How to make a pet bow tie

1. Materials & tools

Materials (one bow tie, medium dog)

• Fabric (cotton print) — about 25 × 20 cm (scraps are fine)
• Lightweight fusible interfacing — the same
• Sewing thread

Tools

• Sewing machine (or needle and thread)
• Fabric marker or pencil
• Ruler and scissors
• Iron
• Pins or clips

2. Make the pattern (auto-generated in Katagami)

With the Katagami pattern tool, you just enter the finished size and it drafts a seam-allowance-included pattern, tiled to print at actual size on Letter or A4.

1. Open the tool
   Open the pattern tool and choose “Pets” → “Pet bow tie” from the tabs at the top.
2. Enter the size
   Enter the bow width, the bow height and the collar width. Presets cover small dogs and cats, medium dogs and large dogs.
3. Set the seam allowance
   Use the slider at the bottom (beginners: 1.0–1.5 cm / about 3/8–5/8 in).
4. Print
   Press “Print (actual size)”, then in the print dialog set Scale = 100% and turn “Fit to page” OFF. Check the 50 mm calibration box on the first guide sheet with a ruler.

3. Cutting the fabric

1. Measure the collar
   Measure the width of the collar you use. That sets the size of the loop.
2. Trace the pattern
   Lay the pattern on the wrong side and trace both lines.
3. Cut the pieces
   One bow body and one loop strip.
4. Fuse the interfacing
   Fusing the bow body keeps it from collapsing.

4. Sewing

4-1. Sew a tube

1. Fold the bow body right sides together and sew the long edge into a tube.
2. Leave about 5 cm open for turning.

4-2. Turn and close the ends

1. Turn right side out and press flat.
2. Turn the allowances at both ends inwards and topstitch closed.

4-3. Gather the middle

1. Pinch it vertically at the center notch.
2. Whip a few stitches by hand to hold the shape.

4-4. Wrap the loop

1. Fold the loop strip in four and topstitch.
2. Wrap it round the gathered middle and stitch on the underside.
3. Check the collar passes through before you stitch. Snug means it will not rotate.

✏️ Check the loop against the actual collar before stitching it down. A loose loop lets the bow rotate and end up sideways within minutes. Sized so the collar only just passes through, it faces forward for as long as the photographs take.

5. Tips & variations

• For an occasion: a birthday or a gotcha day photograph.
• Uses the everyday collar: nothing new to buy.
• Match your own: the bow tie pattern makes a human-sized one.