Life is stressful. It’s not all stressful, but sometimes it feels that way. Whether you’re taking on an extra job due to the lagging economy or pulling coffee-fueled all nighters to write papers and study for exams, sometimes it’s important to step back and relax. Not only is work done on little rest usually lower quality, but your personal life and happiness will suffer if you have little time to yourself.
Lately, I’ve been feeling overwrought, taking on too many projects both because it’s difficult for me to say no and because I need the money. In addition, I’ve had trouble sleeping. So I decided to do something to help all around: set aside a few hours for a small, personal project that I find enjoyable and that also would help me sleep. The solution: Make a lavender eye pillow.
Lavender (from the Latin lavare, meaning to bath) it is a shrub with delicate, fragrant flowers. It was used in Roman baths and a favorite of the Victorians. Its scent is known to have calming and soporific effects. The natural lavender perfume, coupled with the soft feeling of satin against the eyes, blocking out the blinking lights of technology, is a wonderful herbal remedy. The pillow is simple to make, and thus far, has proven helpful.
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IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A WAY TO GET MORE RESTFUL SLEEP THEN THIS EYE MASK IS PERFECT FOR YOU! HERE IS WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO MAKE IT:
- one quarter yard of satin fabric
- one quarter yard of quilt batting
- elastic
- ribbon
- dried lavender
Lavender Eye Mask – Step 1
Draw an eye-mask on a piece of paper (preferably tracing) to fit the shape of your face. The center should be slightly smaller at the bottom to account for the bridge of your nose. To make sure your mask is even on both sides, you may want to fold your paper in half and draw half of it.Use this pattern to cut two pieces of satin fabric and one piece of quilt batting.
Lavender Eye Mask – Step 2
Next you are going to take your quilt batting and pin it to the ugly side of one of the pieces of satin. Stitch around this using the pressure foot as your guide and picking up the pressure foot to pivot as needed.
Lavender Eye Mask – Step 3
Cut out two pieces of ribbon, each long enough to wrap around one half of your head. Pin one ribbon on the edge of the satin/quilt batting piece, right sides together. Stitch. Do the same to the other ribbon on the other side of the satin/quilt batting piece.
Lavender Eye Mask – Step 4
Pin the two eye mask pieces pretty sides together, leaving room for an opening at the top. Stitch around the outer edge, using the pressure foot as your guide. Be careful not to stitch over the ribbon.
Lavender Eye Mask – Step 5
| Turn your eye pillow right side out through your opening. Cut out a three inch piece of elastic. Safety-pin the ends of your elastic to each ribbon. Now is the time for a fitting. The eye-pillow should be tight enough so that it stays on, even when you move around, but loose enough for comfort. If necessary, cut the ribbon, not the elastic, for the right size. With the non-batting side face up and the ribbons laid out, fold each ribbon edge over 1/4″ and stitch. Pin each ribbon edge over each end of the elastic and stitch. |
Lavender Eye Mask – Step 6
If necessary, pull the dried flowers off the stem. Fill the eye pillow with the flowers. This does not need to be overflowing, a little will do the trick. Hand-stitch the opening at the top of the pillow closed.
You now have a relaxing lavender infused face mask so that you can get a good night’s rest!
PIN IT FOR LATER
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