Bean Bag Love

I've been trying to get my head around Japanese pattern books this week, which I'll tell you about later in the week - hopefully I'll have something to show you too.  In the meantime, I finally got round to making a bean bag for my boys.  

Not the most elegant way to sit on a beanbag

That's more like it

I've been promising them one for ages but things kept getting in the way, sewalongs, vintage patterns urgently needing to be sewn etc etc. I used this pattern which I first saw featured on Kirstie's Handmade Home.  It's quite pricey, but it does contain full size pieces and instructions, and it was so easy to make I'll probably use it again to make more for friends - a bean bag would make a fantastic present.

It probably took about an hour to sew together and I made it from denim, with a calico insert for the beans. You do need to use upholstery weight fabric as bean bags take an absolute pounding.  In fact within five minutes of showing it to my boys, they'd flung it down the stairs and were taking turns to land on it from three steps up.  Getting the beans inside the bag was on a par with Laurel and Hardy trying to get their piano upstairs.  It's definitely a two person job! 

The verdict?  Without doubt the best thing I've ever given them, they absolutely love it and have been rolling around on it ever since.  x