FALLing into my work ~

just a little smattering 

of things that I've been working on for the show….

{well, not this pincushion…it is mine ~ but it looked 'sew' pretty in the early morning light}

constant companion

~ Witches Shoes ~

wearing silk ribbons and small calico pumpkins...

...ready to keep your pins & needles safe.

~ a Sampling of Samplers ~

almost finished now….

oh my!!

~ Pumpkin Jack Chairpad ~

hand hooked with velvet, wool & cotton fabric ~
black background punched with hand dyed wool yarn.
{Love my red chairs, have a set of 2}

 here is the same chair pad below

...just set upon a different chair.

I found this lonely black chair in the dumpster!
now it holds my bottom when I stitch at my treadle machine :)

 the colors on my painted chairs match perfectly in my Folk Art world ~

chrome yellows, salmon, federal blue…turquoise-greens, black & cinnamon red.

When I found this little treasure in the dumpster,

it had a broken stretcher ~ 

{{something that would have been easily repaired 

long ago in a society where nothing was disposable,

but valued & regarded as serviceable and useful.}}

I knew Peter could quickly fix & replace the stretcher for me,

so I climbed into the disgusting dumpster to rescue it and brought it home to show him.

and when we turned it over to fix it, we found this:

a penciled signature!

...perhaps of the owner?

Barton F???
 can you make it out??

 There is more writing on this chair bottom too ~

done is what looks like chalk or grease-pencil…

it reads:

"Jacob Stauffer

coller (color) black

design no 18."

clearly this chair-maker wanted his work to be known...

and I love him for that!

I LOVE the misspelling of the word 'color' ~ 

~ such pride was taken in the workmanship of days long ago ~

such a pity that it is not valued in today's world as much as it should be….

it is so much easier to throw-away & buy a new one these days, 

and I find that so very sad.

Thank GOODNESS 

for the artisans & crafts-folk who continue the tradition of making

wonderful things that stand the test of time…

for the folks out there that mend & make-do

and appreciate things handmade.

Have you seen this new book yet?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They Made Do
from Jill Peterson
& Cheryl Jones

If you love primitive antiques, 

if you honor handmade things,

if your heart is resting in the past 

...and you long for simpler times…

this is a must-read.

I found myself happily lost in it's pages ~

digesting each written word 

and letting the feeling of this book 

absorb into my bones.

take time today to think about what you're throwing away…

can it be mended?

made into something else?

...are you creating something with your hands 

that will last generations to come and are pouring your heart into each stitch or loop?

~ remember to sign your work

 for those that will treasure you long after you're gone...

* Blessed be *

 Lori