~ List Making ~

 Hello Monday 

~ Hello Friends ~

the weekend found me multi tasking again;

list making, picture taking, sketchbook journaling...

deep-woods walking, cleaning & clearing out. 

I liken all of the above to being

 'productive'

 I also chase my own tail some days though,

where I'll be imagining I'm being productive and I'm really not.

do any of you do that?

 I find that if I don't make lists, I'll tend to wander off somewhere and get sidetracked. lost even.

lists help keep me on target. I have lots of lists.

grocery lists, thread color lists ~ lists of favorite words & colors...

but of course, a list is only good if you can find it.

{hello again menopause}

 the blue jay feather that I showed in yesterday's posting 

~ became part of my sketchbook/journal...adding small dimensions

 to my pages of doodles and droplets of paint-infused water.

when I'm not working with needle/thread or hook/linen

I am usually dabbling in my brushes and watercolor cakes ~

doing so keeps my mind clear and helps my folk art stay fresh.

Painting is also very relaxing and when done in the company of an open window 

where one can hear the birds {or chickens} is a bonus for my soul.

since the past week has been unusually warm in these parts, I'm taking full advantage of being either outside to enjoy the sun & fresh air, or simply working beside an open window.

do any of you paint? if so, which medium do you prefer?

I go prefer watercolors...they are so very

forgiving.

with today being Monday again ~ another small cycle is upon me.

I like to have a routine and Monday is definitely my Wash Day as in the old rhyme:

Wash on Monday

Iron on Tuesday 

Bake on Wednesday

Brew on Thursday

Churn on Friday

Mend on Saturday

Sunday go to Meeting...

although I have replaced a few of the activities, like brewing and churning to shopping and cleaning.

When all of my chores are complete for the day

and after blogging, of course and checking orders and emails...

that's when I settle in for my creative time.

having something in the 'works' is one way of staying productive, but in a very satisfying way.

there is nothing wuite like the feeling of clean floors, fresh laundry and something baking

while you work on a project ~ very comforting and cozy.

I've finished needle-punching 'Mrs Peabody' and I love her....

her design was inspired by an early angel from a fraktur.

I need to now 'finish-finish' it, by making it a sawdust & lavender stuffed pillow trimmed with some-sort of ribbon or yarn or wool.

Mrs Peabody will be available as a pattern {pdf & paper} soon....and I thinnk I'll turn her into a rug hooking pattern as well.

I'm working on a bunch of new designs for my upcoming shows, so you'll be seeing a slew of new things!

 {see my schedule to your right on my sidebar}

next to my sewing machine is a basket ~

in that basket are tiny sewn-things awaiting to be embroidered and stuffed...

some will be necklaces,

others will be scissor fobs and pin keeps. 

each will be different and available as finished goods at the shows too ~

I better get busy!

found the cutest notebooks at Micheal's over the weekend too ~

one for ideas....one for to do's.

both are perfect for me.

  

and I have to share this with you all....

a card that Hannah gave me

that hangs here in my sewing room and is the first thing I see upon walking in the room:

 Hannah, YOU are my greatest accomplishment, 

and are at the top of my list!

Have a beauty-full day my friends ~ find time for yourself....

~ take delight in the mundane and common.

 Notice the small things....they matter the most.

Blessings from the Farm ~ 

 Lori

~ New Folk Art Needle Box on Ebay ~

Hello Friends & Folk ~

Happy Sunday & Happy Fathers Day!

I've just listed another of our folk art needle boxes on Ebay ~

Click HERE to see more:

… Spending a quiet day with family 

grilling, playing and perhaps a hike later this aft.

Wishing you all a beautiful day spent with those who love you most!

~ Blessings from the Farm ~ 

 Lori

It's a Crewel World ~

 well not exactly crewel {or cruel}

but it is kinda like crewel ~

my embroidery, that is….

;)

for the past couple of days, I've been doing a lot of sketching in my books.

happy drawings of my Folks & characters ~

Since I got my new glasses, my eyes have been getting adjusted, 

so that means that I had to put the "Pin" project on hold for a couple of days more ~

... cross stitching right now isn't being friendly to me, hence the bigger needlework I'm doing!

