~ Punching Pumpkin Folk & Exciting News ~

* Good Morning Friends & Folk *

'tis the last day of August 2016 ~ So yeah… buh-bye now!

{{ I'm sure by now you all know how I feel about this miserable heat! }}

so while I'm cooped up in the farmhouse breathing artificial air and using unnatural lighting because I have to block out the hot sun, I'm busily stitching away on finished goods that will be offered at our

8th annual Gathering of Primitive Friends Show on Saturday September 17th…

{holy moly it is less than 3 weeks away now!}

here are a couple of punched dolls that I've finished…

they crack me up.

this little kitten-witch looks like she is standing guard over her pumpkin-folk friend…

perhaps she's making sure no one chooses him for a pie?

and this little pumpkin-witch is all ready for some serious trick or treating 

… with her black cat goodie-bag ~

these are a new design for me, as they are stuffed but freestanding ~

I LOVE how they look on my shelves!

I'll be making more of these for our show, and for the upcoming

From our Hands & Hearts show in November ~

think i need to fill up ALL of my shelves with these folks!

and 

I was recently contacted by the publisher of a brand new magazine 

that will be coming out in early 2017 ~ 

just to say I am humbled to be asked to submit a project for the premier issue of

"Wool Works"™ Magazine

http://www.woolworksmagazine.com/index.html

click on the sweet sheep above to take you to the Wool Works website 

where you can read more & subscribe now!

well, I'd better get busy around here, 

~ there are a few more punched-folk that are vying for my attention!

Wishing for you a beautiful end-of-August day my sweet friends ~

~ Blessings from the Farm ~

 Lori

~ Punching Pumpkins ~

After giving my tired hands a rest from punch needle for the last week or so,

I'm back at it full-swing and loving it once again ~ and especially because

 I'm working on my most-beloved subject….you guessed it!

* Hallowe'en *

taking time choosing my colors ~ 

mixing up DMC & Valdani while I work….

love love the 'oranges' 

{"my" oranges include some rusts, copper-y reds, almost browns & orange-y greens too}

adding in the kitty's colors, 

pretty sure he will be brown with stripes. or not. who knows ~

ha!

since I have rheumatoid arthritis in my hands, I wrap my punch needle 

with athletic tape over a piece of rug hooking wool to make it "fatter" and more comfy for me….

no, not a great look, but it works for me!

...my little pumpkin-folk witch seems to agree :)

h e l l o there!

I can still adjust my needle to different settings, and when the tape gets too ugly, it comes right off without leaving any stickiness on my needle's handle.

previously, I have tried sponge-curlers, even duct tape {ha!} 

and just wrapping it with fabric {which was very pretty, but not practical}

…. but this tape is great, as it has a nice 'grip' to it ~

just sharing a little FYI for those that might have the same trouble ~

Peter says he is thinking something up for me…that man is always thinking!

~ hoping you all have a beautiful & creative day my friends ~

 ~ Blessings from the Farm ~

 Lori

~ Early Morning on the Farm ~

~ Good Morning Friends & Folk ~

just a picture-walk of a post today for you ~

 … sharing this special place that we are blessed to call 

* H O M E *

pretty in pink & rust

climbing

resting in the morning sun

{ welcome to my Garden of Weedin' }

good morning, glory!

colors

a view of the farmhouse from the shop garden ~

the Privy

River  Oats

can you see her?

can you see her now? :)

my favorite bush ~ Harry Lauder Walking Stick

welcoming chairs

simple beauty

delicate nature

the slope of our homeplace

black walnuts are falling

Donkey butts!

Roxy & persimmons

farmhouse fence

our old farmhouse is in the midst of being repainted, with stone being added to the front… 

hello! {dirty sheep!!}

fresh laundry on the line

the 'kittens' who are now almost 3yrs old ~

well howdy, handsome!

"i brought you a gift, mom…"

 Hoping your day is fill with many small things 

… of much joy ~

 ~ Blessings from the Farm ~ 

 Lori

~ Harvesting Wool ~

Good Morning Friends & Folk ~

it's the last Saturday in August…can you believe it?

