~ Adaptations, Conversion & Diversions ~

Hello Friends & Folk!

we woke to a wintry mix of snow, sleet and rain this morning...

a slight bump in our quest for Spring to arrive,

but tomorrows temps will be in the 50's!

going through the treatments for my nose has me holed-up in the farmhouse though,

and as usual a needle and thread is part of my therapy....

with embroidery being at the top of my list.

Did you know,

that my Embroidery designs can be converted easily for Punch Needle

AND

my Punch Needle designs can be used for Embroidery too?

for instance, here is my design for the embroidered version of Tulip Polka, below:

and here is a beautiful version of the same design, needle punched by the very talented

 Jen Mayo of Brush Creek Needleworks:

So,

 if you have been interested in one of my patterns for embroidery, but wanted to punch it, 

you have my permission to purchase from my Etsy shop and do just that :)

or

if you see one of my punch needle patterns that you think you might like to embroider,

you also have my permission to purchase it and embroider it to your heart's content ♥

I kindly ask that you refrain from SHARING patterns between friends, and if you decide to sell a finished project from one of my designs, that you mention me/notforgotten farm 

as the actual designer ~

I would love to see your punched versions of my embroidery designs, 

so do share them on Instagram or Facebook!

Blessings from the Farm

 ~ Lori

~ Super Prim Stitching ~

 it all begins with a speck of an idea...

a small seed of inspiration from anything I see, hear, smell or feel.

it could come from where I am, where I've been,

or where I'm going ~

 and from places that don't even exist outside of my own little mind.

one word can conjure up thoughts for me of stories, poems & characters...

and then I have to create.

thread ~ linen ~ wool ~ fabric ~ pencil ~ ink ~ paint

lately as I am preparing for the

Prim Stitcher's Society Retreat and Merchant Mall 

{June 1 & 2 2018 ~ Red Lion Inn ~ Harrisburg, PA}

I have been once again plying my needle and thread and making tiny little x's.

but

trying to make them perfect by counting 

has always been a challenge to my somewhat dyslexic brain...

so after my 'near' perfect models are finished being stitched by myself,

I turn once again to my most favorite way of cross-stitching ~

So those that are familiar with me know that I  love freehand cross stitching, 

or uncounted cross stitch as I like to call it!

not stamped, not on linen...

but I simply hand drawn onto Osnaburg {click HERE for more info} 

then filled in by row {or not!} with my uncounted and crudely stitched wonky little x's ~

no, the look is definitely not for everyone,

{ I once had a very sweet & kind member of a local EGA chapter 

feel sorry for me and offer to teach me the correct way to do it ~ }

a needle, no I don't have a favorite, one with an eye big enough for me to thread though,

some floss ~ in this case one strand for me, 

and a hoop ~ are all I need.

 oh and I use beeswax on my thread ~

I love the smell and feel of it ~

I love how the wax keeps my thread from tangling and knotting up as I pull it through my cloth ~

and I like how the wax keeps my threads from soaking up too much stain when I am finished stitching and want to age my work a bit with walnut dye.

{I sometimes dye my fabric before I stitch, sometimes after ~ sometimes both.}

I started this specific work last year, and put it away to peruse other ideas ~

but it has been here in my sewing room,

looking at me every time I pass by it,

with a most-pitiful, woe-is-me attitude

that I just couldn't walk by it one more time...

this is where I left off last year...

 and this is my progress as of last evening:

I am hoping to complete it soon, 

then make it into a pillow stuffed with fabric scraps & such

here is a good shot of those wonky x's ~

 

I have had a positive response to my posting this over on my Instagram page ~

it isn't new to me, but may be to new followers and readers... 

I am using the hashtags:

 #uncountedcrossstitch, #freehandcrossstitch and #nocountxs 

if you would like to follow or post your own progress photos of your work.

 So, my questions to you on this day are this:

~ does the idea of cross stitching in this way make you nervous?

~ can you break free from the thought of perfectly counted cross stitches?

~ can you unleash your thinking into a more free-form way of prim stitching?

~ are you interested in learning more and would you consider a class from me online for this?

inquiring minds would love to know your thoughts...

 

Blessings from the Farm

 ~ Lori

~ Moving Along ~

Good Morning Friends & Folk!

and a happy overcast-but-turning-warmer Tuesday to you all!

I am in a ham & peanut butter cup stupor...

just cannot resist the food goodness of the holiday!

I have been making progress on Wool Witch though,

and have finished the oatmeal background behind witch & her sheep

and have begun filling in the border now;

I added a dimensional braid for her hair too 

↓

 

I may shorten that braid, but for now it stays ~

how do you like the border?

 I'm pulling the colors of the rug out to the border 

and hooking it in random strips ~

 

a funny thing is,

 when I went to snap a photo of the rug for my Instagram page last night,

I realized that my border matches our rugs here in the keeping room!

Hoping to finish this today,

 and then get to work on a class model that I'll be teaching in October!

 I am excited to share that with you all, so stay tuned!

Have a beautiful day my friends,

create something beautiful with your hands & heart ~

take a walk  in the fresh air ~

...be kind to yourself and others.

Blessings from the Farm

 ~ Lori

~ Thread & Inspiration and a freebie! ~

 Hello!

~ Happy Sunday Friends & Folk ~ 

🍄 🍄 🍄 🍄 🍄 🍄 🍄

I have been perusing Pinterest and Instagram lately ~ {{ per usual }}

and have become quite fascinated with embroideries of mushrooms! 

