Hacky Sack with Bell

Something New

This time, I moved up to a bigger size using the same tutorial cited here. This is a ball for a baby -- with two fussy cuts on the outside and a noisemaker inside!

Noise Factor

Luckily, my local crafts stores are selling plastic Easter eggs. Maybe I'm doing something wrong but sealing the bell inside the egg with Super Glue did not work for me. When I pushed the fiberfill inside the ball, the egg popped open. This ball needs to be baby-safe -- even if the stitching comes undone, so I came up with a new plan. I wrapped the egg in strips of duct tape -- 2 to 3 layers all around. The egg collapsed as I taped it, so the sizable bell has less room to move.

Between the small space, plastic surface, and duct tape, the sound of the bell is muffled and un-bell-like. Maybe I should have experimented with different size bells, multiple bells, or a squeaky noisemaker. Then again, I'm not crazy about the sounds of those squeakers! I wonder if a baby-safe pill bottle filled with small bells would work.
[5/2/2010 -- PS: I just found this tutorial with a new idea for a noisemaker.]

Texture, Fussy Cuts, Clips, and Filling

The solid magenta fabric (immediately below the butterfly and dragonfly) is a cotton flannel and makes a nice texture change on this baby toy. I used my EPP clips to center the fussy cuts. I'm still looking for a place that sells the clips in bulk. I have only six and everytime I think I've lost one, I panic. I know you can buy sets of the clips at Paper Pieces; try this link. I used polyester fiberfill this time. It has a lot of give and that means even when the ball is stuffed tight, it still has a springy quality. It's squeezable!

Photos
Click on the photos to enlarge them. More photos can be found here.