Your dog or cat deserves a fall outfit too — and this one takes about 30 minutes, uses very little fabric, and makes a sweet handmade gift for any pet lover on your list. This fall leaves pet bandana slips right onto your pet’s own collar, so there is nothing to tie, snap, or knot around their neck. One side is a rich packed fall leaves print, the other a warm pumpkin solid — reversible, for full autumn on leaf-peeping walks or simple pumpkin for Thanksgiving photos.
What You’ll Make
One reversible, over-the-collar pet bandana. The top edge forms a channel (a casing) that the collar slides through, so it stays put and comes off in seconds for washing. The steps make a medium bandana, about 10″ wide, which suits most medium dogs and larger cats, with simple notes to go smaller or larger. Measure your pet’s collar first, and size up in width rather than length so the point does not hang too low.
Materials
6 of the 7 materials below (86%) are available at Linda’s — links included. The last one is a basic you probably already have.
- Brown Autumn Packed Fall Leaves Wideback Fabric Per Yard — the featured print for the front. A small cut makes one bandana, and this wide fabric leaves plenty for gift bandanas too. Get it at Linda’s.
- 285 Pumpkin Moda Grunge - Fat Quarter — the reversible back in a warm pumpkin solid. One fat quarter is more than enough for a medium bandana. Get it at Linda’s.
- Pellon Lightweight Nonwoven Fusible Interfacing 20″ White By The Yard — fused to the print to help the bandana hold its shape after washing. Get it at Linda’s.
- 1103 Burgundy Aurifil Cotton 50wt Large Spool — a deep fall red that blends with both fabrics for seams and topstitching. Get it at Linda’s.
- Olfa Deluxe 45mm Rotary Cutter — for clean, straight cuts. Scissors work too, but a rotary cutter makes the angled sides effortless. Get it at Linda’s.
- Riley Blake Designs Quilty Clips — hold the layers together while you sew, without pins near the point. Get it at Linda’s.
- Plain paper and a pencil — for drawing your simple template. Any paper you have at home works.
Steps
- Measure the collar. Lay the collar flat. For a medium bandana, plan a top edge about 10″ long, and leave the buckle and D-ring free when it is worn.
- Make your template. On paper, draw the top edge: 10″ for medium, about 7″ for a cat or small dog, about 12″ for a large dog. Mark the center, then draw two angled lines down to a point about 7″ below the center (about 5″ for small, 9″ for large). Cut out the shape.
- Cut your fabrics. Using the template, cut one piece from the leaves print and one from the pumpkin fat quarter. Cut one matching piece of interfacing, trim it slightly smaller, and fuse it to the wrong side of the print piece following the package directions.
- Sew the angled sides. Place the fabric pieces right sides together and clip along the two angled sides. Sew them with a 1/4″ seam, leaving the whole top edge open. Clip the point carefully without cutting your stitches, turn right side out, and press flat.
- Make the collar casing. Fold the open top edge down about 1 1/2″ toward the back (pumpkin) side — enough for the collar to slide through easily — and press. Topstitch along the folded edge to form the channel, then give it a final press.
- Fit it. Slide the collar through the casing and put it on your pet as normal. The collar should fasten exactly as it usually does, with the bandana sitting flat without pulling. You are done!
Tips
Pre-wash both fabrics if the bandana will be washed often — pet accessories earn it. Make a batch in different fall prints for easy, flat-to-mail gifts; they fold into a card envelope. Skip glued-on decorations, buttons, or charms, which can be chewed off. Use it only with a properly fitted collar, check it for wear before each use, and supervise your pet while wearing it, as with any pet accessory.
Where to Get Everything
Six of the seven materials — the fall leaves fabric, the pumpkin fat quarter, the Pellon interfacing, the Burgundy Aurifil thread, the Olfa rotary cutter, and the Quilty Clips — are all at Linda’s, linked above: 86% of the list from one shop. The only remaining item, plain paper and a pencil, is something most homes already have; if not, find it at most craft stores, office-supply stores, or your local quilt shop. Happy sewing — and happy fall walks!
