The little birds...

If you watch little birds you will see they are busy and happy! Using whatever they can find they create the most gorgeous little nest.
I would be the little bird with some glittery thread in her nest!
We can be like this. Happily working away with the things that are available to us to create a beautiful and happy home.
All the while with a little song in our heart.

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Saturday 18 January 2014

The softness of muslin.

I adore muslin. It is a humble and inexpensive thing but so soft and has so many uses!

For years women have used muslin for baby wash cloths as they are so fine and soft. I caught on to this and found them so beautiful to use myself I have used them for taking off makeup and my own face. After you have used them ordinary wash cloths seem really coarse. The thing is the very fine weave is soft but lightly exfoliating and picks up any flakiness on the skin. They are fabulous.

Firstly I bought baby wash cloths and added embroidery to them but in the end I could only find these with terrible coloured trims and so I started to sew my own. Muslin by the meter is only a couple of dollars per metre. Spotlight has it although only in white. Ebay has it in colours and patterns and mostly I am buying swaddling cloths and cutting them into wash cloths to get pink, lilac etc. I make them double thickness so I sew them like you would to make a pillow and turn inside out so your seems are inside. Then I crochet around them.

However now I have made so many I now fold and crochet as I go and don't do any sewing at all as the crochet is holding down the folder over edge. Either way is fine. 

You will find that some muslin is softer than others and finer than others. 

Once I have my size cut out and two layers together I crochet an edge in fine cotton. So far I have never bought this as it is always in op shops. I have purchased pure silk thread on wooden spools for 20c! Mum has given me some fine cottons too as she wasn't keen on something so fine. You need a very small crochet hook and the muslin is easy to get the hook through as it is so soft. An alternative would be to find some fine soft cotton lace and sew that around the edge. This looks just lovely and is very soft.

For babies I do a smaller face cloth and for ladies I do a larger one around the size of a mans hanky. You can do a really large size as a swaddling cloth as a gorgeous summer baby gift. Just divine!




I work a rose into one corner in the perfect colour to match. A tiny bow of ribbon would work or a tiny rose applique. 



I wrap in cellophane and tie up with a lovely ribbon before giving as a gift. My wrapped soaps kind of go with this as well when I am making up a present for someone.


It took me ages to get some muslin in baby blue but at last I have some so that is one of my next projects. Maybe white and blue also would be lovely! This is the problem, so many lovely combinations. I might use some lovely lace if I find some I really like.

It is nice to work on these little light projects in the hot weather too when crocheting a blanket just wouldn't be practical as it would make you feel hot!

Have a lovely Sunday to everyone. We have a really nice day here, so thankful for that!




3 comments:

  1. We have a nice day here at last as well! It is so pleasant again after all the heat. Your projects are always so gorgeous Annabel. I am sure anyone receiving a gift of wash cloth and soap would feel very pampered by such beautiful items. The lilac is a lovely shade. Creating such beautiful things must be so very fulfilling for you.

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  2. Annabel,

    Several of your TBANesting posts-ago, I wrote a long, long reply about your crochet, asking you some questions about it, handmaking, etc. What happened to it? I have no idea.

    One question I remember asking was do you "hide" the backs of your rosette stitches somehow? Or just let the knots, etc. show as a sign of "made with love by hand"?

    Thanks for sharing these precious ideas. I love them! All!

    Happy highways,
    Kelley~

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    Replies
    1. Hi Kelley! Yes I did reply, the post was called Hot days, I just had a little search worrying I had not replied to you. But its there. I have no idea if the blog lets you know when I have replied to people, I really hope so (and so you get this). If the back of embroidered work is not seen like on little singlets then I dont worry, I keep it neat and smooth so its not itchy! But on a blanket I would back that. On these muslin wash cloths I work it so that the dodgy bits are hidden under the crochet a bit and really don't show. Camouflage basically! Ends are easily hidden in crochet or knitted work too or in fabrics with texture. Thanks you so much for your lovely comments! I must get on to some more pillowcases! xxx

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