~ Saturday Morning ~

Good Morning Friends & Folk!

another Saturday is upon us ~

if you're in the neighborhood, 

come on out to the farm shop for a visit...

bring your needlework in progress and create with me today!

 ~ we'll be OPEN from 10:00 - 4:00

 

Peter told me to look out the bedroom window early this morning...

usually when he tells me something like that, I grab my camera ~

I wasn't disappointed!

a young mother and her baby-buck were in the back of the farmhouse,

licking the salt deposits from our water softener :)

{ no worries, we have checked to make sure the deposits are SAFE for them }

here is the little buck with his newly-sprouted antler-bulbs!

 

and this is pretty & proud momma....

 

she's standing gaurd while he licks...

~ I love their soft eyes and long tails.

 

Hoping to see them often

 and watch Little Buck's progress into a big boy!!!

 

Blessings from the Farm ~

 Lori

~ Chicken Stitches! ~

 I am over the moon excited about hosting another one of my sweet & talented friends' classes here at our Farm Shop ~

the imitable Becky Noland from Lucy Beam

{ www.lucybeam.blogspot.com }

will be teaching a finishing class for this!!!

"Queen Chicky" 

I mean seriously, who else BUT Becky could come up with this idea? 

 

class participants will be Pre-stitching an insert of this funky chicken below,

to set inside your milk glass hen ~

which is included in the class/kit!

AND they will also be stitching the little speckled egg scissors fob too!

Becky is also including the sweet little Putford scissors with the kit....

 

at the moment, we have 6 students confirmed

 if you have signed up and don't see your name here EMAIL ME asap!:

Confirmed Students for June 10th class ~

Heather Stevens

Robin Muddiman

Sue Walker

Blaine Harkins

Augusta Van Nassau 

Chris Cassidy

There are only FOUR spots left for this class, so if you want to spend a day at Notforgotten Farm with a bunch of crazy stitchers, then email me now to sign up :)

{notforgottenfarmwitch@gmail.com}

the cost of the class is $90.00 and will include:

Glass Hen

Putford Scissors

Students will be mailed their kit for Pre-stitching, and they have their choice of Linen or Aida cloth.

 The fabric used in the model is 32ct. "Ancient" Linen by Picture This Plus

OR

"Ancient Aida"

hurry hurry and sign up!

 • • • • • • • • • 

In Other News:

here is a peek of my other new cross stitch design,

"So Inclined"

the verse reads:

"I would be so inclined to Stitch more ~ if it were not for Sleep" 

 

 my beautiful model was stitched by the talented hands of sweet friend Heather Stevens ~

linen used: 32ct Old Farmhouse from Notforgotten Farm

threads used: DMC

 

 I need to 'finish' the models now, 

and then I will show share them with you in their full glory

;)

I am off to do my chores, 

check on the puppies {we lost one sweet babe and are down to 6}

and then settle in to stitch/punch/hook.

Hoping you all enjoy a beautiful creative day!

Blessings from the Farm

 ~ Lori

~ After the Rains... ~

 Hello Sunshine!

Hello Friends & Folk!

finally...

oh how I love to feel the warmth of the sun again ~

I like rainy days but we've had plenty now for the time being 

~ thankyouverymuch.

thought I'd go out early and take a few snaps of the in-need-of-weeding gardens ~

and that will be what I will be doing this afternoon...

weeding!

you can see if the photo below that we are working on this old farmhouse ~ 

removing the old chippy white paint, painting trim, etc...

 

our grapes are doing well with all of this rain,

...  I'm sure they will explode after today's sun & warmth!

 

the Iris' have blossomed...

the peach ones are so delicate ~

 

...but it's the purple ones that I love most.

 

coreopsis  is reaching for the sunbeams in the photo below...

love my St. Francis statue

{ St. Francis cared for the poor and sick, he preached sermons to animals, and praised all creatures as brothers and sisters under God. St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals and ecology, was born in Italy around 1181 or 1182. }

and the little lipped jug was found buried here on the property 

near the old log kitchen behind the farmhouse...

it is broken, but still beautiful to me ~

our Daisy girl is enjoying the sunshine too! 

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 

and here is a peek at my new cross stitch design,

"Steal Not"

it was stitched by my friend Heather Stevens and what a beautiful job she did!

please note: 

the linen looks 'blue' near the lettering, but it is not....

the sampler is laying on top of a quilt and it is showing through the linen.

this new design, along with a few other new designs will accompany me to the 

PSS Retreat/Merchant Mall on May 5th & 6th in Columbus Ohio

{which I will be leaving for in one very short week!}

Well I am on my way out the door to run errands ~ 

usual PO stop, banking and market...

