A New Year !!! ~

The last day of 2015.
… all done,
over & out.

My 2015 was filled with
many happy hours spent creating, dreaming, praying, wishing
...doing…

also some health-issues, some set-backs
lots of hard work & positive thinking.

{ALWAYS Positive Thinking}

2016
will bring fresh, new designs ~ from Peter & I;

~ watch for our new line of Rug Hooks!

 ~ a new PUNCH NEEDLE CLUB {yep!}

~ and a whole new line of fabrics designed by me
for your cloth addiction ;)
WOOOHOOOO!

ALSO
Tomorrow is the January 1st update on
* Early Work Mercantile *

and I'm finishing up a few of my folk art drawings in our hand painted frames
that I'll be offering you….

please visit me and all of the artisans tomorrow!

~ AND ~
I wanted to also mention that on Saturday, May 14th
we will be holding a Finishing Class {Cross Stitch Project} here at the farm shop.

and the class instructor is Becky Noland from Death By Thread!

http://deathbythread.blogspot.com

Becky will be teaching us how she finishes a pin keep drum and scissors fob…
her design is entitled "U S S Mermaid"
and I can't wait to see what her talented little hands come up with ~ Becky will be mailing class kits to be stitched prior to the finishing class here ~

CLASSROOM SPACE IS LIMITED to the first TEN {10} students to sign up.
Email me at ~ Not4got@aol.com to sign up and for class fee info :)

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

Peter & I want to Thank you ALL 
for your kind words, friendship & support over the past year
and we look forward to more good things to come!!
xoxoxox

~ Blessings from the Farm ~

 Lori

Rainy Days & Stitching ~

The Sun poked it's head out from the clouds

 for a brief moment the other day,

~ then faded back under-cover.

enough for me to dry a few loads of laundry on the clothesline at least.

BUT THEN IT POURED

again last night.   torrentially.  for a few hours.

{I think the donkeys are secretly building an ark out there}

~ come on Mother Nature, lets get this Winter started 

and send us some bright & sunny COLD days!!!

I received a gift card from P & H for Christmas to Joann's {YAY!}

so yesterday we decided to go to the mall {BOO!} but that's where our Joann's is.

and I brought home this little fellow:

a little red squirrel pincushion!

I don't have the heart to stick any pins in him though lol….

so he is there for moral support while I'm stitching :)

{you can see more progress has been made on the next LSHC model}

Mr. Squirrel holds a secret though ~

in his belly is a retractable tape measure!

it's good to have company nearby when rainy-day stitching ~

...even if Iggy has to tolerate a new one occasionally.

mom?

In Other News ~

I am getting caught up on orders that have come in between Christmas & now.

Thank you for kindly understanding the delay while our family celebrates together.

Hoping you all have a day 

filled with hopes of Peace & Healing for the New Year to come!

~ Blessings from the Farm ~ 

 Lori

Sunday Musings ~

Good Sunday Morning

~ Friends & Folk ~

These gloomy days are seemingly never-ending!

...we desperately need colder temps to kill off the bad flora & fauna 

that has been thriving in the damp, warm temps…

Peter has a chest cold & cough, 

and I have been slathering him with homemade vapo-rub 

made by dear friend Nancy…

and filling him up with piping-hot peppermint tea 

… with ground ginger and honey ~

I have been stitching when I can,

and am hoping to devote today to the finish of this design below ~

Do any of you keep a journal?

of your stitching perhaps or thoughts, dreams…aspirations or goals?

do you journal about the days past or those-to-come?

how about journaling recipes, or craft ideas?

or simply putting your feelings down on paper…

sometimes that can be so very cathartic for us.

somehow seeing my words & reading them over again is healing for me.

besides doodling in my sketch-books, 

I like to include thoughts & words while creating…about gardening, herbs & such.

or names from the past ~ 

old names like 'Orphelia', or 'Phineaus' ~ just because I like to see them.

{you might even find a few good 'spells' in my journals…well maybe more than a few}

:)

I have many ~ small to large…some contain bits & pieces of random encouraging words like:

peaceful, remember, love thyself, forgive….

there are half-finished masterpieces {in my mind} and some hold bittersweet-memories.

I carry small journals in each of my sewing baskets…and purses!

there is {{at least}} one in each room of my farmhouse, 

… safely tucked-away in drawers and bins and always at the ready 

of my fleeting mind's muse.

~ sitting quietly at times, re-reading my penned & penciled thoughts

helps me greatly know who I am and how I can always become a better-self…

hopefully, 

one day many moons from now ~ someone will find one of my journals and read it

and think to themselves in a positive way about me; 

and know that everyday holds a chance to choose

happiness.

Hoping you all have a wonderful day, 

~ filled with inspiration & love!

