Berlingot, Lavender & Spring

Spring brings a new kind of openess and clarity. After the long cold closed in Winter months, yes even here in California, the arrival of Spring brings with it an energizing force. The expression “Spring cleaning” is apt for the season. Today I opened all the doors and windows, opened the blinds and curtains, and let the sunshine and fresh air waft their way through my house. One room of my house has been sadly neglected these long winter months, my studio. I also design a line of infant wear and accessories but the downturn in the economy has forced me to seek other employment. My studio always reflects the state of my life, my happiness as a creative person is always high when I can enter my studio and easily design and sew on a whim. At the end of the month I will downsize to only 4 jobs and will, thus, have a full day at home to sew, cook, and garden! In anticipation of this, I decided to tackle my studio and get it organized.

I have a similar philosophy to sewing and cooking, and that is to waste as little as possible. When I cook, I use greens from beets, radishes, leeks, etc.. And when I sew, I cut carefully and always save the bits and pieces. Result? A diet with lots of greens, a wonderful compost pile, and box upon box of fabric pieces. Today I decided to weed through the boxes of fabric, I mean, I don’t really need every little scrap of fabric. This is the first time I did this kind of sorting with my daughter, she loved it. I am amazed at the level of taste and preference expressed from one so young, she loved all the silks and vintage Liberty cottons in blues and did not like the green check taffeta! Two projects that quickly emerged, and that I could do with the little one, were fabric wreaths and lavender sachets.

To make sachets:

1. Gather fabric that is large enough to make either squares or rectangles (I am not providing measurements since the purpose is to use your fabric scraps)
2. Lavender
3. Ribbons to embellish or to use as a hanging device
4. Sewing machine, needle and thread. and pins

Berlingot Sachet:

• You need to have pieces that when folded in half, will make a square. Remember, you can always sew smaller pieces together for a more patchwork look.
• Fold in half with right sides together.
• Fill with lavender.
• Now to make the berlingot shape: fold the top of the sachet together so that the two seams are aligned and touching. Or, gather opposite corners to create the peculiar triangular berlingot shape.
• Pin, and blind stitch.

To make a hanging sachet:

• Fold larger piece of fabric in half, lengthwise, with right sides touching.
• Sew the longer side together.
• Cut a piece of ribbon 8″ in length
• Fold the ribbon in half and center it inside the tube you just created.
• Pin the ribbon so it remains in place and sew. This will be the top.
• When you turn it inside out, you should have a rectangle with a loop of ribbon at the top.
• Fill with lavender and blind stitch.

I like to place the berlingot sachets in drawers and when I pack away my Winter sweaters. The hanging sachets are for the wardrobe or bathroom. Of course, they both make a nice homemade gift.