Help! A Waterproof Dog Coat for Xmas

[suburban]

Hello, I hope I'm posting in the right place.  I'm a beginner, having only made a gingerbread man from felt.  I bought a sewing machine and want to make a waterproof dog coat for a whippet.  I've a feeling it might be too ambitious for a novice.  I'm hoping you can convince me otherwise!

I've seen a couple of patterns but I don't know how to choose materials.  I was looking online and really have no idea if the materials would agree with my machine / what needle to use etc. 


Coat is for a whippet who tends to wee over his coats (as well as his own body). I need a waterproof coat which is also warm for winter and I want to make it myself as a Christmas present for my sis.  I'm worried that the waterproof materials would be tricky to work with and also I'm concerned they might chafe him, as the coat would also have to be waterproof underneath.  Only the lining would be polar fleece or waddding (?) Can somebody guide me?

There are patterns online, but I really need help choosing materials.  Also where to find them.  I went to Dunelm Mill today but they were unable to help me. 

I would REALLY appreciate your help.  Thanks in advance!

[Tamnymore]

@suburban I see you are in Manchester so a good bet for choosing fabric would be Abakhans in Oldham St in the centre of Manchester or Leons in Chorlton if you are on that side of town. There are online shops specialising in waterproof fabrics. There's one called something like Pennine Textiles??? - someone will know here. Also Croft Mill , also online,  often has waterproof fabric. Best not to choose too heavy a fabric so your sewing machine will sew the fabric and also consider using a ballpoint needle. Someone with more experience of these fabrics might advise on the best needle. You will probably find that the needle will make little holes in the fabric so you would need to try getting the stitching right first time.

[Lachica]

I made dog coats for my daughter's dog (Jack Russell). I found a tutorial online which showed you how to measure the dog & draw the pattern. (Sorry don't have it bookmarked any more). I used ripstop nylon with a waterproof backing, bought online. I used an old fleece of mine for the lining and bound the edges. If the underside also needs to be waterproof then I guess you'd cut 2 from the ripstop & sandwich the fleece inside, then you wouldn't need to bind the edges, much easier. Mine had a pocket with the dog's name on to hold poo bags and I used reflective tape alongside each side. I stitched on a webbing strap to go round her tummy & Velcro onto the opposite side. In the centre I made a long buttonhole to enable the metal ring from the dog's harness to poke through for the lead. My machine had no problem with any of these materials but it does have IDT which helps with slippery fabrics. If yours doesn't have this you'll have to be careful to clip the layers together well before starting to sew. Don't pin them if you want it to stay waterproof!

[Holly Berry]

@suburban, I did a quick google and found this site https://www.thewhippet.net/whippet-dog-coats.html. It has a free pattern and suggests fabrics too.

I would suggest polar fleece as it wicks water away from the dog if it’s already wet and although not waterproof unless the dog is walked in teeming rain will keep him dry and warm. There are loads of places selling polar fleece. If you definitely want waterproof then I would go for something like ripstop which you can get from https://www.pennineoutdoor.co.uk/fabrics. eBay is also a good place to look. You would need to line this and is thicker than just fleece which doesn’t fray and can be sewn on an ordinary sewing machine if you haven’t got an overlocker.

You can also make jumpers out of fleece. If you look on Pinterest there are loads of patterns. As a beginner the coat will be the easier to make.

[Esme866]

I would recommend making the coat as you wish and then spraying it with waterproofing/water resistant spray.  The sprays are available at outdoors/camping supply stores and most likely on Amazon also.

Vinyls can be tricky to sew with and are very unforgiving when you make a mistake.

I would also recommend polyester for any wadding applications as cotton/wool would not release the urine as easily.

I also agree that a double layer of fleece would be best for warmth and cleaning.  Actually, several of fleece would be nice, and forget the water proofing, just have numerous changes available, sort of like body sized diapers.

Hopefully the whippet will develop a better sense of direction over time!

I did have a cat that never had the best of litter box habits - and she lived to be 17!

[Lachica]

Lots of suggestions here. https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/385339311851368454/

I suggest you use fleece rather than wadding for the insulating layer as it will need washing frequently and fleece won't go lumpy. Also you ask about fabric chafing: ripstop is thin & flexible so shouldn't be a problem if you avoid sharp edges. Most of these patterns show curves but a whippet has a long back so a strap will be needed around the tummy to keep it in place, this could chafe if it's not positioned carefully. Daughter's dog is long legged and skinny so I had the same problem.

[Snowgoose]

www.cuddleplushfabrics.co.uk this should help you    I would suggest zorb for the interlining (middle of the sandwich)     

[suburban]

Thank you all.  I'm having a little trouble navigating this website as I can't seem to reply individually to people who've been kind enough to reply to my original posts.  I keep looking for the "reply" option beneath each individual post, but can only see "like" or "quote". 

Anyway thanks for all the suggestions.  I will definitely go with polar fleece, because as I understand, it's relatively easy to sew with.  I do want to try a more waterproof material too, and I think ripstop seems to be the drug of choice, so I'll have a go after the fleece.  I think first off I'll make a little waterpoof coat for my mother's puppy so I don't waste material.  Last night I cut a prototype out of an old pilllow case and it didn't look half bad for a novice. 

All I've got to do now is watch the youtube clips again about threading the machine...

[Lachica]

To mention someone in your post, you can tag them like this: @suburban  that person will then get an email alerting them that they have be a mention. You can tag any number of forum members in a post. After the @ start typing the member's name (no space, no CAPS)  then you'll see a drop down box with members whose names match. Click the one you want.  Good luck with your sewing, we like pictures so remember to get one of  wearing new coat. Then you can learn how to attach photos!

[Deafoldbat]

Ripstop nylon, lined with a fairly robust fleece, is what we had for our whippets. The edges were bound and a strip of twill tape covered the back seam too. If you make one with a fold over collar, you can put a slot in there for the lead to go through which means the collar isn't pushed out of the way and is more effective, folded back or right up round the dog's ears on cold or wet days. The other thing to consider, especially if you have a male, is the exact width and placing of the belt that goes round the body. You may need to taper the belt appropriately to make a comfortable fit. Or make long ties from twill tape which will fit round and knot on the dog's back, less elegant than a belt and velcro or strap, but perfectly effective.

[arrow]

There's something called equa fleece, a type of waterproof polyester fleece. It can be handy. I am used to dalmatians and golden retriever. Male dogs need different parts of the coat free or open than freemales, when you make your own it's easier to adjust. I have lined the dog coats with polester blend woven wool materials; I took the chance and just threw it in the washing machine at 40C. I used non enzyme detergent, and it has held up fine. The water proof materials I have found are thin and not very warm, and need to be line for winter wear. I have bought large dog coats on sale and altered them.

The trick is to get a good fit dog, velco straps or shoe laces to keep it in place. Some dogs are more active than others, you just have to try and maybe make improvents along the way.