DIY Network

Puppy Poncho Just what every fashion-savvy pooch needs: her own cape for those long walks in the rain. From "Uncommon Threads" episode DUCT-129

Rachel O'Rourke shows how to measure your dog for her very own puppy poncho. Water-repellent oilcloth makes this great wet-weather gear for your dog. It's lined with felt and uses hook-and-loop tape as fasteners.

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Materials:

	Puppy Poncho
	If you're an inexperienced sewer (or if you simply prefer to), back the oilcloth pieces with felt; otherwise, use double layers of oilcloth.

1 dog and an assistant and/or friend
dog treats
tape measure
paper and pencil
1 yd. oilcloth (yardage varies depending on the size of your dog)
1 yd. oilcloth in a complimentary design (yardage varies depending on the size of your dog)
2 packs jumbo red rickrack (or the color of your choice)
red thread
white thread
indoor/outdoor hook-and-loop tape with sticky backing
1 yd. felt to match oilcloth (for beginning sewers)
pattern fabric with 1"x1" squares
scissors
masking tape or blue tape
pinking shears
sewing machine
sewing needles
straight pins

Measuring Your Dog

1. Make sure you have a large supply of your dog's favorite treats--as well as a friend to help you with taking her measurements, as this is often a two-person job

2. While your friend administers the dog treats, use a tape measure to measure lengthwise the distance from the nape of your dog's neck to 1" past the base of her tail. Write down this number: this is how long the cape body will need to be to cover her and keep her dry.

3. To determine how wide to make the cape, measure from the top of your dog's right front leg, over her back to the left leg; write down this number. This is how wide the cape body will need to be to curve around his body.

4. To determine how long to make the front straps, measure the width of your dog's neck. You'll want to leave some room so that you don't choke her with the front straps. Make sure the tape measure can move up and down around her neck. Add 3" to this number to allow for room to sew the straps to the body of the cape and room for the hook-and-loop closure. Divide this number in half to determine how long to make the right and left front straps; write down this number.

Reminder: Don't forget to make sure your dog has plenty of treats during this process!

5. To determine how long to make the stomach straps, measure from the middle right side of the dog, around the bottom of the stomach to the middle left side. Add 3" to this number to allow room to sew the straps into the body of the cape and room for the hook-and-loop closure; write down this number.

Making the Dog Cape Pattern

1. Spread out the pattern fabric on a clean, hard surface. Each square of the fabric pattern is 1".

2. Count out the length of the neck straps and mark with a pen the length of the strap. The strap should be at least 2" wide (it may need to be wider for larger dogs). Cut out the strap pattern with scissors.

3. Repeat step 3 using the measurements for your dog's stomach straps.

4. Mark with pen the length and width of the body of the dog cape on the pattern fabric. Draw an inverted curve from the top right of the cape body to the top left. This will create a space for the cape to curve slightly around her neck.

5. Cut out the cape body. Fold the pattern in half and cut the rectangle sides and back of the cape body into a slight curve.

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