Lavender Sachets etc

A quick post today.

Sometimes I really feel the need to take a break from a project and make something else.  Usually a small, quick to finish project for instant gratification.   My  4 swap projects have turned out to be rather time consuming projects that I have never attempted before.  Being first time projects means, of course, I am learning a lot of new techniques. 

I really would like to show them to you but have to wait for the last two to be finished.  Nearly there.   I am still waiting for one swap partner to notify me that she has received her package.  Hopefully soon!

In the meantime there are these:

Lavender sachets filled with my very own lavender picked fresh off the bush early spring.  Drying time took longer than normal because we finally, after years of drought, got some rain!  Yay!  Our Murray River is starting to fill up again.

A couple more that still need to be finished!  Surprisingly I am not finding any suitable fabrics to compliment them in my scrap basket!  Something will turn up I am sure.

Free pattern and instructions can be found at Bustle and Sew.

Or you can buy this book.  The same pattern is in there.

I also made a little experiment.  Hopefully it works the way I want it too.  Its a little sachet to throw in the clothes dryer with your washing.  It is filled with scented bath crystals.  Hopefully they don't dissolve too quickly and ruin my washing.  SO I will be putting my hubbies clothes in first to try it out! lol

Hello!

I am sewing some things that are for swap partners and other friends so I can't show them yet  (Explains my lack of posting on my blog! lol).

I did find a unfinished project my daughter started AGES ago.  I took it into the living room, where it was warm and cozy, and finished it in front of the telly.

You can come over and pick it up whenever you want Jess.

This felt mascot is from "The Cute Book".  Author is Aranzi Aronzo and is one of my favourite designers of cuteness.  I have several of their craft books and one day hope to make some of the cute softies .

Felt scraps

Awhile ago now, I was  lucky to find a bag of scraps of felt for $1 at a thrift store.  Real good quality felt in a huge range of colours.  Even though they were scraps, they were decent sized scraps!

I have been using them to make flowers.  See my sock slippers here for the flowers.  I have made this monkey and started a blue one and a brown one.  I got the "recipe" from an address on the internet that doesn't seem to exist anymore.  Good thing I printed out the instructions for future reference!

Speaking of printing out stuff and the guilty feelings about wasting trees using paper.  Well!  When my hubby complained about companies not giving out printed manuals anymore for electronic stuff and giving CD's instead to read via PC, I told him that they are just being "environmentally friendly" and saving trees.  My hubby laughed at me and said that using a computer uses a lot of energy eg a lot of coal burning, mining for coal etc.  It made me stop and think that yes maybe we are being blind with tunnel vision on environmental issues. 

We say we care about the environment and try to conserve paper to protect trees (still a good thing)  but we have homes and workplaces full of power hungry appliances that we never unplug even when they are not being used.
I, from now on, will be more conservative with my power use which I currently waste.  Right now I am in my dining room writing this post, while in my sewing room I know my sewing machine is on and its light aglow!  My touch lamp beside my bed is most likely on.  The TV is on in the lounge and no one is in there watching it!  "My bad!". 

PS the address for monkey is: www.tiangong.zj07.com
Just in case someone has skills and can find this page.