Keep your Pup Warm with our Free Dog Coat Pattern!

Hello! Amy and Nisan here. We are so excited to share our latest free pattern with you, especially since it's designed for our furry best friends! The #ClosetCoreDogCoat is a free PDF dog coat pattern available in multiple sizes. We wanted to create a fun project that will result in a cozy n' warm best friend and hopefully use up some of those awkward scraps you have lying around. We decided it was high time to give our beloved canine studio companions some matching coats with their owners and -as expected- they look completely adorable. We also decided to include an alternative construction method you can use if you don’t have any bias tape at home or if you want to simplify the process.

Collectively, we've tried a lot of different dog coats (Montreal winters are slushy, snowy nightmares), and this one is our favourite style. The top portion is darted around the tush to create a curved shape around the hip (yes, dogs need darts too!) while the harness wraps under and velcros on top to help keep their chests dry while leaving the nether regions free and clear.  I have to be honest: I was dragging my feet on starting this but I don't think I've had this much fun sewing in a long time. Tiny little pieces of quilting, lots of pretty bias binding, and cute fabric choices make this little project just the thing to tackle when you have a few hours to sew. Best of all, it's yet another project for tackling those mounting scraps. It's also a huge money saver since we all know how spendy nice dog clothes are. If you don't have a pup yourself, I'm sure you know someone who would be VERY excited to get this as a holiday present!

The pattern is drafted to fit dogs with a back length of 8-28", and it's easy to adjust if your dog is longer, shorter, or wider. To download the pattern, you'll have to sign up for our (awesome) newsletter. We'll send you the password to our Resource Library when you get this and ALL our free patterns and resources! You can sign up below. And scroll down for a full video sewalong on Youtube!

Download Free Pattern

Dog Coat Fabric Options

There are lots of fabric options for this coat; we'll walk you through the versions we made to give you some ideas.

• For Jeanie, Amy made one in some leftover canvas with a cozy lining she cut from a polyester throw blanket she scored at the dollar store, as well as a raincoat version in a waterproof Gore-Tex leftover from this anorak, lined with a crispy tartan twill we had in the scrap box.
• For Harry, Heather made a wool version with a precious scrap of Pendleton wool leftover from Heather's coat she made a few years ago, lined with some sherpa from this jean jacket 
• Also for Harry, Nisan made a lighter weight coat using this beautiful cream and white jacquard and matching bias tape.
• For Paul, Nisan made a topstitched denim version lined with wool blend coating for extra coziness. We decided to make this version using an alternative construction method that doesn’t include binding the edges, and we’ll share details about how to do it below.
• And finally, for Gill, Nisan made a quilted canvas version using a midweight red cotton canvas for the outer fabric, a silky poplin for the lining, and recycled silk interlining for added warmth.

As you can see, this pattern works with a wide variety of fabrics; what you need to figure out is if you're going for water-resistant, warmth, or a combo of the two. You can beef up the warmth with your lining fabric (sherpa and fleece are lovely!) or use a regular woven fabric for the lining and use a quilt batting as the middle layer, which will give you the opportunity to do some quilting. Choose your own puppy adventure!

Supplies You'll Need:

• The PDF pattern printed out in your pup's size (get it above)
• 1/2 yard to 1 yard of outer fabric. We recommend canvas, twill, denim, nylon, jacquard, Gore-Tex or wool
• 1/2 yard-1 yard of lining fabric: Sherpa, fleece, flannel or quilting cotton
• Optional: quilt batting, or wool or silk interlining for between the outer and lining fabrics
• 1 yard of 1" hook and loop velcro tape without adhesive
• 2-4 yards of 1/2" (13 mm) wide bias tape, handmade or store-bought (see our tutorial on making bias tape here)
• 2-4 yards of 3/8" (10 mm) wide bias tape
  • If you only want to use a single width of bias tape, we recommend using the narrower width to make binding the tight curves of the harness easier.
• Thread
• Wonder clips

Finding the Right Size for Your Dog

Our free dog coat pattern includes 11 sizes. To find the size for your pup, measure from the base of the neck along the spine to the base of the tail, and then choose a size using the chart below. We've also provided neck and chest girth for reference. Our sizing is approximate - while the length may be good, depending on the size of your dog's chest, you may need to adjust the width through the body. We suggest making a quick muslin to check sizing before sewing up a jacket that may not fit. You can then check the length, width, and ensure the straps are long enough to wrap around your pooch's body and still overlap enough in order to close properly. If you need to make any adjustments, we've indicated on the pattern where it's best to lengthen and shorten.

