Rabbit fur blanket?

[Kellii45]

I would like to get lots of hides and do a patch work quilt type blanket. Have any of you done this? If so could you share your experience with it? Thank you

 

[MaggieJ]

The problem with rabbit furs is that the skins are quite fragile. It might be best to back each piece with muslin or a similar fabric and sew through both skin and fabric to lend it strength. There was a kind of native-made rabbit skin blanket that did not require sewing. Here's the link:
http://www.primitiveways.com/rabbit_skin_blanket.html

 

[Kellii45]

Thanks! I was planning on doing the muslin fabric with a zig zag stitch. I'll look now though.
I really don't wanna do the weave blanket. I'd rather do patch work.

 

[MaggieJ]

I think your method will work. I suggest you try a few squares before you get too deeply committed, just so you can work out any changes of technique that might be needed before you get too far along.

Hope you'll post pictures of it when it's done. It sounds lovely. What colours are you using?

I've made teddy bears out of fur, but not rabbit fur. I found that the muslin worked well. I did have to use a small slicker brush or a darning needle to pull caught fur out of the seams.

 

[Zass]

There is a huge difference in durability depending on the age and even gender of the rabbits the skins came from. For example, fryer pelts from young rabbits fall apart easily, and the hides of mature bucks can be quite heavy.

If you raise your own rabbits, or know someone who is, you can be careful to save skins from older rabbits with heavier hides.

The hard work there would be fleshing and tanning enough hides to make into a blanket.

 

[Kellii45]

I'm gonna be using black, white, and white and black. Right now I'm trying my own at tanning a baby that died in one of my litters (dog killed it)

I'm gonna be breeding my own and growing them then hopefully this winter I'll butcher all of them.


I did the math and I am gonna do 30 hides. It's gonna take forever lol

 

[Zass]

I'm gonna be using black, white, and white and black. Right now I'm trying my own at tanning a baby that died in one of my litters (dog killed it)

I'm gonna be breeding my own and growing them then hopefully this winter I'll butcher all of them.

Make sure you can separate them by gender if you plan on butchering them over 3 months old. Otherwise growing rabbits will fight or mount each other, tearing hair and ruining the pelts.

That is really the reason why most skins for sale are quite thin, because rabbits are typically harvested before the age where they would need separated.

 

[Kellii45]

I never thought about that. Cage space is tan issue. We have acres of property.so we can always build more cages

 

[MaggieJ]

When I was sewing furs for the teddy bears, I bought a special leather needle (sometimes called a glover's needle). It has three flat sides and cuts through the leather better without tearing. I think it might be a good thing to look for one for your machine before starting this project. It wasn't very expensive.

 

[3mina]

Thanks for that link maggieJ, I've been looking for that one for a while. I think this would be amazing with Rex fur

 

[GBov]

I now have TWO hides all ready for my blanket, hope yours goes faster then mine! :lol:

Oh, and if you have a dog it can set you back a bit, mine ate my first 5 finished hides. :evil: