Blue Plaid Picnic Blanket Hammocks - NOW on sale At My Etsy Shop

I have a double decker and a set of 2 currently on sale at my Etsy Shop.

Check them out. They would be awesome for a cage of boy rats.

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This Week in the Critter Nation

I'm so excited, which is quite sad when you think about it. BUT, it's...
A new linens week.

Here's Doctor modeling the new linens, a blue plaid picnic blanket upcycled to a cage liner. The marble blocks, which Doc is standing on, are our current line of defense against rats who remodel cage liners. We put them in the corners of the cage on top of the liner as weights. They are working pretty well.



The below picture shows the marble blocks weighing down the corners.

By the way, keep an eye on my Etsy Shop. Coming soon should be several blue plaid upcycled picnic blanket hammocks including a couple of double decker hammocks.

Sigh, my own rats don't appreciate double decker hammocks. The hammock on the top left used to be a double decker but my rats have remodeled it into a plain ole flat. Yes, they completely removed a floor of the hammock.



Downstairs has a "Long and Skinny" Hammock near its top. And, you can see the large ceramic tiles that we are using under the wooden house in an attempt to protect the cage liner from bored rats nibbling. Now, they have hard rock flooring. Let's see if they can chew through that.


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Current Sewing Project - A pair of trousers for relaxing.

I couldn't call them pants because my father pointed out that the term pants is like panties and essentially refers to undergarments. And, I couldn't call them slacks because to me, slacks are sleek and professional and these are for relaxing. So, these are going to be my relaxing trousers.

Yip, surprise surprise. I'm actually sewing something for myself.

Now, I may sew lots and lots of cage liners and hammocks, but clothing. Nope. One of the things I enjoy about sewing is learning new things. And, for this project, it was buttonholes.




My poor Singer 66. It was put on the sidelines for the buttonholing. And, I missed it sorely. The 66 is so NOT complicated. I'm not saying buttonholing is complicated per se. By the way, the tangles of thread that are visible above in my buttonhole practice piece are ummm not examples of my frustration with buttonholes. Anyways, I improved with practice. Two hours for 2 buttonholes. Sigh. It will go faster next time.





And, here's where I am now. I should be finishing this tonight. I only have the waist band and hemming to go. I'm really pleased with the "trousers" so far. I'm loving how the front is fancier than the back, and I've matched up the lines fairly well. By the way, the fabric is from an old duvet cover that I obtained at a garage sale.

Oh, and I do have a whole bunch of hammocks lined up for sewing.

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Found Toy- Rat Swing Set

While at the local dump, I picked up a "Rat Swing Set" from the free stuff area. Doctor had enjoyed a stuffed toy/basket when we picked him up from the rescue. I still wish I'd gotten a picture of him sitting in his swing and swinging away. Since then, I've been on the look out for another swing for Doctor.

I think I might have found it.




And, here's Doctor checking out the swing...




It's too early to give a full review as the rats haven't had a chance to truly explore and play with it. But, I'm hopeful that Doctor will enjoy swinging in his swing. (Doctor hasn't figured out how to get into it without assistance)
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