Lovely Lavender

My Mum & Dad paid us a flying visit last week on their way back to France and I was able to show them some of the crafts that I have been able to produce using my new machine.  My Mum suggested that I should make a few small items that she could sell at some of the French country markets.  Now the thought of selling at a market gives me the heebie jeebies but I am quite happy to make the stuff so I set to work.  Of course the first product that came to mind was lavender bags.  Not very original I know but we all know that the mere mention of lavender brings to mind colourful fields in France, relaxation and sunshine.  Lavender has been around since the early Egyptian times when it was used to wrap the dead and has continued to be used for all sorts of ailments and beliefs.  My favourite use has to be the Victorians who used lavender in crafts and love spells.  It was said that clothing rubbed with the fragrant flower, or lavender placed in drawers with clothing would attract love.  What better reason can there be for the use of lovely lavender sachets?  I placed my order for 1kg of Provencal lavender and searched for my design for the bags.  The lavender arrived 2 days later and I think it is the first time that our postman has knocked and just left the post outside the door.  When I smelt the package I figured that he was none too pleased at having such a pungent, feminine smell in his van for the whole day.  I did begin to wonder if I was going to be able to work with the lavender in the house because the smell was so strong but it has definitely ‘calmed down’ and we just get a very pleasant scent every now and then.  I made up some drawer sachets and also went back to my wardrobe bags but this time I put a lavender sachet inside so that it could be used to lightly scent a room.

Whilst I was searching for lavender suppliers I kept reading about how wonderful lavender is for those suffering from insomnia or sleep apnea.  It is suggested that you add a few drops of lavender oil to your sheets or place a small sachet of lavender flowers under your pillow to help you get some zzz’s.  This got me thinking about Kirsty who is not a great sleeper – she is 2 years old and still wakes up through the night!!  Why not try a few lavender sachets in her room?  A great excuse to come up with another design and she loves them.  Sean did begin to ask if I could make soldier lavender bags but I draw the line at that.  Absolutely not.