Friday, June 22, 2012

Eliza Chace ~


Hello Friends & Folk ~

wanted to share a peek at a new aquisition to my ever-growing sampler collection...
please meet ~
"Eliza Chace"



I purchased her, initally because she was housed under glass in this wicker tray ~
unfortunately when she arrived, the glass was broken to bits...

but I cleaned up all of the glass and propped her up and I still love her....





I also chose her,
because I love anything B L U E and she sports thee most beautiful Indigo colored threads that she stitched her name and initials with....






I think the date at the bottom, '1818' was stitched at a later date and may represent a date of birth or other significant date...I don't think the sampler itself was stitched then...





I love the nubby linen and faded threads...
the alpahbet contains the letter "J" and there are loverly motifs scattered about as well...
(there us also the tiniest letter 'j' stitched on the right margin , nest to the tri-heart motif. The little 'j' was stitched almost as an afterthought, in a very pight thread that looks to me like it was once a brown or red color ~




All in all,
I'm very happy with her and she seems to be happy here in the old farmhouse with the other 'girls'...

I'll be even busier than usual this week,
so I might not be in here everyday as usual,
....but I will be checking on you all!!



Blessings from the farm,
Lori

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Overwhelmed!

Hello my friends!
I want to thank you ALL for your orders for my 'Olde Farnhouse Linen' ~ I have sold OUT of the first batch that I dyed, and will be working diligently on the next batch ~...please know, that each piece of linen is hand dyed by me...I take great care into replicating that old, worn & stained look we all love ~ and since I now have sold out, I have ordered more linen to come, which I will hand dye to my exact specifications ~ so, PLEASE bear with me, as I am now waiting for the shipment, then I have to hand dye, dry, package & ship each of you orders...

Blessings from the farm, Lori

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

" ...Old Farmhouse Linen "

Hi Friends & Folk!
I've been busy playing in the dyepot this week ~
working on a new line of wonderfully primitive hand dyed,
aged & stained, severely distressed LINEN
for your stitching pleasure....




I love the look & feel of this linen...
it is so early looking that you'd be hard pressed to know if it was old or not...
I love to stitch on old linen and I know you do too, and I really love when I find a piece in an estate sale, antiques shop or on line...but we all know how expensive it can be.
SO with that thought in mind
I said to myself, why not try to replicate that old look using my dyes?
so I did...and the result is fabulous...SO fab, in fact, that my afore-mentioned
Olde Witch Mary sampler
(being design for the Sept/Oct '12 Prim Sisters Club)
will be stitched on this linen.




each piece that you purchase will have been hand dyed by me.
...with wonderful flecks of age & character,
a warm primitive look and a perfect compliment to your decor
it is available in a fat quarter slice, which is approx. 18" x 26"...

it comes to you tied with hemp and is accompanied by a hand-penned tag that I have stained and aged, then written upon with my walnut ink & antique quill...
and will have a small bundle of fresh lavender from my garden placed upon it,
as that was used to ward off pests in the old farmhouses of yesteryear....
how very quaint indeed!





AND you don't have to use this exclusively for stitching, either...although it is 28ct. linen
(when stitched over one thread,  14 ct over two, perfect for early repro samplers)
it lends itself well to other fiber arts...doll-making, as a backing for wool applique, even stenciled pillows & mats...the prim possibilities are endless...

so, with all said, you can buy-it-now up there on my sidebar, to your right...
it will go fast, so be sure to purchase what you think you'll need...
I won't be making another batch for at least another week ~

Thanks my friends, for visiting with me today ~

Blessings from the farm,
Lori

Monday, June 18, 2012

Running with Scissors... Pins, Needles & Thread...



Superstitions About Scissors

You will "cut off'" your fortune if you use scissors on New Year's Day.

