Deb McGarva of Dunedin loves to sew wheat - not to create a harvest, but to create heat and thank those who saved her heart.
Before taking on a night shift at Countdown, Deb spends the day stitching together heat packs - fabric bags stuffed with wheat - an ingredient she gets free of charge from work.
After starting eight years ago, she's on her third overlocker and fourth sewing machine.
"The goal was to make a couple hundred," she said. "[Then] I thought 'bugger this, I’ll just carry on'."
McGarva estimates she's made 10-12,000 wheat bags, though she hasn't kept count.
"In winter they are [very popular], students love them."
Wheat bags aren't her only export - she also produces door sausages and baby booties using the same materials.
Once they're made, they're packaged with heating instructions and a $5 price tag, then put on display at her workplace, i.e. the supermarket.
The money she makes goes to the likes of St John, who came to her rescue when she had a heart attack.
"[They] basically saved my life because if I’d have stayed here I would have died," she said.
McGarva made $31,000 for the organisation, handing it all over in the form of $100 notes.
She doesn't plan on stopping now.
"Not many people make money sitting on their arses," she laughed.
"It makes me feel good and puts a smile on this dial."
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