Notforgotten Farm

A Token of Friendship ~ free pattern for you ~

2012-01-30T15:53:00.007-05:00

For your support & Friendship,
your kind words & uplifting thoughts ~

and for just being you....

here is a little stitch that I've designed as my gift to you...

A Token of Friendship

a quick little project to make into a tuckable pillow, pinkeep or frame...
the threads are DMC
611 ~ (all letters)
918 ~ (hearts and date)
I stitched mine on osnaburg, 2 strands of floss over two threads...

then stained it well with a walnut dye ~
my little pillow is stuffed firmly with sawdust and backed with a
reproduction 1800's calico in red/beige floral...

I'm going to stitch a brown ribbon to the top so I can hang mine too.

Hope you all enjoy my little gift...
in the Spirit of Friendship!!!!

blessings from the farm,
Lori

~ Simple * Farmhouse * Sunday ~

2012-01-29T14:42:00.005-05:00

setting my needle and thread aside for a moment,
to share a couple pretty pictures with you ~
...it's a peaceful & beautiful Sunday afternoon
and the sun is brightly shining ~
I love the play of the light in this old farmhouse.....

this is a little pinkeep stitched by Susan Hoover (Olde Threads)
that hangs with two others in my kitchen window ~

they are prim perfect and impeccably stitched!!
I purchased them from her page on
www.primitivehandmadesmercantile.com

~ sweet & simple ~

I was poking around my herb garden and just had to snip
a couple bouquets of fresh lavender & some rosemary ~
yes, these are growing beautifully here in Virginia,
with this non-existent Winter we are having!

the house smells Soooo good ~

I love LOVE the shot above...
Peaceful * Quiet * Simple * Primitive * Farmhouse

....what's not to love about a Sunday afternoon?

~ my needle calls, off I go a stitching again ~

blessings from the farm,Lori

More Kitchen Progress ~

2012-01-28T15:34:00.006-05:00

Oh he's been busy,
than Man O' Mine...

the lower cupboards & drawers are IN!
...the new counterops are IN!
the dishwasher is IN!
(and working...twice already in fact!)

the countertop to the right of the stove, next to the sink is only temporary...
Peter will be installing a custom butcher block cutting counter for us ~

Suzy says it is looking SWELL !!

here's a closer look at my drawer knobs & pulls....
nothin' fancy here folks ~

I'll start painting on the cupboards after the show on the 11th...
and show you the outcome of their finish :)

Making a potful of spaghetti & meatballs for dinner,

then Peter & I, Skyler & Hannah are heading out to the Bowling Alley!
(oh my poor knees...)

wanted to say THANK YOU to those who have purchased the new
Wool You be Mine? punch needle pattern...
thanks SO much!!!!! blessings from the farm,
Lori

Wool Ewe be Mine? pattern release!

2012-01-27T14:45:00.003-05:00

2 posts in one day!
just wanted to say that the Wool Ewe be Mine?
punch needle pattern has been released!

I've added a Buy It Now/Paypal button to the top of my sidebar
for your purchasing convenience.

However,
if you don't use paypal and would like to purchase
and pay by check,
money order or credit card,

kindly email me at not4got@aol.com
or call me at 434 263.6508

the patterns are printed and ready to ship!

(this will be added to my etsy shop & picturetrail as well)

Thanks my Friends!

blessings from the farm,
Lori

Kitchen Redux ~

2012-01-27T09:03:00.003-05:00

it all started with a suggestion:
"Peter, can you finally install our dishwasher that we've been storing for eight years?"
his reply:
"ya know, I could do that for you..."
so he did.

then the counters needed replaced,
and we never had lower cabinets, so a trip to Lowes we go ~

the new counter top is beautiful, the lower cabinets are oak & will
receive my handpainted treament to match the top glass cabinets...
I will show more pics of the progress, as soon as I can.

and
have any of you seen these new lightbulbs?

the are AWESOME!
for those of us that love an older, dimmer and early look to our lighting,
not necessarily colonial lighting, but 1800's lighting,
THESE are da bomb!
they are mulit-filament bulbs and are exact replica's of the same ones
that Thos. Edison invented.

...way cool!

blessings from the farm,
Lori

Farmhouse Pantry Goods ~

2012-01-25T09:44:00.006-05:00

Sharing some photos of the boxes I painted yesterday,
and the finished spiced calico strawberries ~
my boxes came out SO old looking!

these will accompany me at the show on February 11th...

comb-painted and severely distressed,
and the taller heart boxes are a set of 3 ~ I call them Bride's Boxes.

the insides are washed with black paint then spiced...

the strawberries are filled with crushed walnut shells ~

love them piled into this old wood bowl.

such a pretty grouping!
(I want to keep them all)

Today I will be working with paperclay,
... and stitching on some small simple samplers. Hoping you all have a beautiful wednesday!!!blessings from the farm,Lori

Wonderful, exciting news to share!!!

2012-01-24T11:12:00.012-05:00

Hello Friends & Folk!

Hold on to your needles!
there's a new Club in town!

The Prim Sisters Club

featuring designs from
*Notforgotten Farm *
*Primitive Bettys*

&
*Pineberry Lane*

an exclusive, member's only club where you can sign up to receive
original cross stitch designs
from the three of us ~ woohoo!!!
If you're familiar with Jeanne's shop, Country Sampler in Spring Green, Wisconsin ~
and her 'Girl's Club', then you will not want to miss out on this!

for more info,
click on the Country Sampler links above...and visit Jeanne's BEAUTIFUL website.

I will be designing patterns for July/August & September/October
(again, woohoo!!)

~ SIGN UP NOW!!!!!

watch for more info to come on the designs and such soon :)

(p.s. the above revisited design is called 'Fraktur Angel' from (C)Notforgotten Farm
and is available for your purchase )

blessings from the farm,
Lori

Strawberry Sunday ~

2012-01-22T11:43:00.005-05:00

a basketful of juicy strawberries...

with fresh whipped sweet cream and a sprinkle of brown sugar.
well, ok...
these aren't real, or fresh ~ and I wouldn't put whipped cream on them...
but they are sweet!

I'm making these for the
Winter In the Valley Show

www.picturetrail.com/antiquesinthevalley

it's a GREAT show, for those that have been there you KNOW what I'm talking about!!!
so much good stuff!!!

hope you can come out and join us ~ on February 11th
(wow, that will be here before we know it!)also, look for another of my picturetrail updates...
....I'll have finished goods for your amusement soon...

not sure of the date yet, but will let you know as soon as I narrow it down! blessings from the farm,Lori

Winter Arrives....?

2012-01-21T09:11:00.008-05:00

it's warm & snug in the old farmhouse,
and you can see Iggy in his comfy bed-upon-chair...
but we woke up to this:

...a "touch" of Winter ~
~ Frozen Nandina Berries ~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
...can you hear them crackle in the breeze?

~ Cardinal in the Butterfly Bush ~
Brrrrrrrr!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
icicles on the flag pole...
~ drip drip drip ~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
and poor Pinnochio...
looks like he's trapped in a cage of ice ~
Heehaw!

actually, "nocchi" loves this weather,
as does miss daisy...they are both sporting their winter woolies ~
I love when they get shaggy like this...they're so cute!

and speaking of cute,

nocchi has been chasing daisy around their paddock for two days now...
UM...with a green garden hose in his mouth.
(Peter gives them 'toys' like a picec of old green garden hose,
a slice of old rubber mat, and an old hoola-hoop)

they have 'real' toys too, like an equine excersize ball and other more expensive things,
but
like typical children, they prefer the box to the toys..

and, believe me when I tell you I've been out there 3 times
with my camera to snap a pic of the
garden-hose-chase...to no avail.
as soon as big-boy sees me witht he camera,
he drops the hose & stands there looking at me like...

"what?"
of course, miss daisy is screaming at me:
"did you SEE that Mom? did you see him chase me with that THING?"
(yes, my donkeys talk to me.)

So, if I can snap a pic of the fiasco, I will.

you will laugh your ass off.

(pun intended folks.)

Have a *SPARKLING* ice-y sugar coated day!
be safe & stay warm...

blessings from the farm,
Lori

Wool EWE be Mine?

2012-01-19T17:03:00.004-05:00

Here is my little
"WOOL EWE be Mine?" design all finished...

I punched the background in striped rows...kinda looks like fabric to me!
then simply mounted the punch onto a double layer of wool.

...what do you think? (I like it!)

Now on my frame is another new pattern in the works,
"Primitive Hooker at Heart Punched Pins & Pouch"
(say that fast three times without spitting! bwahaha!!)
I'll share a sneak peek pic tomorrow...

but I must tell you now,

that my results from my biopsy results came back a little while ago and
they are BENIGN!
what a weird, wonderful word...benign.

Thank you Thank you Thank you

I can now exhale.

...my love & sore booby hugs to you all!

blessings from the farm,
Lori

Happy Wednesday!

2012-01-18T09:19:00.005-05:00

...the sun is shining, the air is crisp and cold ~

although we don't have snowy weather, I am happy that today is here!!

