Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Headstones, Snakes and Stitches...

I'm at the point of adding little motifs here & there
to my Witches Garden Sampler ~

tiny headstones scattered about...
vines and potted weeds.

green garden snakes and blacksnakes too ~


tiny iron crosses and such...






will be finishing this up by week's end,
...and hoping to have Peter build frames for this one and for Salem Village
(which Felicia is finishing as we speak! woohoo!!!)

hoping you all have a wonderful day, filled with love & light ~


Blessings from the Farm...
Lori

Monday, June 27, 2011

Website Woes....

well...here's the story:




I have been wanting a 'real' website for some time now,...
you know, a true 'notforgottenfarm.com' .
I USED to have one, but the hosting was not good and their server was down quite a bit.
SO
I did what everyone else was doing, and created a picturetrail account...




it was serving the purpose of a placemarker for my online business
but I just couldn't quite get the hang of it, so it was just kind of
"out there".




last week, in my infinite wisdom
(she says with much sarcasm)


I decided to contract a host to develope a new website...
it is a design-and-maintain-it-yourself program & I thought it would be easy.


WRONG!
(& I'm no computer-dummy ~ no rocket-scientist, but no feeb, either)




So, I cancelled it ~ and now I am back to my simple little picturetrail website.


which I will keep and update & really try hard to make pretty for my visitors...




take a peek and let me know what you think about it so far, if you would be so kind ~
www.picturetrail.com/notforgottenfarm


I appreciate input & constructive criticism...
let me know if I should change anything, add anything, take anything away
etc....


thanks, my friends!

AND
on another note...

I have been receiving emails from customers who ordered my little pendants ~
saying they have yet to recieve them....
I have no clue as to why you haven't received them yet!
I am very rural here in VA, but you should have gotten them by now...
IF you purchased one and haven't received yours, please let me know & I'll send out a replacement order for you asap....

in the meantime, I will be having SERIOUS discussions with my POst Master!


Blessings from the Farm...
Lori

Sunday, June 26, 2011

a Helping Hand....

I think HE thinks he's helping....
{personally, he's a sweet nuisance, but tolerable to a point}


EVERYtime I sit down at this computer,
there he is...
gently pawing at my knee with velvet mittens ~
coaxing me with 'pretty eyes' to pick him up.
~ and I always do.
**is that a smirk I see??**

and
speaking of helping hands,...

here is a new little booklet for you ~
"Little Hands, Little Stitches"

a little, 5" x 7" booklet ~
10 pages of neat little photos of antique samplers, antique photos of girls,
some quips and wuotes from needlework and just general thoughts on schoolgirl samplers...
plus a full-size cross stitch
pattern of a schoolgirl sampler and various motifs for you to create your own sampler!


price of the booklet is $10.00 + shipping~
to place an order, you can email me at
not4got@aol.com

it is also up on my picturetrail site
(which I am also trying desperately to 'fix')
www.picturetrail.com/notforgottenfarm
and will be in my etsy shop ~



I am making headway on the Withes Garden Sampler ~
~ every spare moment I get I stitch...
will share more progress pics soon!!!

Blessings from the Farm...
Lori

Friday, June 24, 2011

In my spare time....

I love to collect sewing items ~
pincushions, especially....

I love thread holders
needlebooks
pinkeeps
scissors
make-do's
and

old glass head pins.


if I can fit more on this little cubby I will !
I love how eveything just goes-together....
the colors
textures and how everything on there
makes
me
smile...

old motto samplers, the more stained, the better..
simply pinned to the wall
make my heart sing!

and little pockets made to carry perhaps
needle and thread ~ for projects on-the-go.

tiny hanging pinkeeps that can be used for ornaments as well
speak to me from stolen moments gone by ~

These things please my heart well.

AND speaking of things to make you smile,
Stacy Nash has emailed me with photos of the class project that she'll be teaching here in August!!!
I'll post them here asap....
(all I can say about the project is ~~~~~~ WOWOWOW!!!)

hoping you all have a wonderful day filled with things that make you smile!
Blessings from the Farm...
Lori

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Wednesday Musings ~

Ah yes...
more stitching done on my Witches Garden Sampler....
not much, but I did finish a tree and some more verse ~

why don't I have it finished yet?

ask "them" ;



I am constantly watching them...Tippy (pictured), Suzy & Iggy.

they entertain me for hours on end...

this is a quiet moment when they don't have each other in furry-armed headlocks.

it's true, they like each other ~


SO

in between watching them
(who needs a televison?)
AND
working on a BRAND NEW little booklet called
"Little Hands, Little Stitches"
(yes, I can multitask very well thank-you)
AND working on a BRAND NEW
WEBSITE
(so long picturetrail, hurrah!)
much more on these two things to come SOON!

i am pulling thread through linen to get this sampler finished
and Felicia is working on Salem Village...
(we are heading out today, ran out of some threads)

Yesterday I went with Robin (Millstone mercantile)
shopping and picking...
she found a beautiful, albeit HEAVY little table
... and a HUGE brown enamelware colander...