Scissors should be put away during thunderstorms
...to decrease the likelihood that the house will be struck by lightning.
Placing a pair of scissors under the pillow of a woman in labor will ‘cut her pain in half’....
(really? wow, whodathunk)
As with childbirth, placing a pair of scissors underneath the pillow of anyone in pain will halve their discomfort, making it more bearable.
Breaking both blades is a sign of an impending disaster.
(shoulda told me that before I ran with 'em)
Giving a pair of scissors as a gift will cause problems in a friendship by cutting the relationship in half.
When giving scissors as a gift, the receiver should always give a little money in return,
since ‘buying’ the scissors will not cause the friendship to be cut.
A pair of scissors nailed above a door in the ‘open’ position, so they resemble a cross to some extent, was said to protect a household from witchcraft and evil influences.
Dropping a pair of scissors is said to warn that a lover is unfaithful.
Breaking one blade of a pair of scissors is an omen of quarreling and discord;
...if both blades are broken at once; a calamity is to be feared.
Scissors should always be sold, they should never be given.
On Wednesday and Friday,
...no should use a needle or scissors, bake bread or sow flax.

Superstitions about Needles,Pins & Thread

See a pin and let it lie, ...sure to rue it by and by.

Never lend a pin to a friend lest it prick the friendship.

A bent or crooked pin is thrown into a wishing well for good luck.

Dropping a needle was good luck unless it sticks upright in the floor, then company was expected.

Remove a needle or pin from the packet and prick the recipient before giving it to them.
(really? ouch!)

A knotted thread means an argument is coming.

A tangled thread on a needle during mending gives health and prosperity to the owner.
(no wonder I'm healthy! I count at least a hundred knots a month!)


Blessings from the farm, Lori

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Prim Sisters Club design Preview!


Have YOU signed up yet?



"The Sowing Sampler"
designed by Lori Brechlin/Notforgotten Farm for
The Prim Sister's Club/Country Sampler






please visit
www.sgcountrysampler.com
and click on the Girls Club link..then send them an email & sign up to receive the kit for this new design for July/August ~
and be sure to sign up for the September/October club for my
upcoming "Olde Witche Marye" design :)

woot woot!


Blessings from the farm,
Lori

Saturday, June 16, 2012

a quiet saturday morning ~

I love the weekend!
I love saturdays!!
I love saturday mornings!!!

got up early this a.m. ~ around 6:30...
came down & lit the kettle for my daily cup of tea (ok, more like cups of tea)

the farmhouse was quiet & still,
& I could hear the sheep & the donkeys waking up in the barn
...as I stepped on the front porch to greet the sun.

a perfect moment to stitch a little before the chores begin!



I'm working on two smaller primitive stitchery designs, that will be offered as one pattern ~
I'm calling the pattern
"The Blue and The Grey"

in my mind, i'm envisioning the year to be 1863 ~
...the Civil War is upon our Nation and families are divided by their beliefs.

...two sisters from the same family have fallen in love with local boys, but their beaus are on opposing sides of the Situation of the States...
one is in favor of the Union, the other...the Confederacy.

both sisters are torn over their love for each other, and for their sweethearts.

they have decided to stitch remembrance pieces for their soldiers to carry in their satchels on the battlefields ~ hoping that each will return to them unharmed ~

one is stitched with grey thread, the other with blue ~ symbolizing the colors of the War...





sitting in my old farmhouse, dreaming of the past and being surrounded by my antiques & primitives is all the inspiration I need to design & create...

this little table is a favorite spot of mine to sit & sip tea while I work.





the herb drying rack holds fresh herbs picked this morning,
that will be used to fill the finished stitchery projects ~
can you see my old swinging butter churn above? I use it as a table to hold a lamp...
and my other butter churn, below holds another lamp near my stitching chair...







so peaceful it is in here this morning...
Iggy hasn't even asked for breakfast yet!!





Hoping you all have a beautiful weekend my friends...

Blessings from the Farm!
Lori

Friday, June 15, 2012

Earlywork Update & BULLSEYE!!!!

