Customer Reviews

Dogwear: Over 30 Super Easy Sewing Projects: Fashionable, Functional, Fun Gear for Your Four-Legged Friend

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3 star:		(1)
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This book turned out to be just what I was looking for. After browsing through many books of this type and reading reviews about how the patterns were difficult or the projects were all made on one pattern, I felt nervous about what I might get, but I can say now that I am quite relieved and have no regrets about buying this book.

To let you know what is inside:

Clothing: There is one knitting pattern for a nice sweater vest (adorable!)... Sewing patterns for a raincoat, leather vest, winter coat, paw socks, bathrobe (shown on cover), sweatshirt with hoody, a dress, and a jump/pajama suit.

Accessories: Directions for making a very practical nylon/chain collar and matching single or double dog lead, collapsible food/water bowls, equipment bag (grooming, roll style bag), fancy shirt collar, reflective collar, 2 different harnesses, bandana, backpack (for the dog), waterproof napping bag for hunting/sport dogs (not at all useful for my 5 lb Maltese, but maybe for someone else), lining for a wicker style dog bed, lining for a bicycle basket, and a cover for a metal dog cage. Also has a cool pattern for a human padded belt with a hook for a flexi lead to be used when skiing, hiking, etc. Not sure how this would work, but I might make it to use for walking in the mountains.

The directions are all in the fairly simple difficulty range in my opinion; certainly something for everyone. Most patterns can be made using stuff I already have on hand as well, which is much appreciated. One other good thing is that I can use the same waterproof material to make a raincoat, water bowl, and backpack. All in all, I am very happy with this book.

This book has several cute pictures. That is the only good thing I can say about it. I have never returned a book to Amazon, but I will probably return this one. I have several years of experience sewing, and I could probably figure out what the author had in mind, but I would not recommend this book to anyone. The master pattern is a jumbled mess that is difficult to read because multiple pattern pieces overlap each other. There is only one size master pattern - unlike other books that give several sizes to choose from. There are no measurements provided to give the reader an idea of what size dog the master pattern is intended to fit, not to mention the fact that the author doesn't bother to tell which pieces are required for each garment. Lastly there are no yardage guidelines or fabric layouts. If you want to sew for your dog I would recommend purchasing a McCall's pattern from either a fabric store or online. I purchased a few McCall's patterns online while waiting for this book to arrive. They are far superior to this book and come with easy to read instructions.

Once you figure out the patterns to cut this book is ok. You can follow fairly easy. If you are not that great of a sewer I would not recommend this book. You have to figure out the pattern

the patterns are adorable (and the dogs too of course). but i bought the book because someone asked me to make some coats for a couple of old miniature schnauzers. the "patterns" are a single large sheet of paper folded in the back of the book and ALL of the patterns are printed onto both sides of it. the patterns overlap each other -- the only way i can see being able to make use of all of them is to make copies of every part of the sheet -- as many copies as there are pattern pieces on that section. in one of the quarter sheets i found bits of 13 different pattern pieces. With four quarters on a side and two sides, that is eight different sections with at least five pieces per section. that's a lot of copies!

The other problem is that there are no measurements for the dog that these patterns are made to fit and there isn't any place that tells you how to alter the patterns to fit different sizes of dogs.

although the patterns are not difficult to sew (as long as the dog you are sewing for is the right size and you figure out how to assemble the pieces you need), having to alter them to fit -- in my opinion -- takes a good deal of skill, both as a seamstress and with fitting doggie clothing.

bottom line -- if you really want to make some clothes for a variety of pups, go online and find the sites that tell you how to measure a dog and alter a pattern to fit it. If you just want some ideas and aren't afraid to dive into the fitting, go head and get this.

DOGSWEAR: OVER 30 SUPER EASY SEWING PROJECTS could also have been featured in our 'Needlework' section but is reviewed here for its high recommendation for any dog owner or animal lover. These projects offer fun and comfortable jackets, wraps, doggie bags and more and pair color photos of various dogs wearing completed projects with a fine range of designs and options. Both needlework and pet libraries in general lending collections will find this appealing and fun.