I have been inspired to get my sewing machine out recently.  I am not a great sewer (sewist, seamstress?) but this is a really easy project and doesn’t require you to be too neat!

Many of you will know that I love working with lavender (usually in oil format, check out my lavender healing salve) but I also like dried lavender. This lavender eye pillow is really relaxing – just place it across your eyes and chill out. It’s nice to use, if you do yoga, at the end of a session (during relaxation). It can also be popped in the freezer to cool it down or warmed in the microwave for 20/30 seconds to heat it up (be very careful doing this – make sure it is not too hot!)

You will need…

• 2 rectangular pieces of fabric (one measuring 30 x 13cm, one measuring 25 x 13cm) – this is your pillow case fabric
• One square of muslin cloth measuring 25 x 25cm
• Cotton thread to match your main fabric and muslin
• Pins
• Sharp scissors or a rotary cutter
• Ruler (metal if you are using a rotary cutter)
• Fabric pen/tailors’ chalk/set square (all these things you can do without – just improvise!)
• Dried lavender and flax seeds mixture (1 part lavender, 2 parts flax seeds – buy both separately and mix).  If you cannot get flax seeds use beans, buckwheat, lentils or rice.  This gives the mixture ‘weight’.

This is what I did…

Mark up your pillow case material using your ruler (set square for corners if you are really accurate!) and fabric pen.  Cut them out.

Then cut out your muslin cloth.

Mix together your flax seeds and lavender. It’s hard to say how much you will need – it depends on how firm you want your pillow. I used a soup bowl full and then some. Roughly one part lavender, 2 parts flax seeds. Put more lavender if you like a really lavender-y pillow!

Then fold your muslin square in half and pin, then sew, 2 sides leaving an opening for the lavender mixture.  Use a generous seam allowance – say 1cm, as you want it to fit in your pillow case.

Spoon the lavender mixture into the pillow then sew up the opening. Your pillow should be half full because you want the mixture to move about and be able to ‘mould’ to your face.

Now to make the pillow case.

Hem one of the ends of each fabric rectangle (one of the short sides of each rectangle).

Lay the smaller rectangle on top of the longer one, right sides facing in and longer flap poking out the top (ooops should have photographed this).  Where the longer rectangle pokes out will be where the pillow case’s opening is.  Pin the sides together and fold the flap back on itself (pin edges down).

This is the flap pinned back on itself.  Press the crease.

Incidentally I like to sew an iMake label in the seam of pillows and cushions that I make, so I pinned that in the bottom, short seam here (facing inwards).

Sew around the 3 sides, including the flap folded back on itself, but leaving your opening at the top.

Snip the bottom corners if you like and trim the seams…

Turn the right way round and put your pillow inside. The inner flap should keep the pillow in place.

There you have it!

I am not used to writing sewing tutorials so this is very much a first attempt and assumes some knowledge of sewing. I hope you enjoyed it.