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Spreading quilty joy one stitch at a time!

Improv Quilted Pet Travel Carrier Mat

May 12, 2023 by Shannon 4 Comments

Improv quilted pet travel carrier mat by Shannon Fraser Designs. Bring comfort to your pet's travel experience with your own DIY carrier mat. See more pictures up on the blog. #travel #improvquilting #pets #diy

This one’s for my fellow pet lovers! If you have a furry friend in your household, then you probably also travel with your pet. Those pet travel carriers are typically made from hard plastic and aren’t focused on comfort. Enter this improv quilted pet travel carrier mat I made for Pips (my cat!).

Improv quilted pet travel carrier mat by Shannon Fraser Designs. Pull out your fabric scraps to bring comfort to your pet's travel experience with your own DIY carrier mat. See more pictures up on the blog. #travel #improvquilting #pets #diy

This post contains affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, if you click through and make a purchase, I may receive a commission.


What is a pet travel carrier mat?

I don’t know if this is an actual thing, but way back when I started sewing, I had the idea to make a liner for Pips’ travel carrier. It essentially covers the entire base of his carrier.

The original one was made from a used towel and a cute print. The best part was adding Velcro tabs to help it stay in place and keep it from shifting. I’m happy to report that worked like a charm!

Improv quilted pet travel carrier mat by Shannon Fraser Designs. Bring comfort to your pet's travel experience with your own DIY carrier mat. This is the original one I made back in 2014. See more pictures up on the blog. #travel #improvquilting #pets #diy

When does it get used?

The liner stays in his carrier cage all the time. When we travel with Pips up to the lake or take him to a vet appointment, it’s already tucked in there along with a few toys ready for travel.

Once the travel is done, I pull the liner out and toss it in the washing machine 😊

Improv quilted pet travel carrier mat by Shannon Fraser Designs. Bring comfort to your pet's travel experience with your own DIY carrier mat. Here is the original in Pips' travel cage. See more pictures up on the blog. #travel #improvquilting #pets #diy

Issues with the original design

The original design didn’t include a large enough seam allowance when I stitched it together which resulted in the top fabric tearing after several washes. It took a while, but it eventually tore, and I made a mental note to up the seam allowance for the next batch I made.

Improv quilted pet travel carrier mat by Shannon Fraser Designs. Bring comfort to your pet's travel experience with your own DIY carrier mat. This in a second series I made back in 2015 featuring these cute prints. See more pictures up on the blog. #travel #improvquilting #pets #diy

Why I made one?

You might be thinking “Um, Shannon, cats are used to sleeping on the floor, a travel carrier isn’t a far change from that.” And you’d be absolutely right! However, Pips’ comfort wasn’t my only goal in stitching up a travel carrier mat, the main goal was to have a towel on hand should he have an accident while travelling.

The towel makes quick work of cleaning up any vomit, pee, or poo (the latter two have thankfully never happened). Once you arrive at your destination, it’s super easy to take the liner out and pop it in the wash.

Improv quilted pet travel carrier mat by Shannon Fraser Designs. Bring comfort to your pet's travel experience with your own DIY carrier mat. This is the second one I made for Pips - loved those modern birds! See more pictures up on the blog. #travel #improvquilting #pets #diy

Evolution of the design

I made a bunch more based on that initial design in 2015, but this latest one is actually version 2.0 as I’ve made some upgrades to the original design, I made back in 2014.

The upgrades are really a suggestion from my hubs who wanted more comfort and cushion for Pips 😉

So, instead of just one layer of towel, I went with a layer of batting and two layers of toweling. This updated version is way thicker, so much so, it was a challenge getting the bulk under my presser foot!

I also opted to piece the top instead of using a solid piece of fabric. Pips loves quilts. He’s my resident QC (quality control) checker for a reason! Every quilt that gets made is tested by Pips at some point during the construction. I find him claiming every single quilt that we have in the house, so I couldn’t resist making him a patchwork top.

The original design was a little short, so I also upped the size of the mat itself. The newer version does a better job of covering the entire floor of the pet travel carrier. I also added extra velcro tabs – 8 in all (instead of the original 6) to really keep it from moving around.

And, finally, I opted for a bound finish. You know my love for striped binding!