 

All of the current Little Stitches Handwork Club/LSHC kits have been shipped, 

and as a member your kit should have/will be arriving soon :) 

April/May/June 2017 LSHC model "Melancholy"

if you'd like to join or renew our exclusive club for cross stitchers, please click 

HERE

Have a *SPARKLING* day my friends!

 

Blessings from the Farm 

~ Lori

~ Creative Weekend ~

 Well Hello

Friends & Folk....

~ this has been a busy weekend!

I managed to get quite a few things accomplished, 

... and even began some things I didn't know I would begin!

I thought I was done punching new designs 

before heading out to the PSS Retreat in Columbus OH on the 5th & 6th of May 

but I just had to start working on this one that has been rattling around in my brain ~

it was inspired by an early PA German fraktur circa 1800's...

I have adapted it for punch needle and chose beautiful Valdani size #8 pearl cotton to work it with.

 

my main motifs are finished, 

and now I'll move on the the background...

I actually love filling in the backgrounds of my punch needle works ~

they can be as simple as outlining the motifs and filling in,

 or as complex as using directional punching techniques.

we'll see what this design dictates to me once I begin...

I am also working with my watercolors

creating new small paintings that will soon be offered as prints and notecards!

here is my latest in-progress

{and I love it so far} 

pretty colors...no?

 

h e l l o!

 I have more detail to add yet...

 

Oh!

I recently received a few finished models back 

from my fabulous model stitcher ~ Heather

{{ Thank You Heather!!}}

I'll show them all soon, but for now here is the new design for our

April/May/June 

Little Stitches Handwork Club 

~ otherwise known as 'LSHC'

and it is it's called

"Melancholy"

the verse reads:

"Industry is the best cure for Melancholy"

... for those who don't know what 'melancholy' may be, it's described thusly:

a feeling of pensive sadness, typically with no obvious cause.

and I agree...a little 'industry' {in my book that means needlework!}

surely can cure the blues...

here is the fabric that will be included in the kit 

along with the chart, linen and threads....it's a Civil War era repro in shades of mustard & red ~

... I think it matches the threads nicely, don't you?

 each kit contains a little brass thimble

to attach to your 'scissors' on the pillow...like a little scissors fob

:)

 

I've had this old little square-shaped basket forever, 

... and although I didn't design this to fit in it,

it sure looks sweet in there!

 To read about how to become a member of our LSHC,

please click

 H E R E

to join our exclusive cross stitch club or re-new your membership ~ 

***MEMBERS KITS HAVE BEGUN SHIPPING TODAY***

{thanks again for your patience}

~ AND ~

I've saved the BEST new for last!

... at approx. 4:00 am today,

our little visitor-hound delivered the first of MANY puppies!!!!!

{{{ I think I counted ten little butts, BUT they are so squirmy I cannot tell for sure. }}}

At the moment, 

she is being a bit aggressive, as all new mothers can be.

~ so we are giving her space to bond and nurture with them...

since she came to us many weeks ago, she has warmed up quite a bit to Peter & I ~

...well, more to Peter than I, but that's ok.

at least she knows that we won't hurt her ~ and that she is safe here.

Peter made a huge nesting box for her in the barn and that's where she is...

nuzzling & licking her squealing little butterball babies!

Stay tuned for photos, don't want to scare her by flashing lights in her eyes...

whew!

guess that's all in a nutshell for now ~ 

Blessings from the Farm

 ~ Lori

~ Short & Sweet & Soggy too ~

 Just a quick

H E L L O friends & folk....

~ before I head out the door and into the rain.

much to do today, 

shipping orders, grocery shopping

and if I can fit it in ~ a trip to the salon for a {much-needed} pedicure.

Here are the few little watercolors I managed to paint yesterday,

and I will get back to my brush later this afternoon.

just

simple & folky & primsical

:)

These will be made into blank notecards and available soon ~

 'Pin Me'

 'Sampler Garden'

 &

 'Needle Pulling Thread'

Hope you like them!

 

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

AND

in lieu of the impending heavy rains & strong winds

 in the forecast for tomorrow {Saturday}

our 

FARM SHOP 

will be 

CLOSED Saturday April 22nd

 sorry for any inconvenience my friends.

** please note that we do have friendly but rambunctious dogs  ~

and if the sign at the end of our driveway reads closed, the dogs will not be tied up, 

... and they will be so happy to see you ~ that they may jump on your vehicle!!

Now, we don't want that to happen ~ 

so kindly refrain from coming down our drive if our sign says shop is closed.

