# Crafting with hides (rabbit)



## Caprice Acres (Mar 6, 2005)

Since I started raising rabbits, it has been a dream of mine to have a rabbit fur blanket. 

What I'd like is a whole fur blanket, and on the other side being suede or fleece (or...?) for durability and to have a consistent surface opposite to the fur. A fur quilt kinda pattern.

If making my own goes well, I am also considering making them as a hobby and possibly selling a few here and there (if they sell!). If not, I'll just drape all my living surfaces with fur.  

Any place to get patterns? Tips/tricks? I also have very little sewing knowledge - what stitches would work well for working with a thin pelt such as rabbit?

How would one attach the 2nd layer of suede/cloth to the pelts for the skin-side? Would you just sew each hide to others with a 2nd layer attached?


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## casusbelli (Jan 6, 2009)

i suppose since you raise rabbits you already know that the 12 to 16 week olds we usually butcher for meat have too immature skins to be useful as hides. 
i'm no expert, but i thought i heard a rabbit should be a year old for useful hide.


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## Caprice Acres (Mar 6, 2005)

Yes, I have saved some jr hides (most are actually butchered around 10 weeks old). Plan on using them for practice only, I do know they're fragile from young ones. Maybe sell them as just tanned whole rabbit hides as novelty. 

But I have a lot of prime/adult hides that I'd like to use. May keep my 'old' hutches when we get our new rabbitry, so I can raise out rabbits for fur. Prime is generally considered around 6 months of age.


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## Lilith (Dec 29, 2012)

When sewing hides, I like to use a figure 8 stitch. basically, this means that the hides are placed on a flat surface, slightly overlapping, and cut both hides so that the seam matches perfectly (make sure to cut only the leather, using little tiny snips so you don't cut off the longer fur that will hide your seams. With the hides still side by side - fur down, I use dental floss and a very sharp needle puncturing one side from the top down, pulling the thread up through the seam, and again puncturing the other side from the top down. 

Commercially sewn hides use a stitch that is a tiny (1/8th inch) overlock stitch









If you avoid exact square edges where your fur from one hide will drape over the hide below it (note the zig zag top and bottom cuts in the mink hides above) you will end up with a smoother finish patchwork fur piece. 









As for finishing the back of the blanket, I take a 1.5 inch piece of border fabric and fold under 1/2 inch - press well and lay the folded edge exactly lined up with edge of my hide. baste this to the hide with a long zig zag stitch, or by hand aprox 1/4 inch away from your folded edge. 








You can then attach your backing to the 3/4 inch flapy thingy facing the center of your blanket by carefully sewing as you would a pillow case, making sure to leave an opening to turn the fabric with. In theory, you could attach your backing in one solid piece, but I have found that getting the turned edge of the backing and the hide exactly matching is not worth the effort. I have actually never gotten that method to work right.


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