Archive for the ‘make it’ Category

I received this wonderful bag as a gift from my Mom this past weekend.  She created it using upholstery fabrics she bought on sale at Hancock Fabrics and wool fabrics she has collected over many years.  She is always on the look out for good wool and even buys old army blankets and wonderful old patterned wool clothing.  She loves wool.

The bag pattern is the Victoria Knitting and Sewing Tote Pattern from Sue Spargo.  And three birds template comes from Sue Spargo’s Mercer Lane Pattern Book. She said the pattern is very well done and the bag was a pleasure to make.

I love the three little birds… just like my three little chicklets.

The buttons are simply wonderful.  She purchased these buttons, but her friends Norma and Joyce have made this bag using antique buttons.  That sounds wonderful too.

Take a look at the amazing label she created for the inside of the bag:

Here’s a close up:

She created the label by shrinking the pattern on a copier.  Then she traced the pattern onto tea died fabric with a pigma pen.  She has a light table, but I don’t, and I always trace by taping the pattern and fabric onto a bright window.  She filled in the color on the pattern using scrapbook markers!  Then she heat set the label with an iron.

I love how large the bag is and the large interior pockets.  I can’t wait to fill it up with all my knitting supplies.  Maybe it will inspire me to finish the socks and the sweater that I’ve left half finished for way too long!

Thank you Mom for the lovely gift.  You know I love gifts from the heart best of all.

I have so much lavender in my garden, and I love finding ways to use it.  Making a lavender eye pillow is a perfect fast project… and they make a wonderful homemade gift for friends.  You’ll also want one or two for yourself of course.

I harvest my lavender in the morning on a dry day.  I tie off the end of my bundle with a rubber band and then, with twine, tie a slip knot bellow the rubber band.  I dry my lavender in my basement, which is fairly dark and dry.  It takes between one and two weeks to dry completely.

To remove the flowers from the stems, place the dry lavender bundle in a large dishcloth and roll with a rolling pin.  Most of the flowers will come off and you will be left with just the stems.  Shake the blooms into a bowl.  For a small amount lavender, I run my fingers down the stems and the flowers fall off.  The girls love to help… they both love the smell of lavender as much as I do.

You can also use the lavender flowers in a sachet for your drawer, a wrist pillow for the computer or in a long neck pillow for traveling.

To make a lavender eye pillow, I found a great free pattern from Amy Butler.  Her pattern even includes a pattern for a cover and a carrying case.

To make this eye pillow you will need:

• 1/2 cup dried lavender
• 1 cup of flax seeds (Amy Butler’s pattern calls for 1/2 cup beans and 1/2 lentils or rice- I like the feel of the flax seed better). My local supermarket sells flax seed in a bulk bin in the Natural Foods section.
• Muslin for the pillow (two panels 4 1/2″ x 10″)
• Fabric for the slipcover (one front panel 5″ x 10″ and two back panels 5″ x 6 1/2″)

Here is the flax seed with lavender.

The pillow could not be easier, I sewed all the way around three sides, leaving a thin end open.   Then pour in the mixture.

Fold the end in and stitch shut.

I made the cover out of scraps of fabric from another project.  I pieced it together to have enough fabric.

Stuffing the pillow into the cover was a little challenging, but it does go in.

This lavender eye pillow is ready to use.  You can place it in the freezer for a refreshing cool down… this is especially nice when my eyes are swollen and puffy from allergies.   You can also place it in the microwave for 20- 30 seconds to warm it up.  Just be careful not to over heat… you don’t want it too hot on your eyes!  Heating it really makes it smell wonderful and feels so relaxing.

Silk or linen fabrics are wonderful for eye pillows.  This would be a great project to make out of an old silk shirt as well.  I also made one from an old linen pillow case that had gotten a few holes.

Lavender is so good for relieving stress… I hope you love making and using a lavender eye pillow as much as I do.