Lavender sachets were a popular gift in the Victorian and Edwardian era: ‘A delightful gift that will cost but little in time or money’ (Every Woman’s Encyclopaedia, 1910-2a).

Lace lavender sachets are fast to sew and a great way to use up fabric and lace scraps. I used lace scraps from my Edwardian lingerie blouse and muslin scraps from my Victorian afternoon gown. (UK) Muslin is very sheer – perfect for lavender sachets.

‘The freshest, sweetest, most dainty thing imaginable in the way of a sachet can be made of linen, embroidered and buttonholed in coloured silks and perfumed when possible with the scent of the flowers which are used in the embroidery design.’ (Every Woman’s Encyclopaedia, 1910-2b)

A sachet for the linen closets is one of the Fifty Christmas Gifts for Small Fingers (The American Girl’s Home Book of Work And Play, 1890): ‘A large, sweet-smelling scent-bag is a delightful thing to lay among the fresh linen. It may be made with sachet-powder, like the scent-case for trunks; but our grandmothers used the old-fashioned lavender-blossom. And another delicious scent is that of the sweet-clover, which grows wild in many parts of the country. Dried sweet-grass, such as the Indians weave into baskets, may be attainable for some.’

Because lavender sachets are so fast to sew and I wanted to sew them outside in the sun I sewed the lavender sachets by hand. But feel free to use a sewing machine!

 

Edwardian Lace Lavender Sachets – Tutorial

You’ll need:

• thin cotton fabric scraps – I used batiste and (UK) muslin
• lace scraps
• dried lavender flowers – or dried sweet clover, sweet grass or woodruff
• needle and thread
• scissors

 

I made square lavender sachets, but you can also make them round etc. Make the lavender sachets as large or small as you like.

Embroidery

I embellished the lavender sachets with hand embroidery such as drawn thread work and bermuda fagoting which were both popular in the Edwardian era.

Bermuda Fagoting

Bermuda fagoting is a really pretty stitch and fast to make.

Related: How to make Edwardian Bermuda Fagoting

I used bermuda fagoting to attach bobbin lace: Just work the stitch through the holes of the lace.

Drawn-Thread Work

Drawn-thread work takes a bit longer than bermuda fagoting, but it’s equally pretty.

Related: How to make Drawn-Thread Work

Hand-Sewn Lavender Sachets

I used another layer of muslin behind the lace and embroidery.

With right sides together, sew around the lavender sachets with running stitches and an occasional backstitch. Leave a small opening and turn the lavender sachets inside out.

Using a funnel, fill the lace sachets with dried lavender flowers.

Sew the opening closed with ladder or overhand stitches.

If you want, sew lace around the lavender sachets with overhand stitches.

 

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