Use What You Have

Lazy lavender bags

~ guernseyjane ~ Leave a comment

The quick way to make lavender bags is to cut the bag shape with pinking shears and with right sides out, stitch round the outline leaving only a stuffing gap.

Here I layer some decoration on the front (two layers of hearts sewn on, a fabric pen floral and some decorative sequins) and sandwich in a ribbon loop before stitching and stuffing. I use a zig zag on 2.5 width to echo the pinked edging and keep the rustic look.

I use a combination of fibre and lavender to get a plumpness but it means I still have plenty of lavender left.

As everything is donated or thrifted and we grew the lavender this is a truly frugal craft.

Stitched cards

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I have had a background die on my wish list for a while so combined two ‘wants’ with this stitching die that doesn’t have to be stitched.

You have to believe the recipient will appreciate the effort that went into stitching this front but it is simple provided the card quality stands up to the stitching ie the holes don’t tear.

Ribbon rose

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I am making lots of lavender bags this week… they are all heart shaped using layers of scrap fabric but this one has little ribbon roses on it in place of the ‘usual’ sequins or drawn florals.

Rather than the proper silk I am using the satin ribbons that come with new blouses which makes for a tougher sew but is a good experiment for me.

Following a Sarah Homfrey embroidery tutorial I sewed five spokes of an imaginary wheel for each flower then just wove the ribbon over and under the spokes until the flower looked full enough.

Here I used contrasting cream thread for the spokes which are still just visible.

Must try some of her other ideas for ribbon flowers, these are great!

Travel kit

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Quick personalised, laminated luggage tag and book mark

A quick make as a gesture for a traveler.

I like the matt laminating sheets I have. They create a subtler effect without the gloss.

To use up the laminating sheets I made a storage pouch (slipping a second sheet inside and turning it inside out) and extra book marks for another day …

Decoupage dabbling

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I salvaged a pretty serviette from a coffee morning and decided to use it up when I upcycling a cheese tray about to hit the recycling and scallop shells from a yummy ready meal.

I just pasted the top ply of the napkin on with mod podge (using up the giant pot of gloss where I can so I can get some Matt finish glue soon).

Layers of mod podge not only stick the paper, they also seal it enough for casual trinket dishes.

Mod podge also sealed the paint I put on one of the shells and I finished off the edges with some Goldfinger burnish effect.