Ball panel pattern

[wombat]

Evening all.

I'm hoping someone out there can help me: I'm after a pattern (image) of the panels of a baseball, or a tennis ball I guess.

I'm looking to make a lovesac style "beanbag", preferrably without the $500+ pricetag. I think I've found some suitable foam filler, and from the reading I've done it seems that LoveSac use a spherical shell for their bags, so that seems like a good place to start.

Now I just need a pic of the flat panels of a ball so that I can blow it up and use it as a patten (thus the image needs to be relatively accurate). I've trawled the web a bit without much luck, so I'm hoping someone out here may be able to help out.

Alternatively, has anyone else got anything to share re: making their own beanbags?

[Jon]

Hey Wombat,
Two ways of doing it, one would be to put a centreline through both panels using the same line then plot the seam distances on a graph,the more points the more accuracy.
The other way would be to wet the ball with some light paint or oil then roll it around on some cardboard taking care not to slide the ball. It should give you a reasonable likeness of the pattern,then scale it up from there.
My guess is you will need to use a stretch fabric of some kind and maybe refine the pattern once you have the basic shape.I have seen several tennis balls my dog has destroyed and the cover panel always show wrinkly edges like they have been stretched to fit the spheroidal shape.
Good luck

[tompeeping]

wombat ,buy a baseball or tennis ball and either unpick it (baseball) or skin it (tennis ball)

get a overhead projector and lay the skin flat on it

tape some cardboard to the wall and project pattern on to it

move the projector closer or further away from the wall to come up with the size you need

trace the outline for youre pattern


anyway thats enough talk about balls for me hope this helps out

[wombat]

Cheers guys, I guess taking the pattern from an actual ball might be the best bet.
I don't really think it's going to matter if it's perfectly spherical anyway, as the whole idea is to not pack the thing too tight, so that you can sink into it.

I'll let you know how it goes.

[Rik]

tried this? (http://www.jugglingdb.com/compendium/skills/equipment/making/balls/sewingpatterns.html) might be too many panels for convenience though.