Tutorial: How to Sew Bean Bags

Another last minute Christmas gift was this set of fleece bean bags intended for use at football tailgating parties. My son's girlfriend asked if I would sew a new set of bean bags for my son since the last set I sewed for him was given to a previous roommate. Apparently bean bag toss is a trendy game - who knew? Well, obviously not me.

No pattern used (or needed) for this set of bean bags.

This set of eight - four for each team - measure 5-1/2" x 5-1/2". I would have liked to have made them 6" x 6" but when my son's girlfriend purchased the fabric they sold her 6" strips. And, in typical Joann's fashion, there wasn't a fraction of an inch to spare *sigh*.

Want to make your own set? Here's a quick tutorial on how to sew bean bags.

Materials Needed
* Fleece - pattern number one - 6" strip.
* Fleece - pattern number two - 6" strip.
* Flannel - for inside - scraps or (2) 6" strip.
* Beans (We used 6 lbs for eight bean bags)

Step One - measure and cut
* Cut eight 6" x 6" squares of fleece number one.
* Cut eight 6" x 6" squares of fleece number two.
* Cut 16 squares (6" x 6") of flannel or other woven fabric. It doesn't have to be pretty or match as it will be used inside as an underlining to help support the weight of the beans.

Step Two - Sew
* Place a flannel square on the back of each fleece square. If you need to, baste or pin the two pieces together. These will now be treated as one piece.
* Sew using a 1/4" seam allowance around all four edges, pivoting at each corner and leaving an opening approximately 3" long on one edge.
* Sew a second time using a zig zag stitch. This will help prevent the seams from popping out.
* Repeat for all eight bean bags.

Step Three - Turn and Fill
* Turn all eight bean bags right side out.
* Divide beans equally. We didn't have any way of weighing the beans so we divided them by filling eight cups equally. You'll want the weight as equal as possible so each bean bag will toss the same.
* Pour beans into the bean bags. This works great if you have a partner that can help you. One of you holds the opening open while the other pours the beans in. If you're alone you can use a funnel to help guide the beans into the bags. This is the most time-consuming portion of the entire project.

Step Four - Finish
* Stitch the opening closed on your machine. I used a narrow zig zag stitch and stitched along the entire edge of the one side.
* You might be tempted to slip stitch the opening closed so that it will look nicer, but the continued tossing combined with the weight of the beans will weaken the stitches.
* Push the beans back as far as you can while edge stitching that last seam, otherwise some may escape while you're sewing and end up all over your machine or worse, underneath your needle.
* Toss a few of the completed bags around to see how much fun they can be.

Conclusion
The first set of bean bags I made for my son ten years ago are still going strong so I expect it will be awhile before I'm asked to sew another set,. However, it is such a simple-to-sew project that I think I'll just show him how to sew the next set! Pin It

The finished pj's from the flannel factory

The flannel pajamas were all completed in time for Christmas gift giving and were well received ...at least by the parents!

Flannel Pajamas Size M (12 months)
The infant's pair was sewn using an out of print (OOP) pattern - Simplicity 9782, c. 2001 - out of an adorable baby blue flannel monkey print. The pj top is a kimono style top that fastens with velcro; the pj bottoms have an elastic waist and a nice wide facing at the hem. This set also includes a matching flannel hat. This little set was the easiest to sew, requiring only an hour of my time.
Flannel Pajamas Size 1 and 2
I used McCall's 5503 for all three toddlers as this pattern includes both a girl's and a boy's pajama pattern. (Full review is on Patternreview.)

The ruffle along the yoke front and sleeve hems adds a cute girly touch to these flannel pj's for a one-year-old. The Blues Clues was chosen because it says "too cute for words" and my husband thought the saying was appropriate for the recipient.

Two identical pair of blue flannel pj's with firetrucks were sewn for two 18 month old cousins.
Flannel Pajamas Size 3 to 8
I used New Look 6746 for all of the children that wore size 3 to size 8. This pattern includes pajamas for both boys and girls.

First up, in a size three, is a pair of purple flannel pajamas with a gathered empire waistline, peter pan collar and decorative bows which cover the front snap closure. This little girl likes Disney characters so her pajamas feature Tinkerbell. And to complete the look is a matching headband.

