Sewing a dog bed cover without experience...
March 21, 2021 6:29 AM Subscribe
I have access to a sewing machine but have never used one. I would like to sew my dog a new cover for her Casper dog bed. Should I do this or will it lead to misery?
My dog has a Casper dog bed, which she loves. But the outer cover is not very durable and has become torn. Trying to buy a new one from Casper has literally been the most frustrating retail / customer service experience I've had in 30+ years.
I've considered buying some material from Ripstop by the Roll and attempting to make one by myself. I've never bought material or used a sewing machine in my life, but a neighbor has one she's offered to lend.
Do you have any advice? Caveats? Out-and-out recommendations against not doing it?
My dog has a Casper dog bed, which she loves. But the outer cover is not very durable and has become torn. Trying to buy a new one from Casper has literally been the most frustrating retail / customer service experience I've had in 30+ years.
I've considered buying some material from Ripstop by the Roll and attempting to make one by myself. I've never bought material or used a sewing machine in my life, but a neighbor has one she's offered to lend.
Do you have any advice? Caveats? Out-and-out recommendations against not doing it?
Assuming you're just making a large pillowcase, essentially (sewing two rectangles together, leaving one end open with hemmed edges—and not something more complex/shaped, like a fitted sheet), that's a perfectly reasonable first-time project. Look for a YouTube video demonstrating how to thread the machine in question, as that's often the most counter-intuitive part.
That said, I find nylon to be a very unpleasant material to work with (as someone with limited sewing machine skills and experience) and wonder if something else couldn't work. Some tips for nylon are here. You can't use pins to hold things in place (that page recommends a glue stick; I've used light-weight painter's tape). You have to hold the fabric taut is you feed it into the machine, and (in my limited experience) you do need to use a zigzag stitch, or the stitches will bunch up and pop out. (It's just a matter of turning one or two dials on the machine—again, YouTube helps).
A heavyish-duty cotton (something thinner than canvas, and woven, not jersey) would be much more forgiving.
posted by wreckingball at 7:39 AM on March 21, 2021
That said, I find nylon to be a very unpleasant material to work with (as someone with limited sewing machine skills and experience) and wonder if something else couldn't work. Some tips for nylon are here. You can't use pins to hold things in place (that page recommends a glue stick; I've used light-weight painter's tape). You have to hold the fabric taut is you feed it into the machine, and (in my limited experience) you do need to use a zigzag stitch, or the stitches will bunch up and pop out. (It's just a matter of turning one or two dials on the machine—again, YouTube helps).
A heavyish-duty cotton (something thinner than canvas, and woven, not jersey) would be much more forgiving.
posted by wreckingball at 7:39 AM on March 21, 2021
I recently made a custom-sized dog bed using a piece of foam and outdoor fabric, but I would consider myself somewhat 'experienced'. I wouldn't call your project entry-level, but if you can manage your expectations about the cosmetics of the finished project you should go for it. You will need quite a bit of help from your neighbor in learning the machine, and maybe help picking fabric weights that the machine can handle. Take the current bed cover off and use it for a pattern (it looks a little complex, you might get away with not following the contours). If available, shop fabrics locally (or get samples) so you can feel them as your selection will have a big difference on the outcome. Too heavy and the machine won't work well (or at all), too light and the cover won't last. Be aware that without training there is a small chance you could accidentally damage the machine, which is why you need to confirm that your neighbor will support you in this with training and machine adjustment. I assume this has a zipper, which can be a troublesome component to integrate. Buy enough fabric to practice. Accept at the outset that this exercise may result in only experience.
posted by achrise at 7:40 AM on March 21, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by achrise at 7:40 AM on March 21, 2021 [1 favorite]
Try sewing with a cheaper fabric first to make sure you are comfortable with sewing a line, installing a zipper, and cutting the pieces out. $7.99 a yard is the price at JoAnn and I'll bet you can find something on clearance closer to $2 per yard for your trial run, though it may be ugly and will not be nylon. Get 3-4 yards of the cheap stuff to do your test run and try to get something that is 60 inches wide. Fabric is often either 45 or 60 inches wide and if you get something 60 inches, you will be able to cut the same pieces on your test as you will on your final product.
