Small Project, Big Finish

Last night I completed my slow stitched spool project and sewed on the wrapping ribbon.

Here's the whole strip unwound.

I felt a bit timid when I began the project, as I've never made one of these. I also didn't feel sure I could be very creative in a 2-inch-wide work space.

One thing slow stitching does for me is help me let go of my doubts and worries, and find the joy in the work.

I don't want to be perfect when I slow stitch; instead I embrace my limitations and all the imperfections that come from them.

I didn't consciously decide to make it beach-themed, but as that's my safe place I'm not surprised it evolved into that. For the last space I stitched a sand castle like those I always built at the beach.

The final touch was naming the project Beach Memories. Very glad I tried this, as I'm now in a good place in my head to begin the next large quilt project.

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Better than Fried

I cut some chives from the kitchen garden to make garlic-chive baked fries for dinner. This is a great side dish for veggie burgers. Click here for the recipe from Taste of Home.com.

Stuff

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Make It Yourself

As we head into December, here are ten ideas for easy handmade gifts: Cookie Exchange: If you live close to your friends invite them over for a cookie exchange. Basically everyone bakes a set amount of their favorite cookies, and these are exchanged at the gathering by lottery, sharing a little from each batch with everyone, or however you want to do it. You can also exchange recipes, too. My neighbor did this once and it was wonderful. Favorite Recipe Cookbook : For my favorite person I found a copy of my favorite cookbook from a vintage bookseller (yes, I am that old) and went through it making notes on all the recipes I used, how I tweaked them, etc. Ornament: There are probably a million free tutorials on how to make your own holiday ornaments, so do some research online. I like to make hanging pomanders , which smell heavenly and are biodegradable after the holidays. Mug Rugs: If you sew, making up a set of mug rugs is simple and easy; I add these every year to my ...

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