Make long car journeys more pleasant for your four-legged friend!
We have prepared a great sewing tutorial for all dog lovers. People spend a lot of time outdoors with their dogs. And if you take your four-legged friend with you on a car journey, you often have to deal with cleaning the car afterwards. But that can be avoided by sewing a waterproof dog blanket for your car and outdoors.
A DIY dog car cover combines protection, comfort and style.
Let's sew a custom dog blanket together. The size of the sewn blanket: approx. 46” x 39.4” (117 x 100 cm).
What size should a dog car cover be?
The size of the dog car cover depends on the size of your dog and the desired coverage area. It is important that the blanket be large enough to cover the area where your dog will sit or lie down, while still allowing sufficient freedom of movement.
The blanket should be large enough to cover the seat or back of the car seat and provide protection from dirt, pet hair and moisture. It should cover the entire seat and ideally also protect the edges and sides of the seat.
What fabric is best for a dog car cover or dog cover for outdoor?
Water-repellent fabrics such as ripstop nylon, polyester, softshell as well as waterproof fabrics such as polyester with PVC coating or nylon with PU coating are best for a dog cover for outdoor.
When sewing a dog blanket, it is important that the chosen fabric is easy to clean and durable. Pay attention to the washing instructions of the fabric and choose one that is machine washable to make cleaning easier. You can also use waterproof materials or a water-repellent coating if needed to ensure the blanket is waterproof.
You will need the following for your dog blanket for car:
- Outdoor or waterproof fabric
- Reverse fabric (fleece, fleece fabrics, teddy etc.)
- Thread to match the fabric
- Your own textile or woven label
- Individual DTF iron-on picture (e.g. photo of your dog)
How to make a dog car cover:
1. Cut the two fabrics (outdoor fabric and reverse fabric) according to the shape and size of the trunk. If necessary, make a template with cardboard. Place both fabrics right sides together and secure all around with clips or pins.
2. Add a rounding to the 4 corners. We used a roll of tape as a template and marked the rounded corners with a distance of 1 cm from the edge.
3. Topstitch the two fabrics with a 3 stitch, working a little slower on the curves. Leave a turnaround opening of approx. 15 cm on the short side.
4. Tidy the rounded edges, again leaving 1 cm of fabric.
5. Either cut into the rounded corners up to the seam or cut out triangles. Be careful! Do not cut too close to the seam.
6. Turn the fabric inside out and smooth the corners and seam edges, using an iron on low heat if necessary.
7. Now topstitch with a decorative seam or a straight stitch (4 to 5) at a distance of 0.7 mm from the edge. You can also use a thread in a contrasting color if you wish.
8. Insert your custom woven label into the turn opening and topstitch it.
FYI: The outdoor fabric is intended more for wet four-legged friends. The cuddly fabric is for transporting dry four-legged friends. The fabrics are usually washable up to 30 degrees.
9. DTF transfer - iron on a photo of your dog to label and finish the car seat cover.
Have fun sewing your dog car cover!
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