Progress on Survivor

After inspecting every inch of the survivor quilt, which turns out to be very well made, I found and pinned seven small splits in the patchwork seams. The repairs I need to do are quite minimal.

Here's the backing. I found four large areas of faint oxidation or soiling stains on it; they're the very light brown circles in the four quadrants of the quilt's rectangle. Since they are in the same position and of the same approximate size, that makes me think it was left folded up in a garage or storage unit for a long time. They are barely noticeable and on the backing, so I don't mind them.

There is one area with set-in stains that I couldn't get out with regular laundering; it's probably blood or some kind of oil or car-related fluid. After I repair the seams I'm going to treat the stain with some hydrogen proxide and see if I can lighten it a little. Note here: you shouldn't use bleach on older textiles; it's too harsh.

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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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