Create a Mat for Your Dog

Materials required :
Therefore, you would need at least 219.8 cm + 135.9 cm = 355.7 cm of fabric for the ruffles, plus the meter of fabric needed for the mat.

Fabric Quantity : If your fabric width is 140cm, you will need two and a half 355cm strips to get the length needed for the ruffles. This means you will need to cut and join three strips for each ruffle on the rug (that's two ruffles)

Process

Step 1: Cut the Circles

To create the base of your mat, start by cutting out a circle. Here's how to do it easily and precisely:

Fold the Fabric :

Take the fabric you chose and fold it into four equal parts. Make sure the edges are aligned to create a symmetrical circle.
Locating the Center : Once the fabric is folded, find the point at the bottom left center of the fabric. This will be the point from which you will measure the radius.
Measuring the Radius : For a 55cm diameter mat, the radius is 27.5cm. Using a ruler or tape measure, place the end at the center point you marked and measure 27.5cm outward in all directions.
Marking the Circle : As you measure the distance, mark small dots with a pencil or chalk along the edge of the fabric. In the end, you will have a set of dots that will outline a perfect circle.

Cut :

Carefully join the drawn points with a light line using chalk or an erasable marker and then proceed to cut along this line. Unfold the fabric to reveal your beautiful circle.

You should have 2 circles, the top and the base. For the base I used bonded blanket but you can use any fabric you like.

Step 2: Form the Ruffle Strips

Now that you have your circle cut, it's time to prepare the strips for the ruffles. For the 55 cm rug, I'll explain how to do it:

Measure and Cut the Strips :

If you bought enough fabric, great - you can cut the strips directly. For each ruffle strip, you'll need 280 cm of fabric. If you didn't buy enough, don't worry - you can join strips together to get the length you need!

Joining the Fabric Strips :

If you need to join several pieces, start by cutting strips of fabric approximately 8cm wide . Make sure the strips are long enough to achieve the required 280cm .

French seam :

To join the strips so that they look nice, use the French seam technique. Here you can find a diagram on how to do the French seam. You can also just overlock or zigzag stitch, the important thing is that the seams do not fray.

Finishes for the Ruffles :

Once you have your ruffle strips ready, it is important to finish the edges to prevent them from fraying. You can choose to:

Make a Hem : Fold the edge of the strip inward and sew it in place. (If you choose this option you should consider leaving the necessary seam allowance)

Zig Zag Stitch : If you prefer, you can use the zig zag stitch with your sewing machine to secure the edge.

Overlock : If you have an overlock machine, use it for a professional finish. If your machine has a scallop option, you can use that too! I used this option and you can see in our TikTok how I set up my Brother Overlock to do it.

Strip Finish :

Remember that you will only be finishing one edge of one of the ruffle strips. On the second strip, make sure you finish both sides.

Step 3: Baste the Strips and Create the Ruffles

Now that you have your ruffle strips ready, it's time to create the ruffles and prepare them for attaching to the mat. This step is crucial to ensure that your ruffles turn out nice and even.

Prepare the Machine :

Set your machine's stitch setting to the widest length. For me, the stitch length is 5.0 . This will allow you to baste more easily and effectively.

Basting the Ruffle Strips :

For the ruffle that will go on the outside, make two basting seams:

First Seam : Make a stitch 0.2 cm from the edge of the strip.
Second Seam : Make another stitch 0.4 cm from the edge.
These two seams will help you gather the fabric better and achieve a more uniform finish.

Baste the Inner Ruffle :

For the ruffle that goes inside and has finishes on the sides, you will only need one basting seam: Sew right in the middle of the strip, which will allow you to gather it evenly.

Gathering the Strips :

Now that you have your basting seams, it's time to gather. Pull the threads of the basting seams (be careful and patient, so that the threads don't break). Adjust the amount of gathering until you get the length you need (174 cm for the 55 cm mat).

Placing the Ruffles on the Mat :

Once they are gathered, place the first ruffle on the mat right sides together. Here are some tips to make sure they are even and harmonious:

Alignment : Place the ruffle so that it is centered and evenly spaced all around the edge of the rug. This will ensure that the gathering looks consistent.

Spacing : Use pins or clips to secure the ruffle to the mat while you adjust the gathering. This will help keep everything in place while you sew.

Sewing the First Ruffle: With a 1cm seam allowance all around the doily. When sewing be patient and make sure your gathers are correctly sewn. 

Once you have sewn the first ruffle, proceed to attach the second one. Make sure you are not sewing the bottom of the doily (the seam allowance) and make sure to keep a distance of approximately 1cm between the seam of this ruffle and the edge of the first ruffle. This will create an attractive and balanced visual effect.

