Pictorial "Build your own Quick'n'Dirty Hammock"
 
This is not the most deluxe hammock, but it is easy for you to make.
 
Fabric:  cheap towel from the dollar store, or better yet, something thick
yet slightly stretchy like stretch terry, doubled stockingette, etc.
 
Cut a piece:  size = (cage width + 2x) by (hammock width + 2x)
where x = something like 2-3" (5-8 cm)
This mysterious quantity "x" corresponds to the depth of the hammock.
 
 x                 x
|-|---------------|-|x        figure 1:  this is your piece of
|-+---------------+-|         fabric.
| | inside =      | |
| | finished size | |         All the edges have been "finished"
| |               | |         (i.e.  sewn so there is no raw edges)
|-+---------------+-|x        This is why a towel is nice to use ;-)
|-|---------------|-|
 
The instructions that follow are for the sewing machine; if you don't have
one, instead of "sew, trim, finish", simply "trim, sew".  First cut along
the line that you would normally sew on; next, sew the edges together with a
cast-over stitch (you're only pushing the needle through from one side each
time so that the thread loops over the outer seam edge.)
 
                                           x
|------|------------/    |------|--------:---/    ||-------.-|
|      |          /      |      |        ; /      ||        `|
|      |        /        |      |       ;/        ||         |
|      |      /          |      |      / y        ||         |
|      |    /            |      |    /            ||         |
|      |  /              |      |  /              ||        '|
|------|/                |------|/                ||-------'-|
 
figure 2                 figure 3                 figure 4
 
Next:  fold over a side as shown in figure 2.  Edges must be flush.
 
Sew a curving dart through both layers of fabric (figure 3) starting from
point "x" (i.e. 2-3 inches, 5-8 cm from corner).  If you sew straight down,
you will get a boxy hammock...thus, go for a curve.
 
The point at which you sewing line ends at the fold of the fabric ("y" in
fig. 3) must be above the halfway point in the fabric--otherwise, the next
seam you sew will intersect with the last one you sewed.  Point "y" should
not be too close to the center of the edge anyway, or you will have one
weird looking hammock.
 
Trim and finish the seam you just sewed.  Repeat for remaining three sides.
 
If your hammock is particularly long, you may need to take up some of the
excess fabric in the two long sides by sewing a small dart there (fig. 4)
Fold the hammock in half, and sew two small darts (perhaps 0.5"/12mm wide
from the folded edge), one on each side.  Trim and finish.
 
If you're really not sure how much fabric to take in on the long sides, or
if you need to at all, "test-hang" the hammock to find out.
 
You can now poke clips, key rings, or a lace through each corner of the
hammock, and suspend it, seam side out (underneath), in your cage.
 
Not a hard project, built three for Dodge last week.  He bounced around in
his for half an hour and hit his head on the roof of the cage about
10,000-20,000 times ;-) Got all riled up and went off to terrorize the cats.
He thinks it's a trampoline, not a bed.  Oh well.
 
Hope this helps, Bill...
 
Lynn.
[Posted in FML issue 1454]
[Posted in FML issue 1454]