Part 1: Print your pattern and cut out your pieces
Print your free Rudy Adventures Pattern, making sure it’s scaled at 100%. Cut out the 8 pieces of the pattern, which you’ll be using as paper templates to create the dog coat. Given that Polartec Fleece doesn’t fray, please note that the arm and body openings will have raw edges vs. finished ones.
Trace your pattern pieces onto fabric, then cut them out. Once you’ve cut out your hoodie and bodice paper pattern pieces, lay them on top of your fabric. You should have 8 paper pattern pieces, two of which will be placed on the fabric’s fold.
Next, using your fabric chalk or marker, trace your pattern pieces onto your fabric.
Before cutting both front and back fabric pieces, mark the center of the neckline on both pieces.
Once you’ve traced your paper templates onto your fabric, cut your pattern pieces out of your fabric. Now let’s start sewing!
Part 2: Sew the bodice together
First, sew the bodice shoulders together. Pin or clip the front and back bodice pieces together with the right sides facing inward. Using a 3/8” (1 cm) seam allowance, sew the front and back bodice pieces together at the shoulders.
Next, sew the sides of the bodice. With the right sides facing inward, clip the side bodice sides together and sew the side seams. Start and finish with a backstitch, then turn the fabric pieces right side out. Set that aside, and let’s start working on the hood.
Part 3. Sew your hood pieces together
Organize your 6 hood pieces. To keep things neat and organized, place your 2 main side hood pieces (one for each side) and 1 main center hood piece (for the center section) together in one small stack. Then do the same thing for your 2 lining side pieces and 1 lining center piece.
Next, you’ll be sewing the edges of the hood’s center pieces to each hood side piece individually. First sewing one long edge of the hood center piece to one hood side piece, then the other.
Starting at the top, clip the hood center piece to the top of one hood side piece. Clip these pieces together all the way down the curve of the bottom of the hood. Be sure to line up your center notches. Sew in place.
Repeat this step for the other side of the hood.
After both hood side pieces have been sewn to the hood’s center piece, sew the short front bottom of the hoodie (where the dog’s neck would be) into place and sew.
Repeat all hoodie steps in Part 3 above for the hood lining.
Part 4. Create the hood
Prepare both hood sections to be sewn together by laying your main hood wrong side out, and your lining hood right side out. Placing them with the right sides together.
Clip around the face, match all seams and sew in place around the face only. Do not stitch around the bottom.
Flip your hood to be fabric side out. Place a fabric clip at the bottom center to everything lined up as we prepare to sew the hood to the bodice.
Part 5. Sew the hood to the bodice
Turn your hood so that the lining is facing outward and your main fabric is on the inside. With the hood upside down and the face opening up, pull the coat bodice up through the face opening and into the open bottom of the hood.
Your goal here is to align the bottom raw edges of the hood with the bodice neckline.
Clip the raw edge of the hood’s bottom to the bodice neckline, clipping first at the center front and the center back. Clip all the way around, then sew in place.
Now that they’re sewn together, flip your hood right side out! For more personalization, add a label (or name tag) to the coat to show who made it.