~ Looking Ahead ~

 Good Wednesday Morning

 Friends & Folk!

a beatifully-overcast day is on tap for us...

a perfect day to fire-up the slow cooker with some lamb stew 

~ and I think I'll bake some apple hand pies for dessert...

I love when the farmhouse is filled with wonderful scents from the kitchen, don't you?

As the month of September winds down, and with the first full day of Autumn being tomorrow,

I have been sketching ideas & creating for the upcoming Winter shows & events on my schedule...

by far the most exciting event on my schedule each year is the imitable:

 From Our Hands & Hearts Show

November 11 & 12 ~ 2016

The Boston Twp. Hall

1775 Main St. ~ Peninsula, Ohio

Friday Preview 

4pm ~ 7pm

$15.00 per person

Saturday Show

 10am ~ 3pm

$6.00 at the door

($1.00 off with any ad, printed web page or post card!)

From Our Hands & Hearts Show

 I look so forward to seeing my artisan friends there, and greeting friends old & new who come to spend the day shopping with us ~ this is a not-to-miss event and you will never regret going!

I am working on wonderful one of a kind finished goods for this show

~ and am in full throttle creative mode!

this year is my third year as a participating artist with them...

I am so very thankful to Lori Ann & Rebekah for their gracious invitation ~

in other news:

The Winter issue of Primitive Quilts and Projects magazine is out

and includes another of my 'primsical' punch needle designs for you.

I have been blessed to be a part of this fine publication since it's inception...

and if you don't subscribe, you can find it at any bookseller :)

If you are any kind of primitive needleworker, you'll love this issue!

Primitive Quilts & Projects

and here is my design in the current Winter issue ~

{isn't he dapper?}

 I used wonderful Valdani threads for this design 

and finished it off with sweet mini pompom trim from

Dames of the Needle

And ~

Look for another of my punch/wool applique design in the NEW publication:

Wool Works Magazine due out in January 2017...

I am SUPER EXCITED to be a part of this new magazine for lovers of wool!!!

 Also ~

 in between this & that,

~ I'm almost finished designing the next model for the October/November/December 2016

Little Stitches Handwork Club 

and will send that off to my model stitcher ~ 

member's kits will begin shipping about October 10th.

 so there you have it ~ 

my heart is full and my hands are busy!

~ Blessings from the Farm ~

 Lori

~ Linen, Thread & Raindrops ~

Hello Friends & Folk!

guess what?

it's raining!

and a perfect day to sort through my linens & thread ~

choosing some colors on a grey-day such as this can be a bit tricky,

as my mood can sometimes dictate my palette...

I've been perusing Pinterest {as usual}

and have found a few old samplers that were stitched on dark brownish linen ~

and I want to replicate that look for a new design I have in my head.

I have chosen Weeks "Chestnut" Linen and DMC threads.

the linen is 30ct and the thread colors are 831, 898, 918, 3021 & 3033.

of course I'll over-stain every thing once I'm finished, just for good measure.

 In the meanwhile,

Miss Beth 

{my nimble-fingered model stitcher}

has finished this:

"Cat in the Moon"

… remember me sharing with you a few weeks back

 that I wanted to work on Dames of the Needle's

"Witches Brew" linen?

well this is the design I wanted to have on it.

and I love it.

So Elizabeth, if you're reading this; 

you are da-bomb.

{{click HERE to visit Dames of the Needle's FB page}}

I love this linen SO much in fact, 

that I not only asked Beth to stitch the full-size model for me on the 28ct / 2 over 2 

but I am actually stitching a smaller version on the 32ct / one over one

yay!

SO teeny-tiny & I adore it.

I really do love stitching over one ~ it isn't as hard as some think, 

granted you have plenty of light & a good magnifying lamp.

you can really see the beautiful coloring

 in the "Witches Brew" linen in these photos ~

perfect colors for a little rainy-day stitching!

 Hoping you enjoy a full day of creativity & peace 

… my friends ~

~ Blessings from the Farm ~

 Lori

~ Brewing up Good Things ~

Good Morning

my sweet Friends & Folk ~

wheels are turning here…

my brain is in an Autumn-mode

{but then, when is it not?}

visions of pumpkins, black cats and

….witches are dancing around in my head ~

I have some really cool designs for cross stitch

 & punch needle coming for this Autumn, 

and I knew when I first saw this gorgeous hand dyed linen called

"Witches Brew" from

Dames of the Needle's {Elizabeth Ann Tolledo on FB} 

I had to have it….

I purchased both 28ct & 32ct ~

the colors in this linen are deep, murky and mysterious…

browns, purples and greenish-grey splash & play on the surface of this linen

 and

I swear if I look closely enough 

I can already 'see' things coming to life on it!

I have a design waiting in the wings already for it to be stitched upon ~

in both the 28ct & 32ct

if you are a lover of Hallowe'en as I am

~ I think {hope!} you'll be much-pleased with all of them… 

at the moment,

I'm stitching on a few things that will be offered on May 1st's

Early Work Mercantile

then I will get to working on all of my Autumn designs.

{still charting a few more, that will go out to my stitchers for me, 

because…as much as I'd like to I just can't do it all!}

here is a link to Dames of the Needle's Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/Dames-of-the-NeedleFinger-Work-201759306505131/

Thanks to all who have listened to me {and kindly not laughed at me ;) } 

yesterday on Pat Sloan's American Patchwork & Quilting radio podcast!

{and Thank You again Pat!}

Hoping you all have a *SPARKLING* day my friends ~

~ Blessings from the Farm ~ 

 Lori