Bandana question...

[bullylover21]

I was wonder how you all make your bandanas. Do you just cut them with reg. scissors? Do you you pinking shears? or do you sew the edeges to give them a neater look, and do you think its worth the extra time? How many of you just buy them?

Right now I am using pinking shears b/c I think they look better than just straight scissors. I have been thinking about investing in a sewing machine so I can sew them, but I get the feeling that the customers just take them off as soon as they get home. Is it worth it?

[PurplePoodlePetBows]

I just use pinking shears, when I bother at all! LOL!
I work in a vet clinic and I can't count the number of times that I have dressed the dog in bandana or bows and they come back the next day for a vet visit and no bandana/bows in sight. So, just a waste of money for the most part.

On the other hand, had a OAY dog a few weeks back, in for a shavedown. Still had the bandana on that I put there LAST YEAR! He didn't get another one, that's for sure!

Deanne

[Helly]

I just cut them with pinking shears. I think you're right, most customers don't leave them on very long, and sewing the edges takes a lot of time I could be using to do something else.

If you want to do a rolled hem or edge on bandannas, you need a rolled hem foot for a sewing machine, or a serger. Some sewing machines come with a rolled hem foot, some you have to purchase it seperately, and with some of the cheap-o machines you can't get a rolled hem foot. It depends on the machine, and how much money you want to spend.

[Terry]

I use pinking shears too. I wouldn't bother with sewing. People tell me that they save and wash the bandannas, and they still use them, so the pinking shears work pretty well, I guess.

[twodogs]

I think it's split, I think some leave it on for a few days, other take it off right away. Then you have the ones who come back in Feb with the same Christmas bandana you put on them in Dec. yuk lol

[Fur Elite]

I am both cheap and lazy. I simply cut the triangles with normal scissors and leave them be at that. I tried pinking shears but on a lot of fabric it just didn't cut well and made a bigger mess...not the cute zig zags that you can get on the stiffer fabric but frayed disaster. Cheap as they are, the clients just love em...they look forward to whatever seasonal design I am trailing along with me, God love 'em.

[Fluffy Puppy]

I use pinking shears. I couldn't sew if my life depended on it, and it's too time consuming.

Some of my customers tell me not to bother putting bandanas on their dogs..they come right out and tell me they end up in the trash, or the dogs chew them up.
I do have one guy who saves every bandana I put on his dog. He says he collects them and I haven't put the same one on his dog twice.
I have another lady who makes me pull out all my fabric and sets aside all her favorites so I can use them on her dog. (drives me nuts..but she's a good customer..gotta make them happy)

[baddog]

I used to buy them by the gross from a company in S.C., but it got to expensive, so now I just make 24"x24" squares and cut that in half and then cut that in half, ect. I use reg scissors and attach the badanas with the small rubberbands I use for bows, I never tie on the bandana, too paranoid of a dog choaking to death at home.

[Fur Elite]

One of my clients is actually making a quilt out of the bandanna triangles I have given her over the past two years. I think that is odd. But, she is really into it. I hope I have more to do when I am a retiree.

[Crystal]

Bandanna cutting

Another idea, if you don't mind cutting the fabrics.

You can buy a cutting mat for quilters and a rotary cutting tool. The mat is absorbant of the tool and it zips right through the material. The tool is just like using a pizza cutter. Their are zig-zag blades, scalloped edge style blades, or just a straight edge. It makes cutting much faster than using pinking shears.

I bought the scalloped edge and it was very cute. Plus if you don't cut so straight it's not that noticable.

Also, another thing you could do to make the fabric last a little longer is use spray starch or a fray stopping spray. Just spray the entire piece a little bit after cutting and let it dry. It stiffens up the fabric so it doesn't bunch up so much.

[shrek]

I make all mine with rolled hems and a pocket for the collars to fit through. I buy my big bandanas at Wally World. I have actually had customers come up to me and say, your the groomer that makes the nice bandanas. I order my bows through Bardel Bows and the customers rave about them.

[europet]

I use a rotary cutter with a pinking blade .I think there are much faster and cut better than the pinking shears.
I will be very thankfull if any you can help me out with the cut division.
if you have a square piece and you fold it in two forming the triangle ; how many cut do you give and how many bandanas do you get from one square???

[HoundLover]

we just cut them with reg. scissors. we tied them on...and i saved all my dogs bandannas even though he isnt very fond of them. one lady told boss not to put any on her poodle because her sons ripped them off...personally I feel a bandanna is a cute little extra even if it comes off a couple hrs later. some people actually expect a bandanna when they come to pick up the dog...oh look at you ALL PRETTY WITH YOUR BANDANNA! HOW CUTE!
lol
Hound

[PoodlePal]

I rip my bandannas on the selvage --- that way they won't fray and the customer doesn't find strings of thread from the bandanna. Also, they are washable that way, not to mention it saves me a lot of time.

[imashowdog]

Pinking shears for sure, LOL. Truth is most are off as soon as the dog is out the door, same with bows. I am the first to admit that the bows are more for me than the owners, although some owners do not consider their dogs finished until the bows are in. One thing that truly irritates me is, after spending 2 hours doing a full hand scissor on a labradoodle who was NOT behaving himself, the owner comes to get him, and what does he say? Hey Barney, what a nice BANDANA!!! I wanted to cry, if i knew that was going to be the response, I would have skipped the grooming and just thrown a bandana on the bugger and sent him home.