This tutorial will teach you how to make a triangle hammock that is seamless both on the inside and the outside. This means that the triangle is completely reversible if you use fleece for both of your fabrics. In this tutorial I will be using fleece and cotton as a) I love cotton prints and, b) the tutorial will be easier to understand if I can say cotton and fleece instead of fleece 1 and fleece 2.
What you will need to sew this hammock (all measurements given in inches):
- Standard sewing apparatus (sewing machine, scissors, thread, measuring device, etc)
- Four 12" x 12" x 12" triangles of cotton
- Four 12" x 12" x 12" triangles of fleece
The first time I tried to make a reversible triangle it took me absolutely forever while I turned the fabric this way and that trying to figure out exactly how I was supposed to place things to get it to end up how I wanted! Hopefully this tutorial will help you to make a seamless triangle without all of the hassle. I will warn you -- this tutorial will be long and contain many, many pictures. It isn't difficult, just involved. Once you understand the mechanics behind how it works, the whole thing begins to make a great deal of sense. I am confident that once you follow through the tutorial once, you'll find making these triangles a breeze.
The first thing you will need to do is cut out your fabric. You'll need four triangles of your cotton and four triangles of your fleece. I prefer 12" x 12" x 12", but obviously make whatever size fits your cage and your rats. There are various methods for drawing an equilateral triangle (which is, obviously, what we are looking for) utilizing compasses and other math-like equipment. My favourite way to do it? Poke hubby and make him draw one for me. My second favourite way to do it? Google a picture of an equilateral triangle and print it out!
I highly suggest cutting an equilateral triangle out of scrap cloth and keeping it set aside as guidance for future triangles. That's what I have done.
Now that you have your cloth cut out, you are ready to begin! Start by laying a piece of fleece down on your work surface with the right side facing up. Now lay another piece of fleece down on top of it with the right side facing down (right sides together). Now add a piece of cotton with the right side facing up. Add another piece of cotton with the right side facing down (right sides together). You should now have four layers of cloth.. two fleeces with right sides together, and two cottons with right sides together on top of the fleece.
Pin up just one side of the fabric (I have chosen the right side, in this picture) and sew only the pinned side. Make sure to sew all the way to the edges of each corner, and make sure that your stitches are far enough in that you catch all four layers!
Now if you will look at the picture below you can see that I have taken the fabric and opened it up and laid it down flat (the picture also shows how both the cotton and fleece sides are seamless). You now have two sides of the triangle.
Next take a new piece of fleece and place it on your work surface with the right side facing up. Place the fleece side of one of your already sewn "triangles" down on top of the new piece of fleece. Place a new piece of cotton, right side down, on top of the whole thing. Pin up the unsewn edge (in the picture below, it is the right edge) and sew just up the edge, once again being sure to sew all the way to the corners and being careful to sew all four layers of fabric.
The picture below gives step-by-step instructions for how to open all of the panels and lay them flat. At this point you may way to go through and trim all of your edges, being careful not to cut any of your stitches.
Now we need to sew the two outside edges together to form the sides of our triangle. What you'll want to do is gather the loose edges of your cotton in one hand and lift straight up. See in the picture below how when you do this, the fleece triangles hang down? Great! Now lay them down on the table with the fleece triangles pointing to the right and the cotton triangles pointing to the left. Now bring the point of the cotton triangles over to the point of the fleece triangles so that you just have "one" triangle instead of two on your work surface. You'll notice in the last portion of the picture below that I have pinned up the right side, and the bottom part (the unpinned part) appears to have a loop of fabric inside it. Just be sure to pin whichever side does NOT have the loop. Now sew up the side that you have pinned and, yes I know it is getting old, be sure to sew all the way to the edges and make sure you sew through all four layers of fabric! Trim your seam.
Refer to the picture below to turn your work right side out. What you will want to do is reach in between the two cotton layers and grasp the inside corner. Pull on it until you have what looks like a triangle with no bottom.
Now lay your last piece of unused fleece down on your work surface, with the right side facing up. Set one of the raw edges of your mostly completed triangle down on top of the fleece with fleeces touching (first part of the picture below). Place your last piece of unused cotton on top of it, with right sides of the cottons together (second part of picture below). Line up the edges and pin them. Sew across the pinned edge (third part of the picture below). Pull the cotton down and match it with the fleece. As you can see, all you have left to do now is sew the final two edges.
This part is a little bit tricky to explain, but I will do my best. The picture below should help if you get stuck with my explanation. Set the triangle down on your work surface, with the "loose" triangle (of both cotton and fleece) off to the right. Lift the point of the cotton up and bring it to the left, across the triangle. This will put the right side of the "loose" cotton together with the right side of another piece of cotton. Now bring the "loose" fleece underneath so that it is lined up with the two layers of cotton and the other layer of fleece. So you're looking at four layers -- two of cotton, and two of fleece. Pin across this edge, sew it, and trim.
Now reach inside between the two layers of cotton and grasp the inside corner. Pull it out so that you are seeing all "right sides" of cotton on the outside, and the whole inside is fleece.
Looking at the picture below will help you with the next step. In the first part of the picture, you can see that there are two places where you can put your hand between cotton and fleece. Choose one of those sides (either or, it doesn't matter, I've chosen the right side in the second part of the picture). Reach your hand inside between the cotton and fleece and grasp the corner (third part of the picture). Pull it out and arrange it neatly so that you have only the shape of one triangle that is stuffed full of cloth.
You will have two layers of cotton on top of two layers of fleece. Pin all four raw edges together (the third part of the picture below shows my fingers in between the layers so you can see that there are indeed four). Sew across the raw edge where you have pinned and, as is the theme for this tutorial, make sure to sew all the way to the corners and catch all four layers of fabric. Leave a hole as you will need to turn things right side out. I like to leave my hole in the middle as I find it easier to sew by hand than the corners.
Now that you've sewn it together, reach in between the two layers of cotton and pull all of the fabric through, until you are left with what you see in the second part of the picture below (that being a triangle that is almost completed, save for one small unsewn portion). Pin the two layers of visible fleece together and stitch them up by hand (I suppose you could use a machine, but it's so quick just to do it by hand and you don't have to worry about manouvering around the cotton). Once the fleece is sewn together, fold the edges of the cotton inward (just as you do when closing off a regular hammock) and pin them together. Slip-stitch closed (or use steam-a-seam if you prefer). You truly are almost done now!
Draw a circle on the panel that you would like to be the entrance to your triangle. I should point out that if you prefer, you can make a square, triangular, or any shape opening that you like. I prefer a circle, but triangles and squares are easier to sew closed. Cut out the shape that you have drawn and fold the edges of the cloth inwards and slip-stitch together. The picture below shows how the hammock looks with both the cotton side out and the fleece side out (with Hamlet becoming curious enough to pop out of his igloo to see). You'll notice that there are absolutely no seams, even with the triangle turned fleece side out.
All that is left to do is.. enjoy!