when protortypes go wrong

[Pepperdog]

I managed to finish off the two part made new style beds I was trying to make, had to sew by hand in the end (which isnt good for the hand @) ) as I had completely messed them up on the machine so I couldnt finish them on it - too thick :{

I wanted to make a square bed with roof and a snuggly place for them to go in, and I over engineered it, its far too complicated and really impossible to make without hand making every one :...

so the already cut out and part sewn purple fleece I was trying to bodge into some kind of bed I gave up on what I was thinking of doing and turned it into a sac kind of thing - no plastic parts to keep it open and I havent copied anyone elses designs as I litterally bodged a bag shape when it wasnt.

it has a straight side for one, and a straight back too making it part bag, part box shape

aaaannnddd why they wont ever go on sale, you can see how messy the edges are on this one, I wanted to sew the wadding in place as I went and managed to mess that up too, so you can clearly see it poking out - yet to be trimmed back a bit and then sew up the fleece to cover it

But I think I know what to do to make one but need to stop over thinking how to make it and then cut out pieces to sew together, and not kill machine in process.

Will see how the guys like the badly designed beds, they love my loungers and tunnels so hopefully they wont mind a little rough round the edges snuggly beds

 

[TAN]

Hey,thats better than I could do and they really do look comfy - I am sure they will love them xx

 

[Pepperdog]

I thought i could sew through a ticker layer of wadding and two sides of fleece, well I can as long as its only the three bits of material, try to sew two sections together and I cant even get the material under the foot - and its on the highest setting

I cant do much hand sewing but I am now desperate for more piggie beds, they have 6 in the pen (for 4 pigs) and they use them all but now I only have one set free which I cannot always wash in time so I need more beds. I had hoped to find some already made by other people as I cant make many at a time but they are either not what I am looking for or some I found are lined with black fleece - I cant see two of my pigs in them then as they are black and I like to be able to see them all at all times (if that makes sense)

 

[Amanda1801]

What about using a basic cube design, but with a smaller front edge? Kinda like this

You could just put wadding in the bottom section, then fold the sides in to make the sides/roof/front bit?

 

[Pepperdog]

That was what I had thought about doing but wanted the wadding on the sides as well to make it stand up - I hadnt thought about not putting wadding in parts of it, the roof would be a good idea if its wadding free to make it lighter. Thank you for the suggestion, I do over think how to do things a lot rolleyes

 

[Amanda1801]

That was what I had thought about doing but wanted the wadding on the sides as well to make it stand up - I hadnt thought about not putting wadding in parts of it, the roof would be a good idea if its wadding free to make it lighter. Thank you for the suggestion, I do over think how to do things a lot rolleyes

If you got really stuck for getting the sides to stand up, you could use plastic strips inside like a scaffold?

 

[Pepperdog]

I dont want to use plastic just all stitching, as the top red one I found if I pinched the material and sewed in a rim, it makes the thing stand up a bit more so I could do that. I am out tomorrow (possibly getting some cool fleece) so I wont be able to have another go but if I am not busy fri I can have another go and see if I can machine all the bed and then it wont take me so long or hurt quite as much to make it.

 

[Amanda1801]

I dont want to use plastic just all stitching, as the top red one I found if I pinched the material and sewed in a rim, it makes the thing stand up a bit more so I could do that. I am out tomorrow (possibly getting some cool fleece) so I wont be able to have another go but if I am not busy fri I can have another go and see if I can machine all the bed and then it wont take me so long or hurt quite as much to make it.

I imagine the pinching to make a rim would also make it easier to sew the sides together - go for it!

 

[Pepperdog]

I like brainstorming

thank you for the help - still have to actually make one up yet :p

 

[4piggiepigs]

I make square beds http://guineapigcomforts.weebly.com/novelty-beds.html

the above have two holes and are rather fidly and take around three hours to make! I hope to be revising them soon as i managed to make them an easier/quicker way and a little smaller and possibly with clips too so they will be cheaper YAY!


I could make that cave you were looking at too using a similar technique.


