Craft #8: Bean Bags

Remember Rich's craft from July? I was also involved in one aspect of the craft. And we were working on a deadline; it needed to be completed prior to the first Gopher Home Game at TCF Bank Stadium on Saturday, September 12th. This craft involved something I haven't touched in years: a sewing machine and I was super excited!!

My mom has a sewing machine so we partnered together to make these bad boys. I started out slow, really, really slow... I think it took 2 hours to make the first 5 bags. The second set of 5 however took much less time -- maybe even less than 45 minutes. [Note: Rich is a perfectionist, so we naturally wanted to make sure the bags were perfect... in case he checked the measurements. :) We were very careful to make sure the bags were the appropriate dimensions. Now I'm not saying that was the reason it took me ages to sew these, that was due to my rusty sewing skills. I guess I'm just making sure, in case Rich reads this, that he knows we were very meticulous about creating a consistent product that met the outlined specifications.]

{cutting the fabric to make white and maroon bean bags}
{sewing the first bag}
{I was very focused}
{but finally finished the first one}

*My mom will want you to know the pile of stuff in the background is not clutter or garbage, but unwrapped Christmas gifts... so if you think you are getting a gift from my parents, don't look too hard or you'll know what you are getting.

{we ironed the bags before we filled them}

{each bag was filled with 16 oz. dried split peas; my mom sewed most of them shut}
{but I sewed the last bag closed}
{...just about done...}

{ta-da! finished products}
{in front of the picture of me and Goldy, circa 2003} {Our completed craft*}

*I want to point out that Rich made these cornhole/bean bag boards all by himself; he started with plywood and 2X3s, created the design, painted and assembled them. Aren't they gorgeous!?!