Crafting the Resistance by Lara Neel

Author:Lara Neel
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
Published: 2017-04-07T04:00:00+00:00

With Travis

PUSSYHAT PET BED

by Lara Neel

Experience Level: Beginner

I wanted to make a pet bed, and I couldn’t resist the idea of making one in the Pussyhat image. This is really very simple to make, once you get the hang of working with fleece. I made my own cushion to put inside it, so that the fleece cover can be washed. A few years ago, I foolishly skipped this step and simply stuffed a fleece cat bed. I ended up having to throw it out after it became completely covered in cat fur! The cushion has a zipper, so you can adjust the level of stuffing according to your pet’s desires. I had to come up with a way to give the ears some body, yet still be sure they wouldn’t just bunch up or flatten out when washed. I’m very happy with my results.

MATERIALS

1½ yards of pink fleece

1 yard of insert fabric (see Tips)

Notions

Matching all-purpose thread

Basic sewing kit

18- to 20-inch zipper

Stuffing (see Tips)

Walking foot

Zipper foot

Fabric glue stick

Washaway Wonder Tape

String

2 pencils

Patternmaking supplies

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

24" around, plus ears

TIPS

• I knew the fleece would hide any fabric I put underneath it, so I used an old bedsheet to make my insert.

• If this is your first zipper, don’t sweat it. The zipper will be hidden inside your pet bed, so if it’s not beautiful, it won’t matter in the least.

• I had the best results when I cut the full circle from the edge of the fabric, then used the rest of the width along that part of my material to cut the back pieces. Don’t forget to mark the notches on your full circle pattern piece with a small snip in the fleece.

• When you are cutting out your ears, don’t forget to cut mirror images half of the time. You can take care of this either by cutting through two layers that are back-to-back or by flipping the pattern pieces over.

• I like to stack the ears, wrong sides together, as I cut them, so that I know I have enough of each side.

• Many people suggest that fleece should always be cut with the nap all running the same direction. This may or may not matter to you. In any case, the inner ears will be invisible when the work is finished, so feel free to cut them any way you like, as long as the grainline is correct.

• You could use fiberfill for stuffing, but my favorite method is also a scrap-buster. I keep a basket under my cutting table. Whenever I have scraps from a project, I set aside what I need to test machine settings. Then, I use my rotary cutter and slice everything else into 2-inch-wide strips. I throw those into my basket. When the basket is full, I make a pet bed. Fleece scraps are light and lofty. Knit scraps have a nice heft to them. Even woven scraps work as stuffing, but lend a firmer feel to the piece.

• I like the way a wide zigzag stitch looks on fleece, but sometimes this can cause stitches to skip.

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