Stuffed Animal Hammock/Pet Net


My grandchildren have many, many, stuffed animals. They spill out of their crates in the closet and clutter the bedroom floors. I decided to help out by making a stuffed animal hammock.

I folded over the edge of my fabric, about 1 yard, to make a big triangle. Fold it matching corner to corner and cut on the fold. There will be two pieces so you can make two at a time. I'm making two, but I'm using two different fabrics, one for my granddaughter and one for my grandson.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              I measured around the perimeter of the triangle to see how much binding I needed.









                                                                        Added all the sides of the triangle together and added an extra 12 inches for loops at corners.





Then I cut the material for the binding. It's best if it's a contrasting fabric. I made the binding for this project 2 1/4 inches wide, it would be wider if I was binding a quilt, but since this is just a single layer of fabric, the smaller will be fine.I cut 4 lengths the width of the fabric (wof. around 40 inches in length.). 4 lengths should go all around the perimeter of the hammock.

I have the fabric width folded over so I am cutting 4 layers at a time.
Sew the ends together so there is one long piece.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Iron the binding in half the long way.

 I ironed the seams with one end going in one direction and the other end in the other direction so there is less bulk.                                                        

                                              Measure in 4 inches from the end of binding.



Line up the four inch edge of the binding with the fabric edge. Leave the 4 inch tail extending beyond the corner of the fabric. I don't put fabrics right sides together. I put the binding edge up to the wrong side of the hammock fabric. This allows me to see where I am sewing when I am finishing the edges.

                                                                           Sew the binding onto the main material with 1/4 inch seam allowance, and end the seam when you get to 1/4 inch of the end of the hammock fabric. Back stitch and remove from the machine. 

Trim the corner of the hammock fabric. 

Measure four inches from the edge you just ended at. I marked it with a pin.

Line up the binding with the second side of the hammock, leaving a loop

 Again stitch the entire length until you get to the third corner within 1/4 inch, and back stitch and again remove from the machine.

                                                                                                                                                                 
Measure four inches from the end of the sewing line on the third side of the hammock.  Cut the remaining binding fabric off leaving about 3/4 inch.











Line up the 4 inch tail edge with the 3/4 tail you just made.








                                                 Sew the seam.






                                                                                                                           

 Iron it open and clip the corners.

                                              This will make the third loop for the hammock.

                                                                                                                                                                 Turn the raw edge of the binding over the long edge. Then turn the folded edge over the raw edge. 

Pin the ends of the loop. Put under machine and start to sew. Make sure to back stitch.

Coming to the corner

Keep fabric edges straight

Continue around the loop

First loop is done.

                              

Sew along the first side and around the 2nd loop as was done with the first loop.

The the same thing with the 3rd loop. 

When the entire perimeter edge is complete all the way around, remove it from the sewing machine.

                                                                         Sew a zig-zag across the corner below the loops.The stitch length was very short (like a buttonhole length), and the width was about half way (my sewing machine width goes from 0 to 5 this stitch was on a 2).

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    This will strengthen the loops so they will not tear out. Trim the threads.

                             The hammock is done.





                              All done and hung up.

 Minecraft Block 3-Chicken  

Finished Block

As with other blocks all the squares are 2 1/2 inches square. (except the TNT word section which is   1 1/2 inches square.

Lay out all the blocks on feather-weight interfacing making sure that the individual blocks do not overlap. Then press with an iron to bond to interfacing. I turn over the interfacing and ironed the back to make sure that all the blocks are bonded well.                                                                                                                                                          

 Turn over a row and sew with a 1/8th seam allowance. Continue turning one row at a time and sewing until all the vertical rows are done.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
 Clip the intersections up to the line of sewing but not past it. This helps when turning the opposite rows over to sew.








Turn a horizontal rows over one at a time and sew 1/8th inch.

When sewing is completed open the square up.

                                 Iron the block open pressing all the seams in one direction.

   Block Finished.           

Minecraft quilt Block 2-TNT

Finished block

This block is done in three sections. All the blocks are 2 1/2 square in the top and bottom sections. The top and bottom sections are done the same way. Two rows of 8 red squares and one row of 8 white squares. I mixed the red squares up a bit so no two fabrics were next to each other. I also didn't have enough of one color to do the entire square, but I like the scrappy look which is what I got. 

The middle section looks bigger but it has not been sewn yet while the top and bottom have been sewn. This middle section is done with smaller blocks.

* I did too many rows on the TNT section. I should have added another 1 1/2 inch row (4 squares) to both sides or left the rows that are past the TNT letters off and added two 2/1/2 inch squares on the sides. I've done this block both ways and it works.

You will need feather-weight interfacing. Arrange the blocks on the interfacing ( careful to line up blocks exactly) and  iron as instructions on previous blog. When the pressing is done, fold over the vertical rows one at a time and sew with 1/8th seam allowance.        

Back of the top and bottom sections of block.

Sew all the vertical rows. When all the vertical rows are finished then clip the intersections and fold 

over the horizontal rows and sew them with a 1/8th inch.  (Clipping the intersection will make the

turning of the rows easier.)                                                                                                                  

                       

Clipping intersections to the sewing line but not through it.

                                                                                           The middle section is made with 1 1/2 inch blocks.* Arrange blocks on interfacing and press with iron. Turn over vertical rows and sew one row at a time. Clip intersections and turn horizontal rows over and sew.

Press the seams in one direction (all up or all down) with an iron.

Back side of middle section after sewing is complete. You'll notice that each row has the seams pressed in the opposite direction as the previous row, this eliminates extra bulk at the intersections.

1-Line up the sections: bottom of the top section with the top of the middle section, with right sides of fabric together sew seam.
2- Line up top of bottom section with bottom of middle section and sew with right sides together. 3-Again the seams are 1/8 inch. If you want to make bigger seams that is fine, your blocks will be smaller, just make sure all the seams for all the blocks have the same size seam allowances.

                                                                                                                                                               When seams are finished press with an iron.

Block 2 is finished!