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.