Washable Bunny Pee Pads

Using the charity shop find was a great idea and value. Eddy must like them!

Reader of Books,

Round would be more difficult to hem around the edges. You could sew two round layers right sides together, leaving an opening for turning (perhaps use an old sheet or blanket for one layer), turn right side out, then close up the opening by machine or hand.
 
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bunny momma said:
Reader of Books,

Round would be more difficult to hem around the edges. You could sew two round layers right sides together, leaving an opening for turning (perhaps use an old sheet or blanket for one layer), turn right side out, then close up the opening by machine or hand.
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Ah, thank you for explaining! That sounds doable... I'll give it a try sometime, after I've tried making a simple rectangular one.
 
I've made two pee pads from some cotton and fleece my mum had lying around, and the mattress protector. They're four layers of cotton (one on the bottom under the mattress protector), and two layers of fleece, so I hope that's enough... I guess cotton doesn't really absorb much, since it's so thin... I had just enough fabric to make two pads for the new litter tray I got for Casper and Stamp, so that worked out well.

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As you can see, I haven't quite mastered the art of sewing in a straight line yet 😅 I was wondering, though... the thread keeps going out of the needle while the machine is sewing. Does anyone know why that might happen?
 
Well done Reader. I like the colors and seams look straight to me. Even people who have sewn for years have issues sewing straight which is why they sell adhesive or magnetic seam guides for machines. You can put several layers of painters or masking tape on your sewing machine at the appropriate distance from the needle to act as a small bumper to keep your seam allowance even if your small deviations bother you.

If your needle unthreads at the start of a seam, you may not be leaving a long enough tail when you cut your threads at the end of seams or after threading the machine.
Another common cause of no thread when sewing is the thread breaking. Breaking thread may be from using very old thread, having the wrong size or type of needle (hole or groove not large enough) for your thread size. The eye of the needle may also be broken so thread can slip out. Burrs on the needle, needle plate or other areas can also cause thread to break. Often I will change the needle (general purpose/universal size 12 or 14 is what I use most) and use a different spool or type of thread as a first step.
 
Aw, thank you for your reply, bunny momma, and explaining things! It's very helpful. I didn't know there were seam guides you can get! I will try the tape thing, that sounds handy.

I've been leaving quite a long tail of thread since I thought that might be the wrong problem (that reminds me, what do you do with all those pieces of thread you cut off? It seems like a waste to just throw them away), and it keeps happening in the middle of sewing, not at the start, so I think it's the thread breaking, then? I hadn't thought that could just happen. I'll try using different thread and a different needle, and see if that helps, thank you!

I got to try out my new rotary cutter while cutting the fabric yesterday and it's amazing, so sharp! Much easier than using scissors! I was very excited, until I cut my finger and bled all over the fabric :ROFLMAO:
 
Good work Reader. They've got to be really absorbent. I've no idea what a rotary cutter is but once I'm resisting Googling - at 55 years of age I just bought my first pair of fabric scissors so still excited about how they cut material straight. Good advice also BM - I'm forever rethreading my needle so will try some problem solving ....am mainly using my grandmas "vintage" thread so the ancient status of that might not help. i regret using it anyway, they are such pretty colours :love:
 
a reader of books said:
Aw, thank you for your reply, bunny momma, and explaining things! It's very helpful. I didn't know there were seam guides you can get! I will try the tape thing, that sounds handy.

I've been leaving quite a long tail of thread since I thought that might be the wrong problem (that reminds me, what do you do with all those pieces of thread you cut off? It seems like a waste to just throw them away), and it keeps happening in the middle of sewing, not at the start, so I think it's the thread breaking, then? I hadn't thought that could just happen. I'll try using different thread and a different needle, and see if that helps, thank you!

I got to try out my new rotary cutter while cutting the fabric yesterday and it's amazing, so sharp! Much easier than using scissors! I was very excited, until I cut my finger and bled all over the fabric :ROFLMAO:
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Some sewists save the pieces of thread and even tiny bits of fabric and toss them outside for the birds to use in nest making.

Seam guides are made by many manufacturers and are available online or in stores that sell sewing notions.

I got a rotary cutter, the self-healing mat, and the ruler meant for use with rotary cutters when I started quilting and needed the cutting to be very accurate.
Cutting freehand (without a ruler) is more likely to result in injury. Rotary cutter rulers are thicker than office supply ones and most are wider too. Closing the guard on the blade after each cut help too. In a sewing class, I was told your own saliva can get fresh blood out of fabric.

j&b was right that starting fresh and re-threading your machine can help some issues.
Also, when sewing do not push or pull fabric, just guide it. Let the machine's feed dogs do the work. Some vintage tnread will be good a long time, yet it should not break easily.

Thread can also break if tension is too tight. If you are brave enough to loosen he tension, make note of where it was before touching it so you can always put it back where it was.