The ripstop fabric is 59 inches wide and the dog bed is 33x25x6 (medium). You want to add fabric for seams and ease so that means you want one piece that is 35x58 (top bottom and one long side, plus two inches) and another that is 8x85 (3 remaining sides plus two inches). If you get 2 yards you will have a workable piece that is 72 by 58 and you can cut out the big piece and two 8 by 42.5 pieces that you sew together on the short end. Measure more than once and have a marker or chalk that works on the nylon. You wont use pins at all but you can use clothespins or binder clips to hold nylon together.
Then you can put in the zipper. There are a lot of really good zipper tutorials on you tube. I assume the zipper goes into one of the sides and might actually go around a corner or two to make it easier to get the cover on. Measure the zipper on the existing cover and get one at least that long. It is easy to shorten a zipper when you are sewing it in, but a longer zipper will make it easier to get the cover on and off.
posted by soelo at 7:41 AM on March 21, 2021 [2 favorites]
The ripstop fabric is 59 inches wide and the dog bed is 33x25x6 (medium). You want to add fabric for seams and ease so that means you want one piece that is 35x58 (top bottom and one long side, plus two inches) and another that is 8x85 (3 remaining sides plus two inches). If you get 2 yards you will have a workable piece that is 72 by 58 and you can cut out the big piece and two 8 by 42.5 pieces that you sew together on the short end. Measure more than once and have a marker or chalk that works on the nylon. You wont use pins at all but you can use clothespins or binder clips to hold nylon together.
Then you can put in the zipper. There are a lot of really good zipper tutorials on you tube. I assume the zipper goes into one of the sides and might actually go around a corner or two to make it easier to get the cover on. Measure the zipper on the existing cover and get one at least that long. It is easy to shorten a zipper when you are sewing it in, but a longer zipper will make it easier to get the cover on and off.
posted by soelo at 7:41 AM on March 21, 2021 [2 favorites]
Ah, now I’ve read the description and it says the entire cover is removable for washing. So you can unpick the seams and use them for pattern pieces. Choose a fabric with some stretch in it and make all the seams French seams for strength. The tricky part is paying attention to the construction assembly when you take it apart, seeing that part A is sewn together before going on to part B.
What is your reasoning behind using rip-stop nylon? Are you sure your dog would like it?
posted by TWinbrook8 at 7:41 AM on March 21, 2021 [2 favorites]
What is your reasoning behind using rip-stop nylon? Are you sure your dog would like it?
posted by TWinbrook8 at 7:41 AM on March 21, 2021 [2 favorites]
After looking at the bed in question, I'd say you've picked a nearly ideal first sewing project.
IME, the most complicated part of using a sewing machine is learning to thread it properly. Ask your neighbor for a ten-minute lesson, and spend most of it on threading the needle and refilling the bobbin. Odds are, you'll only need to do either task once or twice to finish your project, but it's essential that you can confidently manage it.
Were I you, I wouldn't start with a nylon fabric like the one you're considering. Because it's so slippery, it can be tough for a novice to feed smoothly through the presser foot of a machine. That could be an unnecessary frustration.
Instead, I'd head for the nearest fabric shop and pick a nice, relatively heavy cotton or cotton blend -- maybe even a good flannel. The shop personnel should be able to help you convert your measurements of the bed into needed yardage for the project, and pick a thread to match.
Then I'd follow Twinbrook8's advice and make a pillowcase-like slipcover for the bed -- a simple box, open at one short end. Doesn't matter if the center cushion is removable, and I wouldn't even bother with the whip-stitching. I'd just tuck the open end so it could be easily removed and washed as needed. If you're feeling adventurous and want a bit more finished look, adding a strip of Velcro on the open end would also make it easy to pull off the finished slipcover.
posted by peakcomm at 7:51 AM on March 21, 2021 [4 favorites]
IME, the most complicated part of using a sewing machine is learning to thread it properly. Ask your neighbor for a ten-minute lesson, and spend most of it on threading the needle and refilling the bobbin. Odds are, you'll only need to do either task once or twice to finish your project, but it's essential that you can confidently manage it.
Were I you, I wouldn't start with a nylon fabric like the one you're considering. Because it's so slippery, it can be tough for a novice to feed smoothly through the presser foot of a machine. That could be an unnecessary frustration.
