Did you know that it is National Dog Day on August 26th? It is celebrated on this day each year to honor dogs and the companionship, loyalty and love they bring to people’s lives. This day also aims to raise awareness about the importance of adopting dogs from shelters, promoting their well-being, and acknowledging the roles that service and working dogs play in society!
To celebrate the dogs in our lives, we decided to hop on the sewing machine and make some doggy bandanas. Not just any bandanas, however. We used the joyful prints of Marimekko cotton fabric. Marimekko, known for its bold patterns and vibrant colors, upgrades any dog’s wardrobe and offers a fun way to pamper your pet! Not only is it visually appealing, but Marimekko is a pioneer in the world of fabric printing, meaning their products are high-quality and reliable.
Getting Started
We followed step-by-step directions from the Spoonflower blog. We also used their helpful dog bandana template to get the right dimensions for the different sized dogs. This tutorial offers dog bandanas that loop around the collar instead of tying around the neck. This means you don’t have to worry about knots or them falling off when the dogs are playing!
We set out to make four different bandanas for four different dogs. This included our small dachshund office-dog Zaza, two large black labs named Winnie and Molly, and a medium-sized English springer spaniel named Bella. When choosing the Marimekko fabric print, we wanted to make sure it was small-scale enough to see the entire pattern, especially for tiny dogs like Zaza! We landed on using the classic black and white blooms of Marimekko Unikko in the mini scale, as well as the fun polka dots of Marimekko Räsymatto in a peach and off-white colorway.
Supplies Needed
- Marimekko fabric
- Fabric scissors (we recommend Fiskars)
- Spoonflower’s dog template
- Iron
- Sewing Machine
- Thread
- Pins
If you are not extremely experienced on the sewing machine, don’t worry! As beginner sewers with minimal experience, we were still able to tackle this project. If you are just starting to sew and use the sewing machine, this is a great project to gain some basic skills and comfortability with sewing.
How to Make Marimekko Dog Bandanas
Start off by choosing the right size from Spoonflower’s bandana template. To make sure you pick the right dimensions, simply measure the length of your dog’s collar and divide that by two.
Next, lay the template on top of your fabric and cut using fabric scissors. Notice that the template depicts one half of the bandana, so make sure your fabric is folded over when you make the cut.
Now, hem the bandana. Fold down each edge of the bandana about ¼”. Spoonflower’s tutorial calls for a double hem, meaning you would fold it over another ¼”. We tested out both a single hem and double hem on our bandanas, so either would work. After making the folds, we ironed them out to make sure they stayed flat and then pinned them in place.
Now, it’s time to hop on the sewing machine and top-stitch the hems you just made:
After securing the hems, fold over the top of the bandana to make the collar loop. The fold-over will depend on the size of your dog’s collar. It helped us to measure the width of the specific dog’s collar at its widest point and add another ½” to the fold-over for some wiggle room. Pin in place, and top-stitch across the long edge of the pocket:
The Finished Product
You’re done! Here’s what the final stitching looks like:
Finally, slip your custom-made doggy bandana over the dog’s collar to dress up your furry friend. Our bandana models are pictured below, and looking as stylish as ever!
Winnie (left) and Zaza (right) are wearing the Marimekko Räsymatto bandanas. Räsymatto is a classic Marimekko print that was designed by Maija Loukari in 2009. It translates to “rag rug,” and the simple polka dots are meant to mimic the geometric pattern found in traditional woven Finnish rugs and handmade textiles. Based on the template, Winnie is wearing a size large-XL and Zaza is wearing a size small.
Bella (left) and Molly (right) are wearing the Marimekko Unikko bandanas. Unikko, translating to “Poppy,” is one of Marimekko’s most famous print designs. It was first introduced in 1964 and designed by Maija Isola, and it remains an iconic pattern among Marimekko’s design archive. The pattern celebrates its 60th anniversary in the year 2024, and limited-edition Unikko fabric prints have been released in honor of this special milestone. Based on the template, Bella is wearing a size medium and Molly is wearing a size large-xl.
