Old 08-24-2012, 09:53 PM
  #5  
QM
Power Poster
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Northern California mountains
Posts: 12,538
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Cotton bags filled with raw white rice to micro and put on sore muscles. (if they are a tight enough knit and long enough, odd socks will work for this purpose as well.) These should be loose filled for comfortable 'draping.'

Simple placemats. They could be signed all the way around the group.

Neck Coolers. My guild makes tubes that are cut 4.5" x WOF, turned right side out. The first 12" is separated off with a seam (later the last 12" will be also.) Into the middle pour a small amount of the material indoor gardeners use to keep their plants moist. You can get that at a nursery. Close ends. On a hot day, soak in cold water. You will have a flexible, cool band for your neck. At the end of the day, hang it to dry and it will again be flat and ready for another day.

Glue and/or sew things on a piece of card stock to make a postcard. Nice bits of fabric, buttons, lace and the written word work well. This could be very good to send/give to shut-ins. I have a lovely one here that is bright fabric on heavy iron on interfacing with cut out fabric hearts hot-blued in place, along with a few mini crystals. My friend did top-stitched binding around the edge. Another is a sweet snowman. Christian symbols could be used just as well.

One of my favs is a 2 page needle 'book' made of pretty bits of fabric. I cut 2 pieces of fabric, one 4x14.5, one 4x14. I fold the longer one so that the ends are turned gack on themselves and meet in the center. I sew around the outside then turn it right side out and slide cardboard pieces into each side. (cereal boxes do nicely). Sew the second piece right sides together almost all the way around. clip the corners and trun right side out. After you close the opening and sew it inside the covers, you have a needle book. Before my previous dog ate it, I had a 4 page one my grandmother gave Mom when she was a girl, about 1920. She wrote what sort of needles went on which pages. I don't. Hers were muslin. Mine is batik with a piece of cording I can pin to my recliner.

Whatever you decide to do, enjoy it.
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