I am having trouble wrapping my pea-brain around the thought 

that our 8th annual Gathering of Primitive Friends Show will be here in 3 short weeks!

and as so, I am working sun up 'til sun down {and then some} on finished goods for the farm shop ~

Yesterday 

I hooked up some Indian Corn ~

loving the nubby texture of these, and how wonky they are…

they look just like real corn!

… here are some set amongst my dried gourds on our dining room table ~

and here are a few more

~ displayed on a white cupboard…

these are so simple & fun to make too ~

I'll have some finished cobs for sale at the show, but if you'd like to hook your own

you can purchase the pattern from Patternmart ~ 

the pattern designer of the corn is

BeFruitful Kreations

but be forewarned: 

once you hook one, you'll want to hook tons of them!

Hooked Indian Corn Pattern is available from BeFruitful Kreations
via Pattern Mart or CLICK HERE

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

So the other day on my Facebook Group: 'the Out of Hand Rug Hookers'

I asked these questions: 

"what does everyone do with their cut wool strips after they've finished a rug? 

do you store the strips by color? by color-story?"

and got a lot of fun & helpful answers….

{here's the link to my FB group if you'd like to join}

CLICK HERE TO JOIN GROUP

and

to answer my own question and 'sheepishly' {pun-intended} 

share with you how MY wool strips are stored, 

here ya go...

thrown into a big basket!!

ha!

and it's ok, not only does my basket look beautiful wherever it is,

I love to dig in there for the perfect color strip ~ 

one of the group members' said she likes to do the same...

and likened it to 'digging for worms in the dirt" 

~ lol I agree ;)

the only problem I have with this is that each wool-worm I put in the basket

somehow multiplies into 3 or 4 ~ 

now how can that be? 

*wink wink*

Well friends,

 Peter & I are heading down the dusty road to go into town today.

My hook & linen and that worm basket will just have to wait until my return ~

Hoping you all enjoy this last weekend of August 2016!

it's been SO HOT that I'm not sad to see it go ~

 ~ Blessings from the Farm ~

 Lori

~ Bound & Determined ~

Hello Friends & Folk!

~ Happy Hot Friday to you ~

…back to our seemingly-sticky weather again…

~ not happy about that, but I know it won't last forever.

The Weather People say it's been the worst 

{as in hottest, muggiest, rainiest, stormiest….} Summer in a looong time.

I don't think I've ever spent so much time indoors any one Summer before this.

As I work in the somewhat-comfort of the chugging and overworked AC,

 I'm at least productive once again after not feeling well for over a month.

Waiting on test results now {again} hoping for some 'conclusive' results this time.

{kind thanks for your continued good thoughts}

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I finished hooking the Jack rug ~ and added a striped background.

isn't he a happy fellow? he is the same motif that I drew for my Jack's Folly Appliqué pattern,

 so if you have that, and are a hooker, you have my permission to use it for rug hooking as well ~

don't forget to share it with us on my Friends of Notforgotten Farm FB group!

the wool strip size I hooked with is #8 - or 1/4" wide

cut using my Fraser clamp on cutter ~ 

love my sleek black cutter!!

it needs a good cleaning, though ~

 Peter will blow it off with the compressor & then oil it for me…

as in everything I do, keeping it as simple as can be ~

the edges are turned back and whip stitched down…

I like to use heavy black crochet thread to bind with ~

...  guess just I like the contrast & the big old stitches!

Joan & I went on a field trip the other day to our 'local' quilt shop, 

Cottonwood in Charlottesville, VA

{I say 'local' b/c it is a good 45 minute drive up nawth ~ BUT we pass a great little antiques shop in Covesville, VA so we make the trip worthwhile if ya get my drift;) }

of course I needed fabric!

what a silly thing to think I have more fabric than I will ever use ~

Soooo

these colorful fat 1/4's came home with me.

yep, jumped right into my arms...

I never need an excuse to buy more fabric.

although I come up with many, I never really need an excuse…ha!

{and I know I'm in good company!}

 The fabrics will be used for backings, backgrounds, some double appliqué 

and perhaps even a few mini-quilts?

or,

who-knows-what.

:)

~ Filling and shipping orders today, 

then it's back to hooking more autumnal-inspired finished things for me ~

Hoping your day is full of beauty and creativity!

 ~ Blessings from the Farm ~ 

 Lori