Learn how to make your own binding in this 4-part Quilt Binding Tutorial series:

  • Quilt Binding Tutorial Part 1
  • Quilt Binding Tutorial Part 2
  • Quilt Binding Tutorial Part 3
  • Quilt Binding Tutorial Part 4
Improv quilted pet travel carrier mat by Shannon Fraser Designs. Bring comfort to your pet's travel experience with your own DIY carrier mat. This latest version is extra cozy! See more pictures up on the blog. #travel #improvquilting #pets #diy
Improv quilted pet travel carrier mat by Shannon Fraser Designs. Bring comfort to your pet's travel experience with your own DIY carrier mat. Velcro tabs keep the liner from slipping. See more pictures up on the blog. #travel #improvquilting #pets #diy
Velcro tabs keep the improv quilted pet travel carrier liner from slipping around.

Why improv?

Well, improv is what I call my ‘freedom sessions’ and it’s what I normally turn to when I need my own quilting therapy. Pips had to go in for a few tests and, when he got home, it had really unsettled him. It took days for him to sleep (super concerning) and then when he finally did his system was completely off. Lots of upset tummy issues and sleeping more than normal. This always has me on high alert when he’s not feeling well.

After noticing him sniffing his travel carrier and turning away, it dawned on me that the smells from his stay at the vet were probably all over the cage. Even though I’d washed his carrier liner, I figured a new improved version was in order.

Bonus, it helped calm my nerves by channeling my energy into something productive.


Materials used in this project

What’s great about these pet travel carrier mats is that they don’t require a ton of materials and notions to whip up. Here’s everything I used to make this latest version:

  • Fabrics – you might recognize these textiles from the Jade Quilted Coat I made for my BFF. The scraps from that project had been sitting on my cutting table for weeks tempting me to make something fun with them. Since Pips loves linen and improv I figured it was Kismet. I even used the same leftover bias binding 😉
  • Batting
  • Terrycloth
  • Thread for piecing
  • Thread for quilting
  • Velcro tabs
  • Marking tool
  • Sewing machine
  • Walking foot
  • Cutting mat
  • Rotary cutter with these blades
  • Snips
  • Iron
  • Ironing board
  • Clips

Don’t you just love a project that doesn’t require a whole whack of tools and notions to see it come to life?!

Improv quilted pet travel carrier mat by Shannon Fraser Designs. Bring comfort to your pet's travel experience with your own DIY carrier mat. Best part is you don't need a ton of materials and fabric scraps work perfectly! See more pictures up on the blog. #travel #improvquilting #pets #diy
Pictured above are the fabric remnants from stitching up the Jade Ombre quilted coat.

Final thoughts

I’m super happy with how this latest version turned out. It’s super thick and plush and gives me instant joy seeing the improv patchwork. I wouldn’t go any thicker as it would make getting it under my presser foot for quilting a real challenge.

Improv quilted pet travel carrier mat by Shannon Fraser Designs. Bring comfort to your pet's travel experience with your own DIY carrier mat. From scraps to finished project! See more pictures up on the blog. #travel #improvquilting #pets #diy

For more quilty inspiration, check out:

  • Improv Travel Sewing Bag
  • Improv Needle Book
  • Improv Sewing Bag
  • Mini Quilt Collages
  • The “F” Quilt
Improv Behind the Scenes video on demand

Hopefully, I’ve inspired you to consider your pet’s comfort while travelling!

Have you made something similar for your pet? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!

Happy quilting!

xo

Shannon


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Filed Under: Improv Quilting Tagged With: Sustainability, Travel

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Comments

  1. Linda Hansen says

    May 16, 2023 at 8:32 am

    This is the best carrier mat! I have always used a portion of an old blanket. This makes me feel as though my Tommy was deprived now! Although I haven’t done it yet, I want to make Bitty a quilted cover for her heating pad. That is usually placed to my right on the sofa, so I see it most of the time. How much nicer to have an improv quilted piece for her. Plus it would look so much better. Thanks for the great idea, Shannon!

    Reply
    • Shannon says

      May 16, 2023 at 8:24 am

      Love your idea for a heating pad cover for Bitty, Linda 🙌 that would be super cute and add a little extra cozy comfort for Bitty! Can’t wait to see ❤️

      Reply
  2. Ioleen says

    May 18, 2023 at 4:21 pm

    Love this! Thanks for sharing. I have two cats and like Pips they are spoiled and loved to the moon and back!

    Reply
    • Shannon says

      May 18, 2023 at 4:29 pm

      Lucky kitties to have found you! 💞💞 Here’s to taking good care of our cats 😺

      Reply

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