Cooling pad

It's actually the same thing as the heating pad, but with the heat we've been experiencing lately, a cooling pad seemed like a more appropriate project.

I made it from my last remaining piece blue gingham, which I used to make some yoga bags, a book pouch and a gift bag.  This piece was 39" x 4.5".

Here's how to make it: Fold the fabric in half, right sides facing, and pin.

Stitch around the edges with ~ 1/4" seam allowance, leaving 1" opening so that it can be turned right side out.  Press it.  Here's what it looks like after turning and pressing.

Topstitch around the edges with 1/4" seam allowance (this extra stitching just reinforces the edges so the tiny flax seeds don't come out) and "quilt" a square zig zag pattern along the length of the cooling pad.  The quilting helps the flax seeds stay spread out along the length of the cooling pad.

Use a funnel to fill the cooling pad with flax seeds.

Pin the opening closed and stitched it using the zipper foot.  I stitched one extra row right near the edge of the fabric for reinforcement.

Here's the final cooling pad.  Store it in the freezer so it's nice and cool when needed.  It can also be put in the microwave and used as a heating pad.