House Class Room: MORE HOOTY McTOOTIES

Remember the week of holiday craft projects I promised, that
actually was only three?

Here is one of the 'makes' I never got round to posting:
our yearly lavender bag project.

This is a great 'mak'e as it spans two holidays.

In the Summer we spend a happy hour picking the lavender from our bush. I send the kidlets off with a small pair of scissors each and they come back with a lovely big bunch of the smelly stuff.

Apparently the perfume actually comes from the flowers rather than the seed heads, so it shoud be picked while still in flower on a dry morning. Obviously, being a British Summer these kind of mornings are very rare, and by the time a dry morning had come around the flowers had gone. However there is still plenty of scent.

Then our Autumn half term project is to make lavender bags to keep our smalls fresh!

First step is to strip the seed heads from the stalk so that you end up with a lovely pile of useable lavender. This is my favourite part because the smell is glorious and makes us all feel very calm!
Do this over newspaper to catch the large amount of seedheads that invariably miss the bowl.

We have made various shapes over the years, bunnies, hearts, houses and this year of course it had to be owls! My kidlets are sooo on trend!

I started by letting big kidlet draw around the templates on the reverse side of her chosen fabrics.

I don't know if you are the same but I can be a bit controlling when it comes to craft projects, I want the kidlets to have fun but most of all I want something pleasing to look at...don't think bad of me. Anyway, when my six year old suggested that she cut out the shapes I was horrified (I've seen her cutting out) but I swallowed my crafting pride and let her do it.

Actually I was pleasantly surprised with the results.

I then had to let go even more when she wanted to add some stitches to the owls.

She did the flowers.

The four year old wanted to join in too, so I let her add some stitches...

how relaxed am I?

Normally I bondaweb pieces on if I am appliqueing, but I didn't bother this time and it was fine. I ran a zig-zag stitch around the eyes and tummies and a normal stitch for the beak.

Then I faced the two right sides together and stitched around the edge, leaving a 5cm gap on one side.

Before I turned them back the right way I snipped into the edge just up to the stitches. This helps the owl to keep it's rounded shape. (Just becareful not to snip over the stitches)

Once I had turned the owl back the right way out, I gave him a quick iron.

Then it was the lavender time. (Are you singing 'It's Lavender Time' to the tune of 'It's Hammer Time'? Because I am!)

We started with a paper funnel, but quickly resorted to spooning it in with a teaspoon. Make sure you do this over a bowl to catch all the precious bits that don't go in first time. (In our case most of it!)