DIY clothes for the sphinx - we knit and sew using a universal pattern, photos and videos

Unlike most other cat breeds, Sphynx cats are not endowed with thick hair: they have a little hair on the tail, paws, and in the bridge of the nose. Therefore, it is more difficult for such pets to stay warm in the cold season, and they will definitely not give up their clothes.

Things can be made with your own hands from yarn, natural fabrics or various scrap materials (even from woolen socks). This way the owner will be able to warm the cat or take him for a walk in cool weather.

There are models of stylish dresses, suits and sweaters for adult cats and kittens that are easy to create if you follow the step-by-step instructions.

Preparing for work

Clothes for constantly freezing cats are not a luxury at all. Sphinxes that do not experience cold move normally and are not at risk of physical inactivity.

In order to make a cat outfit, there are some requirements that apply to clothing for Sphynx cats:

• should have a simple cut and a minimum number of seams;
• be comfortable;
• be distinguished by a small number of items in the costume;
• fabrics should be predominantly natural.

Important! Due to frequent washing and cleaning, pet clothing should not quickly lose its appearance.

Vest

Before you begin, measure your cat's waist circumference. The waist circumference is indicated on the pattern with the letter T.

If you choose wool for knitting, then opt for soft wool intended for children. You need about 50 gr. Knitting starts from the back and goes in one piece. First there is a 3 cm elastic band, then there is an armhole (by any method). We close the armhole loops on one side and knit to the end of the row. At the end, turning the work, we do the same and continue knitting to the neckline. To knit it, we make one shoulder, close the neckline by 5 cm and continue knitting for another 3 cm. We cast on loops for a 5 cm neckline and combine 2 shoulders.

Next we knit the front until the end of the work, finishing with 3 cm of elastic. Sew the side seams. We tie the neckline and armhole with a 2 cm elastic band.

Source

Material selection

Costumes made from fabrics purchased for this purpose look great on sphinxes. But no less attractive are the outfits made from the owners’ old sweaters. In order not to injure the skin of pets, choose fabrics that do not accumulate static electricity during friction.

In order to understand whether the capricious Sphynx will like the fabric, you need to wash it with an odorless detergent, dry it and place it on the cat’s bed. If there are no incidents, then you can sew clothes from it.

Taking measurements

The construction of any pattern begins with taking measurements. You will need a special measuring tape to measure three parameters:

• neck girth (NC) - measure the thickest, lower part of the neck;
• chest girth (CG) - measurement is carried out under the front legs and along the body;
• product length (DI) - measure the distance between the bases of the neck and tail.

However, the product may have a collar and sleeves. Then a number of additional measurements are carried out:

• neck length (NL) – the distance from the base of the neck to the ears;
• torso girth (TG) - measured along the lower abdomen, in front of the hind legs;
• OPL and OPL - the girth of the front and hind legs, taking into account the indicators of the widest part.

Important! When constructing a pattern, length measurements are taken in full size, and girth measurements are divided in half.

Turtleneck

This pattern will help you knit a comfortable short-sleeve sweater for your cat. You can knit it sleeveless by simply tying the armhole. Before making a pattern, you must measure the cat and write down its dimensions. Using these dimensions, you will create an individual pattern, which will come in handy more than once in the future.

The depth of the armhole depends on the size of the cat. If you plan to edge the armholes with elastic, then increase their height and depth by 1 cm. You need to reduce the width of the backrest as follows:

• Smoothly: knit 2 loops together along the edges of the back in every second right row.
• Sharp: Knit 2 stitches together along the edges of the back on each RS row.

We knit with an elastic band (knit 1, purl 1). You can decorate the back with braids or braids. We knit the collar with an elastic band (k2, p2).

Pattern

3 is the distance from the base of the neck to the front paw

4 is the distance between the front paws

5 is the width of the back + 2 cm (allowance for armholes)

(chest circumference + 3 cm) = (distance between front legs + 2 cm)

6 is the length of the tummy = the distance from the base of the neck to the middle of the abdomen.

8 is the height of the armhole, increased by 1 cm of the girth of the front paw - multiply the depth of the armhole by 2.

9- armhole depth = 1 – 3 cm.

We measure the cat, transfer it to paper, cut it out and knit it, looking at the pattern.

Universal drawing

First, draw the back, which consists of two parts. In the middle is the fold line. The holes for the neck and legs are represented by semicircular notches. The length of the product is noted, and then a drawing is made using the data obtained. The CD line indicates the distance from the front to the hind legs.

A pattern made on the fabric will allow you to adjust all sizes during fitting. Your pet's clothing should be comfortable and not interfere with its movements. Therefore, 2 or 3 cm should be added to the girth measurements obtained. Up to 1 cm is added to the seams for oblique and curly cuts, and up to 2.5 cm for side and shoulder seams.