I want to THANK all of you from the bottom of my heart for your well wishes ~

I hesitated to 'put out there' about the biopsy, but am now glad I did...because I now have a very strong army of fiercely positive women hoping the best for me!

~~~~~ THANK YOU ~~~~~

and, since I am starting a brand new day,

I thought I would share a few snaps with you...

here is a sweet, fat little mourning dove perched in the sun on our backyard feeder...

she just sat there blinking at me while I snapped away.

and, I did managed to punch a few loops last night...

here is a peek at

"Wool Ewe be Mine":

of course, this is the back...hence the backwards writing...

there will be a square background around the heart,

making the finished shape more of a squat rectangle...

I drew this up on friday night, then began punching it at Donna's show on saturday.

I'll work more on it this aft, then get to work on the other new patterns.

I have had a few of you email about the calendar that I've been working on,

and as for now it is on the back burner. I want to get new cross stitch and needle punch patterns out for you asap, so I will work mainly on them instead...

well friend-folk,

I am heading to the barn...

the singing donkeys & dancing sheep are getting rather noisy about their late breakfast...

(and yes, there WILL be a cross stitch pattern of them coming soon!!!!)

blessings from the farm,Lori

What a Boob....

2012-01-17T15:10:00.006-05:00

Hello Folks!

just chiming in here for a moment...
I've been keeping a secret from you all ~

I had an appointment for a double core biopsy today (right breast)
and am a bit sore...don't really want to dwell on anything negative, so I'm staying hopeful & positive that my results will come back good....hope to
get my results back either thursday or friday... so, if you have a second to think a good thought, send up one for me? I am trying to work on some new punch needle patterns,
but I am sore on that side so I can't. *blech*.but I'll be back at it soon enough!will show you sneak-peeks soon :) ....have a beautiful day my sweet Friends!! blessings from the farm,Lori

Earlywork Update & Cabin Goods Show pics ~

2012-01-15T08:28:00.009-05:00

Good Sunday Mornin' Friends & Folk!
it's COLD out! January weather is finally here...yay! hopefully it will stay cold like it's supposed to now and perhaps we'll get just a *little* snow sometime soon?

The pic above shows my January offerings for the Early Work Mercantile update
(www.earlyworkmercantile.com)
hop on over to see everyone's offerings!

AND
below are pics from the
Cabin Goods Show
(www.picturetrail.com/southernstarantiques)
at Don & Donna Smith's BEAUTIFUL log cabin ~
*warning*
LOTS of pics of wonderful stuff...grab a drool rag!

Tinker's Wagon

Millstone Mercantile's grouping of needfuls...

Mr. & Mrs. Millstone (above) working in their booth...
(Lee & Robin Harrison)

Hen House Primitives
(Cecilia Taylor)

King's Island Primitives
(Kathy Miller)

we had a great time at the show...thanks to all who came out & enjoyed the day with us,
and our thanks to Don & Donna for their hard work & hospitality ~

blessings from the farm,
Lori

~ Garden Boxes ~

2012-01-12T09:39:00.005-05:00

I love looking through my vintage & antique garden catalogs this time of year...

they inspire me to create new, 'old' things such as these Garden Boxes ~

the black & white graphic are just perfect...

the detail of their engravings are beautiful.

I especially love the one of the man picking field-peas...

and how the wording is, so elegant but folky.

you could use the boxes to store seeds, garden gloves, old photos...

I use mine to hold last year's flower seeds.

these are almost finished...they need to be aged a little more,

then they will be packed up along with my other offerings for the

Cabin Goods Gathering

this Saturday...

I'll be working on the shop today, packing for the show & hanging needlework models.

we will be CLOSED Friday Jan. 13th & Sat. Jan 14th

for the show ~

I'll share pics of the show this weekend :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~blessings from the farm,Lori

Krazy Katt

2012-01-10T15:24:00.003-05:00

The 'PIG'

as he is affectionately known as around these parts...

loves to help Hannah with her morning ritual at her vanity....

...he adores her natural bristle makeup brushes,

and allows her to stroke him with them...

of course, he strokes back.

I wonder if he knows how silly he looks...

oh Iggy ~ you little fur-nut...

we love you!!!

blessings from the farm,

Lori

I've the BLUES !

2012-01-08T15:45:00.006-05:00

....Yes, I am feeling better,
and I want to thank you all for your comments
...& emails of get-well-wishes ~

and since I'm on-the-mend, I have been rummaging through my bins & BINS of fabric.

{{Note to Self: NEVER shop at another quilt shop again. ever. really.}}

I wanted to pull out some blue calico ~ for some reason, the blue calico's

remind me of our more humble past...it was a color staple in our wardrobe,

since the indigo plant was grown in almost every household garden...

don't get me wrong, I love my browns, creams & turkey reds...
but
the blues always beckon me back in time.

in my last post I mentioned that I am working on smalls for the upcoming show at Donna's ~
Cabin Goods Gathering

and thought my finished needlework offerings
would be best-suited by using some of my blues fabrics...

rumply, crumply, wrinkled & folded ~
I don't mind the condition...
tattered & torn,
LOVED & WORN....
the more the better!

some of my calicos are repro's ~ offered in the late 1980's...
and some are the real deal...from the late 1880's.
I love them all the same :)

I'll try to snap some pics of some of the goods I'll be bringing to the show...
and perhaps post them tomorrow.

wishing you all a peaceful Sunday evening ~

blessings from the farm,
Lori

CLOSED TODAY

2012-01-07T08:40:00.005-05:00

Hi Friends & Folk...

my little shop will be closed today.

I am still punky from the crud and now it has travelled down to my chest.

*BLECH*

oh, and Mr. Ignatious Katt needs me to stay in the warm farmhouse
to fetch him his catnip-mouse every now-and-again.

Sorry for any inconvenience, but I'd rather not spread my crud to anyone else ~
I WILL be open again on Wednesday (perhaps even Tuesday) of next week.

in between blowing my sore nose and napping,
I did manage to put Christmas away ~
down came the trees & trimmings and out came my flowers...

yes, I agree...a little early ~ but ~ they lift my spirits and make me feel cheerful
and I can use all the help I can get right now with this yuck-of-a-cold.

morning sunlight has always been my favorite...
I love how it slips in and gently wakens & warms us ~

no, they're not real, but Tulips are my very favorite flower
and none are up yet ~ so silk will have to do!

I'm working on little ditties for this coming Saturday,
I will be heading out to Donna's Cabin for her

Cabin Goods Gathering

(see link on top of my sidebar)
I'll have a small selection of finished stitched items & other needfuls ~
Millstone Mercantile (Robin)
Hen House Primitives (Cecilia) and a few chosen others will be there...
it promises to be a great little show ~ and I think a perfect time of the year for one!
Hope to see you there ~

well I'm off to put a pot of soup on the woodstove...
just what the doctor ordered!!!

blessings from the farm,
Lori

Tea Time ~

2012-01-06T10:39:00.004-05:00

Good Morning Friends & Folk!

it is a much warmer day here today in Virgina ~
too warm for me for January as far as this Yankee girl is concerned.

I like it COLD in January.
actually, I like it SNOWY in January & February ~
(i don't think we could have counted 2 flakes so far)
but, now that I've jinxed us I'm sure a foot will befall us soon!

although it is sunny, and a great day for hanging the laundry (I hear the washer spinning now)
I am a bit under-the-weather today.

yep ~ I caught the Crud.

clammy, scratchy, sneezy, itchy, drippy, stuffy & ache-y...
(my word, me thinks the 7 Dwarves have moved in!!)

but I will hang the sheets nonetheless....

and TEA always makes me feel better...
actually anything having to DO with TEA makes me feel better!

I collect Tea Saucers...not fine ones, but chipped & cracked ones...
perfectly imperfect (like me! hahaha)

I prefer the brown & pink (rose) colored patterns ~
so pretty & delicate (again, like me! hahahah!...ok, my sinus meds are kicking in now...)

I love this one below the most...

it's funny though, I don't collect Tea Cups!
I prefer to drink my piping-hot Earl Grey in a huge black ceramic mug that has the words
"BIG BOSS" emblazoned acrossed the front.

(yeah I know, how romantic)
but I like a BIG cup of TEA!

my sweetener of preferrence is honey ~
not just any honey, but a local honey made by Bees that borrow the nectar from
the Herbs grown in a local Cemetary in Lynchburg, Virginia ~

the Cemetary is called
Olde City Cemetary & their website is:
www.GraveGarden.com

how many of you are Tea Lovers? or collect Tea cups/saucers?

well, the washer has stopped spinning...telling me it's time to head out into the sunshine
with my bakset of clothespins ~ when I'm finished I'll head back into the farmhouse and settle into my stitching chair and pour myself another cup....

blessings from the farm,

Lori

Spring 2012 PQ&P magazine ~

2012-01-05T15:24:00.006-05:00

Here is the cover for the next issue of

Primitive Quilts and Projects magazine ~

don't you just love that quilt on the cover?

I can't wait for my issue to come :)

and here's a peek of my free pattern in this issue

...for YOU to enjoy!! ~

it's a little punch needle project to get you in the mood for Springtyme.

I love white saltbox houses, fresh tulips and warm sunshine

so I put them all together and came up with this design above...

Hope you like it!

Jen & Gretchen (the magazine's publishers) have a promotion going on now...

if you subscribe to the magazine for one years, you'll receive a free pattern!

if you subscribe for 2 years,...you'll get TWO free patterns! woohoo!

so go subscribe now:

www.primitivequiltsandprojects.com

blessings from the farm,Lori

Winter Farmhouse ~

2012-01-03T09:28:00.010-05:00

Hello Friends!

it is a beautiful, COLD here day on the farm today...

the air is still & crisp...the kind that stings your nose & awakens your lungs.

...our wood stoves are banked and the farmhouse is again

a cozy nest filled with sunlight & the scent of simmering spices...

it's on days like this that I truly love our humble home

...and thought I'd share a few snaps with you ~

I found the vintage crocheted runner at Vintage on Main, a loverly little shop

here in Amherst, VA.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

my 'married' tea-set...

all found in different shops locally...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

a chippy white candle box & blue and white childs' quilt

warms this corner of our keeping room...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An early blue basket filled with dried herbs & feathers

tops one of our cupboards...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

a beautiful conch shell set into one of my ironstone tureens

graces my step back cupboard ~

I love seashells and have collected them since growing up along the coast of New England.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today will be spent cleaning & rearranging the shop ~

getting ready for the new items that will be coming in...

it will have a fresh, new "old" Farmhouse look to it & I'm excited about

bringing you new, different items for your home ~

...along with supplies for needlework of course!

The shop is now open

Wednesday - Saturday

10:00 till 3:00

Make sure you click on the 'CLASSES' link

on the top of my sidebar to sign up for a class or two...

I'll be adding more in a few days...

Also ~

click on the 'EVENTS' link to see where I'll be vending this year...

(more will be added)

Wishing you all a perfect Winter's Day!

blessings from the farm,Lori

Happy 2012!!!

2011-12-31T17:07:00.006-05:00

Our wishes for the New Year ~

may your Friends be lovable...

may your hearts be filled with joy...

may you always receive warm hugs...

and may you always have laughter in your lives...

Looking forward to a

wonderful

New Year

filled with beautiful possibilities & everything good!

blessings from the farm,Lori

A little progress...

2011-12-29T11:21:00.004-05:00

I enjoy stitching houses for some reason...

maybe because it's a little like being an architect & a builder altogether?

I sometimes imagine I live in these little houses-of-thread...

and that I can stitch myself a garden, full of blowzy blooms...

or perhaps a willow tree from which I'll hang a swing?

or maybe my needle will wrought a little brown dog...or a picket fence

or the name of a loved one from long ago ~

in any case, this is my muse...

my escape from the everyday and

it's my time capsule that I visit

...each time I open my sewing basket...

blessings from the farm,Lori

HOOP-la

2011-12-28T07:46:00.003-05:00

My little collection of antique & vintage sewing hoops is growing...

i seem to 'find' them wherever I go...and usually pick them up for pennies on the dollar ~

these are my wooden hoops:

I only collect those made in Germany or the USA

no later than 1950...

these are my metal hoops:

(I love the green enamel one!)

I love how worn & smooth they are

and as I use them I try to imagine what was stitched on them.

the large ovals & the tiny rounds are my very favorites~

I put them to good use and when they're not in use

they keep me company in my sewing room.

can you see the white 'house' in the picture above?

it is being worked on now...a new Spring design from Notforgotten Farm...

The Feeding the Reindeer & Merry Yule charts will be available soon,

and will be relisted in my Etsy shop ~ I'll announce that here on the blog.

Hoping you all have a creative & happy Wednesday!

blessings from the farm,Lori

Hello!

2011-12-26T08:36:00.008-05:00

Good Morning Friends & Folk!and Merry-Day-After-Christmas to you:)
How fast this year seems to be flying...it will be a whole New Year is less than a week's time.I love to reflect this time of year ~ especially during the week between these holidays ~to see how I can better myself, my family & my friends...
I'm hoping to begin exercising more by taking more walks with our dogs.I'd like to start volunteering more, so I will contact our local Senior centers to see how I can be of help to them.or perhaps I'll go to our local animal shelter and help there?
all I know I will feel better doing something MORE.yes, I am busy here with our family...the farm, animals, shop & house...my pattern business keeps me plenty busy too ~ {my thanks to you all!}but I will make the time to take the time...to help.
Hoping you will consider doing the same :)
I also wanted to ask you a couple of questions that will help me in the upcoming New Year:

what types of classes would you be interested taking here at the shop?
how do you feel about pdf patterns (emailed) in general?
would you be interested in attending a weekend retreat here at the shop? (local lodging)
what are your thoughts on attending a rug show, quilt show, needlework show here on our shop grounds?
any other input that you would like to share?

just comment here for all to see!!or you can email me at not4got@aol.com
I value you & your input !!!
Have a wonderful day my Friends!
blessings from the farm,Lori

~ Merry Christmas ~

2011-12-24T14:47:00.003-05:00

From our Family

~ to Your Family ~

~ Wishing you a Merry Christmas ~

Peter, Lori & Hannah

Flowers in December ~

2011-12-21T10:17:00.006-05:00

Happy Wednesday Friends & Folk ~

thought I'd share some of my little flowers with you all today...

these sweet little geraniums were created by me using a needle weaving technique that I have become smitten with...

I've always been a fan of different' embroidery techniques...

and love the 3 dimensional look...

can you see how the leaves stand up from the flour cloth I'm working on??

I love this effect...

it lends such a fresh look to my projects, even though it is an ancient technique...

do any of you do this type of needlework?

would you be interested in learning how to do this?

let me know your thoughts... :)

blessings from the farm,Lori