Howdy Friends & Folk!
my Patriotic-inspired Folk Art paintings are now available on my Earlywork Mercantile page :)
please visit all of the fine artists' work ~


and here is a not-too-pretty photo of my poor hubby,
with a textbook-classic portrayal of a bullseye that is responsible for making him SO sick these last few days....


while we were in Richmond, visiting Hannah's college for her orientation,
Peter began complaining of a severe headache, fatigue, sore joints and sore throat...
he had a fever that felt like hell-fire and was freezing to death in the hotel room...
as soon as we came home on wednesday, we took him to the emerg. and they diagnosed him with
click on above to learn about it



they put him on mega doses of Doxycycline & Ibuprofin, plenty of fluids and rest...
he's feeling alot better today, but he still has that classic bullseye ring on his left shoulder.

the dr's said that he could have been bitten months ago, not even knowing he was bit, and that Lyme's is notorious for laying dormant and then rearing it's ugly head...

PLEASE:
be careful when out walking in tall grass, (the ticks love tall grass) and wear long pants & socks...
check for any bites or swelling and if you do, get to the dr.'s fast before the bullseye gets you!

{{{{Damn Ticks!}}}}

Blessings from the Farm!
Lori

Thursday, June 14, 2012

~ Flag Day ~

Happy Flag Day everyone!
folks don't celebrate this holiday too much anymore, but when we did we did it big :)

look at the intricate work in this sand art from the late 1800's...
millions upon millions of miniscule particles of colored sand, painstakingly placed to complete a masterpiece that had to have taken hours to complete...


we would dress up, dress up our children and decorate our homes with our handmade decorations...
hold parades and have picnics ~



our beloved Lady Liberty showed up on many things, from labels to leather water buckets...


and Old Glory was proudly emblazoned into our handwork ~
stitched, painted and hooked...


In celebration of Flag Day, I will be offering some of my patriotic-themed folk art tomorrow,
Friday, June 15th on
Early Work Mercantile

hoping you can stop by to see all of the artisan's work ~
Blessings from the Farm!
Lori

Monday, June 11, 2012

Jenny Wrens ~

.... my hanging geranium doesn't look too healthy,
even though it is still flowering, the leaves are turnings brown and it is looking leggy.
but
there is good reason:





a little Jenny Wren has taken up residence in there, so I can't water it too much :)





we can't really see down insdie this nest, but there are 6 miniscule, speckled eggs in there,
all taosty warm and waiting to pop open!!
while my family was here over the weekend, we did get the chance to see the little momma flitting about and hopping into the nest for a sit....too cute






and, in the barn, it's been quite messy lately...we can't use this push broom to tidy up because,
well, someone has built a nest on top of it too!






inside this nest, however, are two little feathered siblings...
(here is a snap of someone's hiney & tail feathers)






but, here is a little face!...
ok. it's a little GRUMPY face, but a face at least "<

 

I'll try to snap some more as they get bigger,
and will be on the lookout for the other little hatchlings too ~

we are enjoying the rain this morning here on the farm,
we need it, despite the fact that we really need to start haying the fields...oh well ~
a good excuse to sit on the porch swing and stitch a little!!!


Blessings from the Farm!
Lori

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Our Graduate ~

Hannah Elizabeth Brechlin
Nelson County High School ~ Class of 2012
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hurray!!!!

she's 4th from the right with the letters VCU on her cap.
                                                                                                               


I couldn't decided which was brighter, the morning sunshine, that smile or her future ~




...an exciting moment for all of us!!!








Hannah & Natalie




Morgan, Hannah & Skyler

 



Let's Eat Cake!!!!!





Shane, Natalie, Hannah & Skyler...
ready for college :)




we are so very proud of you Hannah ~
Thank you for being such a wonderful daughter & friend...
We know that you will be a bright light in the lives of all you help in your future of
Social Work ~
our world needs more caring people like you...

