Dog Print Dog Bed and Coat

On a chilly winter’s night, every hound deserves to unwind in comfort and style. This project includes a padded dog bed, suitable for a medium-sized pooch, and a fetching outer garment. We used a quirky dog print by Ashley Wilde, but any canine-related design will do.

Essentials

**Dog bed**
Fabric: furnishing weight, printed, 100cm x 140cm; plain, 100cm x 140cm
Thread, matching
Polyester filled pillows, two

**Dog coat**
Fabric furnishing weight, printed, 40cm x 50cm
Fleece, matching, 40cm x 50cm
Bias binding, 200cm
Buttons, small, two
Velcro, iron-on, 5cm x 200cm

Dimensions List

Dog coat, 23cm x 28cm (tummy 30cm to 40cm)
Dog bed, 65cm x 45cm x 20cm

Stitch a dog bed

Cut out the fabric following the cutting guide. Fold the front panels in half lengthways. Download the front panel template. Pin the template to the top right corner so that the straight side edge lies over the fold and cut out. Repeat for the second front panel piece. Allow for a 1.5cm seam throughout. With right sides facing, pin the ends of the two inner sides to the inner back piece. Pin the front panel to the other ends. Machine stitch the seams, from the top.
Draw a 1.5cm square in each corner of the inner base, on the right side. With right sides facing, pin and tack the inner base to the front, back and sides. Check that the pattern lies in the right direction. The pressed back seam allowances should line up with the edges of the corner squares. With the side, front and back uppermost, stitch the two together, turning the fabric through 90? at each corner. Press the seam open.
Make up the outer bed in the same way, but leave a 40cm opening in the centre of the back seam. Press back the seam allowance on each side of this opening. With right sides facing, pin, tack and stitch the inner and outer beds together around the top edge, lining up the seams and the curved edges. Clip into the seam allowance along the curves, then turn right side out through the back opening. Press lightly.
Using a double length of sewing thread, and small running stitches, sew the inner and outer beds together along the four corner seams. Stuff the front section with pillow filling, distributing it evenly. Close the section by hand sewing the inner and outer beds together along the bottom edge. Fill the side and back sections in the same way, then fill the base. Sew the two sides of the opening securely together to complete.

Make a coat

Download the dog coat templates. Cut out the pieces. Pin the lining to the wrong side of the fabric coat, matching the edges exactly. Tack together around the outside. Next, bind the edges, starting from one front corner and working from right to left. Unfold the top turning of the bias binding and line the raw edge up with the edge of the printed fabric. Tack the binding through both layers following the crease line, easing it around the corners. Machine stitch along the crease and unpick the tacking. Fold the binding to the wrong side and tack it down so that the folded edge lies just outside the stitch line. Slip stitch in place.
Pin the fleece and fabric tabs together in pairs, then bind the side and bottom edges in the same way. Cut velcro in half lengthways and round off the corners. Separate one piece and iron the looped side along the top of the left tab and the hooked side to the underside of the right tab in the corresponding position.
With fleece sides facing, pin and tack the tabs to the wrong side of the coat in the marked positions. Machine stitch 1cm from the edge, then open. Working from the right side, slip stitch the edge of the binding securely to the top of the tabs. Trim the other part of the velcro to fit the neck fastening and iron in place. Finish one side with two buttons.