Like j & b, I learned to sew on my grandmother's ancient machine. I spent more time troubleshooting than actually sewing!
 
ahh Bunnymomma - is this where your wisdom comes from? cos you learnt from your grandma? I'm afraid thats not true for me, I just inherited her sewing basket contents 🤣 I just bought a new, bottom of the range machine about 12 years ago - its only ever made bunny bedding. i only recently learned how to thread it myself, was reliant on grump Bob for some time 🤣

I wondered also if threading issues might be cos with all the layers of fabric its so thick
 
Aw you all make me want to sew again, well maybe 😅. One of my biggest regrets in life, was getting rid of my mums old Singer treadle machine, passed down from her mum. It was super fast, I loved the sound it made, and spent many a happy hour making stuff. Never got on with electric, so just stick to knitting and crochet now. Love the pee pads Reader, great fit for the tray 👍
 
joey&boo said:
ahh Bunnymomma - is this where your wisdom comes from? cos you learnt from your grandma? I'm afraid thats not true for me, I just inherited her sewing basket contents 🤣 I just bought a new, bottom of the range machine about 12 years ago - its only ever made bunny bedding. i only recently learned how to thread it myself, was reliant on grump Bob for some time 🤣

I wondered also if threading issues might be cos with all the layers of fabric its so thick
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I was a teen when we inherited my grandma's sewing machine when she passed. My grandma was a good seamstress, yet she never taught me nor my older sister how to sew. She preferred her daughter and her daughter's children to us (her son's children) We were the Cinderella's who cleaned her bathroom and scrubbed her floors when we visited. It prepared me for bunny service😂.

My one sister and I started sewing to mend clothing for our large family. Later we began to sew clothing for ourselves and sometimes for our siblings. We purchased patterns and followed instructions (they were much clearer in the olden days😂) and I continued to make my trousers and skirts for a better fit.

You are right that the fabric thickness may be a factor. The tension determines how easily thread passes through the machine. Going through very thick fabric may not be allowing enough thread to pass between the needle and bobbin to allow for the thickness. You would need to loosen the tension. You can easily test if this is the issue by sewing through a couple layers of thin fabric to see if the thread still breaks.

If your tension dial has numbers, it may need to be put on a slightly lower number.
 
Aah, thank you so much for all the advice and information, bunny momma! That's super helpful. I read a book about sewing for beginners, but it didn't mention those things. I'll try the saliva cleaning tip next time, though hopefully there won't be a next time :ROFLMAO:

How nice of your grandma to use you for your Cinderella services and prepare you for living with bunnies! :(:ROFLMAO: At least her sewing machine has been good to you. That's really cool that you've been mending and sewing clothes for you and your family all this time, though.

Pets mum, I'm sorry you have to miss your mum's sewing machine when you wish you still had it. What kind of things did you use to make with it? Did you ever make something for George?
 
Reader,
Grandma’s sewing machine opened the door to sewing. Though it was in a cabinet so it took up space when not in use and it only did a forward straight stitch. As a few of us entered the workforce, it was replaced by a portable machine that had a reverse and utility stitches like zig zag.

Pets Mum,
My mum’s aunt left us a treadle machine when we were too young to use it properly. My feet barely touched the pedals. They still use them in some Amish communities where they do not have electricity.
 
Well, the pee pads I made are no match for Saar. Gosh, this girl pees a lot! To be fair, the ones from the shop aren't doing any better, so it seems it's not so much a flaw in my pee pads as simply the enormous amount of pee :ROFLMAO: I'm going to have to start cleaning them twice a day, or maybe layer them...
 
Goodness, that must be a lot of pee 😕. Sorry, have only just your seen your question about sewing, I used to make clothes for myself and my sister, also curtains, was taught at school 😊. I gave up long before George came into my life, not sure he would have appreciated anything really, he liked my lap, and "our" duvet 😍
 
Peter has two layers in his litterbox, though the waterproof backing on the top layer limits how much pee goes through the top layer to the bottom layer, though it still manages to get around the edges and wicks to the bottom layer.
 
Pets mum said:
Goodness, that must be a lot of pee 😕. Sorry, have only just your seen your question about sewing, I used to make clothes for myself and my sister, also curtains, was taught at school 😊. I gave up long before George came into my life, not sure he would have appreciated anything really, he liked my lap, and "our" duvet 😍
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Aww, George was happy with just your lap and the duvet you shared :love: That's really cool that you were taught to sew at school, and made yourself and your sister clothes, and curtains, too :giggle:

bunny momma said:
Peter has two layers in his litterbox, though the waterproof backing on the top layer limits how much pee goes through the top layer to the bottom layer, though it still manages to get around the edges and wicks to the bottom layer.
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Ah, Peter must pee a lot, too, then! That's impressive for such a little bunny.
 
a reader of books said:
Well, the pee pads I made are no match for Saar. Gosh, this girl pees a lot! To be fair, the ones from the shop aren't doing any better, so it seems it's not so much a flaw in my pee pads as simply the enormous amount of pee :ROFLMAO: I'm going to have to start cleaning them twice a day, or maybe layer them...
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Oh my god, she is a little bunny pee factory. At least she isnt like eddy who doesnt like peeing in the tray at all. I think he has issues...maybe he hopped in a cat litter tray and landed on somethin nasty or something in a previous home
 
I always use pads with fleece, zorb, fleece in them and I put a large washable human pad underneath them. I use them for my two guinea pigs (my rabbits would chew them).

Hope you find something absorbent enough!
 
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