Happy Birthday Hannah!

2011-12-20T07:51:00.010-05:00

Our Little Pumpkin...

the sweet little soul who blessed us with happiness & joy 17 years ago today!

the tiny person with sticky hands that loved to tickle, hug & talk to cats

(she still does)...

this innocent being that changed our lives for the better...forever.

Has grown into the most beautiful, compassionate & caring person...

always laughing, so refined & artistic ~

this young woman who never ceases to amaze us with her ability & grace,

and who definitely keeps us in line...

we celebrate YOU and all that you are...

all you have been to us & everything you will become...

Happy 17th Birthday Punkin'!

with much love,
Mom & Dad{{ and of course...Iggy, Suzy, Tippy, Lazy, Buddy, Barbara & Sylvester, Pinnochio, Daisy, Henry, the Chicken-girls & Rooster-guy, the Guinea Hen Gang, Mommy Esther-sheep & Baaaaa-by-sheep-boy, all of our House-Mouses & woodland friends that come to visit us}}

In between the Hustle-Bustle...

2011-12-19T10:41:00.006-05:00

between the baking of cookies, shopping & decorating ~

writing christmas cards and shipping...

I rely on my needlework to keep me sane!

(& I'm pretty sure i'm in thee best of company)

Have you all had the pleasure of perusing this new magazine?

it hails form the UK, and I found mine at our Barnes & Noble Booksellers yesterday...

it is simply charming.

it is fresh, clean & has a kind of quiet-refinement that my overworked brain craves this time of year...if you get a chance, check it out...it makes me happy!

and

of course, so does this:

my SEWING basket!

oh I have it all stocked-up alrighty...

pins, needles...pencils, punches,,,

scissors, threaders & even my little AMAZING-ly bright mini OTT Light

I keep these things right where I need them...next to my comfy stitching/reading chair...

for those quiet moments (that aren't too abundant as-of-late), but cherished nonetheless :)

I'm working on charting the Feeding the Reindeer & Merry Yule patterns,

along with some new designs for (yikes!) Valentines Day & Easter

(say it isn't' so!)

BUT, please bear with me as I master yet another obstacle:

a brand new software program for designing my crass stitch patterns on this MAC!

Hoping you all have a creative day my Friends!

blessings from the farm,

Lori

P.S.

some have emailed asking where I purchased my sewing basket ~Walmart is the answer!

Santa Picka A Winner ~

2011-12-18T16:33:00.004-05:00

ok, well maybe he supervised ME picking the winner of him!

(you can see him smiling wildly at the thought of him traveling to a new home!)

We had a total of 91 participants!! woohoo!!

so I wrote everyone's name down, and cut out little slips of paper...

I put them into a basket, but there wasn't much room to scramble them up, so...

I dumped them into one of my pickle jars instead!...

ahhh...much more room for fair-"jumbling" ~

I shook the jar, then swirled my hand around in there one more time for good measure,

assuring an unbiased & totally random pick!!

&, Here's the WINNER!!!!

Ginger of Primitive by the Light of the Moon!!!!

Woohoo & congrats to you Ginger!

I'll send you an email to get your shipping info..

Thanks to everyone who played along, it is fun isn't it?

I'm thinking a MONTHLY giveaway would be even FUNNER!!!

blessings from the farm,

Lori

ALMOST done!!!!

2011-12-16T16:45:00.008-05:00

I am ALMOST finished with the drawings

for the new 2012 calendar from

(c)Notforgotten Farm...

I posted recently that I thought I would have the calendar finished & (maybe) available this weekend,

BUT...it won't...

BUT it will be available for the New Year ~

I'll do my best...that's all I can do :)

blessings from the farm,

Lori

From Me to You ~

2011-12-15T06:18:00.006-05:00

DRAWING IS NOW CLOSED!

thanks for playing along.... :)

In the Spirit of Christmas Present (get it?)

I am holding a GIVEAWAY!

Yes, this grinning Santa painting

(done by Yours Truly)

can grace your walls before the Yuletide Holiday!

{{Grinning Santa ~ Cloth & Acrylic Paint on Stretched Artist Canvas}}

measures 8" x 10"

...to be eligible to win this Jovial Fella,

all you have to do is leave me a comment on this post ~

on Sunday, December 18th I will randomly select a name...

and ship the painting to the winner on Monday the 21st!

(via USPS Priority 2/3-day mail)

Good Luck to ALL & to ALL a good day! :)blessings from the farm,Lori

Jose Cuervo Christmas Cookies ~

2011-12-14T10:19:00.003-05:00

Ok, I don't really look like this ~

I crack myself up every now & then playing in the Photo Booth of this computer...

Bwahahahaha!!!!!

but I MIGHT look like this for real after eating some of these cookies...enjoy the laugh!!

Jose Cuervo Christmas Cookies

1 cup of water
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup of brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup nuts
2 cups of dried fruit
1 bottle Jose Cuervo Tequila

Begin:
Sample the Cuervo to check quality.
Take a large bowl,

check the Cuervo again
pour one level cup and drink.
Turn on the electric mixer.
Beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl.

Add one peastoon of sugar.
Beat again.
At this point it's best to make sure the Cuervo is still ok, try anothercup just in case.

Turn off the mixerer thingy.
Break 2 leggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit.
Pick the frigging fruit off the floor.

Mix on the turner.
If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaters just pry it loose with a drewscriver.

Sample the Cuervo to check for tonsisticity.

Next, sift two cups of salt, or something.
Who geevesa sheet.

Check the Jose Cuervo.

Now shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts..
Add one table.

Add a spoon of sugar, or somefink. Whatever you can find...
Greash the oven.
Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fallover.
Don't forget to beat off the turner.
Finally, throw the bowl through the window,
finish the Cose Juervo and make sure to put the stove in the wishdasher.

Cherry Mistmas !

blessings from the farm,

Lori

Christmas Jolly's ~

2011-12-13T08:54:00.004-05:00

Good Morning Friends & Folk~

how do you like the new 'look' to the blog?

I am always playing with it, I know..but I have been drawing so much lately, that I wanted it to reflect that ~ speaking of drawing, I am working on a new 2012 Calendar that 9hopefully) will be ready to ship by this weekend..

I know a lot of you have asked if there will be another coming, and the answer is yes!

here are a few

Little things around the farmhouse that make me smile...

...my antique Tom's Coconut Hut's Candy Jar filled with chocolate-delights :)

(well, it WAS filled...)

one of my antique French wire dress forms, wearing a Victorian weskit :)

(wish my waist was that small...where are those chocolates again?)

some festive sewies....

our Tannenbaum ~

decorated carefully by Miss Hannah & her beau, Skyler...

the farmhouse wears a simple dress of Christmas...

I tend to decorate with things I love, no matter what...I'll mix in vintage, retro, farmhouse ~

primitive, cottage, whimsical & contemporary together

~ if it pleases my heart & eye!!

I don't allow the passing-fancies or fads dictate my heart~

i guess I love it all!!!

blessings from the farm,

Lori

A Heartfelt Thank You ~

2011-12-12T06:29:00.004-05:00

My Thanks to all who visited my little online show last night!

your patronage & kind words fill my Heart ~

"Glad Tidings" fraktur

"Mistletoe" Bear

I will be shipping all purchases today for you ~

then I will be coming back to my lil studio to work on...

NEW CROSS STITCH PATTERNS! whooooohoooooooo!

yes,

I have mastered my new computer. I won. neener neener, neeeeener.

and I have new software that allows me to

(DEEP BREATH)

send new patterns in PDF format for you to instantly PRINT! oh YAY!!!!

no more waiting !!! less trips by me to the PO!!! more time to design!! double-YAY!

I will keep you in-the-know and up to the minute with all of this, so stay tuned!

Have a Jingle-bell, Hot coca & marshmallow kind of day!

blessings from the farm,

Lori

It's OPEN!!!!!

2011-12-11T18:17:00.006-05:00

Please stop by & see all of my hard work ~www.picturetrail.com/notforgottenfarm and click on the GOODS FOR SALE link!
((thanks for your patience!))
blessings from the farm,

Lori

the three bears...

2011-12-10T08:25:00.002-05:00

...will greet you soon!

with their mittens-full of cheer for you ~

blessings from the farm,Lori

In my workshop ~

2011-12-08T07:02:00.003-05:00

here's a sneak peek at some of the new fraktur drawings that will be available on my picture trail Christmas Show

this sunday

these will all be framed in my hand painted 5" x 7" frames ~

they did turn out pretty if you don't mind me saying so :)

I'll be in my little workshop today, stitching, stuffing, drawing & painting for you!

Hoping you all haven't floated away in all of this rain we've had...my car is stuck out in the front yard, in the mud...why would my car be in the front yard you're thinking?

well, I backed the car up to the barn to bring the 50lb. bag of sweet feed (the donkey's favorite) so I wouldn't have to carry it that far from the driveway...

and I left the car there...then it began to rain.

and rain.

rain rain rain!!!

so now it is stuck in the mud.

Have a *SPARKLING* day my friends!!

blessings from the farm,

Lori

Christmas Update!

2011-12-06T12:23:00.007-05:00

Get into your flannel jammies, grab your cocoa & come shopping with me on

Sunday, December 11th at 6:00 PM (Eastern time)

for my Christmas Update on my picture trail website:

Notforgotten Farm

I'll be offering my handmade bears, ornies, candles, soaps & framed drawings ~

All items sold on the update will be delivered in time

for your Christmas Gift Giving

See you then!

{{{The photo above shows my newest doll from Tina Lewonski (the Burlap Owl), flanked by two antique Ted's that came home with me from the show this past weekendoh...how could I pass up new Friends?}}}
blessings from the farm,

Lori

Christmas in the Valley Show ~

2011-12-05T17:08:00.003-05:00

Hello Friends & Folk!

it's been a couple of days since I last posted, but now that the last shows of the 2011 year are over, I can now really begin to master this new computer of mine!

I want to share a couple of photos of my booth at the show this past weekend...

it was a beautiful show and really put me in a Holiday Mood ~

My Bear Head ornies were a big hit...

Miss Joan came with me & helped me unpack,

set up, write slips & then pack everything up again!

{here she is trying to squeeze her way out of this photo, but I caught her!}

Happy Shoppers...

A Festive time :)

Hope you've enjoyed the photos, I'll be back tomorrow with some FUN news!!

blessings from the farm,Lori

December Comes...

2011-12-01T06:44:00.004-05:00

Welcome December with a visit to
~ Early Work Mercantile ~

to see all of the latest Holiday offerings from a variety of talented artisans...

above are mine :)

blessings from the farm,
Lori

Early Work Mercantile & the Ole Time Christmas Show

2011-11-30T12:40:00.007-05:00

Hello Friends & Folk!

I have been working on some new items for the December 1st

Early Work Mercantile

update...

I will be offering hand drawn & colored, Fraktur-inspired tokens ~

framed under glass in my hand painted frames and done on my own hand-parched papers...

I get a lot of my inspiration from old children's books so I pulled out a few here...

I love how they look, feel & smell ~ the papers are so fragile & the illustrations so very quaint.

my color palette is reflecting a simple winter & holiday theme,

holly berry red

mistletoe green

north star gold...

faded, muted...beautiful mixed with the black ink from my pens...

watch for my online update later this evening.

AND

If you will be in the Fishersville, Staunton, Waynesboro Virginia area

Friday evening (December 2nd) 6 - 8:00 OR

Saturday (December 3rd) 9 - 3:00

Stop in at the Fishersville Expo Center for the Ole' Time Christmas Show!

Donna Smith from Southern Star Antiques puts on a great show and I'll be there with my handmaids, needlework supplies & patterns...some small antiques too...

it's a great show to put you in the mood & spirit of the Holiday!!

hope to see some of you soon ~

blessings from the farm,Lori

Testing the Water ~ or bobbing for Apple iMacs

2011-11-29T09:46:00.003-05:00

This is my first post using my new iMac ~

WOW...you guys should have told me from the beginning how easy this is!

I'm in LOVE with this newfangled thing :)

anyhoo, just posting a couple of snaps to see how everything looks }

I am working on things slowly but steadily & surely...

Thanks for your patience with me!!!

Have a CREATIVE day!!

blessings from the farm,Lori

Just what the Doctor ordered...

2011-11-27T14:48:00.003-05:00

an APPLE a day & here's mine:
still in the box & looking like something from the galley on the Starship Enterprise to me!

I will be unpacking this baby tomorrow, as we will also be getting our high speed internet ~

can you all give me a WOOHOO!!!!!
I am so excited about this, but know that it will take a little time to get used to.

with the workload that I will be having these next few weeks,
I have chosen to refund those of you who have ordered and have been patiently waiting for yours. right now I still can't obtain some of the patterns, and definitely don't have the 2 new ones charted up yet and DON'T want you to wait any longer....
~I feel better doing this so please accept this as a sincere thank you and your refund will be there for you...I have begun issuing them already, but as you know, paypal can sometimes be slow ~ AND I have a couple of hundred orders to go through but I WILL get to yours!
I will refund in order of purchase ~ meaning, if you ordered & paid on November 4th, 5th, etc...you will receive your refund back sooner than those of you who ordered on (for example) November 12th., 13th...etc...

As soon as I get things back in order, the computer up & running and everything comfy for me again, then I will relist the new designs again in my etsy shop if you would still like to purchase them...
As far as orders for any other (older) patterns, potpourri, frames...etc from my etsy shop, those will also be refunded at this time & I surely apologize for this, but with the extra workload upon me now I just won't have time to process them...
And for those shops that are waiting for orders for the NEW patterns (only) I will get them to my distributors asap.

If you visit my etsy shop, you will see that i have hung my "ON VACATION" sign up.
yeah...i WISH I was on vacation!!!!!!!
but,. that is there so that no new orders can be placed at this time...again, I will reopen it asap ~

If you have any questions regarding your order placed, please don't hesitate to email me at not4got@aol.com

And,
the shop will be CLOSED on Friday December 2nd & Saturday DECEMBER 3RD
as I will be setting up and vending ath the Fishersville Expo Center for the Ol'e Time Christmas Show (see my sidebar)

SO there ya have it...a long-winded, hopefully clear post that helps me better serve you and not make you wait for something that you've paid for.

(((I don't like doing things like that & want to be fair to all of my customers!!! )))
Thanks for understanding!!!

I'll be back in a day or 2 and will be using my new iMac!!
can I get a woot wooot again!

blessings from the farm,

Lori

~ Open House Pics ~

2011-11-26T16:57:00.006-05:00

I am exhausted.
but feel so full of friendship & thanks.
Alot of work goes into having an open house
~ but they are SO worth it when I get to see friends & folk from near and far....
it was a beautiful day here at the farm, warm-ish and sunny ~
...didn't have to bother heating up the woodstove in the shop even...
(not that we would have needed it, it got pretty full today, and we women can generate some good heat while shopping!!)

so, here are some pics of the day...

but before you continue down, please first let me acknowledge :

Peter ~
you hold my heart in your hands...
you work so hard to make me happy
((& I know I'm not easy to get-along with))
...Thank you for Loving & putting up with me.
I Love You.

Felicia ~
for your Friendship, crazy sense of humor
(I thank God that you 'get me')
and your always-willing-to-help attitude...
I Love You.

