I wanted to make Richard something for his birthday. As I’m still hand-sewing everything, and definitely still a beginner at this sewing malarkey, it couldn’t be anything too big and complicated. And it had to be something I could make whilst he wasn’t around. So I decided I’d make him some little smelly bags for his sock drawer. I had some fabric that I knew he loved - it’s primarily for another hand-sewing project I’m currently working on - so I cut some 3.5 inch squares of this, and of the companion fabric I also have for the other project and sewed them up. In the end, they were a bit rushed, and the bottoms of them aren’t quite as neat as I’d have liked.

I’d exhausted my lavender supply when making the second batch of lavender bags the other weekend, so I bought some more and some rosemary as I hoped that the rosemary would make it a bit less feminine. I put a roughly equal quantity of each into the bags. Initially, the lavender overpowered the rosemary and I wasn’t sure my experiment had worked. But after a week or so of resting time it seems to have evened out and there is a gentle aroma of both.

Rosemary Lavender bag

In retrospect, I should have cut the squares so that the foxes were more centralised. I was trying to be as economic with my fabric as possible, I guess that’s what happens when you decide to use fabric you haven’t finished with as spares! Next time.

One thing is for sure, it made me realise how much more efficient use of time the sewing machine option is! (These took about an hour each). I think I need to look into doing some electric sewing machine lessons, and then, if I get on ok, taking the plunge and becoming a sewing machine owner (typing that did make me grimace in fear a bit tho!)