Craft the Perfect Pet Bandana
Who can resist the charm of a dog or cat sporting a stylish bandana? If you’re tired of those plain fabric triangles slipping off your pet’s neck, it’s time to discover a game-changing design. you can create a bandana that slides over your pet’s collar, ensuring it stays put no matter how playful they get. Let’s make every pet look their best, one bandana at a time!
What you need:
- Fat quarter (or up to ½ yard depending on size of bandana desired) cotton fabric
- ¼ inch presser foot
- Sewing thread, pins (or clips), marking pen, quilting ruler with a 45 degree line, scissors or rotary cutter and mat
Preparation:
- Measure the length and width of your pet’s collar.
- Using the measurements of the collar create a pattern on a piece of paper as pictured below. Draw a rectangle at the top. That rectangle should have a width 4-5” less than the length of the collar and ¾” taller than the widest piece of hardware on the collar. (You may need to adjust depending on the size of your pet.)
- Line up the 45-degree line on your ruler with the bottom of the rectangle. Draw a line from the bottom of each side of the rectangle meeting at the bottom center.
Cut:
- Audition the pattern on your pet to make sure it’s not too small or too large before cutting your fabric.
- Using your pattern cut 2, a front and a lining. For directional fabric, make sure it’s facing the right direction.
Assemble:
- Fold the short straight ends of the rectangle about ½” and Press.
- Unfold. Fold the raw edge to the press line and press. Fold then press again encasing the raw edge inside the original fold. Pin and stitch a hem close to the inside folded edge. Repeat for the other side of the front and the lining. This will finish the opening for the collar.
- Pin the front and back, right sides together along the top edge and around the diagonal sides of the triangle piece.
- Stitch a ¼” seam at the top edge and around the diagonal sides of the triangle leaving the opening for the collar open.
- Clip the point of the triangle.
- Turn right side out through one of the collar openings.
- Press.
- Draw a line with a marking pen from the bottom of one opening to the other side.
- Stitch along that line.
- Pull your pet’s collar through the opening.
- Place the collar with bandana back on your pet. You can let the bandana hang on their chest or their back.