I found a couple of sewing related needfuls, of course.
~ we had fun :)


well, I'm off to get the animals fed & watered...
please take care in this heat today, and pray it breaks soon!


Blessings from the Farm...
Lori

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Out my back door ~

I have been watching a pair of Hares out in our backyard...
they are thee sweetest couple ever!

I apologize for the poor photo-quality,
but
I can only snap their pic through the screened window
because as soon as they think they hear me,


they are off & running,...


...and they don't stay in one place very long,
but they are never very far apart from one another.

occasionally they will have a third with them, not quite an adult
but he won't let me get his picture!!

I'm hoping I can get more snaps of them today,
they tend to hang around near the base of the birdfeeder in our backyard...

Hoping you all have a Peaceful Sunday,
filled with wonderful little things!

AND
a very Happy Fathers Day to my Beloved ~
xoxoxoxoxoxoxox


Blessings from the Farm...
Lori

Friday, June 17, 2011

Some Updates....

Hi Folks!

well, yesterday was quite the adventure to say the least...
we drove about 2 hours to Culpepper, then onto Fredericksburg, VA
to visit Everything Cross Stitch ~
a quaint little shop in Old Town...


then went on to the Antique shops there as well ~
and SHOP we did!!



BUT...let's just say that Felicia is one Mad Shopper when it comes to finding antique sewing needfuls in glass cabinets...you do NOT want to mess with her, as she will knock you down trying to get the goods...Joan & I have learned our lesson well ! LOL she is like a mama bear protecting her cubs, but in this case, she will bite you if you come near 'her'' finds!!! hahaha!!!



(((I DID take my camera, and promptly left it in the car. uh huh. I know...stoooopid!)))


so here is a snap of my sewing room ~ freshly cleaned, rearranged again and organized:


it's qiet & calm & peaceful...
(except when Iggy comes racing past, ears flat back and his tail looking like a bottle-brush!)
I swear, I'm gonna stitch him up a little red cape for him to wear while he runs around~
he's so comical, he reminds me of a nerdy superhero!!!!

AND
here's an update on the August 2011 Stacy Nash class here at Notforgotten Farm ~
Stacy emaile me this morning and said the class project will be a pinkeep drum and a little wool slipper!!! Oh I can't wait...she said she will begin shipping kits out the first of July ~
we do have some room available if you've not signed up yet,


so email me at not4got@aol.com if you'd like to take Stacy's class!



well, I'm headed to my stitching chair...so far today I've:
done the laundry
mowed the lawn
cleaned the cat boxes (oh,.,joy)
cleaned the fridge
(who left a sock in the potato drawer? oh...eeew...that's not a sock...gross)
and have played with Iggy the Wonder Kitten


...right now he's gifting me with a few moments of solitude

as he sleeps on my bed quilt....


Blessings from the Farm...
Lori

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Sampler & Frame class ~

Good Morning Friends & Folk!

yesterday was our little Sampler & Frame class here at the farm...

our project was a simple little school-girl inspired design on linen,
with a plain alphabet and motifs from the 18th & 19th c.'s.


I love getting together and stitching with friends ~
although I didn't accomplish any stitching, because i was teaching!



we talked, stitched, laughed and made a mess...
(well, ONE of us did anyway, and ONE of us was smart enough to bring a smock!)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

don't ask me why I didn't take pictures of their finished frames...
I am suffering from Hay Fever Allergies and my poor little head isn't quite right!
(not that it ever was FULLY right to begin with! ha!)

but believe me, their frames came out beautiful and SO old looking!
....my thanks to Kerry, Carol, Karen, Pat, Joan & Felicia for a wonderful day
and your Friendship ~

right now, it is 6:31 am ~ thursday morning...
I am now going to get ready for our road trip to (change of plans):
Fredericksburg - "Everything Cross Stitch Shop"
Culpeper - "Antiquing"
and then - ????????????
who knows where!!!!

I'll take my camera and snap some fun pics of our trip and share tomorrow ~
have a great day everyone and enjoy these cooler temps!!!

XXXxxxXXXxxx
Blessings from the Farm..
Lori

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Road Trip!

Good Morning Friends & Folk ~

it is a *sparkling* June morning here on the farm...


my early barn chores are done, there's fresh laundry hanging on the line ~
the eggs are gathered and the house is tidy.


now it's time to work here in the sewing room!!!


