Winter critters are our theme this week and all I could think about was COLD COLD COLD! What says “cold”, more than a polar bear?

Wintery Polar Bear Pillow

This sweet little guy is not only a pillow, but he has a pocket in the back that holds a microwavable rice bag, to warm you up on these cold winter nights.

With these supplies you too, can be on your way to warm toes, back and neck.

Supplies

1 yd – blue flannel

1 yd – 100% cotton lining fabric

1/3 – yard white batik fabric for applique

Scraps of pink, dark blue and black batiks for applique

1 – 18” nylon coil zipper

1 – 16” x 16” pillow form

2 – 11 ½” squares of 100% cotton fabric

1 – 2lb bag of rice (approximately)

HeatNBond EZ Print Lite

HeatNBond®Fusible Fleece

SprayNBond®Basting Adhesive

Applique pressing sheet

Thread to match or contrast

Erasable pencil or Frixion pen

Oliso Iron

Start by downloading the free pattern “Polar Bear with a Twist” pattern.

The pattern is printer-friendly using HeatNBond EZ Print Lite sheets. No tracing is required. You just pop a sheet into your printer and hit the print button.

Start by cutting out the applique shapes from the HeatNBond EZ Print Lite and fuse to the back side of your fabrics, following the manufacturer’s instructions.

Arrange on an applique pressing sheet and press when satisfied. Allow to cool before removing from the pressing sheet.

Fuse the HeatNBond®Fusible Fleece to the back side of each pillow piece.

Using SprayNBond®Basting Adhesive, spray the back side of the lining pieces and place it on the fleece side, of the pillow front/fusible fleece pieces.

Place your polar bear applique on one of the 15 ½” x 15 ½” pillow pieces, approximately 3 ½” up from the bottom and 2 ½” from each side. Fuse and stitch in place, as desired. Quilt the remaining background as well as the other 2 flannel pillow pieces, to keep the lining in place.

Complete instructions for adding the zipper and pocket to the back are included in the pattern, as well as making the microwaveable bag.

Please note that 100% cotton is non-flammable and a must to use when making anything that goes into the microwave.

The microwaveable bag is made with 4 tubes. Mark and stitch making sure each end is secured, as indicated in the pattern. I suggest that you fill each tube with rice one at a time stopping about 3” from the top. Stitch that tube closed before you go on to the next. Once all the tubes are filled and stitched, zig-zag across the top of all the tubes for added security. (For those of you who live in humid climates, you may find other grains a better choice for your bags)

All microwaves vary, but I found that 2 minutes in mine was just right for heating up the bag. You may find you need to adjust the time, but do so slowly and make sure you are always watching the bag when the microwave is on, as a safety precaution.

I love sliding my cold toes into the nice warm pocket.

Enjoy the heat on these long winter nights…

 

Comments are closed.