Next on the list was another size three - this time for a boy. This little boy is crazy about Cars so his flannel pj's have a racing flag background with Cars characters scattered about. These are typical boy pajamas with a collar and button front closure.

The next boy wears a size six and he likes super heroes. His wild pj's feature The Incredibles complete with comic book words such as "Pow!", and "Zam!" Perfect if you're a six year old boy and you need some inspiration to start a pretend battle.

On to a size eight boy. He's at that age where he wouldn't appreciate cutesy flannel characters so his pj's are a gray camouflage print with the word "Nascar".

The last set of pj's was for another boy in a size eight. I had hoped to find a wolf print for him, but settled for a traditional blue and brown stripe.
We plan on continuing the flannel pj tradition again next year - I use the term "we" as a courtesy because the promised help didn't amount to quite as much as enthusiastically promised - but I think I'll allow just a bit more time next year. I think if I begin next week I'll be okay, what do you think? Pin It

Flashback Friday - Christmas 1969

Christmas 1969 at my grandparent's home. I sure loved celebrating Christmas at their home.

Yes, I sewed the bright red mini-dress with belled sleeves that I am wearing. I don't recall the pattern or pattern company, but I do remember the fabric! A floral cotton duck . Pin It

Time is a dressmaker specializing in alterations. ~Faith Baldwin

Time is a dressmaker specializing in alterations. ~Faith Baldwin.

In other words, it's time for some changes.

First of all, thank you ALL for your concern and comments regarding my winter sliding adventure - definitely not an adventure I would recommend to anyone. It sure shook me up and prevented me from making a trip to Treadle Yard Goods as well as my planned annual excursion to SR Harris Fabric Outlet (which was what I had planned to do after my morning appointment.) Oh well, I didn't need more fabric anyway.

So, what are these changes? Just three little ones to prepare myself for the upcoming new year.

1. New tires on my vehicle! A major expense I wasn't planning on but obviously needed.
2. New job beginning Jan 2! The transfer was finalized three months ago so I'm more than ready for this change.
   
3. New haircut! Why not begin the new job in the new year with a new do? It's been awhile since I chopped my hair short so it was time. Photos later...

What changes do you have planned to welcome in 2008? Pin It

Beautiful Yet Treacherous Snow

Snow - so beautiful to look at; so treacherous to drive in.

Here's the view this morning from our bedroom window. Beautiful isn't it?

I think so, as long as I don't have to try and drive in it, which I did (even though I have this entire week off from work) since I had an appointment scheduled for this morning.

I debated about canceling since it was only a hair appointment and the salon is 25 miles away. However, my husband had called during his morning commute to update me on the road conditions and based on his report I decided to keep the appointment vowing to stick to the main roadways.

Big mistake!

I was on the road less than five minutes when I decided to turn around and go back home. As I came to a stop light where I was planning on making a left hand turn, I pressed lightly on the brakes and they froze up! I tried pumping the brakes, which is what I learned 30 years ago when I began winter driving, but that doesn't work with today's vehicles.

In a matter of seconds - which felt like an eternity - I accessed the situation. As I was sliding, I watched the light before me turn red and realized if I did not stop I would slide right into crossing traffic - and they likely would not see that I was in an out of control vehicle!

Fortunately, I still had the ability to steer the car. I choose to steer to the right towards a snow bank. I feared if I steered to the left my vehicle could jump the medium into oncoming traffic and if I kept going forward I would slide right through a busy intersection.

Thankfully, there were no other cars beside me or coming up behind me so I steered right, slid across three lanes of traffic and was stopped by a large snow bank just before the traffic light pole - and just before I would have hit a runner running towards traffic on the snow covered shoulder of the road! (Note to runners, don't run in the streets when the roads are snow and ice covered!) Because I had been going so slow to begin with, the impact didn't set off the air bag.

Unable to drive forward or backward, I put the flashers on, prayed no one would slide into me, and called AAA. Of course, I was put on hold because of the many spin-outs on all of the roads this morning. As I was impatiently waiting for a AAA rep, wondering if I could shovel my way out of the snowbank, a kind Samaritan in a big red company truck pulled up behind me and offered to pull me out of the snow bank.

