a warm companion

my girl Helen hasn't been feeling well, and yesterday, after a supreme bout of the mulligrubs, i wanted to make something special for her, but i was stumped.

i tweeted my heart-felt desire, and Gail of Guurrrl Designs had just the right idea. "How about a microwaveable plushie/doll heat pack?" she suggested.

funny how serendipity plays in our lives. a few weeks ago, i bought a wool sweater from the thrift shop and felted it down...it screamed *Helen*, but i had no idea what to do with it. this little project was perfect! someone Helen could talk to, cuddle with, and who would keep her warm and ease her achy belly.

i decided the sleeves of the sweater were a fantastic size for this doll (it's gotta be small to fit in the microwave and to tuck under an arm). then, i searched my cupboard for the perfect size cup to use as a template for the head. serendipity again...Helen's baby cup was just the right size.


i used cotton jersey for the face, wool felt for the hair, and wool felt scraps for the facial features. a red-orange crayon was employed for the rosy cheeks. i sewed it up and stuffed the head and base with pure wool(wool won't heat in the microwave, but it retains heat nicely...i thought i could get more mileage from the rice if it was packed in wool rather than in some other substance), then used my fingers to create a cavern in the wool for rice. i packed more wool on top of the rice, and whipstitched the opening closed. voila...ready for gifting!

we tested it in the microwave...heats up perfectly in 1 minute in our oven.

Helen's not up to modeling for me at the moment, but her green-eyed monster of a little sister is...thank you, Clara, for standing in.

looks like i'll be making at least one more...


and, Gail, this is your brain child...let me know if you need one, too! (and this counts for the 365 Day Creation Challenge, right??)