How To Make a Hedgehog Carrying Pouch With a Flat Bottom

 If you would like your hedgehog carrying bag to have a flat bottom, then follow these instructions to add an additional flat base to your carrying pouch.

***Please note that these tutorials are for you to make things for your own personal use, not to sell.***

First, finish sewing up the flannel to the fleece fabric on the hedgehog carrying pouch tutorial.

Then measure out fleece fabric approximately 8.75 x 2.5 inches.  The goal is to have a piece of fleece 4 cm too short on each side.  Cut out 4 of these.

Place one fleece rectangle on the bottom of the flannel section good side down (wrong side up).  Center it carefully and pin in place.

Sew the bottom edge.  Make sure to backstitch both ends.

Tip:  Use a ruler to measure both sides.

Do the same for the fleece side of the fabric.  Then do the same for the other fleece and flannel piece.

Place the two finished pieces together.  Line up all the sides carefully and pin in place.

Note:  The joint that you particularly want to line up is the one in the middle between the fleece and flannel.  It will be the most noticeable if it is not perfectly lined up.

Sew the four main sides.  Ignore the indented corners for now.  Make sure to back stitch.

Now you want to create the flat base.  Make your base look like the above picture.  This will line up the fleece bottom with the flannel side (on the fleece and flannel side).

Sew the new fleece and flannel edge.  Make sure to backstitch.

Do the same thing for the other corners, but leave one of the fleece + fleece (inside of pouch) corners.

For the last fleece + fleece corner, only sew the outermost edges.  Don't sew the middle.  Leave a 2 inch gap.  Make sure to backstitch.

Turn the pouch inside out through this gap.

Your base should look like this.

For the remaining gap, tuck in the edges of the fabric and pull the fabric edge together taut.  Pin in place.   Close the gap with a hidden (ladder) stitch.  Make sure to overlap some of the existing stitching to create a secure joining.

Tuck the fleece side into the pouch.  Match up all the corners neatly.

Your flat bottomed pouch is done!

Optional resealable opening/firm base:

Idea #1

Don't sew the last gap shut.  Instead, sew thin strips of velcro to both sides of the remaining gap so that it can be opened and closed anytime.  This creates an opening where you can insert a sheet of plastic to make the base firm.  The plastic needs to be slightly smaller than the base so that it will fit inside well.

Remember to remove the plastic before washing the bag!

Idea #2

Cut a piece of plastic to fit slightly smaller than the base.  Sew a thin pillow case/envelope for it out of flannel.  Place on bottom of pouch to create a firm base.

Potential problem:  There is risk for little toes to get caught on the side of the bag and the hard base. 

Idea #3

Measure the base of the bag and use it as a template to create a removable base with 4 sides (an inner bag).  Sandwich your hard base between the base of your carrying bag and the removable bag.  Make sure to finish your edges so there are no loose threads for toes to get caught on.

Idea #4
Create an envelope for a plastic insert on the outside of the base.  Close the enclosure with velcro.

Let me know if you think of anything else!

Ideas For Plastic Types to Insert
Plastic canvas, thin plastic cutting boards (the kind that's just a sheet of plastic), plastic sheets for rolling dough on, chloroplast, dollar store placemats, report covers

You can also use cardboard, just discard it when it's soiled. Remember to remove it before washing!!! (or you'll be very sad...and your pouch will be shreddy-coated)

Optional Bigger Pouch:

The finished base in this tutorial is approximately 3 inches wide and 7.75 inches long (7.5 cm x19.5 cm).

Wider Front to Back

If you would like a wider base front to back, add an inch to the width of your fabric on both sides.  Also add an inch to the width (shorter side, not length) of the fleece fabric strips for the base.  This will make your base about 1 inch wider (so 4 inches wide) if you have 1/2 inch seams.

Wider Side to Side

If you would like a wider pouch horizontally, add an inch to the width of your fabric on both sides.  Also add an inch to the length of the fleece fabric strips for the base.  This will make your pouch wider by about 1 inch (so 8.75 inches) wide on the bottom.

Move on to the carrying straps tutorial to make the straps for your carrying pouch!

Don't forget to post your finished pictures in the Flickr group here. I'd love to see what you make!

Don't want to make your own? Email me at bluepandemonium (at) hotmail.com and maybe I can make one for you! I also have some fleece pouches listed in my Etsy shop.
Happy Sewing!

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Read other hedgehog tutorials

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Hedgehog and Small Animals Tutorials - Sewing and more!

To keep things organized, here are some of the tutorials available for making cool things for your hedgehog (or other small animal).  Please note that these tutorials are for you to make things for your own personal use, not to sell.

Summer Flannel Pita Pouch - perfect for hot weather and more airflow, also fits perfectly into your dome.

Fleece Pouch (8 x 10 rectangle) - perfect for sleeping in, snuggling, hiding, burrowing... you get the gist  :)

Quilted Fleece Top for Fleece Pouches - use up those fleece squares and make your pouches awesome!

Poggy's Special Inside-Out Pouch - a modification of the rectangular fleece pouches into a reversible holiday & non-holiday pouch

Fleece Pouch (10.5 x10.5 inches square) - perfect for converting into a carrying pouch!

Flat Bottomed Carrying Pouch (10.5 x 8 x 3 inches) - perfect for making into a flat bottom carrying pouch!

Carrying Pouch Straps - ties a cute bow stylishly around the side of your neck.  Why not cuddle with your hedgehog and look good too?

Tree Dome Cover - very general instructions for how to make a cosy for your Living World dome that looks like a short, fat tree.

Fleece Cage Liners - washable, reusable bedding for your little friend!