We LOVE you so much!!!


Blessings from the Farm!
Lori

Thursday, June 07, 2012

A Friend's Painting in Wool, and a Party!!

Good Morning !!!
we have been very busy here this past week, hence the sporadic postings...
but we have good reason ~ we're getting ready for Hannah's graduation & party this coming saturday...we have family coming in from Connecticut, and friends from near & far...
(I know I'm going to 'lose it' at the graduation, so I will pack lots of tissues, and won't wear mascara)
I'll share pics next week!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

and I have to show you this beautiful hooked rug, or as I like to describe it as,
a painting in wool....
Jane was one of my first students here when we moved to VA from CT...
She took to hooking like a duckling takes to water and has since hooked tons of smaller pieces, chairpads, wall hangings & pillows, but this is - as Jane described to me - is her Opus...her biggest hooked project yet:



 look closely & you see the detail in the workers picking strawberries and how about the John Deere tractor in the field and grazing bovines in the pasture...
...all nestled beneath our beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains ~


 
here is the note she wrote to me in her email along with her pictures...
 
Hi Lori,I just finished this piece and I wanted to show you.
Without your guidance and encouragement, I never would have tried anything as complicated. In early May I went to Seaman's Strawberry fields to pick for the first time. This was the view from the field. It was so impressive to me. I sketched out the basics and Steve drew it up for me. It measures 23"X18" and is the largest piece I've ever done. I have to say, I'm pleased with the results.
Again - many thanks for the gift of your teaching.
Much love,
Jane

I am the lucky one, because I get to meet so many folks who create beautiful things with the help of my teaching...I am the one who is blessed !!!
Blessings from the Farm!
Lori

Tuesday, June 05, 2012

New Spoonflower Fabric and a Friends' Finish!


I've added new fabrics in my Spoonflower Shop ~ these are different than my last fabrics which were handrawn, as I've played with some photographs that I've taken ~
Looking around my old farmhouse, I love seeing the different textures, colors and designs I decorate with...old, faded blooms in dusty purples and mellow mustards ~

"Aunt Mim's Pansies"

 bold, yet fragile textures of an old blue-stained basket ~
"Blue Basket"


and a couple compositions of my favorite textiles and antique photographs ~


"Sampler & Quilt"

and


"School Days"

I, personally cannot wait for them to be available to you all who like to create with different & unique fabrics...they should be available in my SPOONFLOWER shop in about a week ~

and speaking of different & unique, my friend Laurie of LJ Fibers and Wooly Red Rug sent me a picture of her beautiful pinkeep that she backed with my 'Sew Primitive' fabric...


I LOVE this simple, early yet contemporary look that Laurie captured in her design...
really beautiful!!!
Laurie also has fabulous new fabrics in her Spoonflower shop too!

Hoping you all have a creative day ~

Blessings from the Farm!
Lori

Monday, June 04, 2012

...It starts with a Sketch ~

Usually when a concept for a new design creeps into my brain,
I reach for one of my (many) sketchbooks....

I like to chronicle my work with what I call 'half-sketches',
...unfinished pencil drawings of fleeting images in my head.

my most favorite subjects to sketch are, of course, Hallowe'en related :)



some are sweet, like the Good Witch above,
some are a little scary, like the screaming pumpkin-guy below...






I love how a pencil can capture tiny details and shadowed nuances without even really trying to...






this one, below, is in progress now...
I'll be offering the finished works as prints and notecards in my Etsy shop soon...






I'll be using my watercolors to bring all of these sketches to life ~
can't wait to see how they evolve.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~






a small sleeping witch, tired from picking her perfect pumpkin ~
resting in the strong roots of a gnarled Oak tree whilst the happy Moon keeps a safe watch on her ~









do many of you keep sketchbooks?
or should I ask, do you keep many sketchbooks??



Blessings from the Farm!
Lori