Joan ~
for your Friendship,
your uncanny ability to remember small details
& your always-willing-to-help heart...
(you are learning to 'get me'...we do have FUN, don't we?)
I Love You.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
{{{ok...enough of that stuff}}}

and
on with the show~

here is Flea (left) & my SIL Chrissy, looking at a book before the doors opened this morning...
(Chrissy was in her jammie-bottoms, but you didn't hear that from me...notice how I only snapped them from the waist up?)
they are both beautiful......

Below is a snap of the 'Big Table'...the one I try to squish everyone around when I hold a class...
it is in the middle of the shop, smack in front of the counter & woodstove...
you can see Miss Joan's BIG doll couple....
masterful needlework indeed!
(oh yeah, you can see one of my little black bear heads-on-a-bobbin pinkeeps)

here is what you see when you first come in the door to the shop:
a small table flanked by Hitchcock chairs (one is signed) from CT...an up-ended box holding a small yule tree...hanging tobacco hands, dolls, books, magazines...Oh My!

...to the left of the table is a display of quilt-shop quality cotton prints (repro Civil War era) ~ above that are my seasonal cross stitch models...

around the other side of the 'pattern room' is where you'll find wool for rug hooking & applique,
carded wool roving for needle felting, & needle punch supplies & patterns...

here is Joan's WONDERFUL early punched tin pie safe, in Oyster-white paint...
I've decorated it with my rolled pillar candles, old feedsacks, fresh greens and
flicker candles...

here is an 'arial-view'...(ok, I stood on a chair)
of Sherry Kristoff's
(www.fromsherryheart.blogspot.com)
most-awesome, impeccably stitched & hooked heArtwork....
I devoted an entire table to her wares...

when the box of her Goodes arrived, I literally had to sit down and
look over everything....I can't believe the tiny stitches, perfectly turned edges and LOVE that she pours into each of her creations....
(there are a few of her items left, if you see anything that fancies you, email me QUICK!!)

above is another view of Sherry's outstanding work...
Below is a shot of the front portion of the shop...
"Sherry's table", a corner cupboard, ...and other needful things.

below is a quiet-corner of the shop, near the woodstove ~
a cupboard-on-wheels holds muslin, weavers' cloth & rug linen...

a general view of the shop ~ showing the middle table and other stuff we all need...

and the BIG white cupboard ~ dressed in seasonal frippery...
old tin, white ironstone, & some more good things...

My thanks to all that came out today,
and that support me in my frivolous ways...
I love what I do & I love you too.

blessings from the farm,
Lori

Thanks Indeed.

2011-11-24T08:54:00.005-05:00

Every year I compile a list of 'things' I'm Thankful for...
here is this list for 2011:

~ Good Health
~ A Cheerful Disposition
~ A Good Outlook
~ A Loving Husband
~ A Beautiful Daughter
~ A Strong, yet Gentle Mother
~ Kind & Loving Siblings
~ Treasured Friends...

~ 3 Smitten Kittens

~ A Snug Farmhouse
~ A Comfy Stitching Chair
~ A Toasty Woodstove & A Full Load of Wood
~ Enough to Eat
~ Plenty of Everything I Need
~ Creative Hands
~ The Blessed Country in which I Live

Wishing you ALL a
Thanksgiving Day
filled with Love, Laughter & Light~

blessings from the farm,
Lori

hello.

2011-11-23T09:28:00.005-05:00

Hello Friends!

just chiming in here to say...
I am now the proud owner of a Mac!!!!
BUT
I won't have it ready to go until next week...
you see,
since we live so far out here in the country, we don't yet have highspeed internet ~
but we do have satellite TV and are awaiting the hook-up for our internet via that.
{{not only will I not know how to USE my new computer, but I can do it faster too! LOL}}
kinda like the old
"Drink more coffee ~ do stupid things faster and with more energy!!" mantra, no?
so THEN I will be able to chart my patterns and get the new ones out for you...
you all have been so kind & patient with me during this...I cannot thank you enough :)

in the evenings I get 'me' time to create,
and I have hundreds of antique cabinet card photos,
I keep them in boxes and wanted to put them to good use and came up with these:

yes, they are a little "BLING-y"
but I like the look of them on my tree
(one or two only, not all of them at once ~ but hey ~ that's just me, you could do a whole tree in them...a white feather tree would look pretty with them all on there)
and, the pic at the top of this post shows one finished 'friend' made from that hand dyed turkey red mohair... ( and a little blue friend setting next to him)
they'll be waiting for good homes here in the shop for saturday's open house.

Speaking of the open house,
the shop will be CLOSED black friday in preparation of the open house~
we will open promptly at 10:00 saturday morning :)
see you all soon, & have a Happy & Blessed Thanksgiving!!!!!

blessings from the farm,
Lori

Monday, monday ~

2011-11-21T10:23:00.004-05:00

Do you like Monday's?
I do.
especially rainy Mondays in November....
when the house is snug, the chores are done and a potroast is bubbling on the woodstove
filling the farmhouse with a wonderful smell ~

I can remember even as a child, liking Monday's...
it meant a fresh start ~ a new beginning.

Before I get to work,
I thought I'd snap a few pics for you...these are mainly random,
but I thought they were pretty :

~ Faux Holly & Old Lace ~

~ The Turkey Red mohair I dyed yesterday ~
(and what it looked like before)

~ A Shelf in my Sewing Room ~
(I hung my ribbon-rolls across for better access)

~ a tiny Tinsel Tree ~
(decorated with glass garland, an old stocking, origami storks made by Hannah & some grubby white candles in their wire & ball holders)

~ Little Friends on top of my inspiration board ~
(the Squirrel is Steiff and was found at a fleamarket for $2.00! yay for me!)

I have LOTS to do on this rainy November Monday,
so I better get to it...
I'll share what I make from the red mohair tomorrow!

blessings from the farm,
Lori

2011-11-20T12:42:00.009-05:00

So, tell me what do you think...
could you give them a warm home to hibernate in for the Winter?
I could!

just playin' & having some fun with the dyepot today!

~ will be making some of my little bears with this beautiful olde red color soon ~

and I'm feeling another GIVEAWAY coming soon :)
xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

hoping you all have a sweet & peaceful Sunday my friends ~

blessings from the farm,
Lori

The Fur is Flyin' ~

2011-11-19T11:40:00.006-05:00

Playing with Mohair.....

these are large, approx. 9" round (4 1/2" across)...

Do you remember, a couple of posts back,
... I showed you the Mohair fabric that I hand dyed?
here are some Ted Heads waiting to be finished into ornaments ~
you can see the before & after colors better now....
they are waiting for their distressing and jingle bell hangers.

I'll be offering them at the open house next Saturday,
and then in my etsy shop...
I am canceling my picturetrail update, as I just haven't had the time to really get things done for it with the computer crashing & back orders...
I will be updating my etsy shop with finished goods though,
I'll let you know when I've listed :)

on another note,
it looks as though I WILL be getting a new MAC computer!
woot woot!!
I will need to 'prolly take a college course to learn how to use it though ~
so PLEASE be patient with me???

{{{thanks for all of your emails about how much you all LOVE your Macs!}}}

Have a wonderful weekend my friends!!

blessings from the farm,
Lori

2011-11-18T12:04:00.005-05:00

Some things never change,
like Iggy sleeping in his cradle here in my sewing room...
(do you think he feels embarrased? naaaahhhh...just look at that smug look on his face...)

or the fact... that like me, he enjoys a good magazine...
(the new xmas issue of FOLK is *awesome!*)
actually, he enjoys sittng in my lap while I'm TRYING to read a good magazine...

but,
somethings are constantly in progress around here...
like:
my sewing room ~

it's small,
but it has beautiful natural light,
is upstairs from the front room where our woodstove is,
so the wood floor is toasty on my stocking-ed tootsies
and
it's my favorite room in this old farmhouse...

but, like everything else I do~
I like to change things up quite often, and as I mentioned in my previous postings
I am cleaning & preparing for the Holidays...
which to me means changing the curtains to my white ones to let in more light,
and putting alot of our everyday items to make room for our favorite holiday collectibles & such.

and at this time of year, when we're all so busy, it really pays for me to get more organized!
So I've been playing in here, in between printing & shipping what orders I can ~
by the way, I truly appreciate your emails of concern regarding the CRASH of 2011, and am so thankful that you all have patience with this situation & with me in general!
~ I did talk with the computer-guy this morning,
and it doesn't sound good...fried motherboard or some-such nonsense that I don't have time to try to understand....
I have had great feedback from folks out there that use & LOVE their Apple (MACS) and it looks as though that will be what's on the horizon for me...perhaps Dear Old Santa will place two under the tree this year? One for me and one for Hannah as she'll need one for college as well....
oh well, one step forward, two back...
I have ALOT of work ahead of me but
as I said,

some things never change...

Hoping you all have a loverly November afternoon!

blessings from the farm,
Lori

little things ~

2011-11-17T12:37:00.008-05:00

Not being able to have my
big workhorse computer these past days
has found me appreciating the downtime more than I expected I would ~
don't get me wrong, I am still panicked about the
Black Screen of Death
but I HAVE had to slow down a little...
and in doing so I'm realizing that I guess I really did need to do just that.
{{I will hopefully hear from the 'puter-doc this eve with the final outcome}}

So,
I have been doing what any blog-crazy, primitive/vintage,
farmhouse/farmlife-loving girl would do...I've been visiting some new blogs!
(you can see them on my sidebar)

I turn to them for inspiration ~ the homes & decorating are so pretty.
I love the blogging community & how I feel when I get comments on my posts ~ I do love to hear from you and want to know how you are & what you're up to...

I've also been cleaning my sewing room/studio ~ changing things out since I've been getting ready for the holidays...
here are a few of my favorite things that make my little heart sing~

~my primitive 'bling'~

~warm chocolate chip cookies~

~a NEW sewing basket (and a kitten for company)

~Reese's Xmas Trees~

~ANYTHING in glass jars~

~old quilts~

~vintage sewing baskets~

~vintage sewing tins~

can you see a pattern forming here? hahaha :)

It still amazes me that you all allow me to come into your lives for a minute or two everyday.
I value each & everyone of you for your thoughts, friendships & insightful comments
and I thank you for that!!!

Hoping you all have a wonderful day~
blessings from the farm,

Lori

IMPORTANT UPDATE PLEASE READ!!

2011-11-15T18:17:00.004-05:00

I cannot believe it...
my MAIN computer...the one that holds ALL of my designing software, programs, pictures & files has (shudder)
CRASHED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am in complete shock over this...this is my busiest time of the year (wasn't I just saying that?)
oh my stars & garters...what to do?
I brought it's brain to the computer doctor and I'm awaiting the diagnosis...
but I fear the worst.,..
it is a dinosaur...
an archaic monster..
a workhorse
that has been my life-line
for the past 8 years,....
*sniff*...
SO
what does this mean for my customers????
it means that those who have ordered the NEW patterns
(Feeding the Reindeer & Merry Yule)
will have the option of getting a refund,
or waiting until I'm up & running again before I can mail you your patterns,...
I AM SO SORRY for the inconvenience...
this ALSO includes SHOP ORDERS for the same 2 patterns...

(all of my other, 'older' patterns I have in 'hard copy' form, so I can get those orders mailed out)
I have been so busy trying to get the NEW orders out that I didn't yet have the chance to make
'hard copies' of the 2 new ones...
WAAAHHHHHHH!!!!
....a tough lesson learned there, my friends.
so please, PLEASE let me know if you want to be refunded by emailing me here at not4got@aol.com....
you have no idea how upset I am.
I want to cry (some more) and just bury my head in a hole somewhere.
:(

I am now going to submerge myself in a hot bath.
then drown my sorrows in Hot Chocolate & Choc Chip Cookies...
...and hopefully be able to sleep tonight thinking about this mess...

i appreciate all of you, your constant support and ever-encouraging kindness...
I love what I do and am blessed with a great life, family & friends like you who can relate to life's ups & downs...I will do my best to have this situation fixed asap!
(geeez...lately it has been one thing after the other...hope the stars align again soon!)
LOL

How many of you out there use a MAC computer?

blessings from the farm
Lori

A White Christmas ~ Primitive Farmhouse Style

2011-11-15T08:25:00.005-05:00

Some simple snaps of the farmhouse in transition for the holidays...

my Thanksgiving/Christmas cactus in the sunny kitchen window...

my coffee-potted & funnel-topped feather tree in the diningroon ~

a view of a window dressed with a favorite scrap of early lacework...

My tarnished silver waiting for tea & gingerbread ~

here's the mantle ~ semi-decorated...

I love white bottlebrush wreaths !!!

more snaps to come soon!
(I'll share pics of the shop too, but right now it is a wreck!)

Have a beautiful Tuesday my Friends!

blessings from the farm,
Lori

Hustle-bustle....

2011-11-14T10:12:00.004-05:00

November is my busiest month of the year...
I am working on new items for the open house, processing & printing & shipping orders,
cleaning & cooking and getting ready for the house-full I'll have for the Thanksgiving holiday...

my evenings are spent stitching, painting, hooking & punching.

what little time I have for myself,
I enjoy browsing my books and magazines...
these are a few of the newer ones in my stack:

Matthew Mead Holiday
Victoria
Artful Blogging
Where Women Create
Wool Street Journal
&
the new Magdelina Briner book ~
(WAITING for my new Simple Life & Primitive Place)
what are your favorites??
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AND I have happy news!!
Folk Artists Tammy Speicher (Humble Crow/By Thy Hands Tinkerings) & Sherry Kristoff (from Sherry's Heart) will be sending some of their wares here for my open house! I can't wait to see what they send, but for now you can visit their blogs (on my sidebar)...there are a couple more folks sending things too, but I'm just waiting for confirmation from them ~
...I'll share more about that soon...

I have been having problems with AOL lately and we will be
(finally!!!!) getting highspeed internet....woohoo!
Technology has come to Podunk!!!!
I am hoping to keep my aol email address, so will keep you posted.
also, wanted you to know that some of your emails are not coming through,
...so if you haven't heard back from me, PLEASE email me again ~

MOST everyone's orders have been shipped,
so if yours hasn't gotten there yet it will be asap.
(don't forget that Veterans Day delayed shipping by one day)
I work very hard to make sure you get your orders shipped in a timely manner ~
but please don't forget that I am a one-woman-show...and all orders are shipped in the order in which I received them :)

Okkeedoeeee....
back to work I go...the carols are playing and the coffee is brewing ~
hoping you all have a *sparkling* Monday my friends!!

blessings from the farm,

Lori

Farmhouse Friday ~

2011-11-11T09:35:00.005-05:00

a beautiful day here on the farm ~
sunny & cold, windy & bright...perfect November day
first, I want to Thank
the VETERANS of the USA
for allowing my family to enjoy the freedoms in my life...

second, thought you'd like to enjoy some snaps of the farmhouse-in-progress
of getting ready for her holiday frippery:

here's a snap of our mantle in the keeping room~