Thank you Lord for protecting me while I was driving, for protecting the runner on the road, for protecting the other drivers and passengers that I might have injured, and for sending someone to assist me.

Thank you to Brian Nelson, from CWS Painting and Drywall, for taking ten minutes out of your busy day to stop and help a complete stranger. Your willingness to give of your time meant I was not stranded at a slippery intersection waiting for a tow truck to arrive. You don't realize that your calm manner helped me maintain my composure as I have never experienced losing control of my vehicle in all of my years of driving.

I'm now keeping my eyes open for my opportunity to Pay it Forward. Pin It

Merry Christmas!

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Chocolate thumbprint cookies with chocolate kisses

Warning: These cookies are sinfully tempting, incredibly rich, and wickedly delicious!

Cocoa Creme Thumbprint Cookies *
1/2 c. butter softened (1 stick)
2/3 c. granulated sugar
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/3 c. cocoa
1/4 tsp. salt
Additional granulated sugar
Powdered sugar
1/2 c. marshmallow creme
Hershey's Milk Chocolate filled with Hot Cocoa Creme Kisses.

• Beat butter and 2/3 c. granulated sugar together until well blended.
• Beat in egg yolk, milk, and vanilla.
• Mix flour, cocoa, and salt together.
• Gradually add flour mixture to the butter mixture beating until well blended.
• Refrigerate dough for 1 hour.
• Heat oven to 350 degree F.
• Shape dough into 1-inch balls and roll in granulated sugar.
• Place on cookie sheet and gently press thumb in center of each cookie.
• Bake 8 to 10 minutes or just until cookie is set.
• Cool slightly, remove from cookie sheet to wire rack and cool completely.
• Dust cookies with powdered sugar.
• Lightly spray inside of a plastic baggie with cooking spray.
• Spoon marshmallow creme into the baggie.
• Cut a corner off of the baggie.
• Pipe about 1/2 tsp. marshmallow creme into the center of each cookie.
• Press a chocolate kiss (unwrapped) into the marshmallow creme.
  

Now hide all of the cookies from your family so you can enjoy this chocolate indulgence all by yourself!

* Recipe from Hershey's Milk Chocolate filled with Hot Cocoa Creme Kisses. Pin It

Candy Cane Cookie Recipe

Candy Cane Cookies

1 c. shortening (half butter)
1 c. powdered sugar
1 egg
1-1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. vanilla
2-1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
red food coloring
1/2 c. crushed peppermint candy
1/2 c. granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degree F.

Mix shortening, sugar, egg, almond extract and vanilla thoroughly. Mix in flour and salt. Divide dough in half. Blend red food coloring into one half.

Roll a 4" strip of dough of each color. (Use about 1 tsp. of dough.) Roll them using the palm of your hands on a lightly floured surface until smooth. If dough is too sticky add a bit more flour; if dough breaks apart add a bit more butter.

Place the two dough strips side by side, press together lightly and twist like a rope. This is easier to do if your strips are narrow. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and curve the top half to form the candy cane handle.

Bake about 9 minutes or until lightly browned. While warm, sprinkle with mixture of candy and sugar. We substituted Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips.

This recipe, taken from my 1976 Betty Crocker's Cooky Book, is a favorite that my children helped me bake ever since they were toddlers.

Supposedly this recipe produces 4 dozen cookies. We weren't very meticulous when we rolled out our dough because we were so busy visiting so our candy cane cookies ended up super-sized! All the better! Now we can feel smug about only eating one (secretly knowing we're eating two.)

And I'll have the chocolate kisses recipe for your tomorrow - that was my younger sister's contribution and she forgot to leave the recipe with me. But you can be sure she remembered to take her share of the cookies! Pin It

Cookie Bake Day

Our annual cookie bake day was today.

Bowls and bowls of cookie dough measured, mixed, rolled, and baked.

A kitchen filled with sunshine, laughter, and bright colors.

The end result? Dozens and dozens and dozens of cookies to share.

(Photos by one of my talented niece.) Pin It

Flashback Friday - Christmas 1979

‘Tis the season for holiday parties!