For the cube cut out 6 panels of each inner fabric outer fabric and thick wadding (atleast 25cm to 32cm squares) sew inner fabric into a cube (leaving a small opening along one edge not on a corner)then sew outer and wadding together and in a cube at the same time,



cut a circle (or square if you like) in one panel of the wadding cube and one in one panel of the inner fabric


turn wadding cube right way out and shove inside the inner fleece cube, line up the holes and sew together, pull wadding cube through the hole you left in the inner fabric then sew the hole closed and shove the inner fabric into the wadding cube, sew round the opening again and put a couple stitches in the corners to keep the inner cube even inside the outer shell


It makes sense to me anyway

 

[Guinea pigs <3]

Whilst you might not think it looks pretty I bet the piggies still love your two beds! The first one looks really cosy!

 

[Pepperdog]

It does make sense but I was trying to get a simple way to make them so its less sewing - due to hand issue.

Now I dont want to copy your ones I have seen triangle ones, the american made ones look great but I never seem to be able to make them in the same way as the machines foot wont go up very high, its an ordinary machine, a good one but not industrial.

I will see what material I can get, might stick to a fleece inner and cotton outer, that way it keeps the width down as much as possible and opens up patterns so much more.

 

[Pepperdog]

Whilst you might not think it looks pretty I bet the piggies still love your two beds! The first one looks really cosy!

We will find out, will be putting them in today, in a minute to be exact as have to change a few of the beds (they use as toilets rolleyes ), it will take them a while to get used to them, it took them an hour to get used to a paper bag when I put one in they are warey at first but then have fun.

Ironically the purple is big enough for two, but none of my guys share so lots of stretching out room for one

 

[Guinea pigs <3]

We will find out, will be putting them in today, in a minute to be exact as have to change a few of the beds (they use as toilets rolleyes ), it will take them a while to get used to them, it took them an hour to get used to a paper bag when I put one in they are warey at first but then have fun.

Ironically the purple is big enough for two, but none of my guys share so lots of stretching out room for one

well let me know! Mine are the same, sharing is not acceptable therefore I go through 3 beds every few days - mum thinks i'm mad having an entire cupboard full of beds, vet bed etc for the piggies but I use it all frequently!

 

[4piggiepigs]

I'm using a £80 jmb one now, but i do have a singer as well, the jmb is great for thick fabrics i just loosen the tension and increase stitch size and flatten the fabric as it goes through,

I don't mind you the cubes, would like to see pic s tho

 

[Pepperdog]

they flattened them rolleyes so much for making the hideys for them, but then they do the same with the tunnels unless I manage to put them in a position with them as open as possible and they love to snuggle inside them then.

Its still early days and I havent really put them in the best of positions for them to not lie ontop of. I hopefully wont be called into work tomorrow so fingers crossed I can sit at the machine and have another play, hopefully getting some workable beds for them to poo in (as they seem to like to do a lot lately

My machine is a janome, was £200 two years ago but got it half price in the christmas sales - first and last time I will ever go shopping in the christmas sales.

 

[4piggiepigs]

Oooh they are supposed to be the best i am green |) have you tried rigilene boning? when i make the tunnels i make the outside first into a tube then sew boning round the circle edges then make the inside and fold it over the boning and outside bit and sew that

i made a pyramid but it was for a ratty

 

[Pepperdog]

Oooh they are supposed to be the best i am green |) have you tried rigilene boning? when i make the tunnels i make the outside first into a tube then sew boning round the circle edges then make the inside and fold it over the boning and outside bit and sew that

i made a pyramid but it was for a ratty

I looked at the different makes and was astonished I could get one so cheaply which is why I dashed out to get one, I was at the time looking at making dog coats and collars so needed a good machine. I had to stop the collars as the hardwear is a nightmare to buy cheaply, I will still do coats if need be but mostly for the kennel dogs waiting a forever home as they dont have anything like my spoilt girl and her wardrobe (and now my piggies and their own personally made beds)

I think my problem is I try to make it all in one go, outer, inner and lining all in one stitching session and keeping movements to a minimum.

 

[4piggiepigs]

Its all trial and error i just made the hut thing you posted a link to and its floppy and i bunched it a bit but now i know to sew channels in the outer fleece to put boning in so it holds its shape better, alot of things i make really do have to be made seperate inner and outer except hammocks lol