I have to figure out what to put in the opening to cover the wall since it's not a true fireplace...
brick? should I paint it black? how about a folk art wooden fire screen faux painted with a primitive mural?
let me know your thoughts,,..

but for now I have placed a little wooden rack with early children's stockings and mittens on it,
and you can see my dried sweet potato garland and faux brich logs
(they are cement and weigh a ton!)

sitting on the mantle is the very first bear I ever made ~
his name is Comfort & I've showed him before...he resides throughout the house but for now he's here with a very favorite Santa Doll I have from Christine Crocker (Deerfield Farmhouse)...

Across from the mantel is this quilt rack that Peter made me when Hannah was born~
it holds old buckets, sewing baskets, a triple-tin candle holder and a new redware plate with the name of the town in CT hwere I grew up...
and my favorite quilt circa 1850 made with men's shirtings and calico dresses...
it will soon be embelleshed with fresh & faux greens and some of my santa dolls ~
the dress on the form to the left was one that I had made when I was reenacting up North...
it really did fit me at one time !!

below is a snap of a blue cupboard in the breakfast nook ~
it displays a small collection of wooden butter molds, redware and brown transferware..
I will soon incorporate fresh & faux greens and flicker candles for the Season.

and here is the shelf abopve my stove...
Peter built this for us when we moved in to the old farmhouse...
it holds my collection of aqua canning jars, old bottles, wooden boxes & 'stuff'
...

here is another snap :

my lower shelves are covered with fabric to hide the shelves,
since the kitchen is not finished completely yet...
I will soon change this fabric to a small red checkered fabric...nice & warm & cozy!

AND

I HAD to show you folks this wonderful piece of Folk Art...
it is a pottery sculpture of a half-lion, half-mermaid...
it was glazed and fired and is so heavy...it reminds me of chalkware...

who made it?
HANNAH!!!

I am So PROUD of her !!!
I never knew she was interested in pottery at all...she just recently started taking it in class
and loves it...now she wants her own studio! haha!!!
(guess she's a step off her mother's back porch, huh?)

Hoping you all enjoyed the little 'tour'
...have a wonderful weekend,

blessings from the farm,
Lori

on my worktable ~

2011-11-10T11:15:00.004-05:00

they're standing like little soldiers...
all lined up and waiting for their decorations...
these are some of my spiced pillar candles that will be available at the open house ~

and here are a few familar faces on canvas ~

I'm working everyday now, creating for the Holidays...
these candles smell like eggnog and nutmeg!

and there are more canvases primed and ready for my paintbrush...
I'll be capturing simple scenes from my memory and some from my imagination to place on them...

I would like to thank you for the well-wishes for yesterday ~
it was a long, stressful day for everyone, but we have great faith and it seems as though all will be well in the outcome..of course, we have to wait another 2 weeks for any conclusion, as our legal team goes through briefing and then arguments...but we are happy to have this past us now and we can begin to heal ~
THANK YOU!!!!

it's a beautiful, rainy day here on the farm...
I have the woodstove going and will make some chicken & dumplings for supper, along with corn bread and baked apples....
hoping you all have a simply wonderful day too :)

blessings from the farm,
Lori

wish us luck please...

2011-11-08T17:56:00.003-05:00

some of you may remember, some of you may not...and it's ok,
...as I really try not to bring our 'personal- personal' life to this blog ~
I had mentioned in a past post about my hubby Peter's wrongful termination ~
(and we won't go there...)
well, tomorrow is court-day.
all I can say is, the right shall provail,
while the wrongful need to rehearse & practice lines ~
sooooo ~ I'm confident that Peter, being the straight-arrow that he is....will prevail.
BUT
good thoughts & well-wishes are greatly appreciated ~
so, if you have a minute...?

blessings from the farm,
Lori

NEW Christmas Patterns

2011-11-07T09:51:00.003-05:00

Merry Monday to you my Friends!!

Here are my 2 new cross stitch patterns
for the Holidays...

the one below is called
"Merry Yule"
and I finished it into a sawdust-filled pinkeep with my own
hand-dyed rickrack stitched around the finished edge...
it was stitched onto 28ct linen that I stained with walnut dye
and it measures approx. 7" x 5 1/2"
(I don't have the stitch count yet but will post that soon)
the motifs include a holly-filled basket, snowflakes, a berried vine and the words Merry Yule.

The one below is called
"Feeding the Reindeer"
I had a great time stitching this one...it is so very simple and plain...
I also played a little bit with the finish, as you can see I added brown repro fabric to the bottom of the finished piece as it was too small for the frame I painted...
I LOVE how it looks!
it depicts a sweet Angel feeding a reindeer, a dove, the date 1856 & a partial alphabet.

it too was stitched onto 28ct linen that I stained with my walnut dye...the finished sampler including the fabric on the bottom measures approx. 8" x 10" (frame opening) & I will have the stitch count for this one too...the frame was hand painted & distressed by me, and will be available for your finished sampler if you choose to frame it as I have...

Both patterns are $10.00 each
I gladly combine shipping so you can order both for $21.50
the frame is $25.00 + $5.00 priority shipping.

email me at not4got@aol.com if you'd like to place an order for them ~
and my paypal address is
Hookin2@aol.com

the frames and patterns will also be listed in my etsy shop this aft,

and on my website.

I hope you enjoy them!

blessings from the farm,
Lori

Farmhouse Redux ~

2011-11-05T09:09:00.004-04:00

We have begun to tear off the old frontporch....

I'm happy & a little sad too...
thinking about all of the good times that must have been had
on this old porch by the folks that built this house back in the 1930's...

we've had some wonderful times here as well...
sitting on the porch swing on a warm summer eve ~ watching the fireflies & listening to the whipoorwills in the woods...
and taking shelter under the porch from a thunderstorm...

see my Passionfruit plant next to Pete?
we'll be moving it, then bringing it back once the new porch is done.

of course, Pete's right-hand-man is never far away from him...
especially if there's renovation work to be done
and perhaps a stray piece of wood needs to be chewed,...
... um, I mean 'sized' and remeasured....
Buddy, always willing to help :)

our new porch will be brick...it will be an open plan,
much like those found in Colonial Williamsburg, but in keeping with an old farmhouse.
Peter is incorporating a brick patio for us, complete with a fire pit & spit for those chilly winter nights under the Blue Ridge stars...

I'll share pics of the progress as we go along ~
wishing you all a wonderful day!

blessings from the farm,
Lori

My Painting Studio ~

2011-11-03T13:06:00.005-04:00

...when I paint on canvas,
you will find me working in my favorite studio ~

the lighting is excellent...

...my neighbors are delightful!

I can really spread out and get creative...

...and I never have to worry about spilling paint on this floor:

I choose my palette to reflect the season ~

...and I can make a wonderful mess :)

I would prefer to work outdoors to working anywhere else....
I'll share my holiday folk art paintings with you soon ~
and ~ while the paint is drying,
I'm headed back outside to stitch a little more on the new pattern designs.

blessings from the farm,
Lori

Getting to Know Me...A through Z

2011-11-02T18:12:00.005-04:00

I was tagged by dear, sweet Cecilia ~
...she wanted to know why I haven't posted a
'Getting to know me A through Z' post yet...
I told her I didn't think I was that interesting ~
I told her that I have been enjoying other's blogs that were linking to this subject ~
(I especially had to chuckle at a couple ~ you know who you are!)
and getting to 'know' the authors better...
*sigh*
ok...here goes to the best of my ability...

A ~ Anything Goes
...that means I'm usually up for anything.
Midnight Movies. Car Races. Tetherball....really? sure, go ahead & ask....
B ~ Beauty
...I try to find beauty in everything...rust, dust...tattered & torn~
even in those people who don't think they're 'beautiful'
C ~ Cats
I don't think I have to elaborate much on this one...ya with me?
D ~ Diligence
I guess this word came to mind because I just keep on going...
I try not to be influenced by others'....I try to stay on my own path.
E ~ Energy
If it weren't for stress, I'd have none...
(just kidding, I lead a very stress-less life)
F ~ Forgetful-ness
do I really need to remind you all that I'm in the throes of menopause?
G ~ Glitter
yes...GLITTER. I secretly love it. I don't use it in my work at ALL, but I have beautiful, vintage salt shakers and sugar shakers chock-full of every color glitter imaginable...
...one day I'll cover everything I own in it...
H ~...Hannah
my daughter owns my heart & soul ~
she's everything I've ever wanted to be in person-form.
she exudes charm & happiness & has the world at her finger-tips...
she will one day change our world.
I ~ Imagine
my mind is a bottomless cavern that hold mysteries and secrets...
my imagination holds the key that will someday unlock it all.
J ~ Jo-ene
...my sister Jo has been gone for two years, passed from Breast Cancer...
please allow her fate to be your spring-board to get your annual mammogram.
K ~ Keys
yes, we all love skeleton keys...I have amassed a collection of over 200.
'nuff said.
L ~ Levora
my given, birth name is Levora...
I am named after my Southern Grandmother on my Father's side,
Elva Levora Thomaston Smith Peters...but you may kindly call me Lori.
M ~ Marmalade
Marmalade was the first cat that ever owned me...
He was an Orange Tabby with six toes on each of his four paws (polydactile)
He would come when I whistled for him. He knew his name. He loved me & I loved him.
He lived to be 19 yrs young and succombed to Feline Leukemia & an Enlarged heart..
....please bring your fur-baby for regular vet visits.
N ~ Notforgotten Farm
yeah I know...it's my business name...BUT..it's also where we live, dream, hope & pray ~
our farm is as much a part of us as is our breathing & creating...I am blessed to be here.
O ~ Opposite
Peter & I are definitely opposites...
I am a Pisces, He is a Scorpio...he has a type A personality, I am...well...I haven't been diagnosed yet... I am a fighter, he is a lover. I want it NOW, He will wait till something better comes along.
and I LOVE him for that.
P ~ Peanut Butter
when I was pregnant with Hannah, I CRAVED peanut butter ANYthing.
Reese's PB cups, Nutter Butter Cookies, PB & J, PB on Ritz, PB on a SPOON....
Q ~ Questions
I tend to ask alot of these...why? when? how?...I usually get answers, but not the ones I'm looking for.
R ~ Rain
I LOVE rainy days. Especially rainy FALL days. I can sit for hours listening to the rain falling on my old farmhouse's tin roof and compose a different concert for each rainfall ~
S ~ Stitches
my life is made up of many different stitches....primitive, contemporary, oppulent, simple...
I work with my hands and most of my work is compiled of many types of stitches.
I enjoy each stitch that holds my life together.
T ~ Tea
I love my tea ~ Green, Black, Pekoe...Earl Grey, Celestial Seasonings, whatever...
If the kettles' hot, pour me a cup!
U ~ Ummmmm........
that one has me stumped!
V ~ See: "U"
W ~ West
I have always longed to visit CA, OR, WA ~
but I am petrified of flying....
X ~ "X-Pect" anything...
I have no idea where I will go ~ where this path of creativity may lead me...
I may design needlework patterns forever, or I may end up as a truck driver...who knows?
I won't fret, Life is for living ~ not for figuring out.
Y ~ Yellow
I want to paint my breakfast-nook walls butter yellow...
will you still love me if I do?
Z ~ Zat's All Folks...
...take me or leave me...I'm who I am:
not perfect.
confused.
enlightened.
serious.
bewildered.
happy.
creative.
bored.
scared.
burdoned.
trusting.
casual.
forgiving.
artistic.
complacent.
indifferent.
friendly.
bouyant.
snarky.
a little over weight. (ok....)
compelled.
elegant.
menopausal.
wrinkly.
exhuberant.
ALIVE...
and many other explatives....
just...me.

blessings from the farm,
Lori
btw...I never care if I've mispelled anything in my postings...
if you have trouble with that ~ you need to lighten-up.
Live. Life.Forgive.

Giveaway Winner!

2011-11-02T09:03:00.003-04:00

Thank You to all who played along in my little Giveaway ~
my little Teddy Bear on his Pumpkin will he on his way to live with
Steph from Front Porch Primitives!!!

Congrats to you Steph!
(funny story here folks...go read her comment on the Giveaway post ~
she made me chuckle with what she wrote...THEN I drew her name and almost fell over!)

Today I will be finishing up the models for my new patterns to be released asap.
I'll post their release here on the blog as soon as they're ready!

Have a beautiful, CREATIVE day my friends!

blessings from the farm,
Lori

November ~ Early Work Mercantile

2011-11-01T09:50:00.003-04:00

Happy November Friends & Folk!

please visit
www.EarlyWorkMercantile.com
to see all of the wonderful NEW items listed by your favorite folk artists...

blessings from the farm,

Lori

Merry Samhain! Happy Hallowe'en!

2011-10-31T10:04:00.004-04:00

~ Samhain ~
(pronounced SOW-in, SAH-vin, or SAM-hayne)
... is the third and final Harvest.
The dark winter half of the year commences on this Sabbat.
It is generally celebrated on October 31st,
~ but some traditions prefer November 1st.
It is one of the two "spirit-nights" each year, the other being Beltane.

Originally the "Feast of the Dead" was celebrated
in Celtic countries by leaving food offerings on altars
and doorsteps for the "wandering dead".

To Witches, Samhain is one of the four High Holidays, or Greater Sabbats.
Because it is the most important holiday of the year,
it is sometimes called 'THE' Great Sabbat.
Pagans consider Samhain the most magical night of the year.
...It occurs exactly opposite of Beltane on the Wheel of the Year.

It is a night of glowing jack-o-lanterns, tricks or treats,
and dressing in costume.
A night for telling chilling ghost stories by the fire.
And a time for seances, tarot card readings and scrying with mirrors.

It is upon this night,
that the veil which seperates our world from the Otherworld is at its thinnest,
...making it a Night of Power.

As Witches, we observe this day as a religious festival.
We consider it a memorial day for dead friends and family.
It is still a night to practice various forms of divinitory arts such as scrying and rune casting.
{{ One could never hope for a better Tarot reading than on this night!}}
Samhain is considered a time to wrap up old projects,
take a good look at one's stock in life,
and consider new projects and endeavors for the coming year.

Bonfire, hearth fire, candle -
gaze into the flame and revisit our ancient heritage.
Draw friends close and leave an offering for the whispering ghosts.
Samhain is here.
Let the Samhain BONFIRE burn high & bright!!

Symbols of Samhain:
Gourds, Apples, Black Cats, Jack-O-Lanterns, Besoms(Brooms).
Herbs of Samhain:
Mugwort, Allspice, Broom, Catnip, Deadly Nightshade, Mandrake, Oak leaves, Sage and Straw. Foods of Samhain:
Turnips, Apples, Gourds, Nuts, Mulled Wines, Beef, Pork, Poultry.
Incense of Samhain:
Heliotrope, Mint, Nutmeg.
Colors of Samhain:
Black, Orange, White, Silver, Gold.
Stones of Samhain:
All Black Stones, preferably jet or obsidian.

Remember your loved ones passed.
Count your Blessings.

Make positive Changes.
Celebrate the Gift of Life.
Have fun...EVERYDAY!

...blessings from the farm,
Lori

Sleepy Sunday ~

2011-10-30T12:06:00.009-04:00

We arrived home after midnight last night, from Hannah's final band competition ~
they placed SECOND in their division!!! WOOHOO!!! congrats to Hannah & Skyler for their hard work (Skyler is in Drum Line) we are SO proud of you both & LOVE YOU!!!

so today, we slept in ~ until about 9:30!!!
most of you know I'm a very early riser, between 5:30 & 6 everyday...