~ Blessings from the Farm ~

 Lori

With Love ~

~ Blessings from the Farm ~ 

 Lori

Christmas Eve Day ~

I spent most of yesterday working on this ~

the model for the next

Little Stitches Handwork Club {LSHC} project.

can you guess what it will be?

and in-between pulling thread through linen and making hundreds of tiny x's,

I did a little more decorating of the farmhouse….

nothing fancy, 

a few chosen items in our collection and

 using some of the fresh greens 

cut from our little tree in the keeping room ~

and simply tucked here & there. 

little twin trees in a painted basket

greens on the mantelpiece 

my rabbits & hares keep us company all year through

antique rocking horse & santa atop a white cupboard
{santa made by artisan Becky Carney}

fresh small tree

early wooden train

antique peanut butter pails & fresh greens

dining room

early white tin sieve filled with dried gourds and a naturally shed antler

love my ironstone

view from dining room into kitchen

H O M E 

santa doll made by artisan Becky Carney

view into front keeping room from dining room
{willie nelson napping on the couch}

willie's view from the couch ;)

peaceful & quiet

the stockings are hung ~

Iggy settling in...

…and to all a Good Night.

Hoping your Christmas Eve will be one 

~ filled with faith, family & friends.

~ Blessings from the Farm ~

 Lori

Early Morning Farmhouse ~

Up early this morning ~

a reasonably quiet farmhouse 

… except for the rain on the tin roof.

Hannah & I went Christmas shopping yesterday.

She wanted to go to Macy's and the mall…I'm happy at Target ;)

Hannah turned 21 on Sunday!!! my baby is 21…how did that happen?

Since Hannah was born so close to Christmas,

we have always tried to keep her birthday completely separate from the holiday…

but that's hard when you're surrounded by Christmas music, movies and decorations everywhere :)

so we make the best of it!

Yesterday while out shopping, Hannah & I picked out a fresh tree to decorate!

we have not had a fresh tree for Christmas since she was 2 yrs old…

it isn't huge ~ or perfect…

but it is beautiful to us:

we began decorating it last evening

with mercury-glass owls…and gold & silver glass ornaments.

We'll continue to decorate it today & tonight :)

It sits in a bucket filled with rocks & water, 

and Peter put it down inside my vintage "Honey" Brand Waffle-Cone tin bucket…

the 'other' tree {artificial} will now enjoy being a guest in our tiny dining room…

along with my feather tree you see back there ~ that one stays up year round ;)

 when I came upstairs to my sewing room this morning,

this was the view out my window:

our sweet

Esther & Bobby

{a.k.a. 'Mommy & Baaaah-bee}

grazing in the rain…

I'll be here today sitting by our wood stove 

and working on the next 

Little Stitches Handwork Club model…

to read more about becoming a member, click HERE

if you'd like to join us or renew your membership for our exclusive club,

please click HERE

I'll share a preview of it once I have a few more stitches in.

Have a beautiful day, my friends…

enjoy the rain or sun or snow wherever you may be.

Be good to yourself and those who love you.

~ Blessings from the Farm ~ 

 Lori

First Day of Winter ~

Happy Yule!

 Happy Winter Solstice my sweet Friends ~

here are a few of my very favorite 'winter'-themed artworks I absconded from Pinterest ~

each one different, but each one holds my heart...

i could live here forever ~

who would not want to be invited to join this gathering of friends?

~ princely owl ~

bobcat & gnome-smiles

i think I heard this band of merry-makers in our deep woods last night ~

today is the shortest day of the year ~ 

a great day for new projects or beginnings!

Here are a few snaps of us in the farm shop on Saturday ~

l-r:  Joan, Louisea {my sis}. Robin & Patti 

oh, NOW I have your attention…lol!

except for Patti who was using an Oxford punch with wool strips for the first time...

Patti you are a peach ~

 and we love when you come for your visits!

"lefty" at work….watch out!

Robin offering encouraging words ~

 great job my friend!!

keep at it :)

here is that little hooked mat that I was working on {below}

… all finished and attached to the blue stool ~

December 21st 2015 and my herbs are STILL growing on our patio!

I hooked with all hand-cut wool strips, ranging from 1/2" to 3/4" 

{and maybe even a little fatter than that}

I used little black carpet tacks and my trusty ball pin hammer to nail it on with…

one tack in each corner and one in the middle of each side ~

doing things to old-fashioned way :)

{{ please excuse the cat hair }}

I love the colors of the wools against the blue/green paint of the stool.

I wonder who used this stool ~

a small child to reach cookies on the kitchen counter?

a farmer's wife used to milk her goats?

or was it used to prop up tired feet after a long days' work in the fields….

…. each nick of wood and chip of paint tells a story if we just listen.

This little gem and more finished items will accompany me to the

Winter in the Valley Show 

on February 6th {snow date Feb 20th}

in Fishersville VA

mark your calendars!

~~~~::~~~~

Today I will be charting & begin stitching the 1st of our 2016 

Little Stitches Handwork Club projects ~

Kits will begin shipping to club-members in mid-January 

~ if you are not a member of the LSHC or need to renew your membership,

 please click HERE

Have a beautiful & creative first day of Winter !!!!

~ Blessings from the Farm ~ 

 Lori