Tuesday, February 28, 2017

~ New Items Listed ~


Hello Friends & Folk!
Thank you ALL for the best Birthday wishes!

wanted to pop in here to let you know that I've just listed new items/patterns in our Etsy shop ~

2 rug hooking {paper. linen & PDF}
2 punch needle {paper & PDF}
and our beautiful handpainted wooden ball handled 
Loop Lifters!! 
woohoo!!!!
;)
 

Have a peek if you'd like,
www.notforgottenfarm.etsy.com
 
 heading out for a celebratory Italian dinner with dear friends.....
Have a peaceful evening everyone!

Blessings from the Farm ~ 
 Lori

Monday, February 27, 2017

~ Time Traveling ~

 Yesterday,
we traveled back in time. ~

for one full day we were no longer subjected 
to the goings-on of our current world...
politics, however ~ were still the main subject of the day. 

can you guess where Peter, Hannah & I went?

yes, Colonial Williamsburg.
a short ride to a long time ago....

sensing we were in dire need of a day off, 
my sweet daughter gifted us with tickets to CW 
{ for my birthday } 

Peter & I happily agreed to the trip
 and have been looking forward to it for a few weeks.

The weather was perfect! bright blue skies, 
a slight breeze from the east... warm-ish temps in the 60's.

I can't say I have one favorite things about CW, 
having visited here many times before we are accustomed to the surroundings and history.
let's just say I love it all!

Of course I especially love the architecture,
and if I have to choose, the Apothecary would be very high on my list.
{{ I want these cupboards, drawers and shelves }}


{ while we're at it, please throw in all of the crocks, 
containers, vessels and vestiges as well }


the gardens, while not fully producing yet ~ are always a favorite...
as well as fences, gates, & arbors.

and brickwork pathways and alleys.
ok, courtyards and backyards too.
see? 
all of it!!!

 growing up in New England {CT} 
we have 'town greens' where folks meet, play & picnic.
back in the day, they were used for grazing, fairs and parades....
even burial sites!


just walking Gloucester street, 
in the quietness of the village helps one breathe deeper and walk at a bit of a slower pace. 
at every turn the 'residents' are there, in their frocks of purpose.
working, cleaning, mending.....living simply.


while the underlying tumultuous history of our Nation's past 
is still very present in the tours of the Governors' Mansion and Capitol Building, 
we are reminded that it was not-such a romantic time for most.

Punishments for crimes were heavy, 
~ and dolled out readily & regularly.
{these two most likely were arrested for debauchery of some-sort}
:)


an ancient tree...spreading across the green ~
we learned from our carriage driver it is a hybrid of Pin Oak and another type of Oak 
{{ which I cannot remember...sorry }}



as luck would have it, most of the shops were open for us...
we learned about tin-smithing, silver-smithing & millinery ~
how to cure blood diseases with leeches and cupping {medical practices still used today!}
and we got to taste the most wonderful concoction of thick melted chocolate 
with added cinnamon, cayenne & nutmeg. oh yummmmmm.

but I preferred strolling the grounds with my family ~ 


... finding more-hidden spots and curious details.


give me fresh air & some dirt, a beautiful view...
and my favorite people and I'm a happy girl.



We're hoping to get back there again in the Spring ~
I want to visit the Abby Aldrich and  see more gardens!



Hoping your day is happily spent 
... with the people who love you most ~

Blessings from the Farm 
~ Lori

Saturday, February 25, 2017

~ Still Punch Drunk ~


Three things have been topping my creative-list lately...
painting in watercolors, rug hooking and
punch needle ~

yes, I still design for cross stitchers, and love to do so ~ 
but these old eyes of mine just cannot see those little x's very well anymore ~
thank the stars for my model-stitchers!!!

since I posted yesterday regarding my new book idea,
folks really seem to be eager to see finished projects from it...
so I am punching from sun-up to sun-down till I get them done.

I woke early this morning to finish the one I started yesterday,
I was even up before Iggy ~


I love working here in this quiet old farmhouse in the early morning light... 
near an open window so I can here our farmyard friends waking up.


these warm February temps have me opening up the windows every morning 
to let in the clean fresh air...today is no exception 
:)


I finished my first little project from the new book,
and working on my hubby's Hookinpunch© adjustable gripper frame 
makes punch needle so much easier for me ~
 {{ but I do love my Morgan locking hoops as well! }}


this book will be a labor of love,
one that started in my mind about a year ago ~

and I'm so happy to be finally bringing it to 'life' with my needle and thread.



Today I will in the Farm Shop...
and will begin and hopefully finish the second project...
a companion to my little farmer shown above!
 
If you're in the neighborhood, stop on in for a visit ~ 
bring your needlework in progress and come have a creative day with me!

or if you need any supplies for your
 rug hooking
 {we have tons of wool and patterns, frames hoops and our own rug hooks!}
  punch needle supplies
{we carry Morgan hoops, Ultra Punch needles, Weavers cloth,
 Valdani threads and patterns!} 
as well as cross stitch supplies 
{ hand dyed linens, threads and tons of patterns too!}




Blessings from the Farm
 ~ Lori

Friday, February 24, 2017

~ A Fine Line ~

 There is a famous quote among artists...

'Everything starts from a dot'
with the quote credited to Wassily Kandinsky, 
a Russian artist who lived from 1866 to 1944.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I hear this quote in my head every time I put pen to paper, 
thread to cloth or wool to linen.

most of the time, my thoughts are jotted down rapidly...
then translated into fine line drawing first, 
... and are finally applied to their textile medium, or watercolor paint.