Instead, I'd head for the nearest fabric shop and pick a nice, relatively heavy cotton or cotton blend -- maybe even a good flannel. The shop personnel should be able to help you convert your measurements of the bed into needed yardage for the project, and pick a thread to match.
Then I'd follow Twinbrook8's advice and make a pillowcase-like slipcover for the bed -- a simple box, open at one short end. Doesn't matter if the center cushion is removable, and I wouldn't even bother with the whip-stitching. I'd just tuck the open end so it could be easily removed and washed as needed. If you're feeling adventurous and want a bit more finished look, adding a strip of Velcro on the open end would also make it easy to pull off the finished slipcover.
posted by peakcomm at 7:51 AM on March 21, 2021 [4 favorites]
Response by poster: Thanks for the answers thus far.
Unfortunately the "pillowcase" option won't work. The bed is not just a single piece (pillow) but made up of 5 different pieces -- the middle and four separate borders. The cover's shape is what keeps them in place.
I'm guessing this would make the project unwieldy for an amateur?
posted by dobbs at 8:26 AM on March 21, 2021 [1 favorite]
Unfortunately the "pillowcase" option won't work. The bed is not just a single piece (pillow) but made up of 5 different pieces -- the middle and four separate borders. The cover's shape is what keeps them in place.
I'm guessing this would make the project unwieldy for an amateur?
posted by dobbs at 8:26 AM on March 21, 2021 [1 favorite]
You can see the construction at youtu.be/7KRjwm50cy4. Not trivial.
posted by StephenB at 8:36 AM on March 21, 2021
posted by StephenB at 8:36 AM on March 21, 2021
Hm, yeah, seeing that follow-up and the video, as a still fairly novice sewer myself, that seems like a tougher project. But an alternative would be to repair/patch the tear in the original cover and then still use the homemade pillowcase slipcover over that. The repair/patch job doesn't have to be too aesthetic since it will ultimately be inside the second cover, so I think those two projects together could be very achievable for a novice, depending on the tear at least.
posted by solotoro at 8:50 AM on March 21, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by solotoro at 8:50 AM on March 21, 2021 [1 favorite]
Agreed. Reconstructing the original cover would be an advanced project, certainly.
But how badly damaged is the original cover? Is it no longer holding the structure at all? Or is it just torn in unsightly ways?
If the latter, would you consider washing it, then using something like duct tape on the inside to close the tears. Then you could build a simpler slipcover for the whole structure, going over the original rather than replacing it. The final look wouldn't be as neatly tailored as the original, of course, but Doggo probably won't mind.
posted by peakcomm at 8:53 AM on March 21, 2021
But how badly damaged is the original cover? Is it no longer holding the structure at all? Or is it just torn in unsightly ways?
If the latter, would you consider washing it, then using something like duct tape on the inside to close the tears. Then you could build a simpler slipcover for the whole structure, going over the original rather than replacing it. The final look wouldn't be as neatly tailored as the original, of course, but Doggo probably won't mind.
posted by peakcomm at 8:53 AM on March 21, 2021
An iron patch might work and I would darn the tear as well. If it is a seam that has given way, then that’s more problematic because it’s under stress. The cover is so snug, it’s doubtful that you have enough ease to re-stitch it.
An upholstery shop that sews slip covers or a sailmaker who also sews boat cushions could make you another cover if your dog really loves it.
Note: the loose pillowcase cover would go over the current cover.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 9:00 AM on March 21, 2021 [1 favorite]
An upholstery shop that sews slip covers or a sailmaker who also sews boat cushions could make you another cover if your dog really loves it.
Note: the loose pillowcase cover would go over the current cover.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 9:00 AM on March 21, 2021 [1 favorite]
Yeah, I would make a pillowcase cover to go OVER the existing cover, since that's the structural framework.
But given that, as I look around at all my dog beds and my sewing machine, I'd probably buy some large throw blankets and a snaps kit and make removing/washing/re-covering easy on myself. If your dog is a really vigorous digger you can leave another loose throw on top for her sensory satisfaction.
If you were wanting to learn Sewing 101 for this project, you could instead make those pillowcase/snap-together covers, or just her digger-throws, from some of Jo-Ann's adorable flannel prints - I own piles of this stuff for utilitarian household projects, it brings me great joy and it's very easy to work with.
