How to - Easy Square Bean Bag

I popped outside to my crafting shed to find some fabric for a friend. It is a bit of a post christmas mess, and I couldn't get in enough to find it - but I found something else and promptly changed tack.

Beanbags. They had been on my pinterest radar for a while. I actually had them on my list to head out and buy some fabric - but as luck would have it, I found I already had the perfect stuff. (let the record show that this was the only luck for the day!)

Rather than the classic bean bag shape, I wanted something that would take up less floor space, but free up my couches. I like both these designs -

crashmatstore.com

cabbageroseblog.com

With my research done, and settled on the rectangle design, I easily whipped up three beanbags (with a little time out for a trip to emergency) and you can too.

For a child or a junior size I had a finished rectangle of approx 1m x 1.4m. This is big enough for me to sit comfortably, but for an adult I would suggest increasing the width and the height proportionately.

The beauty of this size meant I could run the fabric across grain - meaning purchase of material for each bag was 2 meters of fabric which is 145(ish) wide. This is a canvas weight furnishing fabric from ikea. I had bought it (discount price) to cover some chairs some time ago, and when I found the remain, there was just the right amount for 3. In fact I had an extra 20cm.

Truly - this is how easy it all was.

Here is my fabric - yes it needs an iron, but the wrinkles will fall out later so I didn't worry about that.
It is 2 meters wide here and 145 high (in this picture)

Then I fold it in half - now 1m wide and 145 high with the right side inside. Then I simple sewed a straight line along the top, down the side and along the bottom - leaving about 30cm open to put the beans in. I decided - thinking of safety - not to put a zip in but to sew it up. If over time it needs more beans, I will simply split the seam a little. I sewed it with a slightly shorter stitch just to give it a bit more security.

 Then I turned it in the right way. Take time to push out the corners for a lovely rectangle. Now would be a good time to press it. I did some top stitching for additional security around the edges. I did a seam on the very edge - right the way round and then another one 5/8 on inch in - except for the gap.

This size bag takes 200 litres of beans -= or 2 bags each. I got mine from Kmart. Once the beans are happily in there (this is probably the hardest bit of all),

you simply pin up the gap and sew it up

I simply matched my 2 rows of topstitching. One of the other additions I made to this was adding handles. I put these in the gap I'd left to fill them up, because I thought I may end up hanging them somewhere to put them away.
















Happily, they were all put to use straight away!

Ear Ear

Seems we embarked on another little adventure with our boy Benji.  I was making the boys all beanbags. To be extra safe and make sure the beans couldn't come out, I was sewing the bags up - ie no zip. 

Once all the bags were sewn up ready, we went out to kmart to get the beans. 7 big bags came home with us and we started on the first one. Each bag took 2 bags of beans to fill and on our first attempt a few beans fell out onto the floor and I asked the boys to pick them up.

Lets also have a bit more information. My boys are 9, 7 & 7. Not babies. I was sewing the bag in the same room as them. Infact I was no more than 3 metres away and actually FACING them. 

Fast forward a couple of seemingly mundane minutes and I tell Benji not to put the spoon in his ear. His reply was he was trying to clean it. I said go and get a cotton bud and come here and I will do it. It was then I made the discovery. A big polystyrene ball now wedged in his ear. No cotton bud would help - and I am sure the spoon didn't help much either. I had some tweezers but they weren't thin enough to get in so I decided that we needed to go to the gp. This is where the comedy of errors began in the early evening. 

The GP lacks, how would you say, hmm, bedside manner. She had the tools, but was obviously a little stressed by the idea and panicked my little 7 year old. He started to cry, she suggested hospital, I tried a couple of times to explain what was happening. She wouldn't let use her tools (I know- Biatch) so after everyone screaming, and the people in the waiting room horrified, we left.

At home with it a little further in, I was reluctant to go to hospital. I went and bought some "tools" and started operations at home. I further traumatized the little bugger. We put the olive oil in as the dr suggested and I think the weight of this only pushed it in even further than she did. Then a rigged up a straw on the vacuum - macguiver style. This at least sucked out the olive oil! It was only after all of this failed that the big squirrel took him off to hospital.

First stop was the eye and ear hospital. I figured this would be the place you would go for something shoved in your ear. Apparently not if you're a kid. They attempted but they suggested a general- and we figured this was a little OTT for the little polystyrene ball that was just out of reach. So he was referred on to the Childrens'.

So - the upshot is the Royal Childrens' Hospital is the place to be. He sat in the waiting room with all those other kids, and once he got attended to (at 11pm - he was really not a priority given he was just stupid and in no real pain) they gassed him up and promptly grabbed out the offending item. Home safe and happy with dislodged ball at 12pm. He vows never to do THAT again. 