I have long been a 'doodler' 
and enjoy keeping my sketchbooks filled with inspirational words 
and small quick rough drafts in pencil and ink.

you never know what will turn out from these impromptu pages,
but I've been mulling an idea in my mind for some time now
~ and I think it's time I put them together...

it's a punch needle pattern book called
The Garden of Weedin'
{yes, it is a word-play on the Garden of Eden scheme of things, 
and again, yes, intended primarily for punch needle ;) }

Like my other desktop-published books {printed/bound by me, right here at NFF}
 this one will be spiral bound so you can more easily trace your designs onto your weavers cloth
... and all pages are one-sided as well, so there isn't any confusing 'bleed-through' 
of another design coming through while you trace.

So
here is my draft cover;

Wassily Kandinsky
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/w/wassilykan380803.html Wassily Kandinsky

and 
here are small glimpses into the not-quite-ready pages ~
howdy
hello






 and the back cover too...
with a small excerpt of my idea for the book.



I am in the process of punching some of the designs from this book, 
so that you can better see the finished, intended & shall I say: UNIQUE use for it's patterns ~
as always, the threads I'm using will be Valdani & DMC {all 6 strands} in my favorite colors.
BUT
There are no color-placement instructions included in this book, 
as I want YOU to find your own colors to use for your own personal Garden of Weedin'...



There are 13 actual 'pattern' pages, 
with some pages having multiple patterns on them.
just lots of folky designs & 'primsical' motifs 
{my made-up word for primitive + whimsical}

I think you'll be pleasantly surprised...
at least I hope so!

Have a beautiful & creative day my sweet friends!

Blessings from the Farm
 ~ Lori

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

~ Industry ~

 
It is not how busy you are, but why you are busy — 
the bee is praised, the mosquito is swatted. 
~Author Unknown


How doth the little busy Bee
Improve each shining hour,
And gather honey all the day
From ev'ry op'ning flow'r!

~Isaac Watts (1674–1748), 
excerpt from "Idleness and Mischief" (children's hymn)
 

 Busy as a little bumbler-bee here lately...
working on punch needle ~


and rug hooking...


~ and more rug hooking.



I'll have 2 new cross stitch designs coming soon,
they are being stitched by another little busy-bee friend! 

The bees were busy, 
and their humming brought pleasant hopes of summer. 
~Lady John Manners, "Belvoir at Eastertide," 
in The Garden: An Illustrated Weekly Journal of Horticulture In All Its Branches, 
1886 May 8th

Happy Rainy Wednesday to you!
 
Blessings from the Farm ~ 
 Lori

Monday, February 20, 2017

~ Joan's House Tour - Part 4 ~

Good Morning Friends & Folk ~
... are you ready for this? 

welcome to another edition of Joan & Art's Home Tour
 ~ The Laundry Room ~
 Part 4

if you're not a huge fan of doing laundry, 
you might just become one after seeing this:

Joan & Arthur's home is beautiful all year long, 
but it's in the Spring that we get to see some of their bulb plants blooming in the sunshine.
here's a small daffodil welcoming us inside...  


The Laundry Room is located on the basement-level in their home...
and to get there you must first come down this staircase 
to which Joan has added her magic touch ~
 
Joan has a talent for faux-painting ~ the block wall and stone are not real :)

Once we reach the bottom step....
 hello Laundry Room!


but it's not just a place where Joan does her wash...
it is yet another canvas that she has turned into something wonderful ~
filled with their collections and masterful artwork ~ as well as Art's craftsmanship in renovating!

the floors are not real brick ~ 
they have been transformed once again by Joan's hand, and the all-over stenciling adds such a folky-ness and warmth to an otherwise utilitarian room...

at every turn, you will see beloved treasures like the antique stove 
~ which is used to display vintage items...



tucked into a small cubby to the right of the stove
are just one {of many} things she collects
Drying Racks! 
she cannot leave one behind on her travels if she finds one {two, three, four...}


standing racks, folding racks, umbrella-type racks...
yep, she's got 'em..




Moving around the room to the left of the stove,  
Joan has set up an old tub washer...


and a beautiful green wringer washer!
 {with more drying racks of course}


Joan's love for detail and display are evident ~
as well as her talent for making things a little more beautiful,
 like the 'Pantry' door she painted on the fuse-box cover...
{and that stenciling!}


 Collections of antique wash-day toys are everywhere in this sweet room...
nodding towards the days when little girls were happy to play with things like toy washers, 
irons & ironing boards
 and miniature clothespin & line sets.



a collection of crocheted pot holders acts as a cheerful swagged valance  
for a ground-level window...
the window itself was hand-painted by Joan to brighten it up even more :)


there are water sprinklers everywhere, like the red rubber and the lady-shaped ones below:
{used to sprinkle water on your clothes to iron the wrinkles out} 


the shelf above holds boxes and containers from days-gone-by ~
soap flakes, starch & powders...as well as wash pails, sock and glove stretchers 
 ~ and a sweet 'mammy' clothespin bag



On the opposite side of the room, is her washer & dryer...
but I swear they seem to disappear due to all of the other lovelies around the room!
 above the washer/dryer is yet another shelf... with even more sprinklers!


 and old farmhouse sink, a painted cabinet....
just more goodness :)


more of Joan's handwork in the painted flowers 
on this cabinet above the sink ~ 


...and on a canvas floorcloth :
 

 a closer look at what is on the shelf above:
more toy washers, tiny red irons....


and of course, more sprinklers!
{{ the round red objects are portable/retractable clothes lines }}
 

It never ceases to amaze me,
the way my friend has with collecting and decorating ~
Joan brings so much happiness and fun to the world...
I'm blessed to have her in my life.


I hope you enjoyed this part of Joan & Art's Home Tour ~
as I have mentioned before, you ain't seen nothing yet!
 {we still have her kitchen, bathrooms, and the ever-elusive Sewing Room to share!}
 
Blessings from the Farm 
~ Lori