Fleece tips on making fleece liners

[korryn92]

So I make my own fleece liners for my cage because it costs less and I already know how to sew. I have a terrible time with making the measurements come out square. Like making them straight rectangles instead of slants everywhere or shorter on one side. I don't have anything to use as a straight surface to make my lines straighter that is as big as the cage so I usually use a clipboard and try to line it up at the end of each line to make it all straight but it ends up getting all messed up. My boyfriend was actually laughing at me last week when I was drawing out the lines for new liners lol

So how do you make everything squared up and straight? I can measure and stuff but everything gets uneven and messed up.

 

[Gandalf]

I've been sewing some liners these past couple days. For a straight edge, I'd recommend getting a wooden yardstick from home depot (they are about $1). Even if you don't have a t-square, the length of the yardstick will help you to 'eyeball' it to see that it looks square. The clipboard is just too short and (as you now know) if it's slightly off there, then that translates to being way off over a longer distance.

Another tip is to use a measuring tape to measure the distance at several locations. For example, a 2x4 liner will be 27" wide. I measure that 27" at several distances along the long edge.

If you have a coroplast base, can you use the base as a pattern and just place it on top of the fabric and cut around it?

 

[korryn92]

Thank you so much! I have a very small living area so maneuvering the cage around and tracing it on the fleece would be way to difficult. I was actually thinking of doing that but then I looked at how small the room is and I would probably end up knocking the TV off the stand and that wouldn't be good lol

I might be able to find a square to use since my boyfriends dad is really into wood work so I am guessing there should she one around here. I don't think there is a t-square but I saw one the other day somewhere that is shaped almost like and L. I will try and remember to get a yard stick too, I honestly never thought about that :crazy:

 

[kltohlman]

I use a yard stick. I Measure my cage and add an inch(to length & width) to total for seams. Working with fleece is a tad difficult at first but the more u work with it the better u get with it. You could always try small things first like pee pads

 

[lissie]

For a whole cage liner, I think the easiest way is to take your coroplast tray out of the cage, flip it over and put your fabric on top. The fabric will drape over the box and you will see where to cut.

 

[pinky]

Use newspaper as a template. Cut it out to the desired size and pin your fleece to it and then cut along the edges of the newspaper. It's easy and free if you have newspapers laying around.

 

[Starthecavy123]

For a whole cage liner, I think the easiest way is to take your coroplast tray out of the cage, flip it over and put your fabric on top. The fabric will drape over the box and you will see where to cut.

That is a good idea I will have to try that as well.

 

[Traysea]

along those same lines you can also get a spare piece of coroplast cut to the exact size you want to make your liner (add in X amount of inches for the seam allowance) then you can just whip out a solid square coroplast template, lay it on your fleece and cut it exactly square.


For my liners I always make the width whatever size the fleece is. Some fleece comes in 60" wide and some in 58" wide etc. I just keep that width and cut it where I need it for the length. But I am lazy I eyeball it. I also don't always use pins when I sew them, again I'm just impatient and lazy.

 

[korryn92]

Use newspaper as a template. Cut it out to the desired size and pin your fleece to it and then cut along the edges of the newspaper. It's easy and free if you have newspapers laying around.

This would work great for me! I don't have enough room to be taking the coro out of the cage to trace it so I could take the paper and lay it in the bottom of the cage when I am cleaning it to get the right size for when I make liners so I don't have to risk breaking anything taking the coro out lol

 

[Levenn]

Funny enough.. I use left over coroplast as my templates, specially to make my 2x1 liners :3

 

[kltohlman]

another option im about to try now. Yard waste bags. They're really cheap,thicker than newspaper, can be cut length wise to make them larger so they're a bit easier to deal with than newspaper for larger projects

 

[Traysea]

That's also a good idea! Also along those lines, shower curtains could be used as well.

 

[Vanessa Garcia]

Hi i am new to this forum and I want to know how to post threads because I have several questions regarding my piggie..if u can help id appreciate it

 

[Traysea]

Click on FORUM
Click on whatever topic of discussion you want to post in
Click on the pink button on the top left that says "POST NEW THREAD"

That will set you up to post your own topics within a discussion board.

Hi i am new to this forum and I want to know how to post threads because I have several questions regarding my piggie..if u can help id appreciate it