It's already November (actually I don't see how that's possible but it's what the calendar says) and time to think of Christmas and giving. This could be THE YEAR OF THE SLEEP SACK. Anyone can make a sleep sack. You don't need a sewing machine or be nimble with a thimble. You do need a needle, thread, fabric and a pair of sissors. Polartec fabric will make warm snuggly sleep sacks from a single piece of material, and can be sewn either my machine or by hand. Really. You can sew a strong durable sleep sack from polartec with just a needle and thread. Ok, and a thimble! Don't try to sew without a thimble - unless of course you enjoy suffering. Cut 2 pieces of fabric about 15 inches wide and 36 inches long. Put the two right sides together (with polartec both sides are nappy, so it doesn't matter) and stitch all the way around the rectangle except for a 4 inch opening. The opening can be either on an end or a side. Turn the sack right side out, through the opening and then sew the opening shut. Now you have what looks like a pillow case, all sewn shut. Tuck one end into the other and you will have a double thickness envelope. You are done. Now give the sleep sack to a ferret. A shelter ferret, or the ferret of someone who is having difficulties. And there are all sorts of these! Ferret illnesses, people illnesses, money problems, job losses, loss of the person we thought we could count on. We live in a tough world, so maybe we can each make it a little easier for someone. Over the weekend I made 12 heavy sleepsacks. These are all completed, as I drank enough coffee to overcome my 'fear of sewing machine', and only did hand sewing to close the openings. Previously though, I'd made sleep sacks completely by hand. Tonight I cut out 12 more, using fabric that requires a liner and an outer shell. Start with the simpler version! Just a note of caution. Polartec dries quickly and does not like high heat. Georgia - the left coast one... [Posted in FML issue 2853]