Today I digress from hats. Looking at my bins of fabric, I spotted remnant pieces too small to sew into hats. DIY microwaveable heat pads seemed to be a relatively simple and practical project to use up leftover fabric.
100% cotton was my choice since it can withstand heat. Linen with a strong tight weave is also a good pick. For some heat pads, I sewed a plain muslin pad with a separate pillow case. The muslin pad can be microwaved and the decorative pillow case, secured at one end with Velcro, can be removed and washed separately. Three pockets were created to ensure even distribution of heat.
I decided on rice as filler for its heat retention, ability to mould to the body, smell after heating and cost effectiveness. After some trial and error, I settled on 1-1/4 cups of rice per pocket. I set my sewing machine stitch length to 1.5 mm to keep the rice grains from slipping out of the heat pad. There are other organic filler possibilities for the microwaveable heat pad, such as crushed walnut shells, whole flax seed, and dried pinto beans. A few drops of an essential oil, dried flowers, or dried herbs can be added for scent.
Hats by Tracy J 