A Use for Handkerchiefs

I read someone put a few drops of essential oils inside the cardboard inner of a toilet roll to scent the bathroom.  I considered the small boys trekking in and out of our bathroom and put some rosemary oil on a small piece of cotton wool and put it out of the way.  It smelled lovely.  It seemed a shame to keep using bits of cotton wool, though, when I could use something that could be bunged in the washing machine and reused.  An old handkerchief would be ideal.  I have a stash of old handkerchiefs.  Then I remembered the YouTube video of a raggy quilt I had seen, and one thing led to another...

First I took two large gents handkerchiefs and cut them into quarters.

I pinned them together and drew some lines in quilter's marker to use as a guide.  I didn't want to trust my eye to keep a good line.  The handkerchiefs weren't that brilliant to start with and they weren't square.  I trimmed quite a bit off, including all the seams.  I hand stitched them together (bear loathes my sewing machine) and then snipped into the very wide allowance outside the stitching.  I did lots of cuts and I cut the corners out completely.

I washed and dried the project and then sewed a button in the centre to keep it stable.  I used a button that came free on a magazine ages ago.  I used some ribbon from an inexpensive bundle to make a loop at the corner, adding a little button there as well.

It is lovely, soft, absorbent, fluffy and ideal for putting drops of rosemary oil onto the back and hanging it up so it can scent the air.  I wasn't sure about the hand stitching, even though I used small stitches, but it held up.  If it fails it would be easy to mend - or just replace the whole thing!  I can't believe I did this in and around doing other stuff this afternoon.

The only thing now is that I have to find a way of sorting the inexpensive bundle of ribbon that the three inches I snipped off to use for the loop came from.  At the moment it looks like this.

I think I read somewhere a hack that used the inner of kitchen roll.  If I work it out, I'll share.