TIP... NOT EMBROIDERY
OK this morning i decided to reap the crop of lavendar from my bushes as its ready to be dried and made into little bags later in the year.
Dilema.. I had no paper bags and plastic ones are no good as they will sweat the lavendar and cause it to get fungus and be made totaly useless... Now what can i do as paper bags are now very hard to get. The light went on in the brain cell and the cogs started to whirl.
Result...... put an old needle into the sewing machine and thread up and move stitch length to medium (to close and it will cut the paper) cut or rip some scrap fabric into 8 X1 inch lengths, find an old newspaper and take the top two pages and open them out fully. Sew along one long edge with a half inch seam but first fold one piece of the strip of fabric in half and place raw ends at the top of the paper fold and stitch in place. (this is the hanger)
now close the paper as it was originaly and sew down the side oposite the fold.. open the tunnel and put the seam line on top of the paper fold and sew along the bottom edge.
Result one large hanging paper bag.
The reason i folded the tube so that the side seam line was on top of the fold is so that the bag will stay open better. put lavender stems into bag with the flowers downards and hang in a dry airy place till the flower heads are dry and can be rubed off with ease.
This idea would work well as gift bags if you put a piece of pretty wrapping paper as the outside piece. that way you will have strength and you can make them as big as you want to. great for little bags to hang on the Christmas tree or for birthday favours.
get the children involved makeing the bags.
Ok now i have to get back out into my garden and sit on my swing to watch the tadpoles and to make sure they are learning how to swim properly, I also noticed one bird is haveing difficulty whistleing so i will have to give the pidgion a few lessons because at the momment all he keeps saying is "I can't do it. I can't do it"
They are such defetests
ttfn annie in the UK
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Excellent timing for this tip.I bought 2 small lavender plants last month to plant in the front garden ,with the idea of making dried lavender bags for our blanket box.Now I know how to do it,Seeing it is winter here ,the front garden isn't getting much sun until late in the afternoon ,so they are still in pots out the back sitting in the sun but they have started to flower.Tomorrow they are going into larger pots.
25212Wonderful post as usual, Annie. You are one of those people who don't say much, but when you do everyone stops to listen. :)
1 comment
by eggyannie
12 Jul 2014
I am a Black country wench and born with a gob so folk have no alternative but to listen (The Black country is a part of the central area of the UK and is so called due to the very black soil that you will see due to the coal deposits that are close to the surface. Nothing to do with us not bothering to wash from one year to the next.. Many of those born and bred here have very load voices its known as the black counrty gob or voice.)
158715Thanks. You may have to put the birds in "time out" so they will listen to you.
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36064135301I am so lucky. The city I live in has a whole street planted with lavender bushes. I pass by them every morning when I walk my dog and come home with a bundle of lavenders. I stick them into a vase with no water and when dry I save them in paper lunch bags, because I found out that they do not do well in plastic bags the hard way. I love the smell and throw a few buds on the carpet when vacuuming. No musty smell from the vacuum cleaner.
2 comments
109774Sounds good to me. I dry my herbs using my microwave oven. I hose them down before I cut them and then bring inside and wash again and remove leaves from stems an dry thoroughly and lay small amounts between paper towels and microwave for short amounts of time until you see how much time it takes for each type of herb. Then slightly crush and put into clean jars. The little pimento jars work great. Kay
85867I have a lot to learn. Here is my first lavender sprig. I was going to just hang it to dry. I read to put between 2 pieces of plywood to remove the flowers. I think I need another method. I was also thinking off using muslin lined burlap bags for sachet? or should I go with the usual organza type fabric. Thanks for posting!
3 comments
by eggyannie
11 Jul 2014
I use simple cotton for the bags or i make heart shapes and sew them and then turn inside out but leave a small opening to enable me to fill them then close by hand sewing. A neat narrow ribbon is sewn on so that it can be hung.
If the flower head is dried properly then the individual flowerd will come of just by gently rubbing between your hands.
Warning.. do not do this if you are pregnant and not past the first four months.unless you wear surgical gloves.
by crafter2243
12 Jul 2014
The ones you have pictured is the kind they are growing in the city I live in here in California You seldom find them in the nurseries. The ones they sell do not smell very good to me. There are so many different types.
173692Great tip. Thanks. I hope your students are good learners. Enjoy your swing and your little friends.
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57492I know this works as I did it when I was drying straw flowers in California. You are so lucky to have the lavender.
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145791I would like to be there when you start those whistling lessons. I hope you have some tiny floating aids for the not-so-good swimmers among your tadpoles. Nice tut, but ttfn beat me.
1 comment
145302115749Great way to get the brain cells working.. they say if there's awill there's a way and necessity is the mother of all invention. thanks for the description on how to..
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