Sweater with pattern

Before you start knitting a sweater, take a tape measure and measure the volume of your pet's neck and the approximate length of the sweater. When you make a cutout for the neck, do not make it small, otherwise the cat will be uncomfortable.

1. knitting needles number 3.5
2. circular needles number 3.5
3. yarn 100 grams (wool or 50/50 with acrylic)
4. needle

Let's get started

The main pattern is stockinette stitch. Knit over knit, purl over purl. Knitting density: 16 loops / 20 rows = 10 / 10 centimeters. We knit in 2 threads.

Let's start work from the front. We put 25 loops on the knitting needles and knit them with an elastic band, knit 1. 1 purl. 3 centimeters. Then we continue working with stockinette stitch to a height of 10 centimeters. The pattern has it all. 13 centimeters from the edge, to form sleeves, we cast on 18 loops on both sides of the fabric (a total of 61 loops on the knitting needles). We knit 10 centimeters exactly with the front ones and for the neckline we close off 21 loops in the middle. (20 loops remain on the knitting needles). In the next row, add 28 stitches above the closed stitches. (There were 68 loops on the knitting needles). Knit another 10 centimeters in stockinette stitch with an even fabric and bind off 18 stitches on both sides. (There are 32 loops on the needles). After another 10 centimeters, elastic 1/1 (k1, p1). Knit an elastic band 3 centimeters. Close the loops without tightening them too much.

Assembly

Sew the side seams and sleeve seams. Making a neckline: cast on loops on circular knitting needles and knit as many centimeters as you want for the collar. You can make the collar high, or you can just make it a few centimeters. We knit with a 2/2 cm elastic band. The main thing is that the cat is comfortable.

The video provides detailed information on how to crochet a sweater for a dog, but this sweater is also suitable for our beloved Sphynx .

Required Items

First of all, you should equip your workplace. You will need a table free of objects, a comfortable chair, and good lighting. You will also need:

• fabric for pattern, tracing paper;
• knitting yarn, crochet hook or knitting needles;
• several types of fabrics - main, lining, finishing and insulation;
• adhesive materials necessary to strengthen various sections;
• sewing machine;
• tailor's chalk and accessories: zipper, Velcro fasteners, snaps, buttons;
• finishing braid, fringe, lace, appliqués;
• threads of different colors, needles, scissors.

Perhaps not all items on the list will be useful. But having a pattern, accessories and material, you can already start working.

Sweater with a pattern

You can knit a gorgeous sweater with a pattern for your pet. It will be more complicated than the previous one, but it will look very interesting. It’s up to you to decide which sweater to choose.

For this sweater we will need:

1. knitting needles number 3.5
2. yarn 100 grams (light and dark) wool or 50/50 with acrylic
3. needle

Knitting density 16 p. / 22 rows = 10/10 cm. Cast on 48 loops with blue thread and knit with a 2/2 elastic band. Switch to a white thread and knit 5 cm in stockinette stitch. Next, start knitting the pattern according to the pattern:

How to make clothes for the sphinx

You can use one pattern to sew different clothes. Fabrics that differ in quality and properties, different fittings, and finishing will provide several options. It should be taken into account that:

• home outfits should be as loose and soft as possible; it is better to sew them from old things;
• suits and overalls for walking should be made of waterproof fabrics.

Elegant dresses and suits, tuxedos for pets are made from expensive materials and jewelry is used.

Knitted sweater

Before starting work, measure the volume of the cat’s neck and the approximate length of the product. Add a couple of centimeters for a loose fit. In order to knit a sweater, you will need:

• circular and regular knitting needles No. 3.5;
• 100 g of soft wool yarn, possibly mixed with acrylic;
• sewing needle.

Note! You can knit a sweater for the sphinx using the simplest pattern, for example, in stockinette stitch. All odd rows are knitted with knit stitches, and even rows are knitted with purl stitches. Knitting is done in two threads. The first 3 cm are done with a 1x1 elastic band.

To form sleeves, 18 loops are added on both sides of the fabric. Knit about 10 cm (depending on the size of the pet) and close 21 loops in the middle. In the next row, 28 stitches are knitted above these closed loops and another 10 cm are knitted in stockinette stitch.

Close 18 loops on both sides. After another 10 cm of knitted fabric, knit an elastic band 3 cm high. And then close the remaining loops. After the side seams and sleeves are sewn, the collar is knitted. If the front of the sweater is made from two parts, you get a sweater.