 

If you would like to schedule a visit to our Farm Shop on a day that we aren't usually open, 

please call us at 434-263-6508 or email me at notforgottenfarmwitch@gmail.com.

We are always happy to make time for you if you cannot come out on a regular Saturday.

 

Thanks for understanding my Friends

Blessings from the Farm 

~ Lori

~ Back to the Drawing Board ~

 Good Morning Friends & Folk ~

...a fine Spring day is ahead of us.

Clothes are washed & hung on the line to dry,

orders have been processed and upon my return from town 

 I will get back to doing what I love to do most ~

creating

I'm working on a few more notecards that I'm rendering in watercolors,

these are all sewing/stitching/needlework related themed ~

and I will be bringing them with me to the 

PSS Retreat/Merchant Mall May 5 & 6 

{they will also be available in my Etsy shop soon along with all new designs}

 

sketching is almost finished,

now on to the dipping of my brushes...

 

happiness is doing what you love,

... being blessed is being able to do that every single day...

 and never have it feel like it is anything other than magic ~ 

especially with the love & support we receive from our friends and family.

Have a most creative & beauty-full day my friends!

Blessings from the Farm 

~ Lori

~ Where the Wild Things are..... ~

Sometimes it feels like we are in our own little world here ~

the days go by slowly & quietly, for the most-part...

we watch the changing seasons from inside wavy-glass windows,

and walk wooded paths that have been trodden by many feet before us.

There is a still-feeling here, at this very humble old place that we call 

H O M E

Springtime is a magical time of year for us here at the farm.

the gardens are asleep one moment, then seem to suddenly wake without warning,

welcoming the warmth and sunshine.

We let our gardens grow out of control this time of year,  and with with wild-abandon ~

just letting our herbs strengthen and coexist alongside the plentiful weeds...

{the weeds act as shelter for our tender herbs before they become a life-stealing nuisance to them.}

 

The first blooms of my beautiful wisteria have opened

bringing with them sweet-scented air ~ and sleepy woodworker bees

nestled in amongst the blossoms...

my iris are beginning to show their colors too...

this one surprised me this morning, in full regalia ~

next to the privy and old tea rose bush.

a bramble of blackberry vine entwines with the old rose ~

creating a perfect bower for our beloved feathered friends.

 

Our later-blooming narcissus have arrived,

both in our deep woods and ones I have transported to the farmyard ~

bringing with them waving leaves and delicate petals...

and, if you look closely at my blurry photo below ~

you'll see one of my most-favorite visitors to my flower beds:

a hummingbird moth!

I had never seen one until we moved from CT to VA 

and when I finally saw one I was amazed at how beautiful these tiny pollinators are,

~ and how fittingly they got their name.

A transplanted lilac bush 

{that we moved from the side of the old log cookhouse behind our farmhouse}

has finally matured enough to bloom ~

one sweet, small bloom 

...that I can smell on the spring breeze.

Our azalea bushes are laden with flowers this year as well....

And 

while snapping photos I caught this:

~ pure love ~ 

 the Prim Stitchers Society Retreat and Merchant Mall are only 2 weeks away ~

it is being held at the 

Embassy Suites Hotel/Airport in Columbus, OH

May 5th & 6th

I have so enjoyed being a part of this Facebook group ~ 

it's members are always sharing, lifting each other up and are always happy to help one another.

~ we have met so many wonderful friends that kindly support our business and what we love to do.

we are grateful & blessed!

If you get a chance to attend, you will not be disappointed...

My talented model stitcher Heather is finishing up a few models for me for new designs that I will release at the PSS retreat/merchant mall {see above}

 

I'll have one new punch needle design, called "Birds and Bees"

and three new cross stitch designs ~

"So Inclined",  "Steal Not" & "Stitching & Mending"

 

I'm working on this one...'Stitching and Mending' in progress below ~

the finish will be a project bag to carry/store your threads, linens and charts.

I'm working it with beautiful Gentle Art Sampler Threads, 

but I will include a DMC conversion in the pattern ~

stitching this on my 28ct Old Farmhouse© hand dyed linen 

using two strands over two threads...

so far, so good!

Update on the shipping of our 

Little Stitches Handwork Club kits:

we apologize for the delay....been a busy time here lately!

~ kits will begin shipping end of the week to current members :)

the LSHC club design is called "Melancholy" 

and I will share the completed finish with you soon ~

 

Well I am off to do farmhouse chores ~

the pollen has been building on everything, including these old windows.

...going to grab my vinegar and old newspapers to wash them with...

Hoping you all have a *sparkling* spring day my sweet friends!

Blessings from the Farm

 ~ Lori