~ Creative Cold-Snap ~

 Iggy likes to sleep.

~ mostly 18 hrs every day.

 Until the clock strikes midnight,

... then he gets the wind up his fuzz-butt and flies around the farmhouse

 like a superhero with a bottle-brush for a tail.

and when he does that, he keeps me awake, or wakes me up like, hourly....

if HE is up, then I should be up too.

 {in a cat's mind}

So to turn the tables,

I pester him during the day when he is trying to sleep.

making sure to wake him every so often like he does to me - 

but at least I don't pounce on him 

or try to get in his mouth 

or pick his nose 

or pull any covers off of him

or open cabinet doors

or turn on sink faucets 

{yes he does, and sometimes flushes the toilet too!}

Here he is trying to take a nap in a sunbeam on the bed:

isn't the little pain in the neck adorable?

Ok Ig ~ I'll let you doze for a couple of hours...

{{ but you'd better keep one eye open for Mom. }}

 

So I am totally into this embroidery-thing.

it was always a fun thing for me to do, and I have always loved it.

every now & then I would embroider something.

even sold a few finished embroidered necklaces and pins ~ 

wearable folk art, as I like to call them.

this is a necklace that I made a few years back, and decided to keep it for myself ~

folky, whimsical & fun 

 ❤ 

I added buttons, pins and ribbon...

even an old rusty thimble.

I was thinking about holding a class for something similar in February ~

would anyone be interested in coming to the Farm and make one with me?

Here are Robin Redbreast {Cock Robin} and his Jenny Wren:

I'm all done with the embroidery, 

... now onto the 'finish-finish'.

the shading was something that I didn't know I was going to do until I was doing it...

things like that happen with me ~I just let my hands & my needle do their thing.

Robin is so dapper ~

he is shy, and fumbles a bit when in Jenny's presence.

he's never sure what to do with his walking stick when she is near him,

~ so he twirls it about and holds it behind his back sometimes

just to show off.

Jenny is quite demure ~ very quiet and patient.

she is gifting her dear Robin with a garland she made from honeysuckle vines ~

and they will hang this above their nest after they are betrothed.

I'll be working on the Parson Rook next ~ the preacher who marries them.

{{ You can read their entire story over there on my sidebar --->>  }} 

and I can tell you now that I am SUPER excited about working on him!!!!!

but in the meanwhile I wanted to stitch a tiny cat...

so I am.

the blue lines will wash away with a spritz of water, 

and my threads are DMC so they are colorfast ~ 

I'll finish this into a brooch,

 me thinks. 

Oh! and I was searching through my 'stuff'

and found a whole 'nother box of floss that I had previously wound onto thread cards 

and seemingly rainbow-color-coordinated them into a plastic box!

the stuff of dreams...

For those of you interested and have asked,

the embroidery group that I created on FB is called

Humble Work Hand Embroidery 

the group is for hand embroidery, no machine embroidery, no cross stitch please ~

If you would like to join, click on the group name above :) 

Keep those hands warm my friends!

Blessings from the Farm

 ~ Lori

~ Just Thinking....

 Hello Hello!

 and a fine day to you all ~

Another cold bitter morning, 

but the weather-folk tell us that today will be a bit warmer...

not so sure about New Years Eve or day though.

We will ring in 2018 at home once again...

some shrimp cocktail, cheese and crackers & antipasto for appetizers

~ then pork chops and sauerkraut for supper.

I will bake lemon bars & oatmeal cookies to snack on while we watch old movies, 

then finally turn the station to see the ball drop at midnight ~ if our eyes can stay open that is.

Of course I'll be stitching too!

I finished dear Jenny Wren and I am pleased with the way her dress and bonnet came out ~

I gave her a garland of greens to hold, with the tiniest leaves...

and added black french-knot buttons to the front of her frock too ~

 

....she is impatiently waiting for her beau to be stitched now though...

The handsome Robin Redbreast or Cock Robin is already in my hoop, 

with penciled-on standing collar and a wild-eyed look!

 

just thinking about the colors to choose for his waistcoat and trousers

and of course his beaver top-hat will be greys ~

I am enjoying this phase of my creative path, 

and am so happy to hear how much you are too! 

Thank you kindly for all of the kind words via Instagram, FB, email & PM's!!

{whodathunk that in my mid-50's I would be embroidering nursery rhyme characters?}

Some of you have asked if these will be patterns,

and my answer is yes, they will.

but

I am hoping to compile enough finished embroideries 

 to offer as a series to those who are interested in embroidering them yourselves.

it's not as hard as it looks! 

just lots {LOTS!} of split satin stitch, long & short stitch, 

~ outline stitch, chain stitch & french knots...

the tricky part for me will be writing the instructions ~ but it will be done.

Let me know just how interested you are in learning to embroider like this...

I may just offer a class or two!

Stay Warm, be happy & keep creating my friends ~

Blessings from the Farm

 ~ Lori