by

A Nesting We Will Go

What do garden swing covers and shower curtains have in common?

Give up?

They’re almost exactly the same size. Serendipity!

After a nesting squirrel did this

squirrel ard at work

Squirrel hard at work

and this

damaged cording, exposed batting

The squirrels have a field day

I knew the swing cover I’d sewn was beyond repair. Eventually I brought in the tattered cover, washed it, and put it in a bag in the car. I planned to use it as a pattern when I got around to making a new one.

The soft cord inside the piping of the cover seemed to be the prize. I cut a strand of leftover cording and draped it on the back of the swing to test my theory. Sure enough, I returned home to find it gone. I took the rest of the cord, cut it into strips, and placed it at the scene of the crime.

There the cord sat. It sat and sat. No more squirrels. Perhaps nesting was complete for the season. Eventually I brought in indoors, figuring I would put it out again next spring.  I don’t want to put the time and effort into a new swing cover, only to have it shredded once again.

Sigh. I acted too soon.

A few weeks ago, an anonymous squirrel was at it again. The swing looked bad enough without the cover when this happened.

shredding the original cover

Shredding the original cover

fluff inside garden swing

Fluff and stuff

It was demoralizing staring at the swing in its damaged state, but I couldn’t muster the energy to do much about it.

Well, this past weekend the husband of a friend came to call, all the way from Australia. We planned a coffee and catch up in the garden, and I wanted a quick fix for the unsightly swing.

Backing up a bit, three years ago I bought a brightly colored shower curtain to use as a patio tablecloth. I couldn’t find a cheerful tablecloth at the time nor did I have the time to sew one.  Twenty-dollars later a tablecloth was born.

Now it’s getting a second life as an impromptu swing cover. Serendipity!

shower curtain swing cover

Quick shower curtain fix

shower curtain swing cover

Shower curtain, side and back. I eventually added binder clips to hold it in place.

Although I can’t speak with authority, I expect to see a dray of baby squirrels traversing the wires any day now.

18 thoughts on “A Nesting We Will Go”

  1. Very clever and the result is just great: love the fresh bright colors of that curtain/cover.
    I must admit, I am a little ambivalent towards squirrels. I love to see them play, run and industrious gather their winter supplies. The babies are so cute. And than again I can grumble and mutter no end, discovering that yet again my strawberries have been eaten, all the bird feeders have been emptied out and my favorite table cloth, hanging out to dry, is missing some corners. I give them sour looks and from high up in the tree tops they shout, that they were here first and that the raccoons and blue jays are just as bad…
    Little rascals!

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    • They are little rascals, and I share similar feelings toward them. I love all creatures, but bemoan the damage they can do. It’s been a learning experience though as I go (like not to remake a cover with cotton batting for instance, and to cover my sunflower seeds when first planted). I know we’ve encroached so much on nature, that I can’t help but feel the need to share my bounty.

      The swing cover was a lot of work and my first try so I think I mourned the loss of that more than anything. I was over it quickly though, and I’m happy with the affordable, easily removable cotton shower curtain. Now they just fold back the corner and remove the fluff. I’ll readdress that problem next summer…if I still have a swing that is. 😉

      Thanks for commenting!

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    • Very little seems to intimidate these squirrels. Of course two of the three cats are geriatric so that levels the field a bit. Good thing, because I couldn’t handle the carnage. Mouse is bringing live lizards indoors, then setting them loose. I’ve discovered another use for clear Rubbermaid containers.

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  5. Squirrels are so heavenly, but marauders one and all,
    This one looks especially cute, she’s just a little doll.
    If they eat you out of house and swing,
    then clearly what you do, is buy them their very *own* swing,
    something soft and plush and new! 😀 Original Poem by your favourite room mate ever xoK

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    • Marlene…for now…you’re probably right. At least the shower curtain is affordable, was something I had on hand, and I didn’t spend hours cutting, sewing and trimming. They now seem interested in the swing stuffing. I’ll have to restuff the swing, too next year, right next to the soft basket of offerings I leave for them. Now I know what to do with old pillows. Thanks for planting the seed.

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    • Hello Terre, Thanks for stopping by.

      I guess I’ve been lucky all these years. We’ve had cushions on our front deck all summer long for the past four years without any interest. The swing in the backyard is even older, though the cover was fairly new. I did have them dismantle a flocked table cloth one winter, but that’s been it. I’ll now be more aware and more careful, and at the same time, offer some soft materials for nesting.

      I used to put out laundry lint, but was told it would mat in bird’s nest so I stopped. When I stopped the squirrels tore up the swing. It’s hard to know it that was a coincidence, but I will start offering some sort of nesting material again.

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