i made a hammock today, and took pictures. here.
1. i use fleece and flannel for my hammocks. the big pieces (top) are for the hammock itself, measuring about 10"x12". the small pieces (bottom) are for a pocket, measuring about 10"x9". if you don't want a pocket, ignore anything relating to it. the little strips are for making loops to hang the hammock. if you'd rather use grommets, ignore the loop instructions and put them in at the end.
2. to make the pocket, pin the two "right" sides together (print inside), with the loop pinned along one edge, to the inside. sew along just the loop side.
3. turn the pocket right-side out again, and topstitch along the side with the loop, to make it lie flat.
4. lay out the flannel, print-side up, and pin the loops to the corners, facing in.
5. lay the pocket on top of this, fleece side up, lining up the bottom and side edges.
6. lay the largest piece of fleece on top of all of this, and pin all the layers together. at this point you might want to move the loop pins to the outside, to avoid hitting them with your machine and breaking a needle. (yes, i speak from experience.)
7. sew around the perimeter, making sure the edges stay lined up. leave a gap at the top to turn it right-side out again, backstitching so it doesn't unravel while you do so. sew around the corners diagonally, and clip the extra triangle of fabric out.
8. turn it right-side out again, and topstitch around the top to close the gap and make the fabric lie flat.
9. finished. you can either hang it like a regular hammock, flat, or you can hang the front two corners closer together and pull up the middle one as well, forming a kind of cave-pocket. skunk and clementine seem to like it. i only intended to hang it for a picture, but within seconds, they had both climbed inside.
10. i prefer to use plastic-coated paperclips to hold up the hammocks. for some reason, it keeps the girls from chewing. here, olive takes an unconventional approach and climbs on top of her sisters.
so i hope you find this useful, and i really hope it works this time because my computer did something weird when i tried to "sumbit" it last time, and i had to retype the whole thing... let me know if anything needs clarification.
