Lavender Sweeties!

Well, my new passion is our lavender garden. Oh, the scent of these flower buds is simply amazing. Seems as though everything around here is becoming 'lavender' related...from baking to crafts to sewing projects...yikes! I've been baking butter lavender cookies with white chocolate icing; sewing lavender & peppermint sachets to keep at the computer, in the car, in my purse & for gifts; crocheting lavender colored face scrubbies; sewing lavender cotton fabric wrap around skirts; who knows what else I will find to do with this inspiration....! I love using the things that grow around us, don't you? What are you passionate about??

Harvest

Bountiful Harvest!

The first harvest of the garden.

"...For the Lord your God will bless you in all your harvest & in all the work of your hands, & your joy will be complete." Dt. 16:15

♥ Felt Needlebooks

Wool Felt Needlebook in Pinks

Starting to put these Wool Needlebooks back in the shop. My grandmother used a Needle-Book that I now have in my sewing box and I treasure it. So, I couldn’t help but make some of these little treasures! These little Needle-Books keep my trusty pins and needles in their own sweet place. They are also my favorite tool to have in the car when I am working on projects, since they securely hold the needles from wandering away. These cuties measure 2½” round.

I’ve used a durable wool felt for these little books & can’t help but chuckle at how sweet they are. There are 3 pages of felt on the inside & you can use both sides of those pages, as well as the front & back covers. They make adorable stocking stuffers; a little gift for the sewer in your family; a sweet sewing organizer when traveling for your needles & pins; a thoughtful gift topper.

Available in a few different colors.

Reusable Cotton Snack Bags!

Precious Pear

Chunky Apple

I just love these bags! They are a fun way to carry around snacks & a great way to reuse/recycle so you don't worry about the plastic baggies you might be wasting. There is no plastic liner in these bags - just natural eco-friendly fabric against your foods. They measure 6 3/4" w x 6 3/4" h. Dump out the crumbs & throw them in the wash when they get messy.

We use these bags to hold nuts, raisins, dried fruits, candies, crackers, fish, pretzels or trail mix (not good for sticky or wet snacks). I’ve used a 100% unbleached organic hemp/cotton blend material for the bag and a cotton fabric for the applique as well as a hook & loop closure.

♥ Lavender Tote Bag!

A Special Tote for collecting garden herbs!

10" x 9" x 4" Lavender Tote Bag!

Today’s project was a cute little lavender tote with a wooden button! So simple & yet so functional. It is lavender season around here - when we enjoy harvesting our budding perennial plants.  This will be the perfect size to gather the plant trimmings & keep the buds safe until we get them inside.  This tote bag is made with a fabric that will keep these special family memories alive!

♥ Garden Herbs

Fresh Oregano & Lavender

Dried Crushed Oregano & Thyme

We started growing fresh herbs in the garden & flower beds last year. Now that the plants have matured, we are beginning to dry them. What an amazing change for our spice cabinet! The flavors & smells are so much fresher & the taste is wholesome. You can imagine how many years a dried spice can sit in the store before you purchase it - Why not grow your own...? This is a great way to teach the kids about gardening & how to grow & nurture perennial plants. And, you'll be stocking up on your own home grown spices & spending precious time together!

We are growing Thyme, Oregano, Basil, Parsley, Mint, Cilantro, Lavender & Hot Peppers for this purpose. Every couple of days, we snip off a small bunch of stems, tie them together with twine & hang in the kitchen. (They shouldn't be placed where the sun will hit directly.) In a couple of weeks, the leaves dry & we strip them from the stem. We use our old coffee mill to grind the spice just until it breaks the leaves a little bit (not crushed beyond recognition!). The kids have designed labels for the glass spice bottles. Now, we will have to wait until the Hot Peppers are ready in the garden to begin harvesting them and then drying their seeds...will write more on ‘crushed pepper’ when we get there. Until then...!

Felt Breakfast!

Yummy Blueberry & Banana Pancakes!

As I get back into the process of stocking the Etsy shop, I think I'm going to focus on making Reusable Natural Snack Bags and Wool Felt Card Holders for awhile! The kids help me with those projects & we enjoy making things that help us remember to reduce-reuse-recycle. Of course, these little Blueberry Pancakes will be available since they are so sweet!!!