Jo-Ann has simple project instructions for flannel-fleece throws if you wanted to make something a little more substantial. If nothing else it should give you a feel for how much fabric you'd need.
Everything you could ever want to know about sewing and that specific machine is on youtube, but if you neighbor has the manual do borrow that too, or order your own copy/download the pdf from online. Every once in a while the diagram in the manual is necessary for me to understand something I'm seeing on a video.
There is a whole world of people who only sew to make hiking/backpacking gear (I learned about that here on AskMe, it's called Make Your Own Gear or MYOG, and they work with ripstop a lot but it sure seems like a pain in the ass. And I don't know if my dogs would agree to even step on it, it feels and sounds awfully weird.
posted by Lyn Never at 10:31 AM on March 21, 2021
But given that, as I look around at all my dog beds and my sewing machine, I'd probably buy some large throw blankets and a snaps kit and make removing/washing/re-covering easy on myself. If your dog is a really vigorous digger you can leave another loose throw on top for her sensory satisfaction.
If you were wanting to learn Sewing 101 for this project, you could instead make those pillowcase/snap-together covers, or just her digger-throws, from some of Jo-Ann's adorable flannel prints - I own piles of this stuff for utilitarian household projects, it brings me great joy and it's very easy to work with.
Jo-Ann has simple project instructions for flannel-fleece throws if you wanted to make something a little more substantial. If nothing else it should give you a feel for how much fabric you'd need.
Everything you could ever want to know about sewing and that specific machine is on youtube, but if you neighbor has the manual do borrow that too, or order your own copy/download the pdf from online. Every once in a while the diagram in the manual is necessary for me to understand something I'm seeing on a video.
There is a whole world of people who only sew to make hiking/backpacking gear (I learned about that here on AskMe, it's called Make Your Own Gear or MYOG, and they work with ripstop a lot but it sure seems like a pain in the ass. And I don't know if my dogs would agree to even step on it, it feels and sounds awfully weird.
posted by Lyn Never at 10:31 AM on March 21, 2021
I looked at the Casper and this cover looks like it might fit. Check out the dimensions and compare. Maybe it will work.
If you decide to sew, I would be hesitant to use ripstop unless you think your dog might like it. It's not so comfortable and it's noisy yet I'm not sure if a dog would care. I would go for a sueded microfiber or even canvas or duck over ripstop.
posted by loveandhappiness at 10:43 AM on March 21, 2021 [1 favorite]
If you decide to sew, I would be hesitant to use ripstop unless you think your dog might like it. It's not so comfortable and it's noisy yet I'm not sure if a dog would care. I would go for a sueded microfiber or even canvas or duck over ripstop.
posted by loveandhappiness at 10:43 AM on March 21, 2021 [1 favorite]
If you decide to use material other than nylon or fleece, please consider washing the fabric first in case it shrinks. I have had fabrics shrink as much as 10 inches in a 2 or 3 yard piece of fabric. Your neighbor can show you how to zig-zag stitch the cut edges to keep them from unravelling in the washer/dryer.
posted by serendipityrules at 10:47 AM on March 21, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by serendipityrules at 10:47 AM on March 21, 2021 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks, all. You've convinced me this is a terrible idea.
I looked at the Casper and this cover looks like it might fit.
Good idea. Doesn't look like they ship to Canada.
posted by dobbs at 3:13 PM on March 21, 2021
I looked at the Casper and this cover looks like it might fit.
Good idea. Doesn't look like they ship to Canada.
posted by dobbs at 3:13 PM on March 21, 2021
Response by poster: Casper reached out and are sending me a new bed, gratis!
posted by dobbs at 1:52 PM on March 28, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by dobbs at 1:52 PM on March 28, 2021 [1 favorite]
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How much do you care about the “look” of the finished piece?
Me, and without seeing the actual product, I think this would be difficult for a novice sewer but if you care less about the final look and just want to keep the stuffing from coming out, you could easily sew something like a pillow case. It won’t be fitted but you can slide the current bed into it and whip stitch it closed. Laying the center cushion (assuming it’s removable) on top will keep the excess fabric more or less in place.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 7:32 AM on March 21, 2021 [1 favorite]