Tuesday, December 10, 2013

The process

I really like keeping fabric out of the landfill.  And lets face it not all fabric is appropriate to go into a utility quilt.  That is where the doggy beds come into play.....but there is a process.


This is how I normally get doggy bed supplies.  A trash bag full of odds and ends.  Sometimes it is yardage, sometimes it is just little snippets of material, most of the time it is somewhere in between.



Through trial and error I have learned what the stuffing needs to be before it goes into a bed.  So at night I sit downstairs and whack away at the fabric to get it into a usable form.  The jest of it is that the material really can't be any wider that about two inches, smaller is better...but strips of about 2 inches will work. Most of the time, I cut down to about 2 X 2 squares. Anything larger and the dog can't get the bed to nest right.  And all animals tend to nest in the beds.  (I have three that have proven that theory)

This is not one of my favorite activities!  I got myself in trouble experimenting with the paper shredder.... if it had worked that would have been the perfect bed filling.  We'll just say that my husband might need to purchase a  brand new paper shredder that I am sure I will not allowed to touch anymore. (and rightly so)


So I cut until I fill up my container, and then when I have time, I work on getting a bed and sham sewn up.

Sewing doggy beds are on the agenda this week.  I think I am also going to talk to Amy this week to see if I can use any of her high school volunteers to help with the cutting.  It is worth a shot, and would make me so HAPPY!

Hope you have a wonderful week!





1 comment:

  1. Oh you made me laugh out loud with the paper shredder trick. I have thought of using a blender/food processor & water
    but never tried it. Sounded kinda messy since you'd have to drain & dry. The kids might be your best bet or even nursing homes as most older folks love animals.

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