Sorting Out Summer Side Projects

I decided to look at everything I want to do this summer besides work on the linen quilt (which I will probably need another four or five months to complete.) This is (almost) everything, clockwise from the bottom left: repairing some crazy quilt pieces, making some cutwork pieces into a bag, quilting a small wedding ring quilt top, working to refine and better execute my first original embroidery design on some cut quilt pieces, making another slow-stitched beach bag, repairing an embroidered tablecloth, and of course my annual art quilt.

I'd like to make some fabric journals as well, but I need to collect some more materials for those. I'm also aware that I'll be lucky if I get half of these projects finished before fall arrives, but I like to challenge myself.

Each summer I've been making an art quilt, which arguably could be the linen quilt I've been working on, but I had another idea I want to try out. These are me at my most innovative, and completely of my own design. This is just the pile of materials I sorted out for this one project; I may add or take away from it as I keep thinking through the idea.

While sorting I found three pieces of beautiful watercolor fabric remnants and a hand-dyed swatch that I've wanted to make into a bag for a while now. Since I'm taking a long break from the linen quilt, this is where I'll start.

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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.

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 ...

Journal Find

This is a page from my 2010 poetry journal. My handwriting isn't the best, so I'll transcribe it: If my heart survives to tell all the secrets kept inside it will be an abalone shell in which the beauty did reside. But I think I will always be lost to the tides that rage in me . . . humbling and polishing . . . I don't write many self-portrait poems, but this one isn't too embarrassing. A bit overly dramatic, but the girl I was eleven years ago went through some tough times. I'm in a much more peaceful place today.

Rayen

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