Lavender Fields Forever

A couple months ago Dan and I headed over to the fabric district in downtown L.A.  I was expecting something akin to the New York fabric district....not quite.  I did, however, manage to find a couple fabrics I couldn't resist.

I have always had a weakness for striped silks.  I can't explain it, but in lovely pastel and sherbet colors they remind me of summer, the beach, and garden parties.  When I discovered the two bolts of fabric, one in pink tones the other blue and aqua, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with them.  They would be perfect for lavender sachets. 

My Mom loves the smell of lavender and tucks the sachets in drawers.  I love to put a few of them in my suitcase when I travel.  Recently, I saw an article ranking the best natural moth repellents.  While cedar and moth balls were high on the list, lavender was actually ranked number one due to its more appealing fragrance.  These sachets could easily be tucked into pockets of jackets that have been stored for the summer or you could simply add a ribbon to one of the corners and slip it over the hanger of anything in your closet to ward off moths.....or purely for that wonderfully romantic fragrance.

These couldn't be easier.  I wanted to make these so the stripes created a pattern.  To do that, I simply made pattern pieces in a triangular shape, added seam allowance, and placed them on the fabric so the stripes would line up accordingly.  For these sachets, I made an insert out of muslin that was filled with 3/4 cup of lavender buds and then inserted it in the striped outer covering.  A blind stitch closed up the opening through which the lavender pillow was inserted.  As a finishing touch, I added a faux pearl in a coordinating color to each side.  The "pearls" were salvaged from some old costume jewelry I had taken apart to use for crafts.