It's cold out there...you have a stiff neck ...but you really need to go out and you are dreading it! well have no fear...pop your bow tie neck warmer into the microwave for 40 seconds or 1 minute...wear it and go out...I'll bet you are the only one with a relaxed warm neck while the rest out there freeze!
You think I'm joking??? well read on... this neck warmer will literally relax your neck muscles!

Step 1: Materials

You will need
soft fleece
cotton fabric
needle and thread
raw rice grain (not cooked!)
scented oil

Step 2: The Warmer

I sewed by hand as I didn't have a machine....feel free to sew by machine :-)
first make a small cotton rectangle pillow by folding a 13" x7" rectangle cotton fabric in half and sewing on 2 sides. now turn it inside out and fill it with rice grain and a drop our two of your favorite scented oil.
Sew close the opening.
Now measure and mark the center and also 2" from either side.
Cut 3 11/2" tabs of Velcro.
Use fabric glue and paste the prickly tab on the marked places in the rice pillow.
Now thread your needle and simply start stitching randomly in the pillow so the grain will not bunch up in one place and also to make sure the grain is evenly spread.

Step 3: The Neck Warmer

Cut the fleece fabric into a rectangle approximately 30" x 9".
Take your pillow and place the soft tab of the Velcro back it's prickly partner...apply fabric glue on the back of it and turn it over and place it on the center of the wrong side of our fleece fabric.
Cover close your pillow and overlap about 1" so it won't gape open. Keep an opening in the center about 4" and sew the seam close to form a tube.
In a card board place your fleece and mark the width. Fold it in half and mark 11/2" down. cut a curve to the center point.
Turn your fleece tube inside out...you may remove the pillow once the glue is dry.
Pace your template on both corners and draw the pointy corners...sew and then cut off the excess fabric. Turn it inside out again.

At this point I tie and dyed my fabric...and let me tell you dying fleece is almost impossible! Fleece apparently does not absorb water.
So i did it by spraying and rubbing fabric paint.
Gather a bit with a needle about 4.5" from one pointy corner...sew it sort of like a petal. please check picture.
Cut 1" slits in the sides of the other pointy corner about 4.5" from the pointy corner.
Pass your single bow petal through the slit...if satisfied with the tightness. tack the top and bottom layer separately and make it appear like the first bow petal.
That's it ! you are done! If you want to wash your neck warmer simply remove the pillow and and wash the neck warmer.

Step 4: Cold Compress??

Another option is you could use it as a cold compress too :-) It sure beats frozen peas! simply place in a zip-lock bag and place in freezer.

If you like this please vote for it in the ' Sew Warm' Contest! Thank you :-)