Hot and Cold Packs

     Here's the last of the small projects I made while off from school. These hot/cold packs are simple muslin bags filled with about 2 c. uncooked white rice and some dried lavendar to make them smell good, then placed in a fabric "pillowcase" which can be removed for washing. You can freeze them to use as cold packs or heat them in the microwave for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes (depends on your microwave-check so they don't burn) and use as hot packs. They are great for sore, aching muscles and joints, and for migraines. I've read that some people also use them as bedwarmers. (I may take one along as a seatwarmer since I don't have heated seats in my car and it's going to be in the teens for the next few mornings!) I made some long rectangular ones for wrapping around the back of the neck, and some shorter, wider rectangles for use on other areas.

These get lots of use at my house, we all love them. It was time for some new ones though, they were long overdue for replacement.  The old ones didn't have removeable covers that could be washed, so they were pretty grubby after years of use.

I sewed channels into the muslin bags to keep the rice from shifting around too much, filled them a little, sewed, filled and sewed:

The "pillowcase" covers are just overlapped to make them removeable for washing:

 I was also organizing my fabric stash and this was a good way to use up some old small oddball pieces.