It does however make me wonder what the next adventure will be?

Happy Birthday Big Squirrel

It was lovely to celebrate the big squirrels birthday. We had a small lunch with his Dad, my brother and Mum and Dad. It was nice to be able to celebrate - as last year Mum was in surgery today, and she is still here with us. That in itself is reason to celebrate.

From our recent adventure to Costco, we had a yum-cha styled lunch with spring rolls and dumplings - mainly of the seafood kind. All get a big tick. We topped off the day with the massive mudcake - also from Costco - and it was delish.

He loved all his presents - and didn't even realise I had made his cup! Once I told him apparently that made it all the more special (!!)

Here's to birthday wishes!

Chalkboard Style Card- using my silhouette

Seems I'm on a bit of a roll!

The big squirrel needed a card for his birthday and I have been loving the chalkboard signs and thought I would tackle one myself. Sometime in December - when I was "tidying" I lost my cutter mat for my Silhouette machine. It didn't come to light so I order a new one from Craftonline.com.au and it arrived in only a couple of days! Since I was putting in an order, it seemed a good opportunity to try out the silhouette pens - that draw instead of cut. Perfect for this project.

Inspiration:iheartnaptime.net
I scrolled dafonts for some chalky fonts and banners that may do the job, downloaded them and started creating in the silhouette software.

This is what I came up with:

Then it was as simple as changing the blade to the silver pen (in retrospect would have preferred white but thats ok) and it was off doing its thing!!

Then all I had to do was fold it and cut it and mission complete -

 well almost - also needs lovely birthday message inside!!

Acrylic Tumbler Stencil

The big squirrel is clocking up another birthday on Saturday. It is a drag to have your birthday close to Christmas, so we always try to make a bit of a big deal about it. This year we have seafood dumplings for dinner - yum.
The problem each year is what to get. It is hard enough to find gifts at Christmas and now we are back there again!  Somewhat fortuitously, one of the kids broke his favourite cup. It was an accident - a basketball landed on his 'top dad' plastic cup - not too major, just that it was his favourite. I did a silent "yay" as now we could give him a replacement for his birthday.
We hit the shops to get a good plastic cup. Glass breaks and plastic can vary. We ended up with a double walled acrylic - however it is in Christmas green and our only other choice was red. Maybe as the year progresses we may be able to pick up a clear one. (All of $3 at Kmart)

There was some thought as to what to put on this cup, but then I remembered it was a top dad one so I thought a quick internet scan for images as a reference. Lucky for me I found exactly what I wanted and copied the picture through the silhouette software, and made a quick template of the top dad sign.
I cut this using some vinyl I had. I only have pink or black, so chose to make a template and paint it rather than using the vinyl.

 I had some of this frosted medium that is meant to give the effect of frosted glass and its what I had in mind of using until I read that it needed to be baked. Next best was this puffy paint. I have used it on plastic before and its fine - and this cup cant go in the dishwasher so no drama, decision made.

 I mixed the silver and white for a lighter colour and painted it with a paintbrush. I was happy with a texture because it is quite difficult to see on the green.  Peeled off the vinyl and leave for 24 hours to dry before wrapping it up.

Happy New Year

Wishing you and yours a colourful and exciting new year
From me and mine!

Bahumbug

What a surprise that I can find my way back here for a whinge! I am really trying to get in the spirit for the whole Christmas thing, but seem permanently stung in struggle town. The joy of the elf and chocolates isn't there- it's simply feels like a chore. The decorations finally went up yesterday and while the house looks festive, I'm just not feeling it. The boys don't recognize my funk but frankly there are doing nothing but fuel it.
Seriously- it is like something has possessed the kids turning them into the worlds naughtiest boys.
Yesterday I finally cleaned the twins room. While I was busy with this, our world started spinning out of control.
- Benji found a smiley face stamp and 'decorated' a white door
- on Alexander's suggestion (!) Benji pooed in his pants and dropped some on the bathroom floor
- Benji sprayed spray adhesive ontoy leather couch.
This was all in the space of an hour. By this point I was screaming like a banchee and now no tv for a week.
So this morning I get up expecting different. Again it's Benji who has made himself a drink. Yep try half a cup of chocolate topping. I assume he hadn't drunk the other half.
He'd made himself breakfast so I made cereal for the others and myself. The moment the milk got to my lips I knew something was wrong. Try strawberry topping in my 3l of milk. Ugh!! More waste, a and I hate waste.
After school it continued - it was handstands on the outside of the trampoline. I mean really! I took them for a run in the park for the footy break up. Hopefully the fresh air will break this spell...