More Sewing...

My husband picked the American flag pillow.
My son picked the red bandana pillow.
And of course the pastel plaid pillow is for me.

These are neck pillows filled with rice.  You can warm them in the microwave for 45 to 60 seconds and the pillows can dangle around your neck. Good for sore necks but I think these pillows might also be nice when it's cold outside.  I can picture curling up with a heated bag on a very cold night in the winter!

There is a pillow and a cover.  The pillow in the center (which you can't see) has four baffles in it so the rice stays even distributed within the pillow instead of pooling at the ends.  There is about 1/2 cup rice in each of the four baffles.   The part you can see is a washable cover.  There is a opening on the backside of the pillow so the cover may be removed and laundered.  I saw how to make these pillows in a book my Mom has at her house.  I believe the book is called "Ready, Set, Serge" and it's a book of incredibly cute and cool small projects to make with a serger.  I just used the straight stitch and zig zag stitch on my sewing machine.

A picture to show you the reverse side of the bags.  I am using up fabric I have at home.

A photo of the pocket on the backside so the rice-filled pillow can be removed.  Boy, when did my hand get so old looking?

Hmmmmm, what do these bags contain?

My Blackberry cellular phone and my eye glasses!

The same book at my Mom's place (which had the pattern for the rice pillows) also had a pattern for an eye glass case.  I tried to figure that pattern out at home but just did not get it!  I had made some notes on a scrap of paper but it just did not work.  Today I tried again, tweaking the pattern as I went, and it worked.  These bags are lined with small black and white checkerboard fabric. The outer fabric is ADORABLE Mary Engelbreit fabric with tea pots, tea cups, cherries, comfy over-stuffed arm chairs, and flowers.  I love this fabric!  I got these two fabrics and some others that also coordinate at WalMart a number of years ago.  The eye glass case is a bit longer than the cell phone case, so I am able to fold down the top to expose the lining.  Both bags are lined with polyester quilt batting. 

Note to self:  Must find more cute Mary Engelbreit fabric!