Monday, March 12, 2012

Make It Monday: Doggy Dress

The Tosh Doggy Dress

I have two little dogs who actually like wearing clothing. They're cold, even in the summer, and often want their jammies on to keep them warm. So I've gotten pretty good at making such things for their little doggy bodies. But I haven't made anything that is purely fun, so today I decided to make a dress for my little girl dog, Tosh (Mac is the boy; thus, Mac and Tosh. Guess what my computer is?)

I saw a tutorial on making a dress using a baby's bib for the top part (the bodice), but I didn't have a bib I could sacrifice. So I decided to simply use one of my granddaughter's bibs as a pattern. Thus, the Tosh Dress was born!

Materials and supplies

Sewing machine, thread, scissors, pins and marking pen
2 pieces of fabric 10" x 10" for the bodice
2 pieces of fabric 4"x14" for the ruffle
1 piece of contrasting fabric 10" x 8" for the skirt
1 piece of interfacing 10"x10" for the bodice
a bib (to use as a pattern to trace)
1 length of fabric 4" x 14" (not shown) for the belt



Fold the 10" x 10" pieces of fabric in half. Fold the bib in half and lay on the fold of the fabric. Trace around the bib. Fold the interfacing in half and place under the fabric so that the folds line up.
 Pin together through all layers and cut out.
(Sorry - this picture is upside down!)
Open all folds and with right sides together and interfacing on the outside, sew all around the bib shape, leaving the bottom open.

Turn right side out through the bottom opened space.

Fold the contrasting piece of fabric wrong sides together and cut in an arc, as shown below. This will be the skirt.
With right sides facing, sew both 4" x 14" pieces together at one short end. Press seam open. Fold in half so that you have one long piece with the fold on the long side and press again. This will be the ruffle.

Sew a long stitch along the raw edges of the ruffle, being sure NOT to lock stitch at the ends. Pull the bottom thread to gather and with right sides together, pin the ruffle to the skirt.

Sew the ruffle to the skirt.

Open the gap left at the bottom of the bodice and pin the skirt inside, being sure to catch ends of ruffle inside, and folding down 1/4" on top and bottom layers of the bodice. Stitch.

Center the 4" x 14" piece of fabric that is left over the bodice and skirt where the skirt attaches, pin and stitch top and bottom. (I didn't have to hem mine, but you may if you use fabric that frays.)

Attach velcro to ends of belt and to lose ends of bodice.









Tosh doesn't like to pose, but she sure looks cute in her new dress. Wait 'til the other dogs see her at the dog park!

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