I'm hoping to get back to the 'Pin' project today & finish the 2% I have yet left to do, 

then get them listed in the Etsy shop for you.

{thanks for your patience}

So I figured I'd share with you what I've been working on…

I took one of my drawings from my sketchbook and traced it onto some vintage linen.

I use a combination of water-soluble ink & disappearing ink when I do my Humble Embroidery.

this fine point pen does the trick well, I bought it at Joann's ;)

everywhere you see blue ink, that is the water-soluble ~

that is what I use for what I call the 'hard' outline of the design….

~ the purple ink is the air erase or disappearing ink.

that is what I use while filling in the design as I go…

using it to add guidelines like the detail in the tulip below ~

 I'm mostly right-handed…

but

 I can do just about everything with my left hand too ~

so I have a tendency to stitch in crazy directions…

Here I'm using 6 strands of DMC cotton floss to fill in the details of the tulip…

I also kinda-sorta work upside down.

{really don't know why}

but it works for my little brain 

:)

I like to incorporate different things into my needlework.

and usually will add a bit of calico, a patch or some other stitching, such as the naively crossed stitch lettering you see below:

her name is Ruth….

I filled her dress with tiny petaled flowers and used french knots for their centers.

the flower stems and all outlines are stem stitch ~ 

… for some reason I prefer to use stem stitch to outline instead of outline stitch.

yeah ~ go figure.

in the upper left corner I stitched in a patch, after taking my scissors 

and making a deliberate hole in the vintage linen…

I love the simple, make-do look that patches & repairs give to my work 

~ even if they are intentionally made.

the basket was filled in with chain-stitch, 

& a portion of Ruth's fur {chest area} 

was stitched using seed stitch to lend a bit of texture.

then it was stained.

first I lightly spritzed the finished piece with water to remove the water soluble ink ~

doing that also helps the stain to have a little more 'tooth' and gives a great old or vintage look.

I still need to iron it ~

then frame it.

but I like it.

do you?

This design will be available as a PDF or Instant Download in my Etsy shop today 

for those that may want to try their hand at Humble Embroidery…

If you don't embroider, 

you can use the design for needlepunch or rug hooking too

 :)

*please note*

Since Monday was a holiday, and yesterday was a weather-induced mess,

shipping of orders will be Today.

again,

thanks for your patience.

Hoping you all have a day filled with colorful little stitches!

~ Blessings from the Farm ~

 Lori

ALMOST done!!!!

I am ALMOST finished with the drawings

for the new 2012 calendar from

(c)Notforgotten Farm...

I posted recently that I thought I would have the calendar finished & (maybe) available this weekend,

BUT...it won't...

BUT it will be available for the New Year ~

SO

I'll do my best...that's all I can do :)

{{this is how I feel sometimes...oh, but ain't I pretty!}}

blessings from the farm,

Lori

Christmas Jolly's ~

Good Morning Friends & Folk~

how do you like the new 'look' to the blog?

I am always playing with it, I know..but I have been drawing so much lately, that I wanted it to reflect that ~ speaking of drawing, I am working on a new 2012 Calendar that 9hopefully) will be ready to ship by this weekend..

I know a lot of you have asked if there will be another coming, and the answer is yes!

here are a few

Little things around the farmhouse that make me smile...

...my antique Tom's Coconut Hut's Candy Jar filled with chocolate-delights :)

(well, it WAS filled...)

one of my antique French wire dress forms, wearing a Victorian weskit :)

(wish my waist was that small...where are those chocolates again?)

some festive sewies....

our Tannenbaum ~

decorated carefully by Miss Hannah & her beau, Skyler...

the farmhouse wears a simple dress of Christmas...

I tend to decorate with things I love, no matter what...I'll mix in vintage, retro, farmhouse ~

primitive, cottage, whimsical & contemporary together

~ if it pleases my heart & eye!!

I don't allow the passing-fancies or fads dictate my heart~

i guess I love it all!!!

blessings from the farm,

Lori