Start a Mealworm Colony - keep your store-bought mealworms fresh and tasty (aka FAT) by keeping them in dry oatmeal and giving them a carrot each week.  If you're lucky, your colony will become self-sustaining!

Hedgehog Dolls - just purchase the PDF from my shop and you're well on your way to two adorable new little friends.  The instructions are 14 pages and include 39 photos with step-by-step instructions.

Hedgie Hat - available as an instant PDF download from my shop.  The instruction are 11 pages and include photos and the template for the reversible hedgie hat.  The mushroom decoration templates are not included, but the instructions for how to make them are.

Don't forget to post finished pictures of your projects on the Flickr page here or email them to me bluepandemonium (at) hotmail (dot) com.

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Have the tutorials and information on this blog helped you? Then please consider supporting this blog with a generous donation!

 

Poggy's Special Inside-Out Pouch

I sometimes make festive-themed pouches for Poggles.  Unfortunately, that decreases their usefulness the other days of the year.  By accident, I have discovered a solution to this problem.

Introducing Poggy's Special Inside-Out Pouch!

I used the fleece pouch tutorial here, but I didn't have enough green fleece left to make the whole interior green.  So I joined a piece of green fleece onto an interior piece of blue fleece.  The goal was simply to make the extra rim green coloured and the inside blue, but it had a pleasant side effect.

 On the proper side, it is a festive Christmas-themed pouch!

 If you turn it inside out, it can be used on a regular basis with no guilt of using Christmas-themed things at the wrong time of the year.  Yay!

Plus it looks kind of cool with red on the inside. But will it pass the Poggles 360 degree inspection???

 First, Poggles has to show his displeasure at being disturbed... and at the lack of food involved.  

Then he checks the back...

 ... the side... the inside.. the back again...

 ...under it... from both sides...

I don't know why he is standing like this, but he does it for a while.

After being completely sure that the new pouch is up to his strict standards, Poggles goes inside.  

I think he likes it  :)


Have a great day!

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Fleece Pouch Tutorial For Hedgehog, Hamster, Guinea Pig, Ferret, Sugar Glider, and Other Small Animals

Here's a tutorial on how to make a double-layered, seam-less fleece pouch for your little animals.  Please note that these tutorials are for you to make things for your own personal use, not to sell.

MATERIALS NEEDED

You will need the following supplies:

• Fleece fabric
• Ruler
• Thread
• Needle
• Sewing Machine
• Scissors

CUTTING
First, measure out the size of pouch that you want.  For my hedgehog, I needed something that would fit a large fist (or two now!).  Add one inch to your planned size to account for 1/2 inch seams.  For me, this was about 9.5 inches by 10.5.

Cut two pieces, one for front and one for the back.

Since I wanted a fancy looking top to my pouch, I sewed up some strips of different fleece together to make a design.  Refer to the Quilted Top Tutorial here.

 Now, place your sized fabric onto the fabric you want for the interior.  Cut the fabric so that it is about 2 inches longer than your sized fabric.  This will create the different coloured rim and makes the pouch a little longer.

Tip:  if you want to make your pouch reversible, check this variation.

You will need two pieces of interior fabric.

Note:  If you plan to make the pouch 3-layered, then cut out 4 pieces of interior fabric.  Sew the extra interior fabric to the original interior fabric ahead of time so that you don't have to worry about it later.  If you did some "quilting" ahead of time like I did with this pink pouch, don't add a third layer.  It will be too hot/thick.

Tip:  Fold the fabric so that you can cut two pieces at once.

SEWING 
Place one interior fabric over one exterior fabric with good sides facing each other.  Sew the joining edge.

  It should look like the picture above when you open it.

 Do the same for the the other interior and exterior fabric.

 Now place the two pieces on top of each other with good sides facing each other.  Pin in place.

Match up the middle so that it meets up exactly.

 Sew the outside as shown above.  Leave a 2 inch gap on the interior fabric side.  Make sure to backstitch to lock the stitches in place.

You can reinforce all the corners too.  Check to make sure that the fabric did not shift and that there are no holes to stitching too close to the edges.

Note:  The longer the interior fabric is compared to the exterior fabric, the longer the different coloured rim will be at the end.

 Flip the pouch inside out from the 2 inch gap.  Push all the corners out neatly.

Use a hidden stitch to close the gap. (Thread needle, tie knot at end. Pinch gap closed with edges folded neatly in. Stitch on one side, go directly across, make a stitch, go directly across, make a stitch, etc. Tie knot at end. Snip thread.)

Tip: Overlap the existing stitches on the gap sides to make the joint more secure.

 This is what you should have when you're done.  Push the interior fabric into the pouch and match the corners up.

Note: When you launder the pouch, it usually pulls out this way.  This allows for excellent cleaning, but beware of quills!

You should end up with a cute pouch with a different coloured rim at the opening.

The good thing about this pouch is that there are no loose threads that your little animal can get caught on.  It's also super cute and warm.  If you want extra warmth, add a middle layer of fleece on both sides.  

My hedgehog's favourite pouch is a 3-layer one: brown corduroy on the outside, fleece in the middle, and fleece on the inside.  The brown corduroy, however, is actually just a thin outer layer.

Don't forget to post what you've made to the Flickr group here.  I would love to see what you have made!

Don't want to make your own?  You can purchase them from me too.  View available pouches here or find some pre-made ones in my Etsy shop. Email me bluepandemonium (at) hotmail.com

Happy sewing!

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Read other hedgehog tutorials

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Have the tutorials and information on this blog helped you? Then please consider supporting this blog with a generous donation!