Warm Heart Rice Bag

Today I have a really fun tutorial for a project that would make a lovely gift.  

A "Warm Heart" therapeutic rice bag!  

Everyone has aches and pains now and then - they can heat this colorful rice bag in the microwave 

and melt their tension away.  

This is also a great project to use up some scraps.

Here's what you'll need:
Several scraps of fabric
1 piece of muslin-type fabric 13"x8"
1 piece of fabric for the back (I used cozy flannel) 13"x8"
1 bag of rice
whole cloves, cinnamon
sewing machine
thread
scissors
iron
yard stick
water soluble pen
needle

Step 1:  Cut out all of your fabric.
the back and front rectangles,
cut out two hearts the same size,
then several strips of fabric of varying widths -
such as 1/2", 1", 1 1/2", 2"

Step 2:  Make the heart applique.  Place the two hearts right sides together and pin.

Sew around the entire heart using a 3/8" seam.  Do NOT leave an opening.
Clip the fabric to the seam (but not through the seam) around the curves of the heart.

Step 3:  Lift up the back of the heart and make a slit in it ( be SURE not to catch the front side).  Enlarge the hole so that you can flip the heart right sides out.

Flip it, use a pencil to push out all the edges, then press it well.

Step 4: Moving along to the top.  Cut the top rectangle into 4 equal rectangles.  You are going to strip-piece these four rectangles.  Here's how you do that.
Lay one strip, right side up on the rectangle, lining up the edges.

Lay the second strip, right side down on top of the first strip, lining up their edge (the one closest to you).

Sew a 1/4" seam along that edge.

Open the top strip, so it is right side up, and press well.

Repeat that process with the next strip:

Press.  Then trim off the excess until your rectangle is nice and neat.

Great!  One block is done.

Repeat this process with the other three blocks.  I made two of mine horizontal and two vertical.

Step 5:  Lay the bottom left rectangle, right side down, on the top left rectangle.
Sew these together, using a 3/8" seam.  Press the seam open.

Repeat with the other two rectangles.

 

Step 6:  Lay these two right sides together and sew the center seam.  Press seams.

Step 7:  Pin the heart in the center of the top.

Step 8:  The most "invisible" way to attach this is using a slip-stitch.  If you are nervous about that, you can always blanket or zig-zag stitch it on your machine.  I will explain it the best that I can, but if you are still confused you can go here for a video tutorial.
Starting under the fabric, bring the needle up through the top and the heart.

Pull the needle and thread through.  Now, with the thread "on top", work the needle under the heart a little bit.  Push it through the fabric top, then back up - barely catching the edge of the heart.

Step 9:  Once you have the heart attached, lay the top right sides together with the back
and pin around 3 sides - leaving one end open.

Stitch around those sides, flip it and then press.

Step 10:  Mix the rice (not cooked) with whole cloves and cinnamon.

Pour it into the bag - I used almost an entire 32 oz bag.  Work the rice to the closed end of the bag.
Turn the raw edges of the open end in and press.  Top-stitch it closed.

That's it! 
xoxo
jessica