How To Make Custom Dog Pyjamas — Tips And Tricks

My most recent quarantine project has been to make custom pyjamas for my Boston Terrier. She is a small dog with a big chest and neck which makes it hard to find good fitting doggie clothes. Living in New Hampshire, where it is cold eight months of the year, wearing doggie pyjamas and sweaters is essential. With this in mind, I took it upon myself to create the perfect pair of pyjamas for my Boston Terrier. The difference between dog sweaters and dog pyjamas is that pyjamas have fabric that cover the dog’s front and back legs (like wearing long sleeves/pants). In the beginning, I spent an entire day trying to free draw a pattern for the pyjamas. This included lots of measuring, googling, drawing, and then erasing. I was completely stumped. I knew what I wanted the pyjamas to look like, but I didn’t know how to get to the final product. Hence, I am writing this blog post to help anyone who wants to make their dog some clothes, but has no idea where or how to start.

Step One — A Fresh Start

To get a fresh start on the project I set off to Joann’s. I walked up and down the aisles of fabric and found one that I loved (blue velvet with sparkly space images, pictured below). I also browsed the pattern section and found a pattern. The options for dog patterns were very limited. I ended up picking the Simplicity pattern 3939 “Woofy Wear by Wendy” for only $1.99. You cannot go wrong with such a cheap pattern! I bought 1/2 a yard of fabric because I have a small dog which cost around $5. So, even if the project ended up being a failure I was only out $7.

Step Two — The Prototype

Even though I bought a pattern at Joann’s, I knew I still wanted to make custom pyjamas. I decided to use an old t-shirt as fabric and tried making dog pyjamas exactly as the pattern instructed. After I had a prototype I would be able to make any necessary changes to the pattern before using my nice fabric. Also, I had not used a sewing machine in years, so I wanted to make all my learning mistakes on the prototype.

Step Three — The Final Pyjamas

After making the prototype I realized that my dog needs pyjamas that have a shorter torso, wider neck opening, and skinnier legs. With this in mind, I traced/drew a new pattern for the pyjamas on parchement paper, taking into account my dog’s measurements. After I made the new pattern I cut the final fabric and sewed everything together.

Tips And Tricks

1. If this is your first time sewing, practice on some old fabric so that you can understand how your machine works and see if you need to make any adjustments to the settings.
2. Make sure to use thread that is the same color as your fabric so that your stitches are discrete. This is especially important if you are a beginner at sewing. Using thread that matches your fabric will mask any sewing imperfections while different colored threads could draw unwanted attention to flaws.
3. If you decide to make a prototype and a final sweater/pyjamas, make sure not to let too much time go by between making each one. Once you practice on your prototype it is much easier to make more pyjamas while the process is fresh in your mind. I took a break between sewing my prototype and my final, which made it harder to get into the swing of things, and harder to remember how to sew certain parts.
4. Lastly, remember to have fun! This is a cheap project to take on, and if you get frustrated or feel like quitting, just take a break and come back to your project in a few days … or weeks.

XO, Alicia