Dress

Dresses for Sphynx cats will serve as a real decoration for them. It is enough to choose one pattern and different fabrics, combining which you can get an outfit for special occasions and home clothes.

Flounces are sewn to the skirt, and they are also used for sleeves. Bows and ruffles, lace frills will add originality to your pet's appearance. The main thing is that clothes that quickly become contaminated with sebum should be washed well as they are worn.

Overalls

To keep sphinxes or other short-haired pets from freezing, you can sew them a soft jumpsuit made of fleece or knitwear. To prevent the seams from irritating or putting pressure on the skin, it is better to place them on the front side of the product and trim them with a beautiful braid.

The same pattern, but only in a more simplified form, with straight lines instead of curved ones, is suitable for a knitted product.

The tuxedo

Only professionals or those who have extensive experience can handle sewing such a complex garment. You need to know how to not only cut, this small thing has a rather complex finish.

A tuxedo is easier to knit. Moreover, they knit it like a sweater, adjusting the length of the product if necessary, since its front part should be much longer than the back. The butterfly can be made black, or you can deviate from accepted norms and knit it from bright colored threads.

Airy skirt

In a fluffy and bright skirt, the Sphynx cat will look charming. You can sew it quite quickly, and without using a sewing machine:

1. A rectangle is cut out of organza or nylon. Its height is the length of the future product, and its width should be equal to the girth of the cat’s torso along with an increase that provides volume. If the cat is small, the height of the skirt can be 15 or 20 cm. The width is chosen individually, usually up to 150 cm.
2. Using a regular sewing needle, the long side is evenly gathered onto the thread. Its length should slightly exceed the waist circumference of the sphinx.
3. An elegant ribbon-belt is sewn onto a thread with gathered fabric.

Sew the sides of the rectangle as desired. They decorate the “Chopin tutu” (this is the name of the model) with bows and flowers made of the same airy and light material.

Vest without pattern

The vest doesn't even need a diagram. You'll need an old sweater. And for a small kitten, you can take a warm baby sock. The manufacturing process is as follows:

1. The cut sleeve is laid out on the table with the seam down and the fold up.
2. The sleeve cap will be the lower part of the vest, so it is cut in a certain way. The back should be longer, and the part related to the stomach should be shorter. Then the braid is folded or sewn.
3. The seam should be at the front of the vest. The part of the sleeve or sock with the elastic should match the collar.
4. In order to determine the location of the armholes, apply the blank to the pet, and then cut out ovals and process their edges.

To sew a vest from a sock, remove its toe and heel parts. Since this item is quite elastic, all that remains is to determine the length of the vest and cut out the holes for the front legs.

Insulated option for walking

If your pet needs to go for walks, the fabrics used to sew the overalls should be waterproof. And the warm lining and synthetic padding will protect it from strong winds. To ensure that such clothes do not restrict movement, the pattern should be increased, as well as seam allowances. You can knit a soft sweater from double yarn and sew a knit lining to it.

Fabric cutting, fitting and sewing

Before cutting, the fabric needs to be washed and ironed to make sure how much it shrinks. In this case, you should definitely take this into account when sewing and select a slightly larger size than the animal needs.

The layout of the blanks is carried out on the fabric folded in half from large elements to smaller ones so that the direction of the grain thread becomes parallel to the edge of the fold.

Then do the following:

• secure the paper template with pins to the fabric and carefully trace the design;
• then cut out all the necessary parts, not forgetting the seam allowances;
• sweep them away with a bright thread and put the resulting clothes on the cat;
• If there are any problems, apply the markings necessary to correct them with chalk.

Well-fitted clothing items can be finally put together. First, fasten the upper, located on the back, and the lower, running along the stomach, halves of the suit. The seams on the sides and in the shoulder girdle are sewn with a zigzag stitch with flat overlapping stitches. The width of the armhole must be selected depending on the purpose of the item of clothing, narrowing it for a winter version of the suit, and widening it for a summer T-shirt.

Then you need to process the edges of the clothing. To do this, you can use a braid with an elastic band. It is attached from the front side with the same zigzag stitches, stretching it a little before doing so, so that the braid does not gather and compress the edges too much. This will not only prevent the edges from fraying, but will also be a nice decoration for your cat costume.

The last stage is sewing fasteners and accessories to decorate the costume. There are a large number of fasteners that you can choose from for your cat suit. There are several recommendations in this regard, but first of all it is necessary to take into account the breed of the animal.

The zipper is best for smooth-haired pets, otherwise the hair will get stuck in the mechanism. In the same way, hairs will linger on Velcro. Universal fastenings are buttons that can be placed either on the back or under the chest of the animal.

After completing all these operations, you will make a luxurious costume for your pet.