Pouffe!

This week I turned my hand to some sewing. After purchasing a new sofa, we needed somewhere to put our feet up after a long day. So I researched some footstools and pouffes and came across this pattern which was so easy to make. I purchased my fabric from Ikea, a great linen/cotton mix in a stone colour with amazing boat sketches on it. But next I might make a floral number.

To make it you need:
* for the main fabric, use a piece of hard wearing a durable fabric (or just pretty, this is a replaceable cover)
* for base fabric, use a strong calico
* for lining fabric, use a piece of lightweight cotton fabric or calico, make it lighter than the outer layer so it doesn't show through
* pattern paper
* 40cm (16inch) zip
* polystyrene beads
* some kind of funnel
* sewing machine and cottons

What you need to do:
1. Using the pattern paper, draw out a circle with a diameter of 42cm. You will also need a rectangle sized 90 x 136cm (36 x 53 1/2inches).

2. Using your pattern, take your circle and cut out one circle in your main fabric, two in your base fabric, and two in your liner fabric. Then using the rectangle cut out one of each of the main fabric and lining fabric.

3. Making the base: take your two circles in the base fabric and your zip. Fold each circle in half down the middle and pin the folded edge to the long edge of the zip. Then machine stitch around 3mm from the zip teeth to fix the zip to the fabric.

4. Side pieces: taking the rectangle, put the two short sides right side together and pin. Then, with the sewing machine, stitch together leaving a 1cm seam allowance. Do this for both the lining and the main fabric.

5. Stitching the top pieces to the side piece: with the fabric inside out pin the top to the side all the way around leaving a 1cm seam allowance. When this is done, machine sew along the pin line and if needed make some tiny pleats along the way.

6. Do as above for the base too. There will be more fabric on the base as there is a zip in the centre so it may take a little more work when pinning to get the circle in the correct location.

7. Making the liner: machine stitch the top and bottom to the side pieces as in number 5, but with one circle leave a 15cm gap un-stitched.

8. When all sewing is done turn all the pieces the right side out. Put the liner into the cover piece (makes life much easier later on!) then take your beans and without getting them in every nook and crevice in the room get them into the lining. When the lining is as full as it can get stop filling and sew up the hole in the liner. Zip up the base of the bean bag and turn the right side up.

I then suggest that you make a cup of tea, put on a film and then put your feet up!

Alternatives
Other things you can do is make the bean bag any size, bigger or smaller, taller or shorter. Mine is just the right size for me to put my feet up at the sofa, but a child would probably find it a little tall. You could put handles or a pocket on the outside of it to keep remote controls or toys in it. But what I like about this is that if the bag splits, your not going to get a snow scene on the living room floor! The liner keeps it contained, and if you get bored you can make a new cover! Fabulous!

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