Every few years, my cat gets a new placemat — not because he asks for one (though he is quite particular), but because it’s become a small, satisfying ritual for me. These quilted pet food mats are humble little projects, but they serve a real purpose: catching crumbs, surviving spills, and holding up through countless trips through the wash. They’re also the perfect way for me to experiment with fabrics, try out quilting techniques on a smaller scale, and sneak a bit of handmade love into a daily routine.
This time around, I made a few tweaks — including sizing it up to better contain his enthusiastic eating habits — and leaned into materials that balance durability with charm. Here’s a closer look at why I make these, what goes into them, and how they’ve become a quiet tradition between maker and mealtime companion.
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How often do I make these quilted pet food placemats?
It seems about every two to three years I need to make him a new quilted pet food placemat.
This task really isn’t a chore, it’s a fun break in my sewing days to just let loose, pair up some fabric bits, and have some improv fun 😊
You know how much I love my freedom sessions and using that time to create something for the best sewing companion a girl could ask for seems like a small task, and the perfect way to show how much I appreciate his quality control efforts – ha!
You can see the previous ones I’ve made him here:
- Cats in Boxes – the original
- Improv Version 1
- Improv Version 2 (which I thought I’d shared on the blog, but a quick search says otherwise – ha! So, here’s the link to the Instagram post.)
Fabric featured
If you’ve heard my lecture on Improv Through Pattern Project Scraps (send me a note to book your guild!), then you know how much fun I have with my project remnants. In fact, it happens quite often that I dip into those trimmings before the main project is even done.
Case in point, I did that with this project, too 😉
I’ll be sharing more about the Spinning Snowflake quilt pattern this fall, but for now, here’s a peek at the pretty fabrics I’m working with in the fat quarter-friendly version.
It’s all about texture with the Artisan Cottons paired with the Essex Linen. Scrummalicious comes to mind when I think of the hand feel of this combo.
You might note the more muted palette. It’s a little bit of a contrast to the bold bright colours I typically gravitate towards; however, this fabric pull was originally intended as a gift for a friend. I ran into some issues with a marking tool, which led to some less-than-stellar results, so that might not happen in the end – ha!
Quilty pickles aside, this combination is giving me all the lovely calm vibes and they’ve been a joy to stitch with.
I suppose it’s no surprise then that I decided to take advantage of the timing and the scraps sitting on my cutting table to just dive in and whip up a little improv quilted pet food placemat for Pips.
Why does a cat need a food placemat?
Great question!
I don’t know about your furry friends, but my guy is the messiest eater. Honestly, I feel like I throw out more than he actually consumes (not quite, but you get the sentiment). I’m forever cleaning up little crumbs and half-eaten bits. Thankfully, the quilted placemat makes it super easy to corral those crumbs and toss them in the garbage.
As for the wet food dried on bits.
Those come out easy peasy in the wash.
Which brings me to this point.
How long do the quilted pet food placemats last?
Since these placemats are essentially über tiny quilts they’ve given me a great test case study to see how quilts hold up with intense use and regular machine washing. In case you missed it, I shared a whole post on How to Wash a Quilt in 10 Steps.
Here’s what I’ve noticed:
The fabrics fade – this is the first thing I always notice after washing Pips’ placemats. They start off super vibrant and fresh, and inevitably that brightness fades. I notice it slightly after the first wash, but by the 4th or 5th it’s really starting to show some fading.
I could probably extend the life of the colours if I added some Retayne to the wash, but since I pop the placemat in along with the rest of my towels, I don’t love the idea of having Retain all over my linens. So, I skip it. But if you’re concerned, then consider adding this to your wash cycle.
Note that I do use vinegar instead of fabric softener, and vinegar does act as a natural colour protector. That said, things still fade.
Here’s a side-by-side comparison of the before and after.
The binding is the first to go – this isn’t the first time that I’ve noticed this, it’s a consistent telltale sign of a well-loved quilt. It’s happened with every single one of Pips’ quilted food placemats and it’s the main sign that I look for to indicate I need to make him a new one.
