How to make a Lavender rattle

Before getting into the post for today, I just want to thank you for all the wonderful comments I've received, both here and elsewhere on Designing and Making Do. I really value your input, so do keep it coming! Now that it's out of the way let's get into the thing you really came here to read about today, shall we...

Lavender, the trusted friend of any fibre lover, or at least I think it should be. Lavender is famous for its medicinal uses, it keeps the moths at bay and well, smell wonderful (except to moths, or maybe they like it too?).

To make a lavender rattle you need two things

1) A bunch of lavender (10, 20, 30, you decide, just keep it an even number)

 2) Some silk ribbon. 

Strip the leaves off the stems and gather a bunch. 

The rattle will have approximately the size of the flower heads. 

Tie a ribbon as close to the flowers as possible.

Bend the first two stems down and place the ribbon over them.

If you are making these later in the lavender season, 

then be careful as you bend the stems so the don't break.

Bend down the next two stems down over the ribbon. 

Continue bending the stems down and weaving the ribbon tightly over and under the stems. 

Cut the ribbon when all the flowers are covered and tie it tightly

Make a loop with the end of the ribbon to hang the rattle in.

Lavender rattles are wonderful in the bathroom, in the linen closet, your wardrobe and of course in your stash and knitting basket. They also make a wonderful hostess gift and last for years.

What is your favourite use of Lavender?

Securing embroidery in a hoop

This is not a how-to per se, although I guess it could be used as one if you would like. I am however sure that real, good how-tos exist out there on the interwebs. This is simply a recording of how I finished the last of this year's christmas presents in due time.

After finishing the actual embroidery I took the inner hoop and laid it on a fabric to trace the backing. You could get beautiful fabric that matched your embroidery in some way, but doing this on the cheap I just found a scrap I had at hand. 

I traced the inside of the loop cut out a circle about 1-1,5cm (1/2 inch) bigger.

Next, I placed the embroidery inside the hoop and made sure it was tight.

Then I cut around the hoop, again about 1-1,5cm from the edge.

Now it was time to press the edge inside the hoop.

Then I turned the backing in at the line, by cutting slits and pressing them down.

When they had all been well pressed, I pinned the backing to the pressed over embroidery fabric.

  

Then I turned the work to make sure the embroidery was still sitting nicely in the frame. 

After finding the best match of thread available, I started to sew them together with small whip sts.

This took a while, but if something is worth doing it is worth doing it well. And while the result is far from perfect, it is pretty good for a first try in my eyes.

And here you have it, the final christmas present of the year, done and ready to be wrapped up.

Making candles.

We all have them, those odd bits that are left over when you burn a candle. I hate throwing them out so this past winter my mum and I have been saving up all those odd bits and today we turned them into new candles.

You will need:
- a bunch of leftover candle bits from 100% stearin candles
- a can
- a pot (for a water bath)
- something to protect your hands (gloves, oven mittens...)
- containers for your finished candles
- whick
- long matches (or something else to tie the wick to)
- coins with holes (or something else to hold the wick down)
- a tray or large plate
- newspaper to cover your work area

Fill the pot with some water and place the can in it. Make sure that the water cannot reach the top of the can. If water gets into the stearin your candle will not burn well.

Put candle bits into the can and let it slowly melt, keeping the water below boiling at all times. You can add more bits as they melt.

Prepare the containers with the whick while the stearin melts and place them on the tray.

Now you are ready to don your gloves and pour the fully melted stearin into the containers, don't worry about the whicks in the can, they will stay at the bottom. 

Make sure the whicks are still centered and bring the candles outside to set. 

Once the candles are cool remove the matches and untie the knots. Cut the wicks 1-2 cm long and enjoy your new candles.