Episode #8 - From Dog Wear Sketch to Sellable Pattern – A Roadmap from Patterns to Profits
Episode Air Date: May 12, 2025
Runtime: 15:07
✨ Episode Summary
In this episode, Jill Bartlett shares the heartwarming story behind the Cottage Comforts Coat – a design inspired by her late mother’s red plaid jacket.
From that initial spark of nostalgia to creating a pattern that others can sew, Jill walks through the process of turning a simple memory into a cozy, sellable dog coat.
If you’ve ever wanted to turn your own design ideas into patterns, this episode is for you.
🕒 Episode Highlights
Here are a few key moments from this episode:
[00:00] – The Memory That Sparked a Design
A bolt of red plaid fleece brings Jill back to her late mother’s cozy jacket – a feeling she wanted to recreate for Scout.
[01:20] – Creating the Cottage Comforts Coat
How a simple memory inspired a cozy dog coat that captured the feeling of a warm hug.
[03:47] – Deciding on Key Design Elements
Should it be Velcro or a zipper? Faux sheepskin just on the collar or throughout? Jill weighs her options.
[06:19] – Measuring Beyond the Basics
Why chest circumference and back length aren’t enough – and the key measurements that make or break the fit.
[08:47] – Grading the Coat for Multiple Sizes
Jill discusses adjusting the design to fit from tiny Chihuahuas to large Great Danes.
[10:28] – Digitizing the Design for Resale
The steps Jill took to turn her pattern into a printable, sellable product – complete with labels, notches, and zipper placement.
[13:52] – A Memory Woven into Every Stitch
Jill reflects on how creating the Cottage Comforts coat brought her closer to her late mother and why those stories matter in design.
🧵 What You’ll Learn
- How a simple piece of fabric can inspire an entire design.
- The importance of using a base pattern as a starting point.
- How to decide on design modifications while maintaining the pattern’s structure.
- Why measuring beyond the basics is crucial for a proper fit.
- The role of digitizing in creating a printable, shareable pattern.
- How to package your pattern with clear instructions and branding.
- The power of storytelling when launching a design.
🎙 Full Episode Transcript
(click to expand and read the full transcript)
00;00;00;00 - 00;00;26;06 – You know how sometimes something as simple as a piece of fabric can bring you right back to a memory, one so vivid that you can almost feel it? That happened to me a while ago. I was in a fabric store, just wandering around the aisles when I saw it. It was a bolt of red plaid fleece, and in an instant, I was right back with my mom.
00;00;26;08 - 00;00;51;19 – She had this red plaid jacket that she just loved. It was such a cozy jacket. It was soft and warm, and it had that just perfect feeling of a warm hug. After she passed away, I got that jacket and wearing it always made me feel like I was getting a warm hug from her. That was the feeling I wanted to recreate.
00;00;51;20 - 00;01;20;16 – And because I'm Scout's mom, I wanted to create a dog coat for her that had that same cozy feeling, that warm hug kind of feeling to it. And that's how the Cottage Comforts dog coat came to be. It was born from a memory, a feeling, and one simple fabric that I found while walking in the fabric store.
00;01;20;18 - 00;01;49;11 – Today I'm sharing how I took that memory – that warm, comforting feeling of my mom's red plaid jacket – and turned it into a coat pattern that not only kept Scout warm, but also brought me a little closer to her. If you've ever had a design idea that felt personal, or you've wanted to take a simple concept and turn it into something other people could make too, then this episode is for you.
00;01;49;13 - 00;02;18;09 – We're going to walk through the whole process that I took when I was making this jacket, from that first spark of inspiration to a sellable pattern. Real quick, before we get into the episode, if you've ever found yourself adjusting patterns or dreaming up ideas for your dog, you might be closer to being a pattern designer than you think.
00;02;18;11 - 00;02;55;02 – My course Patterns to Profits was made for people just like you. People who don't necessarily see themselves as designers yet but know they have ideas worth exploring. I show you a framework to walk you through the full process – from measuring dogs, researching trends, and choosing fabrics, to using Illustrator to digitize your design, grading it for multiple sizes, packaging it with instructions, and marketing it.
00;03;23;19 - 00;03;47;19 – The fabric was soft and thick, perfect for a cozy dog coat, but I knew it couldn't be just a basic coat. I wanted to bring in those little touches that made my mom's jacket so special – the warmth, the snug fit, and a few details to make it stand out. Before I started sketching, I pulled out my Cozy Coat pattern.
00;05;36;20 - 00;05;56;26 – In the course that I run, it's called From Patterns to Profits. I actually include a whole set of templates, including the top and three-quarter views as well, because when you're making modifications, seeing the coat in all sorts of different angles really can make a huge difference.
00;08;18;15 - 00;08;47;03 – Adjusting the belly band so there was room around the front legs but not so far back that it got in the way when a dog peed. Scaling the collar width without losing that snug, cozy feel and ensuring that the zipper stayed in place without puckering.
00;10;28;15 - 00;10;57;23 – Since I was planning to sell this Cottage Comforts coat as a pattern, I needed a digital version that people could print out and sew themselves. In my course, I do show you how to take your base pattern and trace it in Illustrator, clean up the lines, and make it easy to print and share.
00;13;52;23 - 00;14;19;11 – So that's the story of how the Cottage Comforts coat came to be – from a simple walk down the aisle in a fabric store to a pattern that people could sew and share – just like that feeling of a warm hug from my mom.
00;14;19;13 - 00;15;04;22 – Thanks for hanging out with me today. If you have a memory or a piece of fabric that's been calling out to you, don't let it sit there. Create something. This is your challenge for the week – make something with emotional meaning. You never know whose heart it might touch.
📥 Ready to Take the Next Step?
Ready to take your dog wear designs to the next level? Download the free Dog Coat Sketch Templates and start bringing your ideas to life.
And if you’re ready to learn how to grade, digitize, and package your patterns to sell, check out From Patterns to Profits – enrollment is only open a few times a year!
🛠 Resources & Links Mentioned
- Download the Free Dog Coat Sketch Templates – Start sketching your dog wear ideas today. Download Here
- From Patterns to Profits Course – Learn how to turn your sketches into sellable patterns. Join Here
- Visit the Blog – See Scout wearing the Cottage Comforts Coat in a cozy winter setting. Read the Blog Here
💬 Got Questions or Feedback?
Got a Dog Coat Design Idea? Are you sitting on an idea that you'd like to turn into a dog coat?
Let me know in our Thank Dog We Made It Creative Circle — or tag me on Instagram @thankdogwemadeit or send me a DM.
I’d love to hear your ideas or see what you’re working on!
If you enjoyed this episode: Please follow the podcast so you don’t miss what’s next, and feel free to share it with a friend who might have that spark of a designer in them too. Leaving a quick review also helps more people find the show — and it truly means the world to me. 💛
