Let lavender scent your table by using these tea bag sachets as a fresh take on place cards. These little treasures let you practice (or learn) a bit of hand embroidery. Your guest’s initial on the tea bag tag personalizes each setting—and of course, it’s another great party favor. A bowlful makes a lovely centerpiece, too.
Makes 1 sachet.
* 1 piece of printed fabric 6” × 3½” for the sachet
* 2 tablespoons of dried lavender
* 1 piece of muslin big enough to fill a small embroidery hoop for the tag plus 1 piece 2” × 3” for the tag back
* Pinking shears
* Small scrap of felt for the leaf
* Coordinating pearl cotton embroidery thread
* Coordinating sewing thread
* Double-sided fusible web, such as Wonder Under
* Small button
* Small embroidery hoop
Patterns are available to print from (http://tinyurl.com/InspiredToSew-Patterns)
* From the felt, cut 1 of the leaf pattern B.
For information on basic embroidery stitches, see Keeping It Real: A Quick Guide to Hand Embroidery Stitches (page 101).
1. Trace the sachet tag pattern A on the center of the muslin in pencil or chalk, and write the initial of your choice in the middle of the traced piece.
2. Place the muslin in the embroidery hoop, stretched tight. With the pearl cotton, chainstitch the initial.
3. Press fusible web to the wrong side of an additional piece of muslin slightly larger than the tag.
4. Remove the muslin from the embroidery hoop and layer it on top of the second piece of muslin. Remove the paper from the fusible web and fuse the 2 tag pieces together. Cut out the tag shape, using pinking shears for the bottom edge.
5. Use pearl cotton to sew a running stitch about ⅛” from the edges.
See Sewing Basics on page 20.
1. Fold the piece of printed fabric in half crosswise with right sides together. Press. Sew the side edges together, leaving the top open.
2. At each bottom corner, clip to, but not through, the stitches. Press. Do not turn.
3. To make a box edge on the bottom of the tea bag, stand it straight up and fold a side seam down so the seam and bottom fold are aligned. Using a ¼” seam allowance, sew across the tip of the triangle. Trim off the tip. Repeat for the opposite seam.
4.Turn the sachet right side out. Fold the side seams in toward the center of the bag and press to create a pleat on each side.
5.Fill the sachet ¾ full of lavender. Trim the top with pinking shears, fold the top down ¼", and press in place. Stitch the sachet closed using a running stitch and pearl cotton.
1.Stitch the vein of the leaf using pearl cotton thread and a stem stitch.
2.Using the pearl cotton thread, sew the button onto the leaf and then onto the sachet. Do not cut the thread.
3.Extend the thread about 6” and sew it to the tag to attach the tag to the bag.