This 1979 photo is from a company-sponsored children’s Christmas party. My children enjoyed this holiday tradition for the seven years I worked at that company.

A chance to spend the day treated as special guests of honor snacking on cookies and punch, playing games, receiving gifts, and whispering their secret heart's desires into Santa's ear. (This is the same company party where I recruited to play the part of the Christmas elf for a few years.)

It was a fun family-friendly event that my children looked forward to every year. It was also an event where they donned their Christmas finery.

I sewed both outfits that my little ones are wearing - the little blue suit and plaid shirt and the long dress with smocking across the bodice.

The long dress was sewn from a lilac colored broadcloth, because broadcloth fit my budget at the time. The smocking, which was my first attempt at smocking, was done by hand using embroidery thread on my work breaks…in the restroom.

I know, I know – yuk! Let me explain.

This particular company allowed two 10-minute breaks – one in the morning and one in the afternoon – but we were not allowed to leave our work area. That meant we were unable to go to the lower level staff lounge to purchase a soda or snack and sit and visit. Since there were no break areas designed in the work areas we all went into the bathroom and sat on the floor for our breaks. Eeew, I still cringe today remembering how awful that was.

Well, all’s well that ends well and this sweet little dress looked adorable on her. I never did attempt another smocking project. And I never worked for another company that did not have a break area for its employees.

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Dogs on Thursday

Christmas photos that didn't make the cut.

2005
Sophia and Brandi

2006
Sophia

2007
Sophia and Abby

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Breaktime at the flannel factory - let's play tag

Stacy tagged me with this Holiday Questionnaire. She was looking for a break from packing for her big move and I’m taking a break from the pajama factory. I'm on a break because we are leaving in 20 minutes to attend a dinner theater performance of Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Whoo-hoo! I love theater, I love the show Joseph, and I love to eat, so I'm pretty excited!

Here's my answers to the holiday tag:

1) Wrapping paper or gift bags? Gift bags – for ease of wrapping as well as reuse-ability. I dislike wrapping paper as I keep thinking of all the waste that is created that ends up in our landfills.

2) Real tree or artificial? Artificial. It disturbs me that a tree is cut down, put on display for a few weeks, and then tossed to the curb when the season is over.

3) When do you put up your tree? On my dad’s birthday – Dec. 6.

4) When do you take the tree down? On my daughter’s birthday – Jan. 2. Pretty convenient having relatives with birthdays that bookend Christmas.

5) Do you like eggnog? Eeew, no! But I wouldn’t turn down a class of bubbly to celebrate the season.

6) Favorite gift received as a child? A hand-held transistor radio – so my tween self could hang out with my girlfriends and listen to rock and roll and bubble gum tunes on the local AM Top 40 station. And if that doesn’t show my age…

7) Do you have a Nativity scene? Yes. I love nativity scenes. My favorite is one I received years and years ago from my best friend. Her husband built the stable and included a music box that plays Silent Night. When she gave it to me she included moss, tinsel and potpourri for the stable floor. Every year when I set it up I remember her watching me as I opened that gift.

8) The hardest person to buy for? My husband! He has so many tools that I can never remember the name of the latest and greatest one he might have mentioned when browsing at Home Depot.

Although he has this weird fascination with flashlights so I can never go wrong giving him a new flashlight.

9) The easiest person to buy for? My daughter. That girl has been happy with each and every gift she ever received. It's easy for me to find things that would bring a smile to her face!

10) The worst Christmas gift you ever received? A muffin tin, which in itself is a fine gift – from your children, not from a ‘serious’ boyfriend. Apparently he had asked my kids what I wanted and they said a muffin tin (because I told my kids that so they could give me a gift they could afford to purchase).

But wait, the gift giving only gets better - the following year he gave me blanket-thingy to wrap up in while watching television. The muffin tin I kept, but you do understand that the blanket-thingy and the boy had to go.

11) Mail or e-mail Christmas cards? Mail. If you’re on my mailing list you will soon be receiving our annual photo card that includes the entire family – my husband and I along with our dogs, Abby and Sophia - whether you like it or not.

12) Favorite Christmas movie? It’s A Wonderful Life.

13) When do you start shopping for Christmas? I should probably start that soon don’t you think?

14) Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Not yet. Let’s wait and see what Santa leaves this year.

15) Favorite things to eat at Christmas? Oooooo, yummy question. When I was young it was my grandfather’s famous fudge. Now it’s my sister D’s homemade caramels and my sister S’s homemade Peppermint Patties. Do you think I might have a problem with my sugar intake?

16) Clear lights or colored on the tree? Colored, but my husband prefers clear. I win since I decorate.

17) Favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night. It brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it.

18) Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home.

19) Can you name all Santa's reindeer? Only if I sing “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”, and trust me, you don’t want me to do that.

20) Angel on the tree top or a star? Angel.

21) Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas Eve with my relatives and Christmas Day with my husband's relatives.

22) Most annoying thing about this time of year? The Christmas songs and décor that begin appearing in the stores before Halloween. I’m old enough to remember the magic of seeing the stores transform into Christmas wonderlands the day after Thanksgiving.

23) What is the "corniest" family tradition you do or miss doing? Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without my dad showing up wearing his Christmas tie. The tackier the better. And if it doesn’t play music we would all wonder why he bothered to wear the tie at all.

24) Ugliest Christmas decorations ever invented? Those big, filled- with-air lawn ornaments.

25) Which looks the best...theme trees or homey trees? Both of them. I wish I had a themed tree but my tree decorations consist of a mix-match of ornaments that I’ve accumulated over the years.

26) What does Christmas mean to you? I love celebrating the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ. When I stop to remember that He choose to enter this world as an infant … I have no words to express my amazement and gratitude.

Oh that was fun, at least for me. I’m tagging another Stacey…even though she took absolutely f-o-r-e-v-e-r to respond to my last tag, LOL!

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Making progress....only five little flannel pjs to go

The flannel pj factory is humming right along. Two toddler boy sets are done, one toddler girl set is done, one girl's set is done and three boy's sets are more than half completed. Looks like I won't become a flannel casualty after all.

I'm making matching flannel tops and bottoms and I sure am glad that these are fairly quick to sew. I'm with you Gaylen - I think the flannel print bottom with the plain tops are super cute, but I let DH decide on these as most of the nieces and nephews are on his side of the family.

You know the "we" idea of sewing flannel pjs was a bit more of a "he" idea than a "she" idea. I think his offer of help was motivated by guilt - see I had suggested that I sew pjs as gifts over a month ago and he wasn't sure if he liked the idea or not.

It actually worked in my favor - you have no idea how many times he stopped in the sewing room to whisper words of encouragement and thank me over and over. I bet if I could have figured out a way to get a foot massage while sewing he would have done that also, LOL.

The cutting assistance alone was worth undertaking this sewing adventure.

I figured since he is so analytical and precise that I could give him the fabric, pattern pieces and pattern layout and he'd be on his way. Uh, no, he said that he "didn't get it". He was so darn cute - even if it was an act so that he only had to stick to cutting. I laid out all of the pattern pieces for him and explained the process. When he asked what those "marks" were I realized I better explain how to cut out the pieces or I would have pieces with no notches and fold lines would become cutting lines.

Oh, remember I said he was in charge of dinner? Yep, it was pizza. Pin It

Seamstress found buried under piles of flannel

It could happen you know. Especially since my sewing room currently looks like a blizzard swept through and left behind yards and yards of flannel, as well as elastic and buttons and many pattern pieces.

That's because yesterday morning we decided that I would sew flannel pajamas for the nine children on our Christmas list. Nine little pajamas ranging from size infant to size eight.

DH has offered to cut a few pairs out while I stitch them together. He's also in charge of dinner tonight ... how much you want to bet we have pizza?

Okay, I'm going back in... Pin It

Flashback Friday - 1976 Christmas

I can not believe that Christmas is just over two weeks away!

The Christmas tree and decorations have yet to be pulled out of the storage area. The outdoor lighted Nativity Set and lights for our home are still in the shed. And truth be told, there isn't one Christmas gift sitting in our home waiting to be wrapped. That's because I haven't begun my shopping yet.

I'm beginning to feel the twinge of panic beginning to set in. I do know for sure that we will have plenty of Christmas cookies since our annual cookie bake day is scheduled for a week from tomorrow. Yummy!

