Sarah from Chucklebunnies
Adult Guinea Pig
I wasn't sure where to put this, please move it if necessary.
This is a 'how to make' for anyone who is fairly confident about using a sewing machine. Dave asked for someone to make a padded hutch inner for a disabled piggy. As I have left over oddments of fleece from Chucklebunnies I thought I'd have a go. I've made a few for him now and he has told me they wash well and are incredibly useful. So I thought I'd put up the how to simply because I bet there are other rescues out there who'd like these as well, not just Dave!
First, get the hutch bottom size and cut a sleeping bag up to the right size. The final padded hutch base will end up slightly bigger all round but this is a good thing rather than otherwise. Use a sleeping bag for the padding as this can go through a medium wash easily, I got mine from a charity shop.
Second, cut a piece of fleece about one and a half inches bigger all round - mine is patchwork made from oddments - and sew the sleeping bag onto it with two long seams up the sides.
Back
Front
Then take a second piece of fleece and sew aroung three sides to form a bag, leaving one shorter end open. Do not sew the padding into this seam.
Turn it the right way out, hiding all the seams, with just a loose end. The unsewn end is nearest to you.
Use a zigzag stitch to finish the open end, piggies won't chew this open again. Do not catch the wadding into this, you want the wadding inside. You can do a posher finish, but I don't see the need!
Note that the padding is totally fastened in with the two long seams, it is not going to move about in the wash. Also note that any wadding and nylon from the sleeping bag is completely enclosed and the piggies can't get to it.
Lola testing.....
You do need to be fairly confident as the sleeping bag is not the easiest thing to work with. I use sleeping bag with the nylon sewn to it already as this provides extra seams across the wadding, keeping it in one smooth piece. Using just wadding will mean it will pull away from the outer seams and buckle up in the wash after a while.
It would be easier if you used a whole piece of fleece - but I am just making these for Dave as part of my charity work so I'm using up bits. If you see a fleece you recognise from me in the pictures don't be surprised, my oddments box goes back years!
Please make these for rescues if possible - they are very useful. You can turn them over of course and Dave has assured me that they wash very well. I think he put up comments about them on the Haven forum.
This is a 'how to make' for anyone who is fairly confident about using a sewing machine. Dave asked for someone to make a padded hutch inner for a disabled piggy. As I have left over oddments of fleece from Chucklebunnies I thought I'd have a go. I've made a few for him now and he has told me they wash well and are incredibly useful. So I thought I'd put up the how to simply because I bet there are other rescues out there who'd like these as well, not just Dave!
First, get the hutch bottom size and cut a sleeping bag up to the right size. The final padded hutch base will end up slightly bigger all round but this is a good thing rather than otherwise. Use a sleeping bag for the padding as this can go through a medium wash easily, I got mine from a charity shop.
Second, cut a piece of fleece about one and a half inches bigger all round - mine is patchwork made from oddments - and sew the sleeping bag onto it with two long seams up the sides.
Back
Front
Then take a second piece of fleece and sew aroung three sides to form a bag, leaving one shorter end open. Do not sew the padding into this seam.
Turn it the right way out, hiding all the seams, with just a loose end. The unsewn end is nearest to you.
Use a zigzag stitch to finish the open end, piggies won't chew this open again. Do not catch the wadding into this, you want the wadding inside. You can do a posher finish, but I don't see the need!
Note that the padding is totally fastened in with the two long seams, it is not going to move about in the wash. Also note that any wadding and nylon from the sleeping bag is completely enclosed and the piggies can't get to it.
Lola testing.....
You do need to be fairly confident as the sleeping bag is not the easiest thing to work with. I use sleeping bag with the nylon sewn to it already as this provides extra seams across the wadding, keeping it in one smooth piece. Using just wadding will mean it will pull away from the outer seams and buckle up in the wash after a while.
It would be easier if you used a whole piece of fleece - but I am just making these for Dave as part of my charity work so I'm using up bits. If you see a fleece you recognise from me in the pictures don't be surprised, my oddments box goes back years!
Please make these for rescues if possible - they are very useful. You can turn them over of course and Dave has assured me that they wash very well. I think he put up comments about them on the Haven forum.