~ New Pattern Releases for 2026 and other NEWS ~

Good Morning Friends & Folk ~
...and a very happy January Tuesday to us all!

I know I've already released them and shared on IG & FB 
but I forgot to share them here on this neglected blog of mine.
*sigh*

better late than never ;)

so, kindly meet the Brown's ~ a Farmer & Wife who have spent their years loving 
and learning from their land together...

These are the first  of my 'Littles Series' for the new year (2026)

and here is a sweet & small sampler-ish design that is called 
"Little Farmhouse ~ SPRING"
which is the first of 4 seasonal stitches that have some old motifs borrowed from early samplers, 
and a few stitching related motifs along with my own quirky style and colors.

to read more about them, kindly visit my Etsy shop
www.notforgottenfarm.etsy.com

IN OTHER NEWS:

the progress on our Shop & Studio is coming along!

...and I cannot wait to share the full reveal with you all :)

as you can see, Peter is putting in new flooring ~ 
it has a beautiful hickory colored grain and warms up the entire place so much!

there are more 'things' we're doing in there, 
but I want to wait till everything is back in it's place before showing again.

We have moved furniture & fixtures around and around so much we're both dizzy!
I personally can't wait to open back up and see my friends & customers, 
and have my tribe back with me again!

~ Happy creating everyone ~

Blessings from the Farm

 ~ Lori

~ this, that & the other ~

 

 Good Morning Friends & Folk!
...and a very happy Monday to us all ~

lot's of little things going on here at the farm,
I'm working on finished goods for our
Halloween Open House & Stitch In 

here in the shop/studio on Saturday October 5th...
{pre-registered stitch in is full, but Shop will be open for your retail therapy}

In-between that, we are babysitting our grand-dogs
while Hannah has some work related trips to make...

 here is tiny old-man Willie Nelson {Italian Greyhound}
...remember me telling you earlier this year about Willie's spinal injury/surgery and

how he was literally paralyzed and couldn't hardly lift his head?

well you just can't keep a good dog down ~ he is walking and getting around
so well!!! we believe that it is a miracle he is up and ambulatory on his own.
{of course with us, but especially his mama Hannah providing as much love, prayers,

comfort and therapy as we could} seems as though his risky surgery was a success!

 

this of course, is Grizzly...
Griz now lives with us, as having three dogs 

{and especially since Willie's special needs}
became too much for Hannah
and we happily offered to keep him for her....

~ after all, he IS another of Pepper's grown 'puppies'
so now he is with his back where he was born,
and with his 'real' mama, brother and sister
LOL

and this is Lady ~
a rescue beagle found roaming the streets of Richmond,
~ that Hannah took in and saved her little life.
this one is a goof-ball...she is sweet and kooky,
and we do love her little face and freckles!

if you've visited our IG or FB pages lately,
you would have seen the video-tour of our shop/studio,
and how hard Peter has been working to make things more organized and helpful to me...

He is in the process of building me a brand new {another} cutting counter in the studio...
this one will be full of beautiful Lanacot wools that I personally

can't wait to get my hands on!
the two wooden posts leaned against the cabinet base are actually from an old
spool-rope bed...we've had them forEVER
and had no clue what to do with them
{but now we do and we can't wait to show you!}

this is a hooked mat in-progress...
pumpkins and crows, of course.
I work on my rug hooking in the studio in the afternoons/evenings.
~ doing that in the studio rather than in this old farmhouse helps keep the dust down a bit in the house {right...she says to herself convincingly!}
sure, I'll go with that!
no, really it's just that my sewing room is SO FULL of other things to do at the moment
and I love the light in the studio, so.....

the next two photos below are of a band of Goldfinch or 'distelfink'
{if you're familiar with PA German}
if you're unfamiliar,
Distelfink: 
their name comes from the Pennsylvania German word for "goldfinch," dischdelfink.
That word has two components:
dischdel, meaning "thistle," and fink, meaning "finch."
{now you know}

...they gather in our backyard every morning...

we think they like the salt that comes from our water-softener tank
{don't worry, we checked with our vet to see if this was safe
because the rabbits, squirrels and deer do this here too}
it's all good.

can you spot them all? the males are the bright yellow chaps wearing their best summer colors,
while the females are more of a lime-green and harder to see....

I love to hear their conversations amongst themselves, like small chittering
and whistling children!

and these two:

Hannah & Marcus...
my two favorite people
❤
taken last week at a wedding in MD ~

 so there you have it, 

a narrated photo drop of-sorts...

~  just a glimpse of our happy life in general!

wishing you a beautiful Monday, surrounded by everything you love,

and those who love you most...

 

Blessings from the Farm

 ~ Lori

~ love notes ~

 it's the last day of January ~

and it is C O L D.

staying indoors, cooking hearty meals on our always-burning woodstove...

baking sweet treats for my beloved and keeping my hands busy

~ all help to ward off this deep-freeze we are in at the moment.

tomorrow marks the 1st day of a month of 

celebrating love & friendship, so I wanted to create a new set of blank

note/thank you cards using my original drawings...

I have always enjoyed the look of fine line illustration ~

using nothing more than an ink pen and tiny detail.

 

instead of printing directly onto the kraft-paper colored cardstock,

I thought it would be nice to print onto some of my hand-parched paper ~

 

then I stained the paper some more, 

and before adhering to the front of the cards,

I cut the edge of the drawings with pinking sheers...

