DIY Puppy PJ's

I am an animal lover, and I'm not shy about it. Every year, when I pick out the calendars to hang in my office and at home, they're always animal themed (e.g. 'Baby Animals' for the office and 'Puppies' for my kitchen). I don't think I would necessarily relish cuddling with every single animal out there, but I think all animals are cute and hope that they're all leading happy, fulfilling lives.

In my childhood, I think I was a cat person. When I was brought to Toys 'R Us for my 7th birthday, I picked out a Kitty Surprise instead of  Puppy Surprise. Do you guys remember those? Well, people really do change because I am a full-fledged dog person now. I appreciate cats and think that they're cute but my personality is much more suited for owning dogs. Especially because dogs like to wear onesies and I like to make onesies for them. We're just a match made in heaven.

You'll need:
fleece (amount depends on the size of your dog, I used about 1/4 yard)
faux sherpa fabric (just enough for a little trim on the hood)
needle & thread (or sewing machine)
scissors
paper for making patterns
pins
marker

Start by making the pattern for your pup. Here's roughly what the patterns will look like and you just kind of have to adjust it to match the size of your dog.

And here are the steps you will follow to make the onesie. It's relatively straight forward, but I tried to make it as clear as possible.

Start by cutting out the patterns onto paper (I like using newsprint) and then chase your dog around, trying to drape the patterns onto his or her back to make sure you've measured properly.

If you're satisfied with your patterns, lay it out onto your fleece, pin them down, and cut them out.

And then, sew everything together.

The sherpa trim is totally optional but really cute.

I had quite a difficult time trying to capture some decent snaps of the finished product because the future wearer of these pj's kept on coming over to interrupt the photo shoot.

Ah, but here they are; the completed pajamas for your viewing pleasure.

And here's George Michael (a.k.a. Mr. Manager) modeling his pajamas, just for you!

He was more interested in receiving a tummy rub than posing for the camera, that little scamp.

After exactly zero successful modeling poses, he got up, swirled himself into a little circle, and promptly fell asleep. But how can you get mad at a dog in pajamas going to sleep? The answer is that you can't because hello, pj's are for sleeping in. Smart little man.

After he got up from his nap, he went downstairs for a drink of water and I think I managed to get one or two decent snaps.

I love this photo because it looks like he's yelling at his little ceramic pug head. In reality, I gave him a snack (beef jerky for dogs) and he had some stuck in his teeth and he was violently "yeow-ing" his mouth trying to dislodge it but these photos that I managed to capture make him look like he's crazy and having a fit. I love them.

Aren't those photos hilarious? Anyway, please don't think that GM is some violent monster. He's the wimpiest dog on the planet. He loves his family so hard (that he refuses to eat when the whole family isn't at home) and he's afraid of 99% of the dogs he meets.

Look at that face!

Finally, showing off that onesie with a little pride and good posture.

... Or not.

If you do try to make this onesie, let me know! I love receiving emails about successful DIYs and ones involving dogs? Forget about it!

xoxo.