Thursday, August 9, 2012

Armed and Dangerous!

I love looking at pictures of Sewing Rooms and how quilters store their lovely fabrics… and wool! 

Many people have shelves and shelves of lovely wool all colour coded and stacked neatly in precise rows…just WAITING for pesky MOTHS to come and nest in…chew holes in that lovely wool, destroying any thoughts of making pennies, quilts or rugs! YIKES!!

Here on the West Coast of Canada the moths are the size of fists…and they love wool!!  I’ve been known to chase a moth all through the house, knocking over lamps as I swing a rolled up newspaper at the little buggers!  They come in at night…so I do my rounds just before bedtime…

image You won’t find my wool sitting out on any shelf…I store it in Rubbermaid bins, snapped closed, tighter than Fort Knox…but I still stayed up at night…worrying that moths, REALLY smart moths, would pop a lid and enter…laying their eggs…which in turn would hatch into larvae!  The larvae would attack and feed on my wool…chewing up my prized stash!  My wool is NOT going to turn into a NURSERY for wee moths…no sireee sir!  So I have taken a further step to protect my bins of wool!

LAVENDER to the rescue!  Yup…lavender! 

Just down the road from me is a Lavender Farm…  P1190463  P1190466  My camera doesn’t pick up the deep purple-blue of the fields…darn!P1190468

At the shop they give you a pair of scissors and a ring (to determine how much $$ your bundle of lavender will cost) and you go out into the fields and cut your own fresh bundle…

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…or you can buy your bundle from their shop!  I chose to cut my own…fresh is best, I figured!

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But after talking to the owner I discovered that Essential Oil is the way to go…

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Look at what it says about Lavender and Moths on their business cards…(lower right…BUG REPELLANT!)

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So I bought BOTH…  P1190476

I cut up some squares of left over cotton batting and put several drops of lavender essential oils on each square…

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I put three or four of the fragrant squares into each bin…and sealed the lid!!  There.. take that…and that…and that!!

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As for the bundle…why it’s hanging in my sewing room and it smells wonderful!  Yup…you guessed it!!  I’m going back for more…

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As for the moths…I’m still sitting here with my rolled up newspaper…just incase!

Have a thrilling Thursday and Happy Hunting..I mean Quilting!~P

PS…If you don’t like the smell of Lavender…Rosemary, clove, cedar wood, mint, thyme and sage are ALSO good repellents.  Now go get’em!

18 comments:

  1. Wow! I wish I had a lavender farm down the road from me! Although with our drouth, they probably wouldn't do well. Glad your stash is protected! I'll bet there are a lot of new moth angels in bug heaven now courtesy of you! WTG! We used to put fresh lavender and lemon in water on the stove to freshen the entire house. I also use rosemary for that. Have a great Thursday!

    Cheery wave from Bev

    http://44thstreetfabric.blogspot.com

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  2. I love the smell of lavender and grow my own. I usually put some dried lavender in all my fabric bins just to make everything smell nice. My cat takes care of the moths. She loves to chase after them through the house and then toy with them. Saves on having a subscription to the newspaper.

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  3. É isso aí!! Uso cravo dentro das minhas caixas e passo uma mistura de lustra-móveis com óleo de cedro nos móveis da casa toda.Não tenho essas aqui no Brasil,mas uma miúda traça com seu casulo que parece um balão e dentro uma larva que perfuram o tecido.Pena... não conheço lavanda in natura,só óleo essencial.Lindo post,adorei.Beijo.

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  4. Best send your wool to me for safe keeping.

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  5. I have my wool sweaters sitting on the top shelf of my closet and have never had a problem with moths. What do you do about the quilts that you make with wool?

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  6. And not just wool. We had a moth get into our van one time and lay eggs - we had moth worms coming out from all the upholstery, and even the headliner! It was a nightmare. I HATE MOTHS!!!

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  7. It must smell wonderful in your sewing room now. And it will keep you nicely relaxed while you work on your projects. I wish I could have lavender in my house too, cause I love the smell. But, I'm severly allergic to it! I hate that!!

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  8. You're crackin' me up! lol! I've done the chasing around the house with a rolled up newspaper thing... and that was for small moths... got my foot stuck in the sofa one time while standing on it... I'll try the essential oil on cotton. I did not know that was better than the real stuff. Sure would be nice to have a pick-your-own around here...

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  9. I grew some lavender this year but never got around to cutting it before it fizzled out. What I am looking at on that list is the cure for insomnia! I just can't seem to sleep lately.

    I do have a HUGE rosemary plant that maybe would work. And I even like the smell!

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  10. Unfortunately I'm allergic to Lavender oil, I loose my voice for several hours. Fresh or dried lavender no problem.

    Another alternative is Irish Spring soap! A hooking friend told me that is what she uses. Just toss a bar or some slivers amongst your wool.

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  11. I love essential oils and use them for everything! The best part is all of your wool projects will smell wonderful!

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  12. I keep my wool in the open on shelves, they do not like light, but I haven't checked it in awhile so I better keep my mouth shut, lol. I usually go through it once in awhile to make sure, but any time find holes it seems to be in my clothing in the closet.

    Debbie

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  13. I have been using Young Living Essential oils for a year now, and I love \them. And the lavender does really work on bruises. I hit my shoulder pulling down the hatch of my daughters car and expected a huge bruise. I immediately put lavender on it and not only did it not bruise, the pain went away and it healed very quickly. Be sure to use pure essential oils as many are diluted.

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  14. Great tip! I have some lavender oil lying around and even have some moths too!

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  15. thanks for the information-I haven't seen any moths, but I'll be on the lookout and it's a good reason to buy some lavender and make the sewing room smell lovely!

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