Lie of the Needle (A Deadly Notions Mystery) (25 page)

Kitchen Sink Cookies

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking soda

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

½ pound butter

½ cup margarine

1½ cups sugar

1½ cups light brown sugar

3 large eggs

1 tablespoon dark rum (or whiskey or
bourbon)

1 tablespoon vanilla

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

3 cups semisweet chocolate chips

2 cups chopped walnuts or pecans

2 cups sweetened flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

In a large bowl, beat butter and margarine until smooth with mixer at medium speed. Gradually beat in both sugars until well blended. Add eggs and rum and beat.

Stir in flour mixture. Stir in oats, chocolate chips, walnuts, and coconut.

For each cookie, drop large spoon of dough onto an ungreased baking sheet, spacing about 3 inches apart. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until edges are lightly browned. Transfer cookies to rack to cool. Yield: 3 dozen large cookies.

Note: These are kitchen sink cookies, so have some fun. Last time I made them, I didn’t have enough chocolate chips, so I made up the difference with dried cranberries. Also, the dough will be very heavy by the time you’ve added all the ingredients, so you may have to abandon the mixer and mix by hand. Literally!

How to Care for an Antique Sampler

When in any doubt, the best way to care for an antique sampler is to take it to a professional conservator. Wet-cleaning is usually not a good idea, unless in a museum conservation laboratory. Do not try this at home!

Many old samplers are still in amazingly good condition, perhaps because they were prized by their owners, and were not objects that were designed to be used, but hung on the wall. If yours has some condition issues, there are a few things you can try (but do only what is absolutely necessary).

Carefully vacuum to remove any loose dirt, using low suction a few inches away from the fabric. Examine the piece before you start for any weak spots. If an embroidery thread is loose, strong suction could unravel an entire area.

Moth holes can be carefully repaired by stitching a small square of material onto the wrong side, held in place with a few slip stitches. Do not try to rework any areas of the sampler where stitches have completely disappeared as this will hurt the value. A clever way to cope with holes is simply to leave the sampler as is and mount it on a background of the same color, perhaps a piece of unbleached linen.

If necessary, delicately iron from the wrong side.

Stabilize the sampler by removing it from its backboard and remounting the piece onto acid-free museum board that is slipcased in washed cotton fabric. (Old samplers were often glued or tacked to wood or cardboard, and the acids leaching from those are what caused browning and degradation of the fabric.) If your sampler is badly stained, either leave it as is, or take it to an expert.

Next, install under conservation (UV-protected) glass, using spacers so that the glass does not press on the stitches.

Seal the rear of the frame with an acid-free dust cover, and keep the sampler out of direct sunlight.

Dying Yarn

Not only wool yarn, but plant and natural fibers take dye well. If you use a synthetic-natural blend, only the natural fiber will absorb the dye, so you may end up with a mottled effect.
Test a small portion to see how it will take the dye. If the ratio of dye to yarn is the same for the full skein, you will see the same effect.
You can dye yarn that has been previously dyed as long as it is a light color.
Before you start, check the care instructions for your yarn. Certain yarns may melt at high temperatures.
Wash first in mild detergent to remove any finishes.
Kool-Aid can be used as a great dye with no harsh chemicals. Dissolve the Kool-Aid in a cup of hot water. A pack per ounce of natural fiber, or more for synthetic blends.
Paint your yarn with the dye, perhaps in a gradient or stripes.
Set the color by placing the yarn in the top of a double boiler and steam for 30 to 45 minutes. When cool, wash again to remove any excess dye and hang to dry.

Cyril’s Cockle-Warming Cocktail

Pour a few drops of maple syrup into a chilled rocks glass and swirl to coat the bottom.

Add the following:

1½ ounces bourbon or rye whiskey

1 ounce brandy

¼ ounce Grand Marnier

2 or 3 dashes of Angostura bitters (or orange bitters)

Fill glass with ice and stir with vigor. Garnish with an orange twist for bourbon, or a lemon twist for rye.

Cheers! Or as Cyril would say, bottoms up!

About the Author

Lie of the Needle
is Cate Price’s third mystery in a series featuring the proprietor of a small-town vintage notions shop. Cate is hard at work on her next novel. Visit her online at cateprice.com.