Our 11 sizes will accommodate everything from a small dog (think Yorkie or Chihuahua) up to a large lab. If your dog is bigger or smaller, use the lengthen/shorten lines to adjust as needed. For reference, Jeanie is a size 12, Gill is a size 14, and Harry is a size 16.

Sewing Our Dog Coat Pattern

A quick note: if you are scrap-busting this project, you don't have to cut the harness piece on the fold. You can cut it out of two separate scraps (adding seam allowance) and then topstitch it flat on both sides of the seam.

Step 1: Sew the Darts

Once you have all your pieces cut, sew the darts on your outer fabric, lining, and batting layer if you’re using one. The darts allow the back of the jacket to conform to your dog's rear instead of sticking straight out.

Right sides together, align dart notches and pin in place through the end of the dart indicated by the circle. Sew from notches to the dart point. Tie off threads at the dart point to prevent them from unravelling. Press darts towards the centre of the main body. 

Here is a handy tutorial on sewing darts if you need it!

Step 2: Sandwich and Quilt the Layers

The next step is to sandwich your fabrics together. Place your outer and lining fabrics for the coat body (A) and the harness strap (B) wrong sides together. If you’re adding batting or interlining for warmth, add this layer between your outer fabric and lining. With all the layers in position, baste around the edges 1/4" (6 mm) away from the raw edge. You may find a walking foot helpful here to keep the pieces from shifting.

Tip: If you’re working with really thick and fluffy fabrics or if your fabrics are really prone to fraying, you may also find it useful to serge or zigzag stitch around the edges.

If you want to quilt your pieces together, this is the time to do so. If you’re using a printed fabric you can follow the lines and shapes on the fabric for a minimally quilted look, or choose a more intricate design like diamonds or swirls. I would recommend starting from the centre of the pieces and working your way out, as well as using a walking foot for this step to make sure all layers stay in place as you’re quilting.

Step 3: Assemble the Coat + Bind the Edges

Right sides together and matching notches, fold the coat body (A) to align the neck hole seams. Sew at 5/8" (16 mm) and press open. Finish the seam allowances using bias tape. Alternatively, you can fold the raw edges under by about 1/4" (6 mm) and edgestitch into place. If you’re using a fray-proof fabric like nylon, you can simply trim the seam allowance to about 1/4" (6 mm) and topstitch into place.

Now it's time to finish the neck hole with 1/2" (13 mm) wide bias tape. I started by sewing it in on the inside of the coat so that I could topstitch it from the outside for a neater finish. We have a tutorial on two different ways of installing bias tape here if you need help with that step. When you reach the beginning again, join your bias tape together for a seamless finish - here’s our tutorial for how to sew bias tape in a continuous loop.

Next, we’ll bind the edges of the harness strap (B), leaving the short straight edge raw. I recommend using 3/8" (10 mm) wide bias tape for this step, as it’s much easier to bind around the right curves of the harness strap using a narrower width of bias tape. Once again, I started on the inside of the coat and did my topstitching on the outside.

Tip: If you’re having trouble sewing the bias tape around the tips of the straps, I highly recommend pre-pressing your bias tape into a curved shape. You can create a simple template out of card stock and shape your bias tape around it before pressing it with lots of steam. This way the bias tape will easily conform to the shape of the curve when you’re sewing it to the harness. If you only have 1/2" (13 mm) wide bias tape at hand, you can also try squaring off the ends of the straps and doing mitred corners for an easier sew!

Once the halter strap is finished with bias tape, align the short raw edge of the harness strap (B) with the neckline of the coat body (A), right sides together. The harness should be centred on the neck seam. Baste at 1/4" (6 mm).

Finally, finish the entire body with 1/2" (13 mm) bias tape. Start and finish the bias tape at the neck seam in one smooth pass. You can use wonder clips to hold the binding in place to navigate the bulkier areas that might be hard to pin.

To secure the harness in place, press down along the seam where it attaches to the body and stitch in place. The stitching should be about 1/8” (3 mm) from the folded edge of the binding on the inside, or 3/8" (10 mm) from the seam on the outside.

