Heat bag tutorial

I have a lot of back problems and I find one of those microwavable heat bags is just the thing I need at times to help soothe it a little... however, I have 2 major problems with my bog standard shop-bought heat bag

1. All the wheat falls to one end when I use it
2. I can't find it...

Which spawns this...


My own (sheepish) lavender scented heat bag with individual compartments for the rice, so that it stays evenly distributed. I used rice as it's what I had in the cupboard.

**When heating the heat bag, put in the microwave for a max of 2 mins, it should heat up quickly and any longer may burn you**

You will need:

• 20" x 10" piece of natural fiber outer fabric (I used a heavy cotton/linen canvas)
• 20" x 10" piece of cotton lining fabric
• sewing machine (hand sew if you are brave enough)
• aprox. 200g of rice (long grain and not quick cook/ parboiled rice)
  
• 9 teaspoons of dried lavender flowers
  
• Ruler, Pencil, teaspoon, funnel, iron

Start out by cutting your fabric up into pieces 20" x 5"so you should have 2 pieces out outer fabric and 2 pieces of lining fabric with those measurements.



Put the outer fabric to the side for now, take the lining and consider the edges like this

(to see larger versions of the pics at any time just click on them)



Now make a 1cm pressed fold along egde A of both pieces


and now you can consider the right side (RS) and wrong sides (WS) of the fabric like this ...


Place the 2 Right sides of the fabric together so that the folds are on the outside like this


Now, sew round edges B , C & D, leaving the length of edge A open


you should have a pocket like this



Turn the pocket the right way round, so that the folds are now on the inside, press flat and even.



Now take a ruled and (here I should say fabric marker, but I dont have one) pencil, measure out and line 2.1" compartments all the way along the pocket. In the end you should 9 marked out pockets like this



Now sew up each of the marked lines and you should have 9 little pockets like this



Heres where you will need your rice, lavender and your teaspoon. In each of the little pockets put aprox 4 tsp of rice and 1 tsp of lavender. the pockets shouldnt be more than 2/3 full in the end.






Now, sew the little pocket shut, like this




Repeat these steps until you have 9 filled and sealed little pockets along the strip


Now come back to your outer fabric. Place RS together.



Considering the edges the same, fold down (towards the wrong side) and press 1cm along each edge B.


And now sew edges C, D & A so it should be a long narrow pocket looking like this


Now turn the right way round and press


Now insert your pockets in the outer fabric


And neatly sew edge B closed


There you have it, you just made a heat bag and I bet it didnt take you long.