Use pre-washed 100% cotton fabric, 44" wide. Fold in half so selvages meet. Use a long ruler and rotary cutter and cut strips 3.5 inches wide. You will have strips approximately 44" long x3.5" wide.
Fold in half lengthwise and sew the long edges together, forming a tube.
Sew on short edge on an angle. I used a serger to sew the raw edges, but a regular straight stitch and 1/4" seam allowance will work, too.
Use a tube turner to turn the tube right side out.
Tube turner goes inside and drop it to the closed end . . .
use a turner to poke the closed end through the inside of the tube . . .
pull the right side out through the tube.
After turning right side out.
Iron flat
Lay the fabric tube flat; fold in half lengthwise to find the center. Use air soluble pen to mark the center and 4 inches and 8 inches from the center on both the right and left sides. Total of 5 marks will form 4 pockets. Sew across the first mark closest to the closed end of the tube. Make sure the stitches are secure across the full width of the tube.
Water crystals -- use a measuring spoon and funnel. Keep them inside a bowl or other container to catch any spills.
Place funnel in open end of fabric tube; measure out water crystals and let them slide into the fabric tube.
Make sure crystals drop all the way down to the first stitched section; sew across the next marked line to form the first pocket. Repeat the process 3 more times.
Sew a straight stitch across each marking after inserting crystals. Be sure stitches are secure so crystals don't slip out of the pockets.
After the final pocket is stitched, sew across the open end. Fold raw edges to the inside and create a matching angle, if desired.
Stitch across the open end.
Completed neck cooler
Close-up of stitched ends of completed neck cooler.
