How to Make Coats for Sheep

When raising sheep for their fiber, it is important to keep the wool clean and free from debris. Before wool is made into yarn, the fiber goes through intense cleaning to rid it of hay, seeds, and other assorted debris the sheep pick up from their surroundings. Carding the wool removes quite a bit of this debris, but it is very difficult to get it all. Protect a sheep's wool coat with a human-made coat to keep the fiber in good condition prior to shearing.

Things You'll Need

  • Sturdy, water-resistent material
  • Measuring tape or sheep measurements
  • Scissors
  • Sewing machine
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Instructions

  1. Sewing a Sheep Coat

    • 1
      Debris from hay can become lodged in the dense wool of a sheep.

      Choose a fabric to use. It is ideal to have something sturdy and water-repellent that won't cause friction and felting with the wool, and that breathes well. Finding a fabric that works best for your sheep can become expensive or difficult to locate, depending on which type of fabric you select. A synthetic usually works well, similar to what a windbreaker is made of. The water is repelled and wool is protected, yet the sheep won't get too hot because the fabric is fairly lightweight. Plan for about 1 1/2 yards of fabric per coat, to allow for extra.

    • 2
      Measure your sheep before beginning to sew the coat.

      Determine the size of the coat needed. Take into consideration not only the size of the animal, but the wool growth rate. If the coat is put on the animal in autumn, the wool grows considerably throughout the winter. If a coat is too tight on the wool, it can cause the wool to felt. Take measurements of the sheep ahead of time, so you have a general idea of what size to make a coat. The length of the coat goes from about the shoulders to the tail, and the coat's depth (down the side of the sheep) is generally about half the length. For example; if the sheep is 40 inches long, the coat should hang about 20 inches from the top of the animal's back.

    • 3
      Hemming the edges of fabric prevents fraying and unravelling.

      Cut out the main rectangular panel to form the sides of the coat. The fabric cut from the bolt should already be folded, and plan for that fold to lie on the length of the animal's back. Use the length measurements and decide how long the rectangular piece of fabric should be. Using the example, the length is cut to 40 inches. Estimate half of that length for the depth of the piece. In the example, the piece of fabric is a folded rectangle with the fold at the top, measuring 40-by-20 inches. On one end of the folded edge, whichever end is used at the neck opening, cut back about 2 inches, then trim down about 9 inches. Using a sewing machine, hem the edges or simply sew a zig-zag stitch around the sides to prevent fraying and unravelling.

    • 4
      The size of the coat can vary significantly, based on the size of a sheep.

      Cut a section of fabric to be used for the chest and neck area. The size of the chest piece can vary based on your preferences; it can be a rectangular panel, or a thinner strap style. 10-by-12 inches is a good base point for a rectangular chest piece, but add a few inches for larger sheep with wide chests. At the top of the chest piece, cut a semi-circle about 2 inches deep at its lowest point for the neck opening. Unfold the large rectangular piece for the sides of the coat. Align the corners of the top of the chest piece to the area on the rectangle 9 inches down that was trimmed in for the neck opening. Pin in place if necessary, wrong sides together, and sew the sides of the chest piece to the corresponding sides of the rectangular body piece. There should be an oval area open for the neck. Turn coat right-side out after the neck piece is attached.

    • 5
      Leave enough slack in the leg strap to accomodate the sheep's leg.

      Using the leftover fabric, cut two pieces for leg straps. The pieces are approximately 15 to 20 inches long by 5 inches wide. Fold the long sides in and stitch into place. The final leg strap is now about 1 to 2 inches wide, and is better reinforced because of the added layers. On the lower rear corners of the main sheep coat piece, a leg strap is sewn on each side. One end of the leg strap is sewn right into the corner of the large coat piece, leaving the rest of the leg strap along the bottom edge of the coat. Do not sew the leg straps flat onto the coat, but leave several inches of slack to give room for the sheep's leg. Attach both leg straps to the coat. Hem or zig-zag stitch any unfinished fabric edges before using.