Select three yards of heavy outdoor fabric. Outdoor fabrics are good for pets because they are more likely to repel stains and withstand heavy wear and tear. The print I chose met a few conditions:I needed to be able to disguise the mud, the Golden Retriever fur, and not be too girly since I was riding in a man's car.
In planning its execution, I decided to fold the three yards of fabric in half and sew them in a similar way to a sleeping bag leaving the end open.
We have a lot of old bath towels floating around our house, and I decided to use them to line and cushion the entire piece. I layered them to create an almost completely even bed for the hammock. If you don't have waste towels lying around, consider buying a few new towels at a discount store where they are usually cheap. Alternatively, I like to use thin memory foam mattresses as dog beds. You can usually get double sized pieces for $20 XL and fold them to create a comfortable pad.
Initially, it didn't seem likely that three layers of towels would slide easily through our sewing machine, so I started by sewing the layers together with the orange embroidery thread. It wasn't hard, but it took a long time and I wasn't sure I was strong enough. Finally, my curiosity got the better of me and I found myself testing the limits of my little singer. Excited, my machine ate through the thick layers with ease. So, I sewed the car hammock horizontally in four places.
The unit has four adjustable attachment points with parachute buckles (4 at $2 per unit) and yard-bought straps (4 yards total, about $1 per yard). By placing two on each end, the padded piece would hook onto the headrests of all four cars, making this dog safety and comfort device literally a hammock.
I attached the ribbon by stitching it to each end of the hammock, spacing it generously as I went, so there was plenty of room for adjustment.
Installed, it was cozy and charming and sure to keep the dog safer and more comfortable.