...but today was different.
even Mr. Iggy is still tired!
>^..^<

Below is a preview of what I'll be offering on Tuesday November 1st's
Early Work Mercantile
~ along with a few other items...

~AND~
below is a sneak of a new little Christmas sampler in the works, almost finished
that will be a pattern ~

I'm hoping to release this pattern and the needlepunch patterns early this coming week so you can get a head start on your Merry Making & crafting ~

it is a chilly day today here on the farm...

we woke to frost on the pumpkins ~ a beautiful sight ~ but by the time I grabbed my camera, the warm sun had melted the sparkling frost...oh well, just for my eyes I reckon.

I know that the Northeast has gotten alot of snow for this time of year,
so please be careful out there...stay warm & cozy!!!

oh, & some of you had emailed regarding not being able to 'see' my blog ~
I had to remove that wonderful Hallowe'en background so now it is 'naked' again except for the sweet header...hoping you can all see my blog now?

blessings from the farm,

Lori

Sing a Song of Sixpence...

2011-10-29T08:40:00.005-04:00

a pocketful of rye,
four and twenty blackbirds.....

well, I won't be baking any pies today ~
...but here's what was happening out my back window!

a ginormous, crackling, squawking & chortling
mob of blackbirds (starlings) gathered on my cluster of ancient black walnut trees....

I guess they are preparing for the weather-to-come?
they always gather this time of year. but never have I seen such a large bunch before...
drove my poor cats absolutely over the cuckoos nest!

we have "falling weather" here yesterday afternoon, last nighnt & today, a mix of rain & sleet...
the shop will be open only until 2pm today, so if you're venturing out
~ Please Be Careful ~
we also have to drive to Powhatan for Hannah's last band competiton in this mess...
it won't be cancelled unless it is truly undriveable, they will hold it indoors if possible...

(I'll bring my earplugs if that's the case!)
so wish us all luck!

Wishing you all a beautiful day, no matter the weather!

blessings from the farm,
Lori

T.G.I.F

2011-10-28T09:23:00.005-04:00

Happy Friday Friends & Folk!
oh it has been a busy week...
...I've been finishing up frame orders,
working on new Xmas/Winter needlepunch designs,
stitching some wool applique's that may-or-may-not become patterns...

readying the woodstoves for the predicted SNOW tomorrow!
{{yes, I said a four-letter-word....}}
the little woolen mittens remind me of things to come :)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

here is a preview of one of the new designs:
yes, it is a donkey!!
Hmmm,....I wonder who the inspiration for this design is?

and here is an almost finished wool applique':

I'm thinking of adding some stitching to the background,
but not sure exactly what yet,..any suggestions?

I have to thank ALL of you who are 'playing' in my giveaway game...WOW!
I had no idea there were so many bear & pincushion-lovers out there!
well...maybe I did, but I'm honored that so many of you have left such sweet comments~
AND
Verizon & AOL are giving me fits lately...
IF you have emailed me in the last couple of days and I haven't replied,
it may be because I haven't received your email...so PLEASE resend it!

Tonight is Hannah's last football game of 2011 as Drum Major...
it is also Senior Night, where all of the seniors & their parents are recognized by the school~
then tomorrow is the Nelson County Marching Governors last Band Competition
in Powhatan VA...
please keep your fingers crossed for Hannah that she will bring her band to the
Best in their Class awards!!!

Go GOVS GO!!!!!

Hoping you all have a beautiful day~

blessings from the farm,
Lori

A Giveaway ~

2011-10-26T09:58:00.004-04:00

I'd rather sit alone on a pumpkin
and have it all to myself
than be crowded on a velvet cushion....
~ Henry David Thoreau

In the Spirit of Generosity & Friendship ~

this little bear setting on his pumpkin
will be offered as a Giveaway!

he is made from German mohair, stuffed with cotton batting...
his pompion (pumpkin) is made from beautiful hand dyed wool ( it is stuffed with clean sawdust)
and I've stuck in little white headed pins for you too...

measures approx. 5" tall and 5" across ~
...one of a kind and original.

would you like him to come to live with you?
then all you have to do is leave me a comment here on this post...
I will draw a name on Wednesday, November 2nd and announce the winner ~

Best of Luck to those who play along!

blessings from the farm,

Lori

Holly & Mistletoe...Already???

2011-10-25T08:19:00.007-04:00

I know, i know...believe me, I KNOW!!!!
I realize it's not yet Hallowe'en...
but being a designer & folk artist, I have to be ahead of things...
I am in the throes of Holiday Merry Making here in my little studio!!!!
plus, all of the magazines out are Holiday themed, and well,
I guess I just have lots of Christmas Spirit this year, so I'm running with it!

Usually around the last week of October,
I get a hankering to create with mohair.

I love to offer a few one of a kind bears for the Holiday Season!!!
the red bear below is one that is in a private collection ~

her mohair was hand dyed (by me) in a 'cinnamon red-hot' color that I love to use!

Yesterday,
I gathered some mohair fabric and got out my dye pots ~
I want to make a couple "green-ish" colored bears
reminiscent of Holly and Mistletoe leaves...
in the snap below, you can see the light colored mohair I began with,...
a gold color on a brown backing:

I used Cushing's Khaki Drab acid dye
and got this result ~

one piece of mohair has a longer pile than the other,
...so that's why it came out lighter than the other ~
the pic above was taken outdoors in natural light,
the one below was taken indoors.

in the snap above, you can really see the mottling effect it has...
just perfect for a primsical Yuletide character!!

I will have a few bears & friends for my Christmas Open House on Nov. 26th,
my picturetrail update on Nov. 27th,
and for the O'l Time Christmas Show on Dec. 2nd & 3rd
(see "SHOWS" link at the top of this blog.)

How many of you have worked with mohair?
I was scared to death to work with it at first, being that it's SO expensive...
but, when you really want quality materials for your folk art,
NO OTHER fabric will do...
I have been bitten by the Wool Bug & the Mohair Bug!

I'll post pics of my work in progress soon ~
hoping you all have a wonderfully creative end-of-October day!!!

blessings from the farm,
Lori

an October Mornings' Walk ~

2011-10-24T11:28:00.006-04:00

...thought I'd share a couple of snaps from this morning's walk ~

Gentle Friend

Pumpkin Patch

Sweet Companions

Quilts on the Clothesline

tea-stained Stitchings
drying in the Sunshine

Pumpkins on the Porch

Faithful Friend

Waiting to Warm our Home...

I hope you enjoyed the walk with me~
have a beautiful October Day...

blessings from the farm,
Lori

Early Morning Farmhouse ~

2011-10-22T08:45:00.005-04:00

I love when our humble little farmhouse is still sleepy in the early morning hours...

the sun slowly brightens and awakens us ~
shining on my cherished posessions.

warming us with its' rays and comfort...

creating memories in each ray...

Hoping your weekend is a lovely one!

blessings from the farm,
Lori

Stuff ~

2011-10-20T09:57:00.003-04:00

Mark your calendars AND
...come on out to Notforgotten Farm
for a little old fashioned Christmas shopping fun!

I have been working like crazy this past week,
painting, making dolls and bears, samplers
& other simple things for a truly primitive Christmas!

I'll have my homemade peppermint soaps, "dirty snowballs" & Winter Folk for sale too ~
I'll be baking scratch cookies and serving hot cocoa for you as you browse the Good Stuff!

Hope to see you then!

AND
ALL HALLOWEEN & HARVEST Items in the Shop ONLY
have been reduced 20%

(((this does NOT include web sales & purchases)))
come on by the shop Friday or Saturday 10:00 - 3:00
for some great savings on purchases for your Hallowe'en/Harvest decorating!!
{I'm making room for Christmas/Winter goodes}

and One More Thing~
I'm putting together my class schedule for Winter 2011-2012
if you would like to learn to hook primitive rugs, do needlepunch, paint a folk art picture,

stitch a schoolgirl sampler or make a pennyrug...then come on down!
I'll be listing the schedule on here asap
and Miss Stacy Nash will be BACK here next October for another wonderful class!
(dates to be determined soon)

Have a *SPARKLING* Autumn day, my Friends!!!

blessings from the farm,
Lori

Wednesday Musings & Inspiration ~

2011-10-19T06:33:00.009-04:00

Good Morning Friends & Folk!

it is a loverly, drab & autumnal day here at the farm...
it is grey & drizzly ~ the leaves are so pretty set against the cloudy sky.

i was up early, about 6:00 and it was still dark out.
the farmhouse was still & quiet and I sat drinking my morning tea, looking through old magazines & books for inspiration and came across this:

don't you love this graphic?
it is an advertisement for the E. Ross Novelty Rug Machine & Patterns, the company was based in Toledo, OH and the advertisement was printed in the Lippincott's Monthly Magazine in 1887

I also chose some wools and here is my palette
that I'll be hooking and making penny rugs with ~

nice and muted, yet winter/holiday themed, no?
can't wait to get started with them!

~and~
of course,
I had to bring out my all-time-favorite magazines for the upcoming season...
Country Home magazine was and still is my absolute turn-to time and again for decorating & inspiration, no matter what time of year it is, but especially love LOVE my Autumn & Winter issues thee best!

and I've been updating my picturetrail website, and would love to have your banner to add to it.
If you have a picturetrail website and would like me to add yours to mine,
please email me your banner and i will do just that!
...if you'd like to exchange banners, just let me know & I'll send you mine too!
well I am off to run errands, bank, PO & AC Moore...
and I think I'll take a drive by that building in Lynchburg that I mentioned in yesterday's post ~
also
I want to let those of you who ordered while I was away,
that your goodes are being shipped in the order they were received.
Special Orders are being processed and will ship by the end of this week....

Have a beautiful, creative day my Friends!!

blessings from the farm,

Lori

Home!

2011-10-18T09:05:00.005-04:00

Howdy Folks!!!
I am HOME...here in VA ~ :)
I had a wonderful week spent with family, especially with my Mom.
We didn't do anything too exciting, but that's exactly what we wanted to do...
spend time with one another.

I did visit the
Newtown Country Mill
a beautiful country/primitive shop located in Newtown, CT ~

it is owned by my sweet friend Linda, who had faith in me to suggest that I teach rug hooking at her shop...here are some snaps of my visit...

the pic below is of Linda & my sister Louisea at Linda's shop counter...

just look at all the goodies in this beautiful shop...
I'll take one of everything please!

colonial, primitive New England....

love the colors ...mustard, black & brick

Linda carries a wonderful selection for your decorating,
and also a great sampling of homespun fabrics...

you may remember Linda's shop, her home & her daughter's home in a recent issue of
A Primitive Place magazine...

if you're in the neighborhood, stop in & see Linda...you'll be thrilled that you did!!
tell her I sent you!

or visit her on the web at
http://www.countrymillprimitives.com/

In Other News...
while away, I worked on the new punch needle patterns for Christmas/Winter 2012...

look for their release (hopefully) October 26th.
I also will have a couple of items available on http://www.earlyworkmercantile.com/ on November 1st,
for our Early Cabin Christmas offerings ~
AND
I have HUGE news....
Peter & I are looking in to purchasing a shop in downtown Historic Lynchburg, VA!!!!
I will be moving my primitives/needlework shop there and will hold classes there as well...
we will offer RETREATS for rug hooking & needlework in the farm shop here, and continue to hold our annual Gathering of Primitive Friends show each September...
it is SO exciting, knowing that I will have a shop in the 'city', where folks can come to visit, shop, learn & purchase primitives & needlework supplies...a lot more 'foot' traffic ~ woohoo!
the building we're looking at is brick, has three floors ~ a shop with two apartments
(which Hannah & Skyler already say they're moving into)

I haven't seen the inside yet, but know that it is brick...I LOVE brick walls!!!

so, more news on that will come....

Well, I have tons of emails to catch up on,
so I'll leave you for now...

it's good to be Home again!!!

blessings from the farm,

Lori

A Picture is worth a Thousand Words...

2011-10-12T14:06:00.004-04:00

Hello Friends & Folk!

I'm here is Connecticut ~
the drive up (approx. 8 hrs) was wonderful...
as I was driving It was a beautiful October day, blue skies & warm afternoons...
the drive brought me through VA, West VA, Maryland, Pennsy., Nj, Ny & finally CT...
each state has it's own rate of change for Autumn colors and the further North I headed, the more color of course...

I have my camera with me, and have snapped lots of pics, but my Mom's computer is an 'oldie' and doesn't have a card reader, so I can't download pics till I get home ~
BUT
here is what I'm experiencing on my daily journies and walks :

~stately OLD saltboxes lined up neatly on oak & elm tree lined streets ~
~winding rock walls that meander through fields of golden grasses~
~wild geese honking overhead~
~crisp white church steeples pointing to the heavens against azure-blue skies~
~trees on fire with the blush of Mother Nature ~
~the tang of woodsmoke hovering in the air~
~crunching leaves underfoot as I walk through the town green~
~pumpkins, cornstalks & decorations of every medium on porches to greet the Harvest~
~ clear ponds sprinkled with gemstoned hued fallen leaves ~
~ apple stands ~
~ saltwater breezes with a touch of summer still lingering ~

and so much more...
...my family & I are enjoy each other's companies ~
it's so strange to be 'home', but so comforting too...
I feel welcomed & loved, safe in my Mom's warm home.

I'll chime in again soon ~
:)

blessings from the farm,
(well, from CT right now!!)
Lori

Antique Show Goodies....

2011-10-08T09:56:00.003-04:00

Good Morning!

I didn't get alot of stuff from the show yesterday,
but oh boy was it a GREAT show!!!!

row after row of thee best quilts, textiles, samplers...

redware, baskets, old bears ~
and of course, children's clothing & toys
(my personal fav)

SO,
when I spotted these tiny wool mittens,
I knew I had to have both pair ~

they are just so sweet and will grace my mantle come the Winter Months...

I also picked up this little doll quilt:

my favorite colors, blue pink & brown calico & homespuns
all handstitched and worn to bits...

faded, soft and tattered is my preferrence for textiles like this!

Well Friends,
today will be spent getting ready for my trip to CT tomorrow...
I have errands to run and packing to do,
so please remember that my shop is closed today
& will NOT be open again until October 21st & 22nd ~

I will have my computer with me while I'm away,
so I can post the goings-on of my trip for you ~

Ill see you again in a day or so!

blessings from the farm,
Lori

About THAT frame....

2011-10-07T18:24:00.004-04:00

Oh My....
have you all seen Stacy's new
Colonial Christmas Sampler & Pinkeep?

it is a beautiful, simple and elegant holiday design...

and

I'm thrilled that she has presented her model for her sampler
in one of my hand-comb-painted frames....

I've received several emails regarding 'that frame' !!!
I will have them made up for your enjoyment,

but not until my return from CT, the week of October 16th ~

IF you would like to pre-order yours, please email me at
not4got@aol.com
the frames are 5" x 7" (opening)
and no two are alike, although yours will be similar
in color and execution to the one shown,
to compliment Stacy's palette choice....
they are $22.00 each + $4.95 priority shipping shipping

Thank You sweet Stacy,
~ for bringing my little frame to life with your wonderful handwork!!
and Thank You Friends for your interest in my frames!!
~~~~~

