Isaac's bean bags

Isaac has been wanting me to make him some beanbags for the past week. He was reading through the book 'toymaking with children' when he got the idea - I can't find anything in that book about beanbags, obviously something in there triggered thoughts about he fun he had at kindy with them -especially the ones Jo brings to kindy with animals on them!

I went through my stash this morning to find some fabrics to make them from. I came across an off cut of cream woollen blanket. Originally I had planned on gorgeous rainbow themed beanbags, or using calico and having Isaac draw on them, but as I held the soft, warm wool in my hands I knew that was what I wanted to use. I cut them out and remembered I had a piece of black wool felt left from Nathan making Mr Murphy the monkey, so I asked Isaac if he would like pictures on them. He excitedly agreed. I asked him to choose what I should put on them and he came up with the following - heart, train, car, elephant, stormy cloud, flower (which was to include a stem and leaf !) teddy, house (with a door and chimney), boxes, and a duck. Ive got to tell you, cutting some of those free hand out of a piece of felt was some what challenging.

I had envisioned simple shapes or something, but it was his dream, and I had asked for his input, so I did as I was instructed. He had great ideas, and they turned out perfectly. Although a few of my artistic endeavours are a little dodgy.

He sat with me while I cut the shapes, he paired up the fronts and backs and placed the shapes on them as they were finished, he chatted away and kept reminding me that we needed to go and buy the beans (split peas) from he shop. Thankfully a well timed play school gave me a little breathing space and a chance to get all the shapes sewn on, and I thought that cutting them out was fun LOL.

Once they were stitched together we went and got the 'beans' and he helped me fill them - through the tiny holes I had left - seriously, what was I thinking...we battled through three before I came to my senses and unpicked the top of them which allowed them to be filled with ease.

Each one was being played with as it was finished. Once the whole set was done there was lots of beanbag fun.

There was even a request for a photo !

"I will lay here just like this and you can take a photo of me with my new beanbags Mummy"

gotta love him!