I was heading out on a raod trip today,
with Felicia & Joan ~
but
Miss Flea couldn't get a sitter for her children
SO
we will be off on our adventure on thursday ~
where will we be going?
to
In Stitches Needlework Shop
in Alexandria, VA ~

I'm SO excited, I can't stand it...
we will be doing some stopping in Culpeper too,
at some antiques shops that Joan knows about...

WOOHOO!!!

I hope I can find some early sewies & positively needful stuff!

I'll take pics of our journey & post them here on friday...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tomorrow I am holding a private Sampler-making & Frame-finishing class
in the shop...
it will be good to see old friends again & I'm looking forward to the fun!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

have a beautiful day my Friends!



Blessings from the Farm...


Lori

Sunday, June 12, 2011

~ primitive sewing stand ~

Good Sunday Morning...


I wanted to share this with you ~

it's a little sewing stand that I made!
it holds my pins and needles,
thread spools and scissors ~

I used 2 different civil war prints in brown/black,
... added a wool penny to the top ~
painted the base a beautiful Hauser Green...
then aged & severely distressed it.




it measures approx. 9 inches tall
on a 5" circular base...


...I keep it next to me
wherever I may be stitching at the moment.

~ it sure comes in handy!


I love it!

i'd like to offer these in my etsy shop...
((i can create them to any color you'd like!!!))


I'll be stitching on Witches Garden today ~
perhaps make a nice grilled chicken salad & cornbread for supper...


hoping you all have cooler temps today!


Blessings from the Farm...
Lori

Saturday, June 11, 2011

my herb garden....and Iggy Meister

Howdy Folks!

let me first say that Iggy Meister
...is adjusting well here at Notforgotten Farm
he knows that he can get anything he wants
by turning on his little motor
and head-butting me, pete, hannah or...yes, even suzy!!!
(she has 'allowed' him into her very small circle-of-friends)


isn't he handsome?


it's been so hot, that during the day we have been working indoors
trying to catch up on what needs done, like laundry, floors and curtains...
and playing kitten-games, of course...


in the very early mornings or late evenings

you will find me outside in the herb garden ~

yes, it has grown wild, free and with abandon ~
( like me!)


the fence is only there to keep the dogs out, not the garden in...
as you can see how it creeps out hither & yon between pickets~



...the scarlet bee balm is 4' feet tall and gorgeous...
so many little humming birds & humming bird moths visit daily!




here's the lavender, lemon verbena and peanut bush ~
along with what will be a super huge mum again this autumn...



brown eyed susans, lillies, mint & yarrow
take over this corner of the garden...




and volunteer sweet annie is EVERYWHERE ~
please pardon the 'weeds' ~ i can only pull them when it's cool out.




...this is catnip ~ and you can only guess what happens
when I tuck a little into my pocket & bring it into the farmhouse !

next to it, in the bottomless galvanized tub, is my tansy that has seen better days...
(I'll have to dig it up, thin it out & replant for next year)

beyond that, to the left, is my false indigo ~ LOVE it!

I spend alot of time in my garden ~
I talk to my plants
(you know you do to!)
and all of the critters that visit ~

...my little patch of primitive heaven on earth~

wishing you all a beautiful weekend!!!

Blessings from the Farm...
Lori

Thursday, June 09, 2011

Witches Garden Progress & textures...

besides shearing the sheep, brushing the donkeys & dogs,
training a kitten, keeping everyone cool & watered,
tending the gardens, house & shop....


this is what I've been doing ~

working steadily on my Witches Garden sampler.
it sits next to my stitching chair,
needle ready...
...waiting for those fleeting moments I have between
life happening all around me and moments of quiet respite.

another thing I love to do when I have tiny golden droplets of time
is to photograph the beauty of my farm and nature...



an abandoned wasp nest...twigs...seashells (from CT) and
a sweey little nest I found....made entirely of donkey-tail hair.


little pleasures such as these help to refresh my busy mind ~
soothing my restless creative spirit and hands...


hoping you all have a wonderfully creative day!

please remember to help our wild friends
by placing a cool bowl of water
somewhere safe
so they may cool off a bit in this heat!!!


Blessings from the Farm...
Lori

Tuesday, June 07, 2011

Things to come....

this is a portion of my 'Cross Eyed Cat' sampler...
it is framed and finished!

it will be released along with my other Hallowe'en/Witchy inspired designs soon!


I am working on the Witches Garden day & night, and Miss Felicia is now working on
Salem Village....




