it is very easy
like legos
and everything
i waill mail you instructions when i'm sober

and "i broke the damn"
a la south park two seconds ago

My wife sewed her wedding gown. I gave up at trying to make a necktie.

It's hard. However, after years of following my wife around:

1 - you can get vinyl at "Anne's Fabric", or whatever your local fabric super-store happens to be named.

2 - they also sell stuffing-type things, in various sizes and shapes.

3 - yes, you will need a special needle and thread. In fact, you will probably need an industrial sewing machine to make it strong enough. My wife (the woman who sewed her own wedding gown, remember) could not make a kayak cover for my cousin to his specifications - once the covering material is folded onto itself enough times, it takes a serious hunk of machinery to both poke a needle through it all and keep it all together.

Spend the $200.00.

P.S. - ethylene is drunk. It's hard, dammit. Even if you can build a house out of nothing but two-by-fours and plywood, you could not sew a pair of pants (or even a big rectangle). Completely different skilz.

i will go on irc and show you
it is easy
like straight lines with a ruler

I should add that I can't even wrap a present neatly. This embarasses me. I also have a wooden chair that I want to make a cushion for. That would be after the dog bed.

ethylene, I'm counting on your instructionn-writiing-when-sober-skills!

yhbc, you've just made me more adamant. I can do this! :)

on preview, I do not have any irc software these days. email is much better and I can wait till yer sober.

It's not hard at all, really. It would be considered a beginning sewing project. Is it really vinyl? Because I would make it out of a canvas or duck, and stuff it with cedar shavings.

The basic premise is a rectangle on top, a rectangle on the bottom, and a gusset - the strip that goes around the middle.

You would need a sewing machine, probably. It's definitely doable by hand, though. Me personally, I think hand sewing is by far stronger than machine sewing. You'd need a sturdy needle and strong thread. I would bet some canadian bacon that any local fabric store will have a pattern in stock that's extremely similar to that one, and the people that work there will probably be very happy to help you out and explain what you need.

Thing is, it's going to have to have a zipper, and that's the tricky part. Again, very doable, and even fun.

So you need
a pattern (or just the ability to measure accurately)
thread
a needle or a machine
shavings and/or fluff for the stuffing
a zipper

Here's an idea.

And another one.

And some tips.

Just please be sure to take pictures of the end result. I can hardly wait. ;)

dobbs, about the zipper - it's not necessary if you're using vinyl, because that wipes clean. I was channeling there. I would use canvas, so I'd occasionally need to take the cover off and machine wash it. Just ignore the part about the zipper if you're using vinyl.

i got stood up man
on my birthday
wow
cold
heh

Hmm. But if there's no zipper how do I get the stuff inside?! Heh. I would think stuffing it and then sewing it would be a nightmare of lumpiness.

And canvas... hmm. I was thinking vinyl because that's more comfortable for Satchel but canvas is more durable, right? WTH is duck?

Also, wouldn't shavings also make it lumpy? Satchel likes the the solid square-y manliness of the full on cube. Is it like a giant piece of foam or something in there dya think?

yhbc, if I sew it, I will take pictures. I promise.

Oh, and yhbc, I ain't sewing on the bone part.

ethylene, I'm sorry, I haven't been on irc since 1997 and somehow some chick talked me into flying to Australia.

Duck is just like canvas. The cedar shavings are soft, and small, like the stuff in guinea pig cages. No lumps. It smells nice, and repels fleas. The canvas is nicer than vinyl because it absorbs moisture while the dog's lying on it. Both fabrics have their advantages.

To stuff it, sans zipper, you sew three sides up, and sew up the last side partway, leaving a space somewhere. Then you stuff it full of whatever, and whipstitch up that last little bit. It's easy.

somehow some chick talked me into flying to Australia.

Well that's a whole other post now, isn't it? You can't make a comment like that and not tell the whole story!

Whipstitch = just regular sewing ;)

Careful, dobbs. My mom tried to force me to learn to sew as a kid, and I ended up a big ol' lesbian.

YMMV.

To stuff it, sans zipper, you sew three sides up, and sew up the last side partway, leaving a space somewhere.

Sounds like trying to put the cheese in the omlette after you already folded it.

Well that's a whole other post now, isn't it?

Not much to tell. I was on irc. In #truthdare on effnet and a lovely named biccan (cross between a bitch and a wiccan) seduced me. I got on a plane (first time ever) and flew from Toronto to Melbourne. I stayed a month (May, 1997) and returned home a year older and considerably wiser.

mudpuppie, had I known that I might have tried it sooner.

i dig, dobbs
i dig
they made me do it
after all this time
*subtly gestures at 'pup and stuff*

ethlyene, I'm drinking in honor of your b-day. cheers!

I'm also typing like shit, ethylene. Sorry!

I think you should try making a mini dog bed first. A prototype. It would be a lot less wieldly. Use some scrap fabric so you won't be nervous about ruining the expensive stuff.

But then what would I do with it?

How much is this vinyl or canvas stuff gonna cost me?

