Last February at our guild's annual retreat, I suggested a project to the group of 30 women. I've read several places about quilters making dog or cat beds from their fabric scraps. Now, I really don't want to save scraps in my studio for as long as it would take to fill a pet bed. So I suggested we all save the scraps we created while at retreat. I had a large grocery bag that I set near my table, and people kept coming over and depositing scraps in it. But it didn't completely fill up the bag, and I knew I needed more stuffing material.
Then a woman in our guild was cleaning out some of her fabric and found a lot of scraps she gave to me. I actually received three big white garbage bags full! Now I'm in business!
For the first, the largest bed, I pieced together a "pillowcase" from some of the larger scraps I found. I happened to be at a "big fabric store" one day and bought some clearance sale upholstery fabric, which I used for the rest of the beds.
I ended up with six beds in total! They were all different sizes, as I used the upholstery pieces just as they were. Then I had the job of sitting on the floor stuffing fabric scraps into the beds. There were threads flying everywhere! A few times I got slowed down as I'd find an especially pretty scrap in the pile. But I was good and didn't "snitch" any of the scraps for myself! That wasn't the purpose of this project.
I've laid a yardstick down in these last two photos so you can see approximately how big the beds are. I think there is a size for everyone.
The woman at the Redwood Coast Humane Society was very pleased when I brought the beds in to the office one day. I told her they could give them away to new adopters if they wanted to, or keep them for the pets staying with the Humane Society.
Now maybe I should make my own cats a bed. I wonder if they would like it, or just sniff and walk away!
A lovely project, which I'm sure was much appreciated! I've thought of making a "snooze bed" for Oliver too, just haven't gotten around to it yet.
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