As a child growing up in the seventies, this familiar fungus was a staple-motif 

and appeared everywhere...

on printed fabrics, tea towels, toaster covers, pot holders, wall decor and much more ~

I even embroidered some on my denim jacket.

{oh how I wish I still had that jacket }

I thought I would share with you a few of my favorite photos of inspiration..

again, these are not my works of hand ~ but other folks' work were found on the world wide web

... as mentioned above:

So here is a freebie of mushrooms 

 ~ that I sketched up for you in case you feel like joining me in stitching some up ~ 

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feel free to use these little doodles ~

 would love to see yours if you decide to stitch them!

and 

if you're a member of my Humble Work Hand Embroidery Group on FB

you can post them there :)

Have a creative day my friends!

Blessings from the Farm

 ~ Lori

~ Preparations ~

 Good Thursday Morning 

~ Friends & Folk! ~

we are in the throes of preparing for the upcoming

Rug Hooking Week at Historic Sauder Village ~ August 14 - 19th.

lots of patterns still to be printed and packaged, linen to be cut ~ books to be bound!

we are so excited to be included in this year's rug hooking week,

... and I am over the moon to be teaching as well ~

click on the image below to read more about Rug Hooking Week ~

this is the project I'll be teaching,

 ~ a Floral Dummy Board ~  to show how to incorporate punch needle 

into your rug hooking for added effect...

I'm still working on new designs that I'll be taking with me for this show ~

and I will have a few Show Exclusives that will be in limited kit-form at the show...

{but, you'll just have to wait till after the show to see them!} 

Lots of folks are asking what we will have in the booth:

so, aside from patterns ~ we will be bringing along our

 Hookinpunch© gripper frames, Punch Needle Stations, Floss Winder Boxes, 

Wooden Paddles, Stitcher's Trays, Primitive Rug Hooks...etc.

i should be finished with this owl & jack punch this afternoon, 

~ then will 'finish' finish it with a rug hooked border ~

oh! almost forgot,

we will be bringing along our new Sewing Clamp too :)

and we will be offering them in our Etsy shop soon too ~

yay!

 

I will share more photos later on my Instagram page & FB

{ https://www.instagram.com/notforgottenfarm}

 Well I am off to work...

yard work & farmhouse chores before needlework today.

grass is getting tall, weeds are getting high, laundry is piling up.

have a beautiful day my sweet friends!

Blessings from the Farm

 ~ Lori

~ Down the Tube ~

Good Monday to You ~

 Friends & Folk

I am almost finished with another new cross stitch design, 

called  ~ 'Huswifery'.

 

I charted it a year or so back, started it and then stopped working on it.

It was calling out to me last evening

as I was walking past my basket of

UFO's ....

I have so many that need finishing.

but, I follow my muse wherever she lands me and that is just the way it is.

 

pretty colors and a sweet verse 

make for a simple yet charming little stitchling.

 

oh! I almost forgot....

I have been added to the list of fellow

FLOSSTUBE - ers.

:)

I'll be working on new videos soon 

but for now if you'd like to subscribe to my channel, the link is:

https://www.youtube.com/user/notforgottenfarm

~ and don't forget to check out #flosstube on Instagram too!

https://www.instagram.com/notforgottenfarm/

#notforgottenfarm

 

 Off to the PO today, and tomorrow, 

... and most likely Wednesday too...

{ thank you kindly for your continued support of what we love to do }

Blessings from the Farm 

~ Lori

~ Creative Minds ~

Have you heard?

in just a few hours there will begin another 

1 Year of Stitches embroidery project 

happening on FB and Instagram ~

I heard about it through my Humble Work Hand Embroidery group on FB

and decided to join in on the fun!

Here's the Humble Work group link:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/humbleworkhandembroidery/

 and

Here is the link to the 1 Year of Stitches 2017 FB group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1294313713974098/

I encourage you all to break out of your comfort zones 

 ~ and do a little soul-searching through needle and thread.

I've chosen to work my Year of Stitches

on my 10" Morgan hoop, using threads that I have here in my sewing room...

some antique French threads, Valdani, DMC, over-dyeds from Gentle Art & Weeks Dye Works,

and wool threads from Moire ~ just a happy mix of textures and colors....

my base fabric is a stained Osnaburg, which I nicknamed 'Cupboard Cloth' ~

which has a look of homespun cloth, 

and can be cross stitched upon as well as embroidered on...

{{ but know that it is an UNeven-weave cloth}}

I don't have any solid plans for exactly WHAT I'll be stitching day-to-day, 

I think I'll try a different stitch a day and see where that goes.

I'm so excited to be a part of this project, along with SO MANY of you

and can't wait to see the progress on Instagram & FB

If you have not had the pleasure of visiting 

Brown Paper Bag, 

a website dedicated to illustration and needlework,

here is the link: http://www.brwnpaperbag.com/

I have never seen so much creative talent in one place before!!!

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I'm steadily working on this at the moment,

other of my embroidered hearts ~ 

for Jan. 1's Early Work Mercantile

I finished the basket last night,

and now am on to the florals & such...

{{I am loving the white threads on the old brown calico.}}

will stain this when complete for an early look too.

 

** look for new 2017 patterns for my

rug hooking, cross stitch, punch needle and embroidery soon.

 

Blessings from the Farm ~ 

 Lori