You give it to a little girl for her stuffed plushie puppy to sleep on, silly.

Or you keep it to charm future girlfriends with. Girls go ape for guys who can sew or knit, you know.

Around here (PA) you'd pay about 10 dollars for the fabric you'd need, either vinyl or duck.

see what mods do with their peer pesssure!
bad mods, bad mods!
shucks shmucks thanks and all
dobbs, if it isn't going to be fun, it's easy to get a deal that is worth the price of inconvenience
otherwise

alcohol use to be a sacrament of sorts
so thank you and it's all your fault

$10?! for the little bed or the big bed? Seems awful cheap.

Girls go more ape for guys who want to learn to sew than guys who can already sew.

ethylene, it's not the money I'm worried about. I'm genuinely embarassed I don't have these skills. I have a chair, sorta like this chair, without cushions. Had it for months. I want to make it cushions. People keep coming over and asking why I bought the chair if I'm not gonna put cushions on it.

What are you drinking, btw? Me, vodka. Mmm.

it is a basic survival skill you should know
and me too.
but it is the accomplishment of a challenge well met that makes it worth it

Big bed.

$10?! The thing sells for us$150 plus shipping. I'm going into the dog bed making business.

i have suggestions
when i'm fully sober
all copyright free

they sell fusing stuff too, that you use an iron with--it's totally not strong or lasting tho.

dobbs -- a few longwinded thoughts, from someone who once made something not dissimilar (big cushions for a sofa);

1. I'd think carefully about the vinyl vs. heavy canvas options for the cover. Vinyl will wipe clean, but it's a bitch to sew, and also will be somewhat slippery, which your dog might not like. (It will also make a lot of creaky noise when he moves around.) Canvas or heavy cotton will be quieter and probably more comfy, but will need to be washed from time to time, which means you'll need to be able to remove it.

2. You say Satchel likes a firm solid bed, and in that case I'd just use a foam rectangle and enclose it in a fabric slipcover. You can likely find a place that sells plain foam blocks cut to whatever size you want--check Yellow Pages under "Foam." In a pinch, it's (relatively) easy to cut down a large piece using an electric knife.

3. The covering: if you use a lightweight fabric it's very likely the dog will put a toenail through and shred it at some point. However, if you use a heavy fabric (canvas, duck) you run the risk of killing your sewing machine; as mentioned upthread, these often demand an industrial-strength machine (as vinyl unquestionably will). What I would do, actually, is buy the foam, take the measurements, and then call someone who does upholstery (you can often find little ads in the paper from people who do this at home, as well as looking in Yellow Pages), and get a quote for putting it together. Have them tell you (based on size of cushion) how much fabric you'll need and buy it yourself.

4. But if you do want the challenge of sewing it yourself (and go you!), then I'd say pick a lighterweight fabric; use the excellent links iconomy provided to figure out a very simple pattern; make it longer than needed, so it's like a big boxy pillowcase; and just leave it open at one end. Stuff the foam cube in, tuck the open end underneath, voila. Pull off and wash the cover as needed. Also, keep the basic pattern directions handy, and then when Satchel (inevitably) tears the cover, just sew a new one--cotton is pretty cheap.

Or, you could try the all-time simplest way, which I am now christening The Dog Bed Hack:
--buy the foam rectangle, as outlined above;
--go to a discount store and buy a cheap bedsheet;
--wrap the foam piece in the sheet;
--duct-tape it all together on the underside to hold it in place.

Fast, easy, cheap. Unlovely, sure, but Satchel won't mind, and it involves not a stitch of sewing.

Use a rough porous cloth like burlap. It collects the dog hair. Stuff with raw unwashed wool. (It helps if you have your own sheep, since this also give the dog somebody to order around.) The wool attracts the fleas and the oil does them in. They suffocate or something. Sheep don't have fleas.

Wow. Lots of great advice here. Thanks, all!

I'm gonna hit the yellow pages this week and see what I can find out.

I'm pretty sure that I'll have to get a zipper on it or at least velcro (though I imagine it sucks in the washing machine) as Satchel has a habit of trying to open things. As soon as he sees "something's inside" he goes mad and must destroy it.

One of the reasons I like this particular vinyl bed is it 'matches' that couch, which he has yet to lay a paw on. He currently has his own sofa (loveseat, actually), but it's ancient and ugly and I want to get rid of it. I don't want him to be tempted to climb on the leather couch.

you can look for a textured vinyl--it won't be as slippery. i'd measure one of those seat cushions on the couch (which is fab, btw) and use that as your template.

Get the required piece of foam rubber cushion filler. The more expensive foam will have smaller holes and last longer. Get your orange canvas and carefully wrap the foam. Use hot glue to glue together neatly, or use some other strong glue and use clothespins as clamps till it's dry. My dog eats all his bedding eventually, so I take cushions from abandoned couches left out for rubbish. Cheap source of good quality foam. I think vinyl would be harder to glue, although epoxy might work. Check out the glue site as needed.

thx amberglow.

theora55, excellent idea. I'll use the foam innards of the loveseat I'll be a-tossin' out!