When I saw an over-the-collar dog bandana at the Cumberland Valley Quilt Show a few months ago, I thought it would be the cutest gift for my parents’ dog Clyde. Then I started thinking of all the people with dogs in their lives… and suddenly I had the perfect Christmas gift on my hands!
I brought a prototype for Clyde to try on at Thanksgiving, and whipped up 15 more once I was back home. These are super easy to make, and great for chain piecing big batches. In red and green, they made great holiday presents, but of course you can make them in any color (and any size).
I looked up a few tutorials, but in the end I used the first scarf to make a template. Here’s a good tutorial with more info on how to make your own pattern: Reversible Over the Collar Dog Bandana via Cut Out + Keep
I used a piece of poster board to trace the shape of the scarf, then added another inch at the top to account for the seam allowance. The final measurements of the pattern were 9-1/2″ inches across the top, 5″ along the sides, and 9-1/2″ inches from top to bottom.
I traced the template with the top edge lined up with a folded edge of fabric, getting about 2 scarves out of one fat quarter of fabric. Then you just fold it in half (right sides together), sew one seam around the edges, and leave a 3-inch hole for tuning. Turn out the right sides, then close the hole with a topstitch seam along the three sides. Fold down the top half to make the hole for the collar – you can make this custom for specific collars, but 2 inches seems fine for most collars.
(Sorry for the lack of pics! I was in go-go-sew mode and forgot all about it.)
Clyde was the perfect model! Isn’t he dapper?
The scarves were a hit at Christmastime, and I couldn’t resist snapping pics of a few of the dogs, from co-workers to family. So cute!
The Amateur Librarian 
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