I'm hoping to release all three by the end of this month,
in time for your Harvest stitching projects to begin!




don't forget to see the ad in the new Just Cross Stitch magazine for the
new Halloween Cross Stitch book due out in September....
I'm honored to be included!!
(there is a link to the book at the bottom of this page, scroll down to see it under the posts)




Hannah has 2 days left of her Junior year of High School...
I cannot believe our baby will be graduating next year!




hoping you all are enjoying your parties & picnics ~




Blessings from the Farm...
Lori

Monday, June 06, 2011

Black Linen...& a Winner!

my friend Joan (Olderectoryantiques) and I went out on friday
for a little shopping...


we stopped in at Backstitches, a LNS
(Local Needlework Shop) in Lynchburg, VA ~

I bought this beautiful hand dyed 32ct. linen from
Birds of a Feather, called
"Black Crow"

isn't it awesome?
I love how it mimics the patina of my old Victorian black velvet pincushion...

I'm thinkin' it will be perfect for some fun little Halloween stitches,...no?
I'll show you what I come up with :)
but first I have to pull the last stitches on my
Witches Garden Sampler


oh...'tis LOVERLY!!!!
(tease)


& the winner of the little Folk Art Pendant from Notforgotten Farm is...

Jean @ Prim Crafts !!!


Jeannie, please email me at
not4got@aol.com
with your shipping address & choice of pendant...

my thanks to ALL that commented & played along with my giveaway
...look for another soon!!!

have a wonderful day filled withlaughter & stitches!!

Blessings from the Farm...
Lori

Sunday, June 05, 2011

Tolerance ~


around these parts,

the word tolerance sums it up lately...


Iggy is doing his best impression of
'poor-little-homeless-love-starved-baby'

for Suzy.


she'll have none of that.



remember the post about the cradle?
and how Sam kinda, sorta took it over when he was sick?
and
how suzy isn't thee best 'sharer'
in the world?

well, now look...
"HE"
has taken the cradle over
(well, he IS a baby)
and Suzy is now giving me the
'poor-me' routine...

SO
I pulled my rag basket out and put it next to the cradle
in my sewing room ~

not complete happiness,
but at least she is allowing HIM to be within 3 feet of her...

I'll keep you posted on the relationship.
Oh,
and we DO have another Lady in the house,
Tippy, our 15 yr old Maine Coon ~
who, since being introduced to Iggy,
has not come out from under the bed
...except to eat & visit the um, Ladies Room.

*sigh*

i think I'm the one who's being tolerant :)



Blessings from the Farm...
Lori

Saturday, June 04, 2011

Nimble Fingers & Perfection...

This stunning work of art was stitched by

Mary Walker aged 16 ~ from Lancaster, Penna.
...in the year 1797...

(when I was 16, I was just beginning what would be my cross stitching career!)

I love to study old samplers ~
their colors, the motifs...the mistakes.
especially the mistakes!
those are what makes handwork so dear to my heart...
can you imagine a little girl of 6 or seven undertaking the daunting task of completing
such tedious work without making a mistake?
that's what humbles me...


so it is with those thoughts that I stitch without a pattern,
just stitching along to the thoughts in my head and
seeing what appears before my eyes in thread .


if perhaps, what i am stitching at-the-moment will become a pattern for sale,
then I will do my best to put a mistake in there,
somewhere...
just to keep us all grounded.


the Amish needlewomen purposely
add what's known as a
"Humility Patch"
to their quilting...
they are known for their impeccable stitching and because of that
feel the need to humble themselves by adding a block or some stitching that is a little
'off'....because they believe only their Maker to be Perfect.


what a beautiful way to live...
a little wonky is Perfect in my book!

hoping your hands stay busy & your heart stays full.....



Blessings from the Farm...
Lori

Friday, June 03, 2011

Favorite Things ~

pincushions (lots of them!)...

buttons, thread & string ...


old sewing hoops...


sleepy kittens...


boxes...


children's clothing & old crocks...
and...


anything blue!

wishing you all a beautiful friday & weekend filled with
things & those you love!


Blessings from the Farm...
Lori

Thursday, June 02, 2011

Progress?

I like to think I'm making progress on this sampler...

although it probably doesn't look like that to some of you!


this is my
Witches Garden Sampler

(yes, THAT sampler)

i have been working at it now for a little over a year...
in between everything else I work on or that calls my attention away ~


I have finished the first top 5 rows ~ woohoo!!!
now I will go on to the bottom,
which I will fill with all things related to or could be found in a
Witches Garden...


as you can see,
I have alot of room to fill in ~
and I will be doing just that.

I'm going for a more 'colonial' look for this sampler...
one that may have been stitched by a little schoolgirl in Salem, Mass. ca. early 1700's...

Many thanks for the kind emails regarding my little sampler on Early Work Mercantile...
and your requests for it to be made into a pattern...
I'm thinking it might be :)

...hoping you all are safe from the heat & storms,
please keep those in Massachusetts in your thoughts ~


Blessings from the Farm...
Lori

Wednesday, June 01, 2011

June Early Work Update

please visit Early Work Mercantile
... to see everyone's offerings for the month of June ~


here is mine:

www.earlyworkmercantile.com


Blessings from the Farm...


Lori