Lavender Pillows

Let's just say the Christmas season was quite the busy one for me. Between finishing up presents, buying groceries to cook the usual German food for Christmas Eve and Christmas, and cleaning I didn't have much time to work on my blog. Now that I have the time and access to my computer again I can at least add on one new project. I did manage to upload the pictures to the ticket bowl I made...finally it has only been oh I don't know 2 months since I posted that one.

Any ways this blog is all about wonderful dried lavender and neck pillows. My "future mother in law" has all of these wonderfully huge bushes of lavender in her back yard that smell amazing all season long. Well at the end of the season I went back there with her and just cut and cut and cut. I wrapped them into bushels and hung them upside down in my laundry room. Why there you ask.... Well it is dark and dry because that is where our apartments dehumidifier is. It took a few weeks for them to dry but that's ok not like I was in a big hurry or anything.

 





While they were drying I went to Joann's, one of my favorite places, and picked out cute fabrics to make these neck pillows. I picked out 2 fabrics for each pillow. The had part was deciding who do I want to make them for. The answer of course was everyone hah. So I made one for me, my mom who has chronic neck pain due to a car accident. My sister and her husband since they just had a baby they could use all the relief they can get. And one for my honey since he works over a computer all day.

You might be wondering why lavender. For one thing it smells great and two it is a great stress reliever, and when it is heated up in the microwave you can really smell the oils being released and it is wonderful. Plus with the rice mixed it the heat feels fantastic on sore muscles.

Now back to the fabric. When I got home I created a pattern on paper and cut it out. I then pinned in to the fabric and snip snip snip we had all the pieces ready for  sewing.

I stitched them closed all except for a 3 inch gap to flip them and fill them. I should add that my sister's popped a seam while it was being sent, so make sure to reinforce the stitches around the curves. I forgot and so her's had to be repaired by my mom.

Now while all this is happening the lavender has finished drying. Pull all the dried lavender off the stems and mix it with rice or any other filler that you like and let it sit together in a Tupperware (lid on of course) for a few weeks to really infuse the smell of the lavender.

After those 2 weeks grab a funnel and a spoon and start filling up the pillows. I wasn't sure on how full I wanted them so I just did it on feel. Next stitch them closed! And you are all done woo hoo

Now put em in the microwave for about 1-2 minutes and place on your neck and relax.

I sent these out for Christmas presents and my mom called me that night saying she put in the microwave as soon as she got it and has been enjoying it ever since.
I enjoy mine here and there but when I'm not using in I put it in my chest that holds all my blankets to one help it smell clean all the time and two keep the bugs away lol. So see it had multiple uses!

Enjoy!