Free Lavender Eye Bag Pattern and Tutorial
I’ve been experimenting with these for a while and have made quite a few in different shapes and sizes over the years. A few weeks ago, a friend asked me to make some for her yoga students. I wanted these to be a little different from the usual pillow shaped ones at most yoga studios, so decided to make it a bit more eyewear-shaped. This was all bad timing though, as they were almost ready when isolation and social distancing came upon us, so they will now have to be enjoyed by her students at a later date. That, however, doesn’t mean that you lovely lot can’t enjoy them at home while isolating yourselves, so, here goes…
You will need:
- the free eye bag pattern - click to download and print at '100%' or 'actual size' printer setting, not 'scale to fit' setting or anything like that. Check the test square if not sure. The pattern should print fine on both A4 and letter size.
- a piece of fabric about 50cm x 15cm in size for the outer layer and the same amount for the inner bag (use scraps of fabric or mix and match if necessary, anything goes!)
- 2 little squares 2cm x 2cm of sew-on hook and loop fastener (velcro type)
- about 30 grams of dried lavender
- about 100-120 grams of any dry grain, like rice or pulses - whole mung beans being my favourite as they are small and round. Feel free to play with these amounts to your preference. I used brown rice for this one in the absence of mung beans and that works perfectly well.
I had some Liberty tana lawn for the outer and a plain cotton poplin fabric for the inner.
Follow the steps below to construct the eye bag:
1. Cut 2 from outer fabric using pattern piece 1. You can use any woven fabric out of soft natural fibre for this, preferably washable as this will be the removable cover. I will be sticking to cotton or linen as I’d like to be able to apply a hot iron to it after every wash, too. (This last bit was fuelled by the current paranoia!) Please remember to transfer the placement of hook and loop fastener to the placket on both pieces.
2. Finish the placket edges only, using a zigzag stitch or overlocker.
3. Place the two hook fastener squares to the right side on one of the pieces of outer fabric and the two loop fastener squares to the right side on the other piece of outer fabric. Sew them with a zigzag stitch on all four sides.
4. Place these two pieces of fabric together with right sides facing and sew all around with a 1cm seam allowance, but leave the top of placket open.
5. Turn it right way out and give it a quick press.
6. Cut 2 from inner bag fabric using pattern piece 2. This can be any light/medium weight woven fabric. You will only ever see it when you remove the outer cover to wash so it needn’t be pretty. If your outer fabric is light coloured or a bit transparent, then try using something plain that’s a similar shade to the outer.
7. Place these two pieces of fabric together with right sides facing and sew all around with a 1cm seam allowance, leaving a 10cm opening for turning and filling.
8. Press open the seam allowance of the top edge towards the bag on either side. This is just prep for the next step when you sew the bag shut. (you will thank me!)
9. Turn the bag right way out and fill it with the lavender and grain mixture.
10. Align and pin together the two previously pressed edges of the opening. Sew a couple of millimetres from the edge with a straight stitch, or if you’re keen to practise some slow stitching, sew it by hand using a tight ladder stitch.
11. Place the lavender filled bag inside the outer casing with the plackets fastened together and tucked in to one side.
That’s it, your DIY aromatherapeutic eye bag is ready to be enjoyed! I use mine at the end of each yoga practice, but I should really have one by my bedside as well.
I hope you enjoy making and using this. It would make a lovely present, too. Please let me know if you make one and tag your makes with #DDeyebag
Be safe everyone, stay home and keep sewing,
Dhurata x