Step 4: Sew the Hook and Loop (Velcro) Closure

The final step is to add Velcro for the closure. The velcro placement is indicated on the pattern and should be marked with the disappearing marker of choice. If you're having trouble seeing the velcro markings, use the layers feature when you're printing the PDF to make it easier!

The spiky side of the Velcro (the hooks) will be sewn to the lining side of the straps on the harness strap (B). The soft side of the Velcro (the loops) will be sewn across the outer fabric of the coat body (A). You'll also need to sew a shorter piece of looped (soft) velcro on the fabric side of the halter strap on one side only. When all is said and done, you should be able to wrap the halter straps around your dog, securing hook and eye on both sides, with a bit of overlap secured by an additional piece of short velcro. Try the coat on your dog before sewing the velcro in to ensure it's in the right spot - you may need to adjust the velcro placement.

Once you've confirmed velcro length and location, secure the velcro by sewing all the way round the perimeter;  an edge or zipper foot may make this easier. We recommend using a top thread colour that matches your velcro and a bobbin thread that matches your lining for an invisible finish.

Once you've tried it on your dog and ensured the velcro is hitting in the right spot, attach the last piece of loop velcro to the side of the strap that will lay on top.

(Optional) Step 5: Sew the Welt Opening

If your dog wears a halter instead of a collar, you may want to make a hole in the body of the coat for it to pass through. If it is a very small D ring, you could probably get away with a buttonhole, but if it is larger, another nice option would be to use the belt loop vent from our Sienna Maker Jacket for a totally clean finish. Once you have the halter on the dog, put the coat on top and note where the ring will pass and how much space it will need, and follow the tutorial here to create a near welt opening.

Here's what the finished coat should look like:

Alternative Construction with No Binding

The most time consuming part of this simple project is sewing the bias binding around the edges, so we wanted to experiment with an alternative construction that doesn’t include any binding. I used this technique to make Paul’s denim and wool version, and I love how it turned out! Here’s how I made it:

Step 1: Add Seam Allowance to the Pattern

The first thing you’ll need to do is to add seam allowance (of your preference) to the pattern pieces where needed. I added 5/8" (16 mm) to the neck hole, around the coat body (excluding the shoulder seams), and around the harness strap (excluding the short straight end that connects to the body).

Step 2: Prepare the Neck Hole

Start by sewing the darts on the coat body (A) as normal. Next, sew the short ends at 5/8" (16 mm) to create the neck hole on your outer and lining layers separately. Press both seams open.

Turn one layer inside out and place the two layers so that they are right sides together. Pin or clip all around the neck hole. Using the longest stitch length on your machine, baste around the neckline at 5/8" (16 mm). Do not backstitch at the beginning or end. Turn it right side out and press with lots of steam. Depending on the size you’re making, you may find that you’ll need to clip the curve to get it to lie flat. Make sure you don’t trim the seam allowance too close to the seam or clip too far in.

Turn the coat inside out again and remove your basting stitches. You’ll see that the seam allowance around the neck hole is perfectly pressed under on both layers.

Step 3: Assemble the Body and Harness

Right sides together, align the outer and lining layers of the harness strap around the edges. Sew around the harness strap, leaving the short square end open. Trim, grade, and clip the seam allowances as needed. Turn it right side out through that opening, and press flat. You can topstitch around the harness strap at this point if you would like to.

Turn the lining layer of the coat body inside out, and place it over the outer layer so that the right sides are touching. Sandwich the short open end of the harness between the two layers, centred on the neck seam. Make sure the outer side of the harness is touching the outer side of the body. Sew around the body at 5/8" (16 mm). Trim, grade, and clip the seam allowances as needed, and turn it right side out through the neck hole. Press flat. Topstitch around the body if you would like to.

Step 4: Finish the Neck Hole

Finally, pin or clip around the neck hole, ensuring the seam allowances are still folded under. Edgestitch around the neck hole to close the opening. If you don’t want visible topstitching on your dog coat, you can also slip stitch the two layers closed.

From here on, you can continue with sewing the velcro and the optional welt opening!

And that's it! A cozy, warm and waterproof dog jacket for your best pal! Please let us see your handiwork by using the hashtag #ClosetCoreDogCoat. It is surely going to be the cutest hashtag we've ever created, and we can't WAIT to see what you come up with!

Video Sewalong

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