blessings from the farm,

Lori

Mum's the Word ~

2011-10-07T08:07:00.003-04:00

Good Morning Folks!

Miss Felicia & I are heading out for the
Fishersville Antiques Expo ~

hoping to find all kinds of needful things :)

but first,
here are some snaps of our black walnut trees
and our GINORMOUS mum plant (bush!)

I love the nuts while they're still on the trees,
but
hate to pick them up ~
something about rusty buckets, cornstalks and pumpkins
make my heart sing ~

and here is the mother of all mum's...

I affectionately call her 'mummy'...
yes, I talk to my plants ~
i talk to my gardens, the trees, and anyone else who will listen!

perhaps that's why she grows so big every year?

I'll post tomorrow with the goods from the show ~
Have a *SPARKLING* Autumn day my Friends!!

blessings from the farm,
Lori

Thursday Musings ~

2011-10-06T12:22:00.004-04:00

Hello Friends & Folk ~
a beautiful, sunny & mild Thursday here on the farm...
the clothes are washed & hung to dry,
the sheep and donkeys, chickens, duck & guinea hens are all fed
...and now I have a moment to visit with you...

I first wanted to show you this:

this little sewing pocket pattern
will be in the Winter issue of
Primitive Quilts and Projects magazine

and here is the cover of that issue...

any of you interested in subscribing you can do that on their website,
and if you subscribe now for one year, they are offering one free pattern,
if you subscribe for 2 years, they are offering TWO free patterns!!
{please tell them I sent ya!}
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
and here is a little hooked mat that I finished....

small & simple, it will be available at our
Christmas Open House
here in the shop on November 26th...
along with many other handmades for the winter/holiday season ~

Have you seen my new link list on my sidebar to your left?
(under my favorite blogs)
I have so many that I would like to share with you all....so if you get a moment,
please visit those fine folks ~ you'll be happy you did!

Well, I am off to start on my winter needlepunch designs,
I have three drawn up and now they need to be transferred to cloth for punching....
I hope to bring them to CT with me and finish them while I'm there ~
And, speaking of CT,
I will NOT be taking the train,
instead I will drive myself...
(((that way I can stop in PA to do a little shopping & antiquing!!!)))

Hoping you all have a wonderful day,
...create something, go for a woodland walk
or visit an old friend...
do something just for YOU!

blessings from the farm,

Lori

Dressing for October ~

2011-10-04T09:13:00.008-04:00

I think she wears Autumn colors best,
this old farmhouse....

she just seems to glow when I scrub & clean her,
then dress her in hues of bittersweet, orange, sky blue & brown....

you can see the mending-patches on the wingback chair in the foreground to your left....

she wears simple things,
nothing too fancy or store-bought ~ old & worn is so much better.

when the morning sunlight fills & warms her,

her ancient walnut floors shine with a mellow glow that only gets better with time ~
her stately old brick chimney lends an air of colonial sophistication to an otherwise simple home.

always ready to offer her warmth and hospitality,
my old farmhouse seems to hug me when I come home...

as I've mentioned in my previous postings,
I am carefully choosing what beloved items to adorn her with ~
Halloween Dolls & Folk Art are my absolute favorite :

Peter's Grandfathers' tool box hangs in our den,
filled with old tools
and the
memories of the hands that used them ~

my Feather Tree dressed for Hallow's Eve glows softly in the evening hours ~

~ our blue mantle is set for the Harvest Season...

of course, Mr. Ignatious Katt had to run onto this snapshot ~
can you see that his tail is a blur?
can you also see that my cuckoo clock's weights and chains are now hung on the clock itself?
Hmmmm.....I wonder what (who) could have made me do such a silly thing....

All in all,
I am simplifying...in my own way I guess!!!!
I still love 'stuff' and really have paired down quite a bit in the last two days ~
really, I HAVE! :)

in other news,
I will be leaving for Connecticut, by train, on Sunday October 9th
...and will return sometime the following weekend (perhaps the 16th)
so the shop WILL BE CLOSED for
Friday October 7th
Saturday October 8th
Friday October 14th
Saturday October 15th

I'm hoping to enjoy my first New England October in more than eight years!!!!
woohoo!!!
any orders placed while I'm away will not be shipped until my return.
and all orders that have been placed previously to now have been shipped ~

Have a beautiful day my Friends!!

blessings from the farm,
Lori

A Bit of Autumn Magic ~

2011-10-03T11:05:00.004-04:00

Some of you may remember my character,
Pumpkin Tyme

my guy that I painted in watercolors graced my original notecards a few years back,
then was beautifully adapted into a design for Rug Hooking,
much to my (and many other hookers' ) delight...by Kris at www.Spruceridgestudios.com .

He has now been magically transformed into Cloth by the blessedly-talented hands of
Angela Hillstrom of Old Raggs USA ~

Angela captured his wit & charm...
his sedate smile and beady eyes...

she gave him just the perfect choice of old fabrics for clothing
...and I see that he approves.

I love his long lankiness and breeches...
his tiny feet tickle me!!

I believe he is available for adoption ~

You may see more pictures of him on Angela's website,
www.picturetrail.com/olderaggsusa

Thank You Angela,

for bringing Pumpkin Tyme to life!!
(you'll want to visit Angela & Bobbette's beautiful blog too,
www.clothandhand.blogspot.com)

blessings from the farm,
Lori

My Favorite Chair ~

2011-10-02T08:34:00.003-04:00

This is my favorite chair.
it's the one I sink down into on chilly nights ~
to read, hook, stitch...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

this is my favorite kitten.
he's the one that follows me, "kneeds" me and thinks I'm his mother...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is what happens when favorite chair & favorite kitten meet:
shredded cloth & spewing stuffing...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

and this is how I'll fix my favorite chair.
with needle and thread,
some old linen cloth and elbow grease ~

{{ it helps to have a big curved needle, too.}}
a TRUE make-do in my eyes ~
I'll not part with chair nor kitten, so this is plan B

I'll share the finished repair soon!

Tomorrow starts the beginning of my
Simplifying phase...

I have three big boxes ready to go ~
Keep, Toss, Donate

we'll see how good I can do...

Have a beautiful Autumn Sunday my Friends!

blessings from the farm,
Lori

The Royal Couple ~

2011-10-01T07:29:00.006-04:00

It is with great pride that I introduce you to

Nelson County High School's
Homecoming King & Queen:

Hannah & Skyler!!!!

I don't have these pics in order, but you get the gist....

I cannot begin to tell you how PROUD we are of them ~
what a wonderful game & homecoming we had last night....

Congratulations to my favorite couple!!!

