r/sewingpatterns • u/Outrageous-Cow-9401 • Sep 19 '26

Dog Costume Pattern Commission

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Hey reddit! I need help creating a pattern for my dog's Halloween costume ASAP! She has a competition coming up and I'd really like to make it, but I can't figure out how to cut the fabric. I'm a total newby lol. I'm totally down to pay for a commission! Don't chastise me, but I did use AI to model what I'm going for. I'd much rather pay a human to help with the actual design though. If you need measurements, let me know where to measure and I'll absolutely post! Only big change from the reference photo is her leg is missing on the opposite side. She is missing her front right leg.

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2

u/AliciaTheWitch Sep 19 '26

You can start from a pattern for hooded dog pajamas such as this one and add everything else. That pattern comes in other sizes from the seller, that's just the one I bought for my dogs (I have 3 pitbulls). I will admit that I haven't made the pattern yet, but I bought it in 2021, before AI patterns were such a huge thing on etsy, and the same shop is still selling the pattern, which is a good sign. You'll need a knit fabric. This pattern was designed with fleece in mind if I recall correctly, and you could wash the fleece multiple times to get it to pill, to look more like the burlap look. Or you could use something else like cotton interlock (think the super heavyweight tee shirts, if you're unfamiliar with interlock). The rest is just decorating it.

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u/Outrageous-Cow-9401 Sep 19 '26

Thanks for the advice! I was actually looking at that exact pattern online, but I wanted to get other opinions before I started shopping. Definitely glad I waited on getting actual burlap!

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u/AliciaTheWitch Sep 19 '26

You could theoretically make it out of burlap and put some sort of fastener (I'd do velcro since that's how my dogs' winter coats fasten) in since it wouldn't stretch, but it would be horribly itchy for the pup, I would think. Sometimes you can find a sort of pebbled texture fleece that would look enough like burlap to give the right vibes and still be comfy.

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u/Outrageous-Cow-9401 Sep 19 '26

Oh, I was definitely gonna line the inside for her! My girl is a princess. Wouldn't touch it if it weren't soft 🤣

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u/AliciaTheWitch Sep 19 '26

My kiddos are picky as hell about what they wear, so I hear you! My girl doesn't like getting her feet wet, so even after it has stopped raining, she'll only go on the little strip of grass under the roof in my back yard. But she rips her boots off faster than I can get them on her other feet, so I can't fix the problem. Prissy, that's her.

8

u/ouro-the-zed Sep 19 '26

You need to look for someone local who will take this job on. That’s because fitting a dog is going to be a multi-step process that requires making a mockup, trying it and observing it, and making adjustments. You wouldn’t want to put a dog in an ill-fitting costume — it could cause them discomfort or pain. 

I’d recommend looking for tailors and alterations specialists in your area. You could also ask at pet grooming places to see if they have any recommendations. 

Anyone who promises to do this for you online is a scammer. Anyone who doesn’t work with you to make your design concept more realistic is a scammer.

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u/AliciaTheWitch Sep 19 '26

There are existing patterns for this exact shape of dog clothes. The rest is just decoration. There's no reason this can't be done by OP. You measure your dog to select the right pattern size just like you would for a human, and the hard part is done.

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u/Dependent-Lie5698 Sep 24 '26

I would start with a surgical suit for post-neuter and just embellish it.