Behold, the magic bag

Looking for a nice way to warm up on a chilly winter's night? If you're like me, you'll just stick your feet on your husband as soon as you crawl into bed, but for others (who are, perhaps, a little kinder to their hubbies), you might want to try making your own magic bag. It's pretty much as easy as you'd think: Cut fabric to desired size, sew up sides leaving one open for filling, fill 2/3 full with material of choice (rice, barley, wheat, buckwheat hulls, etc.) and sew closed.

Here are a few pics of one I recently made for my friend Kim (not only does she have an awesome name, but she also happens to be a very talented photographer).

She specifically requested an extended length design in heavier weight fabric so that it will last a long, long time. I had this fabric on-hand in my stash (originally from IKEA). I used French seams along the long edges to make sure they were nice and sturdy. Once filled, I double stitched the end closed so that none of the rice will escape. The finished piece was super quick and easy and looks better than the store-bought versions. Don't you agree?