Life seemed simpler when the kids were babies - by this time gifts were purchased and Christmas outfits were sewn. Of course, when the kids are only 2 months and 11 months old they are quite easy to please. Sometimes just the wrapping and ribbon will keep them fascinated for hours!

1976 was the year that both of my children celebrated their first Christmas.

DS was too young to remember any of it. He spent his first Christmas being cuddled by Grandma and Grandpa.

DD spend her first Christmas concentrating intently on the wrapping paper and ribbon. She, like her mommy, had very little hair until she was almost two years old. She, unlike her mommy, now possesses the most gorgeous thick black almost to her rear hair. She can thank her daddy for that asset.

She wearing tiny little elastic waist pants sewn from pink twill. The coordinating cotton print top had a bib yoke, with gathers underneath the yoke, an attached tie that tied in the back, and large puffed bell sleeves. And yes, her outfit was sewn by me. Pin It

Dogs on Thursday

I saw the photos Gaylen's Dogs on Thursday post (BTW, incredibly cute if you haven't seen them yet) and knew I right away that I was going to copy her.

Well, it turns out there's an entire blog called Dogs on Thursday! Perfect for people like me who love their dogs.

Abby is coming up on her six-month birthday. She's house trained and has lost that puppy clumsiness. Which means she has earned more freedom in the house. The living room is no longer blocked off (as shown here on her second day home).

She was even allowed into the sewing room this past weekend when I was working on my jacket. After an initial sniff through the room, she settled into what has become her favorite spot in the sewing room - underneath the ironing board semi-tucked behind the curtains.

Goofy dog!

Before settling into her favorite spot she made a discovery that excited her - my pile of fabric remnants. There was one in particular that she wanted - a low-pile animal print faux fur. I guess she thought it was a new non-squeaky toy.

Of course I had to snap a photo before telling her to drop it. Looks like I have a new sewing helper! Pin It

Butterick 5087 Easy Front-Wrap Jacket Review

Butterick 5087 "Easy" jacket and belt. I sewed view A, the one with the three-quarter length sleeve with ruffle, to test the fit and style.

Isn't that collar great? I used a plaid to showcase the bias cut of the collar, but I think the collar also lends itself well to some embellishment opportunities.

This simple little wrap jacket requires 3-1/2 yards of 45" fabric (almost 3 yards of 60" fabric) for a size 12! That's because of the huge collar. I couldn't believe how large the pattern pieces were when I pulled them out of the envelope!

This princess-seamed jacket is held closed with a snap sewn to the right side of the jacket. I think it also needs a snap on the left side to keep the front edge from slipping down. In theory the belt should cover the snap closure, but it doesn't when I wear it.

While I did my usual FBA (full bust adjustment) I didn't lengthen the front enough. Because my bust is large and I'm short-waisted, if I wear the belt as shown on the pattern cover (covering the snap closure), it appears as if I'm wearing an empire waist belt!

The fabric was a pain-in-the-rear polyester plaid purchased last year from Fabric Mart. It was difficult to work with - it raveled like crazy and was a bit slippery. It's not possible to wear the self-fabric belt without additional adjustments as it would slip out of the belt buckle. I may just wear the jacket with a black belt. While it's not my favorite jacket style, I do plan on sewing another one - this time out of some good quality fabric! The style would be cute paired with jeans for the weekend and a pencil skirt for work weekdays.

The entire pattern review can be read at Patternreview. Pin It

Abby's First Snow

Abby: Um, mommy? Where's the grass? I have to do my business and I can't find the green stuff. I'm not even six months old yet I don't know what this stuff is. Is it alive? Can it hurt me? If you come outside with me I promise I won't be scared. I think I'll just sit here and wait for you.

Abby: I bet this white stuff is food! Yummy! And look at all of it! I'm not going in when mommy calls or it might be gone the next time I go outside.

Sophia: Sheesh, it's just snow. I don't know why Abby is getting so excited over it. It comes every year and it stays for a really long time. I'm glad mommy made me a fur coat because that snow is cold!

Sophia: M-o-m-m-y! Abby's trying to get my fur coat! Tell her to leave me alone.

Abby and Sophia: Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Pin It