Tuesday, April 6, 2010

A bean bag chair (of the not-so-beany-baggy-OR-chairy variety)

OK, so what I'm trying to tell you is that yesterday I made what is in essence a large floor cushion, only I can't call it a floor cushion because I used this (very excellent, helpful, easy, FREE) pattern, which quite specifically calls the end product a Bean Bag Chair. 

Actually, it's kind of tuffet-esque, or at least what I imagine a tuffet would look like.


I'm on a big stash-busting bender this year. I don't have a massive stash, but in fact I've decided that 'stashing' is not the approach I want to work with any more. It just feeds my consumer mentality at both the op shop and the fabric store.  So recently I've been pulling out the fabrics that I already have and seeking out projects that will suit them. I'm very happy to buy fabrics, new and old, but in future I will try to gather materials for specific projects rather than 'just because'.

Anway, these half-yards of Echino (Etsuko Furuya's Flower Bed) were originally purchased (from here) with the intention of making a bird-themed quilt. I've since decided the prints are too big and bold and look best in big pieces, so I hunted around for a project which would use them well. Given the weight of the fabric, a home-dec project was the way to go.

I think the Echino looks great teamed with the large piece of dark denim I scored from Savers.


I chose not to stuff mine with beans - apart from being environmentally disastrous, those little balls would find their way out of the inner bag and into my boys' nostrils faster than you could say 'death by polystyrene'. See, William was already checking out potential hidey-holes...


Instead, I've stuffed my cover with several old pillows, cushions, an eiderdown quilt and our sleeping bags, so it's actually doubling as storage. BONUS!

Turns out it's a great place for a kip, after the hard work of tackling one's younger brother.

PS Giveaway is now closed, I will draw a winner tonight. Thanks for playing!

24 comments:

  1. Terrific tuffet - I especially love the storage idea. I love how denim goes with just about anything - your colour combo's look great!

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  2. Snap! Am also taking that approach with my stash...very liberating!

    PS: Lovely bean chair/bag x

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  3. Inspired the way you get to have a whole lot of stuff lying around on the floor cleverly disguised as seating. Wouldn't be at all surprised if my smallest tried to fit a sleeping bag up her nose...

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  4. oh that is fantastic - I have been working up to making a bean bag but didn't have a pattern worked out yet. I especially love the idea of making it storage as well! My little fella has low muscle tone and bean bags are the perfect thing for him to sit in fully supported and let him conserve some energy for other important things.

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  5. Love that tuffett. Bring out the curds and whey!!

    I especially love that it doubles as storage!!!

    Meanwhile, I'm busy increasing my stash. I'm such a consumer when it comes to fabric.

    Can't help myself.

    ;-)

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  6. It's really lovely, and I love that it works as a storage unit as well. That's really clever.

    I'm with you on the stash busting. All weekend I was thinking about having a massive studio clean out really soon. Getting rid of all the bits and pieces that I don't see any use for in the near future. I think it would feel great to clear my space. There is so much stuff that we hang on to.

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  7. Using it as storage is a touch of brilliance.

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  8. Love it!
    Did I ever tell you that the large manufacturing company that I worked for in a previous life manufactured polystyrene.... including beanz?
    It's an absolute nightmare to clean up!

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  9. Having just lost my sewing space I need to now find places for all the fabric I pretty much just collected last year. So I was also thinking this is going to be the year for only buying and using fabric straight away and that's only if I really really don't already have it in the sizeable stash. Phew! Feel better just typing that!

    TOTALLY love that the tuffet (and yes, it's very tuffet-y) doubles as storage! Maybe I can make one for my fabric stash!

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  10. Lovely fabric :-> Clever way to store bits and pieces too. William is looking so grown up!

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  11. Snap I made a bean bag this weekend too. I love yours, those Echino prints are stunning, and William looks as though he loves it... Mine have been doing loads of crazy jumping on them ever since. Sounds like you guys had a lovely Easter! I used crumpled foam, I wish I had of thought of using it as storage though.

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  12. what a happy looking wilski! and i love the storage idea. my brain is ticking over with what i can make and then what i can stuff it with. oooh - so much to make!

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  13. I love this Gina it's fabulous!!!

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  14. Love it, and thanks for the link..Wanting to make one for my big boys to go under their loft beds. I agree with the no-beans approach, I want to avoid that disaster all together haha..

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  15. That's just awesome, and since I've just inherited two very large bags of the dreaded beanz (I don't feel so bad since I'm recycling them) I reckon a tuffet for my mz Muffet is in order too.
    Thx for the link.

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  16. you did it! You made one. I'm so jealous.

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  17. hehee..me likes!


    P.s I know a little boy who would find a few hiding spots for those bean things aswell..

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  18. What a great floor cushion... err... bean bag chair! Love the colour combination you picked. I can imagine the boys will have lots of fun with it. Here we have some of those and really, it's quite entertaining (and sometimes even frightening) to see in how many ways they can play with them.

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  19. I like my shoes too! But that is not why I am commenting. It is funny that you post this because a friend of mine was asking me about making bean bag chairs and my one problem was the saem as you...the filling. Any sort of petroleum product was just not environmentally responsible and popcorn was just not financially practical. So I thought stuffed animals but that would make it lumpy. I like your storing old throw pillows. I am not sure why I did not think of that. Thanks for sharing.

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  20. I came across your site through http://www.appleandtangerine.blogspot.com/
    and am so happy to find it - I LOVE your banner and am off to have one of the said coffee x3 and rethink so things :). Lovely!

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  21. i found your tuffet because i want to make several of them specifically to hide some of my extensive hoard of fabric...love yours! and i noticed that the way it's designed, if made with alternating solid colors it will look like the symbol for radiation hazard. very cool!

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