Gilding the Lily: Tutorial: Making a Bed-Warmer

One thing many who are close to me know for certain is that I love the warm and HATE the cold! Keeping warm in bed is always one of my largest problems. Heaters and electric blankets do all right, but I worry about them catching fire when I'm asleep. Fleece sheets are definitely a benefit (they are so cozy and soft), but slipping into them on a cold night still isn't that warm. That's why this simple bed-warmer is such a life-saver! You can heat it up in the microwave and slip it by your feet for a cozy bedtime. You can also use it to soothe aches or cramps. It has an inner wheat bag that can be taken out so you can wash the flannel cover.

Please forgive any confusion as this is my first tutorial. Feel free to ask any questions for clarification!

Materials:
1 yard flannel fabric
l old pillowcase (or similar amount of fabric)
Enough white wheat to fill your bag at least half full
Flannel
Sewing materials

1) Decide how large you want your bedwarmer! I measured my previous warmer and added a little since I wanted it bigger. Don't forget to add about 1/4" all around for seam allowance! Cut out 2 rectangular pieces of the size you want.

2) Put the fabric together (sides don't really matter on this as it's an inner bag and doesn't have to look great) and sew around the sides. Leave about a 2" opening on one side through which you will pour your wheat.

3) Turn your inner bag inside out. I usually use a wooden spoon or long stick to help me.

4) Use your inside bag to measure your cover. Cut one piece to be about the same size plus seam allowance. For the other piece, add to the length how much you want your flap to overlap times 2. (For example, I want my flap to overlap about 2", so I added 4" to the length). You will now have two pieces, with one being longer than the other.

Here I've stacked the two pieces so you can see one is longer.

3) Hem the "tops" of both pieces.

4) Here's the tricky part! Pin the fabric unprinted ("wrong") sides together on three sides. Fold your flap over to overlap (you'll still see the wrong side) and then back up (now you'll see the printed side and your flap will be the right size; for me, 2"). Now open up the flap length (for me, 2") of the pinned part and MAKE SURE to pin the flap BETWEEN your two layers of fabric. If you don't get it between them it won't turn out right! I couldn't get a decent picture so I hope this isn't too confusing...

5) Sew your outer bag on three sides, leaving the top where the "flap" is open. Turn it inside out and flip the flap over the top. Now you've got your cover!

6) Grab your funnel and stick it into your inner bag. Pour the wheat in slowly until the bag reaches the fullness you want. I've found that filling the bag 1/2 to 3/4 full allows it to still have some nice give yet have enough wheat for warmth.

7) Sew it shut. Your inner bag is done! Stick it inside your cover, and heat it up for toasty toes! I usually heat it up in the microwave on high for about 4 minutes. For reference, the dimensions of my bag are 16.5" by 8.5".