What fabric is best for making large pet beds?

Furnishing fabrics (upholstery rather than curtains) works quite well, and sometimes comes Scotchguarded. You could also look for the kind of fabric that is made for outdoor use, such as garden parasol fabric, or the stuff sometimes used for boat squabs.

slyee Apr 2, 12:54 pm show options

Newsgroups: rec.crafts.textiles.sewing From: "slyee" - Find messages by this author Date: 2 Apr 2005 12:54:13 -0800 Local: Sat, Apr 2 2005 12:54 pm Subject: What fabric is best for making large pet beds? Reply | Reply to Author | Forward | Print | Individual Message | Show original | Report Abuse

I am new to sewing and have been buying cheap denim fabric (about $3 yd) to make beds for my Newfoundland. I want to make others for friends

dogs but what/where would be the best best fabric, places to look for deal on heavy fabrics? I have used my local Hancock fabric store but am

looking for ideas,etc. Also, these beds are for the outside like on a covererd patio so I have Scotch guarded the previous bed but any ideas,

thoughts would be appreciated.

I have a purchased dog-bed I got cheap at Costco. It has the sherpa type fleece in the bed, plus a removable pad with sherpa on one side and denim on the other. My Shih Tzu does the whole round-and-round-and-scratch-the-bedding thing so much that the sherpa fleece is shedding all over the place and is pretty thin in spots. If I were making one, I'd opt for medium-weight denim or duck all over.

Agreed on the cedar chips. Mine is an indoor dog, except for doing his duty outside, and doesn't usually bring in nasty stuff, but every once in a while does find something horrendous to roll in.

Gee, I'd be grateful for any suggestions here!

My dog (name of Miss Alice - she's a Bull Terrier and hence

*exceedingly* beautiful!) has an unfortunate habit of ingesting any and all bedding materials she's given. This dog has eaten *concrete*, so it came as no surprise when she began scratching at her bedding, eating the resulting fabric mess and then doing the most *objectionable* and startling-looking poos! 'Recycled' polyurethane foam can look extremely confronting when viewed for the very first time - I kid you not!

Anyway, I've tried heavy canvas, heavy-duty denim, ripstop fabric (used in making horse rugs that 'won't tear') and other fabrics. The most successful so far has been el cheapo flanelette fabric with which I made a small pillow. For some reason, Alice doesn't feel the need to dig her claws into it... but it certainly does hold her aroma and that's not so good!

Does anyone have a great idea for a bed for my Alice that will resist her attempts at shredding it while still giving her a decent surface to lie on (with thin pink skin and a white coat, she tends to get pressure sores from lying on hard surfaces...)?

I too use fleece. Fur and dirt stick to fleece nicely, reducing the amount distributed around other parts of the house. Three cats and four pillows.

Does anyone have a great idea for a bed for my Alice that will resist her attempts at shredding it while still giving her a decent surface to

lie on (with thin pink skin and a white coat, she tends to get pressure

sores from lying on hard surfaces...)? Trish {|:-} Newcastle, Australia

Will she shred loose fabric? I'm thinking of a combination of something like a rubber stall mat for general cushioning, and polarfleece for her to paw around and "nest in". Otherwise, I think in this household, she'd likely get a box of dog resistant construction (4x4's anyone? ) and a good pile of loose straw.

Another thought might be something like 1000 denier Cordura nylon, grommeted around the edges and laced across a truck or tractor tire, so she's got a "hammock" in the middle.

So, besides my local Hancock, etc where would I find material like this heavy dec duck? My dogs will not chew the fabric but they do come on the patio soaking wet and the interior of the bed which is usually a foam eggshell I cover with plastic then put the washable denim over it. I would love to find the most inexpensive priced but basically durable/waterproof fabric for these bed for large dogs. I do not like to Scotchguard and do not even know if it makes a real difference. I wash the covers also. Shawna