Step 4: Cover the Mat

Now that you have your ruffles in place and they are ready, it is time to line your rug. This step will not only give it a professional finish, but it will also protect the seams and make your rug even more attractive. Follow these simple steps:

Prepare the Lining Circle :
Take the second circle of fabric you cut out previously and place it on the mat, making sure that the right sides of both pieces of fabric are facing each other (i.e. the pretty side of both pieces should be touching).

Check the Placement of the Ruffles :
Before sewing, check that all the ruffles are properly aligned and in place. Make sure that they are not twisted or out of position, as this will affect the final finish of the doily.

Sew around :
Sew all around the edge of the mat, 1cm away from the edge. Use a straight stitch to ensure the seams are strong and durable.

Leave an Opening :
Very important: leave a 10cm opening somewhere along the edge. This opening will allow you to turn the mat over once you have sewn everything together.

Flip the Mat :
Once you've finished sewing, it's time to turn the doily over. Do this carefully, making sure that the ruffles are positioned properly and that there are no folds in the fabric.
Close the Opening :
After turning the mat over, close the opening. You can do this in two ways:

By machine : Use your sewing machine to sew along the opening, making sure it is sealed. Be careful not to sew the ruffles in this process, just the doilies.
By hand : If you prefer a cleaner finish, you can sew by hand using an invisible stitch to make the seam less visible.

Final steps

Once your mat is ready, you can add appliqués to make it prettier! I used 3 bows made with velvet ribbon and I loved the result.

And that's it! The circular rug with ruffles is now very flirtatious. It looks like a pretty pastel and Rat loved it! Obviously mine looks pastel but if you change the fabrics it will have a different feel. What happens if the ruffles are made of checked poplin or a floral print? How would it look if everything was printed? The options are endless (:

We know that working with ruffles can be very laborious and requires a certain level of skill. We invite you to try it! But we also leave you with an easier option. This option is great if you want to reuse garments, since you will only need squares of different fabrics.

Option 2

Materials Needed for a 45x60 cm Mat

• 12 squares of cotton fabric (each 17 x 17 cm)
• Background fabric: 70 x 55 cm
• Wadding: 70 x 55 cm
• Bias: 220 cm (2.5 cm wide)

Instructions for making the mat

Prepare the Top Fabric

Cut the fabric squares into 17 x 17 cm sizes (14 pieces in total). These pieces already include 1 cm seam allowance so that they will finally measure 15 x 15 cm.
Arrange the pieces in the layout you prefer, making 3 rows of 4 squares each.

Sew the

Join the squares: Respecting the 1 cm seam allowance, join each square. You can round the corners as shown in the illustration above. Once joined, topstitch .2 cm from the seams.

Placing the Batting: We are going to make a sandwich. You do not have to turn this mat over because you are going to put bias binding all around it. If you do not want to put bias binding on it, you can choose to arrange it so that you turn it over and then sew the opening where you turned it over. For the bias binding option, place your assembled mat with the right sides of the squares facing you, the batting underneath and the base fabric underneath with the right side facing the table. Sew a 1 cm seam all the way around to join them together. Trim the excess batting and the bottom fabric so that they measure 45x60 cm.

Adding bias: Once you have your mat with three layers, it is time to add the final finishing touch, the bias. To do this, first sew one side of the bias to the edge, respecting the seam allowance of the bias. Then turn it over and now sew at .2cm. In this part, we recommend that you first hand-baste the bias so that when you sew it, the needle goes through the same side on both parts of the bias and has a good finish.

And that's it! You'll have a very nice rectangular rug. Remember that you can play with different prints. Instead of using bias tape, you can use a flounce and do the same procedure that I did with the circular rug (make the sandwich, turn it over and sew the opening). You can add appliqués, you can sew your dog's initials on it, you can make a special print, you can dye your fabric and use that to make the rug... The options are endless.

Finally, I will give you some more inspiration in case you want to try something more unique, fun and different. To make this type of mat you will need batting and to make the pattern with the figure you want. Once sewn, what will make the design stand out the most will be the stitching.

You can play with shapes like this flower but always make something that is easy to sew and turn (: Simple but very cute

The options are truly endless! I've given you two very simple options based on rectangles and circles, but why not let your imagination run wild!

Well, that's all for today. I hope you like this activity a lot and that it puts your mind to creating a thousand ideas and you manage to materialize them in the prettiest rug for your baby. Don't forget to share your result and mention us in your stories!

We love you so much,

Santi & Gabriela