I’m suffering with a bit of joint pain, cramping and back pain at the moment.  It’s the first time I’ve really had the problem, so I’m a little behind on what works and what doesn’t.  A Twitter friend of mine, Icy from Individual Chic, suggested a heat bag.  I’ve seen them around, especially at craft markets, and I’ve always wondered if they would be any good.

I laid in bed contemplating getting up and heading into Target or somewhere to see if I could buy one.  Too much trouble and not especially bright when I probably shouldn’t be driving.  (Let-a-lone in public with a weeks worth of bedhead!)  So I jumped online to see what the wonderful people out there in internet land could share with me.

I found this site: Tipnut.  They have a great how-to on making a  microwave heating pad.  Sounded simple enough, so I decided I’d give it a try.

I’m only new to the world of sewing so I don’t have much of a material stash, but I’m lucky that nearly all of it is 100% cotton.  As I contemplated which material I would sacrafice for the greater good it struck me that I have a crapload of old flannel pajamas just waiting to be turned into rags.  [I don't know about you, but I rarely (if ever) wear the flannel pajama tops.  I tend to do a lot of tossing and turning in my sleep and I usually wake up when wearing them with the buttons torn off and it back-to-front.]  Flannel would be perfect for this task so I hunted down one of the pajama tops.  It’s worked out wonderfully!  Took me about ten minutes to make.  No measurements – nothing.  Here’s how I did it.

The equipment:

• Flannel pajama top – must be 100% cotton.
• Fabric scissors
• Quilting pins
• Brown rice (uncooked and unwashed)
• Fabric Marker
• Ruler
• Unpick
• Sewing Machine
• Thread scissors
• Thread – must be 100% cotton.
• Lovely Assistant (optional)

The process:

1. Cut a large rectangle of cloth out of the back of your flannel pajama top.
2. Fold it in over on itself and find the desired width of your heat bag.
3. Cut along the raw edge to make a small rectangle.  (Remember to leave enough room for seam allowance!)
4. Fold the material so that the good side (patterned in most cases) is facing itself.
5. Sew up two edges of the material.  (Not along the fold)  Make sure there are no gaps and that you’ve reinforced your start and end points by reverse stitching.
6. Turn inside out.
7. Fill half or three-quarters of the bag with brown rice.  Do not fill the bag to bursting, you want to leave enough room in the bag that it will mold to your shape and provide you with enough heat coverage.
8. Push all the rice to the end of the bag that is already sealed.
9. Sew closed the opening.
10. Microwave for 1 – 3 minutes.  Be careful not to burn yourself when you take it out of the microwave. (I put mine on a dinner plate to make it easier to remove when done.) Also do not leave it unattended while in the microwave.
11. Enjoy!

If these instructions aren’t clear enough – try How to Make a Microwave Heating Pad on Tipnut.

My completed heating pad is shown under the ruler in the first image.  It’s just the right shape for my lower back.  I’m loving it.  Not only is it providing me with much needed relief I also get to claim it against number 86 on my 101 Tasks in 1001 Days List.  Yay!