The Doggo Coat

This is my second year in Montréal. What I learned from my last winter here was that woodwork or  whittling were not viable options for me. Winters are largely indoors here. The dust and the chips- that doesn't work for me in my living space. So I think its going to be fabrics and leathers for the next little while. This has increasingly dawned on me as Aditi and I worked on The Doggo Coat.

This is a coat for Jasper, my sister in law Pragna's blue heeler. He lives in Calgary and likes the outdoors. So we want something that is warm, waterproof, and doesnt get in the way of his running around.

I used a pattern from Wholefully as a reference, and to help me get measurements from Pragna over in Calgary. 

I decided to go with a waxed canvas and leather outer coat and a detachable inner flannel layer, with webbing and metal quick release buckles. 

I started with 10 oz duck canvas. Washed so it gets a chance to shrink. Cut it to rough shape. I doubled up the canvas, so the entire top here is a fold.

The seams and hems are all hand-stitched. I used nylon thread, which had a tendency to curl up if I didn't keep some tension on the string. I accounted for what I hope is about 3-5 inches growth around the torso and 3-4 inches growth around the neck. The doubled up linen will stretch, but I'm also going to wax it and attach leathers to it. I stitched in some loops on his left side, to attach carabiners. 

On his right we have the chest and neck closures, and a double pocket. 

A loop goes onto the neck under his chin, with a nametag.

I used 3.5mm leather. Three overlapping leather sheets go across the center of the coat, inspired by lamellar armor. I call it "the lobster." I going to tool the middle scale of the lobster with little Canada maple leafs. I found a nice stamp online. I'm going to dowse these leathers in Obeneuf's oil. 

I died the canvas teal. This color is subdued as the canvas dries, but is replenished when wax is added. I suspect that there are tiny fibres on the canvas that stand up and in effect "dull" the look of the dye, which get laid back  down with the wax.

I laid down about 14 oz of a blend of white paraffin and beeswax into the material, used a hair dryer to even it out. It will further even out with use, I think.

Reinforced the pocket and loops, and attached the straps with rivets. I used a metal fastener for the pocket. The straps are a bit wonky, I but I let it be rather than using a new peice of webbing. I think it looks rustic. Sort of goes with my untidy stitching. I'll reinforce the webbing rivets with stitching.  I used a hot awl to punch the webbing because I like how the hole seals.

Added metal fasteners to clip on the inner flannel, and riveted on the lobster! At this stage I gave it a generous treatment of obeneufs and stuffed a pillow into the coat. I need those leathers to stretch a bit. Next, reinforcing stitches!

How it looks like stretched.

Finally!!