Our puppy Buddy loves to lie in front of our large bay windows and soak up the warmth of the sun. He normally lies on the hard wood floor, so I wanted to provide him a little more comfort while he napped. I have seen other Teddies with small “sunning mats” that they can lay on and take a nap on a warm sunny afternoon. I thought to myself, I am a handy lady, I can make something like that on my own! As I looked through my scrap fabric I found a few left-over pieces that I thought could do the trick. Five easy steps and thirty minutes later I was finished and Buddy had a new sunning mat! Here are the easy to follow steps:
Step #1: Cut three pieces of quilt batting into a 16in. x 22in. rectangle. Or, adjust a little larger for the size of your pup, this piece was just long enough to accommodate Buddy’s small frame. Stack all three pieces on top of one another to make an extra plush mat! The thicker the batting is, the more difficult it gets to sew, so keep that in mind. If you have a sewing machine with an adjustable foot you don’t need to worry. I have a beginner sewing machine and cannot adjust the foot, so three layers was my limit.
Step #1B: Make sure your Teddy bear pup does NOT tear up the batting before step #2!
Step #2: Cut out two pieces of flannel or fleece the same size as the batting. Lay one piece of your fabric on the floor facing up. Then place your second piece of fabric on top of the first piece facing down, so that the two like sides are facing each other. Finally, place the quilt batting on top.
Step #3: Pin all four sides of the fabric (making sure to secure each layer), leaving an opening on the short side about 4 inches long. This opening is very important, as you will see in the next step. The pins will help ensure that your fabric doesn’t move or slide as you sew.
Step #4: Start sewing on one corner and work your way around the rectangle until you get to the four inch unpinned opening. Do not sew over the pins, simply remove them as you come to each pin. Trim any extra thread from the corners. Then take your hand and slide it through the opening in between the two pieces of fabric. From the inside grab the far corner and pull it back out through the opening, doing this you turn out the fabric. It should look like this when you are finished pulling it through:
Step #5: Along the four inch opening, fold the fabric edge under and pin it. Using a needle and thread, sew the opening closed.
Congratulations! You have just made a fun, cheap, and SUPER Comfy sunning mat for your Teddy Bear Pup to lay on! Lay the sunning mat in your dog’s favorite spot and watch them enjoy!
It won’t take them very long to get comfy!
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