...we love you and are so proud of you both!!!
YAY!!!!!

p.s. shop is open today, come on in for a visit :)

blessings from the farm,
Lori

Cooling Off ~

2011-09-30T08:44:00.005-04:00

Oh boy,
it's happening again !
every year, when the weather starts cooling off and the leaves start showing their beautiful colors ~
I get the urge to dig into my mountains of wool and play :)

I don't hook much, but when the urge strikes...
watch out!

here are some snaps of just a small sampling of my collection
of hooked rugs from talented friends
~~~~~~~~~~
I LOVE the circular hit-or-miss background on this rug that hangs in my breakfast nook:
it was hooked by ~
Kathy Clark of Briarwood Folk Art

this sweet pumpkin/crow rug in a great tombstone shape was hooked by
Sandi of Old Crow Primitives

the beautiful rugs below, were hooked by the talented hands of
Sherry Kristoff

the festive rug below was hooked by me ~
a joy to hook!
it is a pattern from
Woolen Willow

...this rug, below is such an original that I had to have it...
it depicts a crow in a witch hat with candy-corn (my fav!)
I cannot remember for the life of me who hooked it
(I'm sorry!)
if you did, or know who did PLEASE email me?

and below,
are two tiny mats hooked by
Bonnie Stahl...
she is by far my favorite hooker/designer
...and I wish I could afford more of her rugs!

SO ~
I am going to put marker to linen, linen on frame and hook to wool and hook something.
I'll let you see my progress as I go!

blessings from the farm,
Lori

Some Serious Simplifying....

2011-09-29T17:02:00.005-04:00

look at this little guy on my pumpkin stem...

he carries everything he needs with him on his back
in that beautiful home-made shell of his.

I noticed him while watering plants this morning...
thankfully, it was a cooler much sunnier autumn morning.

I was bending down to water when I spotted him slowly going on his way
and I got to thinking...
gee, he doesn't have chores to do like dusting,
watering plants, vacuuming rugs or things of that nature
...nope.

then I came back in the house and realized that,
once again~
I just have too much 'stuff'.
I love my stuff, but there's alot of it in here
and I don't like the cluttered feeling I'm beginning to get
when I walk into certain rooms...
I need to really focus on what I treasure mostly (in terms of 'stuff', of course)
and let go of most of this stuff that doesn't mean much to me or my family...

SO
I've started a list of to do's, and will allow you to follow me through the process
(if you'd like to, that is)
I will begin on Monday morning...October 3rd.
which happens to be our wedding anniversary ~ 24 years together!!
what better day to begin simplifying than one that is already memorable?

On another note~
I have received SO many emails from you wishing me good luck on the job situation ~
my thanks to you all and here's how I look at it...
if it is meant to be, fine.
... if it isn't meant to be
...fine.
and also from some of you who were concerned
that I was 'quitting' designing patterns and making my folk art....
nonsense I say.
no worries.
I have to create & share with you.
it's what fills my heart!

I'll always be here ~
:)

blessings from the farm,

Lori

~update!~

2011-09-28T18:20:00.003-04:00

~~~~Hi Friends & Folk~~~~

well, no pictures for this post, but the job interview went well
(i thought , anyway ~ lol)
I talked my heart out, was true to myself and put on no airs...
I talked about my family, my animals, my love of creating ~ I was asked to describe myself and found myself saying things like:
"comfortable in my own skin"
"creative"
"AFFABLE"
(I think that means to have a good sense of humor and can laugh at one-self)...
without being glib, I tried to convey that as I am pushing the upside of 50 yrs old,
I am still {in MY mind} young, capable, confident ~
(more now that I was in my younger days)
...and grounded. VERY CENTERED & Grounded.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
oh I talk too much ~ me thinks...
BUT
that's ME.

I am simple folk, like you,....
I love family, friends & my faith...I am a HOMEBODY.
i trust in my insitincts as a woman, and fly by the seat-of-my-pants...
I love a bargain, (Goodwill here i come!)
I treat others as i would like to be treated
and give praise & recognition where i think it is due...
I am in the throes of menopause,
..am over-weight (and trying to be healthier)...
I make vows to myself to be more productive ~
nicer, friendlier and more helpful
{{IF my hormones let me, if not, WATCH OUT!!}}
SO,
here i am...
take me or leave me...
either way,
I know I am still loved by those that matter to me~
liked by my true-friends
and can genuinely put my head on my pillow at night and sleep...
{ok, till a hot-flash wakes me up}
so
ALL IS GOOd!

I hope to not bore you with all of this..
I truly believe we have some say in our destinies...
We are are all handed a Brand-New day, everyday~
and what we make of it it up to us...

I want to make it good,
& I know you do too.
So,
tomorrow morning,
when you're still in bed & just waking up ~
while you're stretching PLEASE remember these words:
Calm
Easy
Love
Peace
Home
Connect
FAMILY
Do
Finish
BE....
just be....

those are the words that help me everyday...
I hope they help you too....

blessings from the farm,
Lori

~ A Breather ~

2011-09-28T07:55:00.006-04:00

I was cleaning out my ever-growing photo files and came upon three that tickled me ~
thought you might get a smile from them too...

Fuzz-bucket Donkeys dressed in their Winter woolies ~~~
(Daisy is much bigger now and has become quite long-legged and elegant)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hannah & Skyler,
always helpful, always smiling & always together...
(we love you both so much!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Laughing Kittens
(or more simply, those that really get my sense of humor ...like Iggy)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
remember to take time to enjoy even the tiniest things today...
stop for a second and just breathe ~
drop those shoulders and
...let a smile creep across your face :)

AND in other news...
I have been keeping a secret from all of you.
I have a JOB INTERVIEW today at 10:00
(((...yepper, you read that right)))
~In my 'past life'
(read: before I became a full time arteest),
I was a Dental Assistant in CT
and had a wonderful career in the healthcare field...
I enjoyed it immensely ~ but when I was blessed to become pregnant with Hannah
(after struggling for 7 yrs with infertility treatments)
I vowed to stay home & be a full time Mommy...I must say I think I've done a good job,
but now that she's choosing her path towards college & adulthood,
and since Peter lost his job back in May,
I feel it's time for me to get back to healthcare ~ to contribute to my family just a little bit more.

I am a people-person who loves to help others~
i think i can do this AND still have my beloved career in designing...
I am a positive-thinker and I know that everything always turns out ok...
SO ~
wish me luck at the dental office today,
I'll chime back in later to hopefully fill you in with good news :)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
be happy, be productive and be kind.
that's the best we can do!!!

blessings from the farm,
Lori

~ Switching Gears ~

2011-09-27T09:42:00.005-04:00

Howdy Folks!
finally have 6 little cross stitched charms for you in my
etsy shop
>>>>>::<<<<<

... and to let you know that I will soon begin to work on
Holiday/Christmas/Yuletide/Winter
folk art!
you'll see lots of new finished hooked pieces,
dolls and samplers & such...
I have created a HOLIDAYS section in my etsy shop, for your shopping convenience...
right now, Halloween things are in there but I will be adding a Santa Doll, small needlepunched stocking ornie, 3 holiday-inspired wool-felted lollipop pins,
a SUPER-prim "Santy Claus" pocket
and much more-to-come :)

I know it's early,
but I wanted to remind everyone that our
Christmas Open House
will be held on Saturday, November 26th 10:00 ~ 4:00
~ the shop will be filled with fresh greens, handmades, patterns & supplies for primitive rug hooking, cross stitch & needle punch ~

We'll have hot cocoa & cookies waiting for you
AND a Holiday Raffle Basket!

have a wonderful Early Autumn day!!
~blessings from the farm,
Lori

New Needle Punch Patterns Available ~

2011-09-26T17:11:00.004-04:00

all three patterns are available in my etsy shop
(link on top of right sidebar)
or email me at not4got@aol.com

Ye Ladye Pumpkin
pattern = 10.00 + ship

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Colonial Hill Farm
pattern = 10.00 + ship

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Witches Brew
pattern = 10.00 + ship

As always, I'm happy to combine shipping for you!!

and,
I'm working on getting those little stitched pumpkin/witch charms
listed in my etsy shop too...
thanks for your emails
...and Patience!!!

blessings from the farm,
Lori

~ October Feather Tree ~

2011-09-23T06:28:00.003-04:00

I just received my copy of the Brand New Halloween Book published by
Just Cross Stitch magazine...
and here is my submitted design:

I'm SO excited about this!
not only about being published in this book, as it is their first-ever BOOK
devoted exclusively to Halloween designs,
but
because there are so many different, whimsical, primitive, fun & spooky
designs in there that I want to stitch up!!!!

If you haven't ordered yours yet,
the link for their website is on my sidebar...

it is So worth it!

I hope you like my October Feather Tree design!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It is a wonderfully, rainy fall morning ~
I will spend my day in my sewing room
... finishing up projects and dreaming of more to come...
and a very Happy Autumn to you ALL :)

blessings from the farm,
Lori

p.s. I will be listing my little stitched pumpkin charms in my etsy shop today also :)

Autumn in a basket...

2011-09-22T15:12:00.003-04:00

taking a stroll around our farm, fields and woods usually
has me bringing a basket along...
to gather little tidbits of Nature that I collect ~

here is a basketful of Autumn treasures:

what's that you say?
never have you seen mushrooms and acorns like that before??
oh I have...
in my imagination ~

made from hand dyed wool roving and needlefelted...
wearing little dried acorn-top hats
and setting on a bed of dried moss ~

I love them!

the mushroom holds old rusty pins ~

I think I'll pile a bunch into a wooden bowl
and just look at them ~ they make me smile :)

do you like the needlepunched project in my header up there?
it is the 2nd soon-to-be-released pattern model~
it's called
'Colonial Hill Farm'
i had that wonderfully folky red & mustard frame
for so long and it just fits the piece perfectly!

I'm off to begin the last project model...
'Ye Ladye Pumpkin'

have a wonderful evening, Friends ~

blessings from the farm,
Lori

Esty Shop Update

2011-09-21T16:38:00.005-04:00

I've just finished listing some finished folk art & needlework
in my etsy shop....

"Witch of Birch Woods" finished pillow

click HERE to visit my shop ~

I'm working away on the new needlepunch patterns,
I think they'll be all finished & released by this weekend....

many thanks for your emails of interest in them!!!

~ALSO~
i will be listing some older Halloween/Harvest/Holiday
patterns in my etsy shop this evening too....
favorites & familair patterns from my past designs....

Have a beautiful eve!

blessings from the farm,
Lori

One down ~ 2 to go...

2011-09-20T12:40:00.005-04:00

Here is
'Witches Brew'
all finished up....

i wasn't sure how I wanted to finish it,
but I like the sawdust-stuffed finish i gave it ~

backed with wool and hung with black wired ribbon & rusty pins and bells...

finished pattern size is approx. 5 inches by 5 1/2 inches.

{{this will be released as soon as I'm finished with the other two that are on the frame!}}
this was fast & FUN to punch ~ let me know what you think!!
:)

blessings from the farm,

Lori

Humbled

2011-09-19T11:21:00.004-04:00

Have you all seen the absolutely beautiful Sampler that Stacy Nash has designed?
she designed it to honor our friendship and memory of her class here at

Notforgotten Farm

I am so happy ~ I feel like this:

Heartfelt thanks to you Miss Stacy ~
you have filled my heart with friendship & affection!!!
please visit Stacy's blog at
Stacy Nash Primitives

in other news,
here is what is on my frame right now ~

I'm working on two new punch needle designs to offer you soon!
this one is called
"Witches Brew"
and was inspired by a papercutting I did a few years back....

here's a view of the front...

I'm thinking it will be finished into a hanging pocket
to tuck in drieds & such...but who knows where my needle might take me?

I am in the process of sketching out the 2nd design and will show you that soon.
also, I will be listing a bunch of Halloween treats in my
Etsy Shop
either this aft or eve :)

Have a beautiful Monday, everyone...

blessings from the farm,
Lori

Notforgotten Farm

A Token of Friendship ~ free pattern for you ~

~ Simple * Farmhouse * Sunday ~

More Kitchen Progress ~

Wool Ewe be Mine? pattern release!

Kitchen Redux ~

Farmhouse Pantry Goods ~

Wonderful, exciting news to share!!!

Strawberry Sunday ~

Winter Arrives....?

Wool EWE be Mine?

Happy Wednesday!

What a Boob....

Earlywork Update & Cabin Goods Show pics ~

~ Garden Boxes ~

Krazy Katt

I've the BLUES !

CLOSED TODAY

Tea Time ~

Spring 2012 PQ&P magazine ~

Winter Farmhouse ~

Happy 2012!!!

A little progress...

HOOP-la

Hello!

~ Merry Christmas ~

Flowers in December ~

Happy Birthday Hannah!

In between the Hustle-Bustle...

Santa Picka A Winner ~

ALMOST done!!!!

From Me to You ~

Jose Cuervo Christmas Cookies ~

Christmas Jolly's ~

A Heartfelt Thank You ~

It's OPEN!!!!!

the three bears...

In my workshop ~

Christmas Update!

Christmas in the Valley Show ~

December Comes...

Early Work Mercantile & the Ole Time Christmas Show

Testing the Water ~ or bobbing for Apple iMacs

Just what the Doctor ordered...

~ Open House Pics ~

Thanks Indeed.

hello.

Monday, monday ~

{{ fini }}

The Fur is Flyin' ~

{{ Perpetual Change }}

little things ~

**IMPORTANT UPDATE** PLEASE READ!!

A White Christmas ~ Primitive Farmhouse Style

Hustle-bustle....

Farmhouse Friday ~

on my worktable ~

wish us luck please...

NEW Christmas Patterns

Farmhouse Redux ~

My Painting Studio ~

Getting to Know Me...A through Z

Giveaway Winner!

November ~ Early Work Mercantile

Merry Samhain! Happy Hallowe'en!

Sleepy Sunday ~

Sing a Song of Sixpence...

T.G.I.F

A Giveaway ~

Holly & Mistletoe...Already???

an October Mornings' Walk ~

Early Morning Farmhouse ~

Stuff ~

Wednesday Musings & Inspiration ~

Home!

A Picture is worth a Thousand Words...

Antique Show Goodies....

About THAT frame....

Mum's the Word ~

Thursday Musings ~

IMPORTANT UPDATE PLEASE READ!!

Humbled