As you can see, I’ve needed to make him one for a little bit now – ha! I’ve been chuckling to myself every time I spot those holes thinking it’s the case of the shoemaker’s wife – lol!
Well, the situation has been rectified, and Pips is back to having a pristine food placement.
Quilting
Since I was trying to get this done over my lunch hour, I decided to just dive right into the quilting without any plan.
Say, what?
Yup, I like to sit down at the sewing machine and just see what comes to mind.
I call it improv quilting at the machine.
- No plan.
- No design motif in mind.
- Just quilting based on my instincts in the moment.
It’s beyond liberating and super fun. And I surprise myself time and time again with how much I love the outcome.
If you haven’t tried it, I highly recommend giving it a try. And a quilted pet food placemat is the perfect project to do just that 😉
Binding
I also machine-quilted the binding (which is not my fave thing to do), but this time I stitched from the back. I normally stitch in the ditch in the front, but because I normally work with 2.5” binding strips, the binding on the back ends up being a little flappy.
So, I tried quilting from the back, which I knew would leave a stitching border around the front (not my fave either). But I was curious to actually see the results to gauge whether it really is a deal breaker for me or whether I can live with it.
I should probably clarify that I learned how to hand sew so that I could nail a seamlessly bound quilt. I love that clean look and I’m so happy I challenged myself to level up my blind stitch capabilities – ha!
I’ve spent a lot of time perfecting my binding as I find it can make or break your quilt. To help you nail your binding, too, I’ve shared a 4-part Quilt Binding Tutorial Series, including:
So, back to this machine binding from the back, well, my initial impression is that it’s not horrible, but I don’t love it either – ha! I’ll see how I feel after living with it for a bit.
A small change
You might notice that this version of the pet quilted placement is a little longer than the others that I’ve made, and this is simply because he’s super messy and I’m trying to contain those food bits to the mat. I don’t know what Pips does when eating, but food bits end up on the floor and next to his bowl. So, hopefully, the larger size will trap most of those crumbs 😉
Materials featured in the improv quilted pet food placemat
If you want to make your own pet food quilted placement for your furry friend(s), then here’s everything I used to bring this one to life:
- Fabric scraps – I used remnants from making the Spinning Snowflake quilt in Artisan Cottons and Essex Linen in light and dark gray
- Batting scraps – typically always work with 100% cotton batting
- Binding is leftover from making the Spring Lilacs quilt
- 50wt Aurifil Thread for piecing
- 50wt Aurifil Thread for quilting on top
- 50wt Aurifil Thread for quilting the bottom (aka the bobbin thread)
- Sewing machine – here’s what I love and don’t love about it!
- Sewing machine needle
- Rotary cutter
- Cutting mat
- Ruler
- Iron
- Wool pressing mat – Use code SHANNONFRASER15 to save 15% on your wool pressing mat(s) at The Felt Store Canada or The Felt Store USA. Offer cannot be combined with other discounts.
- Fine mist spray bottle
- Clips for binding
Really, it’s just your usual essential quilty notions. You can shop a full list of my essentials here.
Top tips for quilted pet food placemats
Customize the size
You can easily adjust this to your specific needs.
For example, if you’ve got multiple cats, you might opt to make the pet food placemat double the size so that you can accommodate multiple bowls at a time.
I recommend measuring the area where you want the quilted placemat to sit so that you can customize the size to fit perfectly.
Fabric scrap buster
It’s a great fabric scrap buster. The larger the size you make means the more scraps you’ll use up! It’s a quilty win-win 😊
Oh, and if you’ve got a bunch of orphan blocks kicking around your sewing room, then those also make great starting points for your pet food placemats!
Explore new quilting techniques
The other thing that I love about making these quilted pet food placemats is that I always try something new to experiment and grow as a quilter. This time around, I snuck in three different fabric substrates: wovens, linen, and shot cotton.
For more pet-centric quilty tips and projects, check out:
I know this is just a placemat, but I must say seeing this custom quilted pet food placemat brings me quite a bit of joy. Plus, I love how low-maintenance it is. I hope this encourages you to dive into your scrap bin and stitch up a cute and practical pet food placemat for your furry companion!
Happy quilting!
xo,
Shannon
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