeves(and pants) and a black cotton knit for the body. Both are super soft and comfy and perfect for the any festive occasion.
If you aren't quite sure you want to use your precious fabric on a pet hoodie, maybe you can do what I did and upcycle and old t-shirt for a festive Holiday pet sweater. It even matched two Holiday outfits I already had! Below I offer some tips and tricks on doing that.
Upcycle a T-shirt!
I have had a scrap of this red and white stripe cotton spandex knit for quite some time. It wasn’t quite enough fabric to make myself something and match the stripes. When I sew garments for myself I have to match all the stripes, but when I sew for my pets I don't stress about stripe matching. So it was perfect for my doggo I just needed some green to go with it. Since I wanted something that was the same weight as my stripe fabric I went to the thrift store to look for a green shirt. I found one for .99 cents with some graphics on it. Pets aren't picky so I just simply used the other side of the t-shirt without the graphic.
Here's How it All Upcled Together!
I used the stripe fabric for the body, sleeve hem bands and shirt hem band. Then I used the green shirt for the sleeves, hood, and pocket.
A few of my green pieces ended up having the shirt graphics on them. It was fine though because if I turned them over and used the other side they were hardly noticeable. You can see the graphics here on the inside of the hood and on the inside of the sleeves for one of the hoodies.
The placket/ leash hole
Wearing a pet leash isn't problem with a dog hoodie. It has a leash hole for that. It’s simple and kind of fun to construct as well. The instructions that come with the pattern are great, but here's what it looked like for me.
- Pin placket to the middle of the hoodie back, right sides together. Green line is the middle, red lines are where you sew.
- Once sewn, cut down the middle but not to the end
- Cut to each corner making a triangle
- It should look like this
Then I flip the placket to the wrong side, iron in place and stitch around to secure it. I do a stay stitch across the top so that it stays in place when I attach the hood.
The Pocket's NOT Real!
Unlike hoodies I wear, the dog hoodie pocket goes on the back. However, I don't do a functional pocket. I just put the pocket on as an accent feature.
Because it’s knit fabric that doesn’t fray I don't need to finish or hem the edges. This isn’t the way the pattern has you do it. It’s just how I like to do it.
Coordinating With Previous Outfits!
I have two striped outfits I made that are fun to wear over the Holiday season. The jumpsuit on the left is the Sunday Romper by Love Notions Patterns . The dress on the right is Simplicity 8982. Now my pets have hoodies that coordinate really well with these two outfits.
Aren't they cute!? I love that I can upcyle things to match outfits I already have!
I think we look super cute in our matching outfits. My neighbors have requested little festive outfits for their little puppers too and I am more than happy to make them some. As rough as this year has been I can at least say that I discovered the joy in sewing matching outfits for my pets and I. It really is delightful.
Hopefully you feel inspired to find new ways to enjoy doing the things you love. Even if it's as silly as matching outfits for you and you pet.
Happy Holidays!
Koe
Get Your Oversized Tee Pattern by Clicking here.
The Oversized Tee is a must-have pattern. You can sew and wear it in so many different ways: short or long cropped, a regular, and a tunic length tee. Do you want a hemmed, banded, or corded cropped tee? A pocket and hood? This tee is the perfect blank canvas for our cutting files as well!
These are digital PDF sewing patterns. They are downloadable immediately after purchase. They are not paper patterns that arrive in the mail.
Get your Hoodie Dog Sweater Pattern by Clicking here.
Features:
Hood
Optional back pocket
Can be hemmed or banded
No trim pattern pages
Layers' printing feature is included for this pattern for your convenience.
What's Included:
Pattern pieces for all parts
Projector File with Layers
A0 Print Shop Pattern Pieces Option
Hoodie Dog Sweater Pattern
Fabric Requirements Chart
Size Chart
Tips and Notes
Glossary
Table of contents
Pattern Piece Diagram
Printing Instructions
Supply List
Step-by-step instructions. Each step has a color photo for visual aid.
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VERY cute - although I'm not a seamstress. I would like to add that your littlest guy is an American Eskimo dog - doesn't seem remotely to be a 'husky mix' although wherever you got him from might have told you that? He has EVERY look and trait of American Eskimo's, known commonly as 'Eskies' - and especially with that Eskie smile (which they're notorious for. They come in various sizes - mine are standard while your guy looks like a smaller version. Here's my Luka. Elizabeth