 

while sitting in my keeping room, with old movies on the tv...

piping hot chocolate within reach and slowly cutting paper and gluing,

I was reminded how as a child growing up in Connecticut on frosty stay-at-home snow days,

always would I have my paper, scissors ~ pencils & pens scattered about me.

I guess some things never change ~ 

I'm blessed to be able to do what I love, and still channel that young girl

that drew hearts and flowers on everything she could....

 my sweet notecard sets w/envelopes will be available in my Etsy shop today, 

~ as well as here in our Shop at the farm

💌

wishing you all a day warmed by love and creativity!

 

Blessings from the Farm

 ~ Lori

~ Shop Open & Stuff ~

~ Also ~

 we have delicious new candles from 

Gable House Goods

{https://gablehousegoodes.bigcartel.com/products}

and sweet & folky new patterns from

Dru Ann at Cinnamon Creek

{https://www.etsy.com/shop/CinnamonCreekFolkArt}

Blessings from the Farm

 ~ Lori

~ Short & Sweet ~

Good Morning Friends & Folk!

and happy last day of April to you all ~

Saturday we enjoyed being back in the shop and having friends visit ~

I cannot tell you how those many weeks of being closed really affected me!

~ oh I am so thankful we are back to a regular routine once again.

 

 here are just a few snaps of the projects our friends were working on this past 

Crafty Saturday at Notforgotten Farm:

OH just look at Nancy's rug!

designed by The Old Tattered Flag, 

this is one huge undertaking ~ to see it in person is incredible!

Sharon is working on a design by Tonya Robey that was in a previous

Primitive Quilts & Projects magazine...

a very folky and colorful design that is so old looking :)

 

Joan is working on her 'Scratch' cat from The Bee & The Bear ~

we all agree that green background wool is so pretty!

 

  I am almost finished with my little applique project 

that I shared with you recently, and need to finish the box that it will be attached to...

this will be a class held here on Saturday May 19th ~ more info to come ;)

and what else am I working on?

well it's a secret...one soon to be told and shown to you. 

But I will tell you that it is red, it is hooked and it is dimensional...

and it will be a class that I will be teaching here at our Farm Shop on June 16th ~

{more info on that to come too stay tuned!}

...any guesses?

enjoy this day, love one another, be nice. 

be kind and be happy!!

Blessings from the Farm

 ~ Lori

~ Winner Winner ~

Good Morning Friends & Folk!

Thanks so much for all of your comments on my previous post ~ 

I truly enjoyed reading all of the posts on how you all love the Springtime!

I agree with all of you, on the love we all have for Spring ~ 

the birdsong, fresh laundry on the line...green things & flowers everywhere

♥

 but you all must know by now my favorite is all of the little ones that are born in the Spring ~

here are a few older snaps from around here a few years back:

cant wait for my daff's to bloom fully!

eggs I dyed using onion skins ~ and paper silhouttes

tiny peeps in my hubby's gentle hands ~ these two are full grown now and our best layers!

fresh flowers in the farmhouse ~ nothing better

〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰
 So without further ado ~
I used the Random Number Generator at Random.org 
{out of 129 comments}
and the number 113 was chosen ~

Barbara Shores ~ Village Folk Art said...
"Most of all I favor the pussy-willow, the first sign of Spring and birth to new life, 
like the all the birds and flowers.
It would be wonderful to actually have one of your handmade pieces."
Barbara
Village Folk Art

Congratulations Barbara!!!!
you have won my little finished/stitched model for  "Tulip Cottage"
please email me with your shipping info so I can send it on it's way to you ~

I am busy busy this week!
I am getting ready to vend at the wonderful
Woolwrights Hook In

on Saturday March 17th ~

alll kinds of new things in the works for "Ewe"
 ~ if you get the chance to visit, stop by our booth to say hello!


Shop Update:
Peter has been working sun up till sun down on the farm shop ~
I don't know where he gets his energy from!
I will share updated photos of the new look soon ~

Have a beautiful March Monday my sweet friends!!

Blessings from the Farm

 ~ Lori

~ Saturday Morning Musings ~

~ Good Morning Friends & Folk ~ 

It's Saturday {again}!

 geeez how the weeks {months, years...} fly by, don't they?

I have to admit, since my back has been acting up and I've been 'planted' on the couch 

I didn't even know that today was Saturday until I looked at my computer screen.

I've had my head buried in thread and my hands busily stitching ~

always taking advantage of down-time and putting it to creative use.

I'm working on a little witch. a pansy witch, me thinks...

or fern ~ or strawberry since she has red hair?

oh! 4 leaf clovers!

that's it ~

 a LUCKY little witch she is then.

{who says witches are just for Hallowe'en?}

<|:~)

 

I'll finish her dress & hat then begin choosing the 'greens' 

for her foliage which will surround her...fun fun!
{I may even offer her for sale when she's finished!}

hello!

In other news ~

the daff's are up! 

poking about 5-6 inches out of the red southern clay soil we have here...

which, btw is still a bit soggy from the last rains we had.

And look at these two:

each morning, our sheep Esther & Bobby 

~ walk around the barn and head on out to the big field to graze and nibble on the new sprouts... 

they are old now, and go much slower than they used to ~ 

... especially Esther, who we think to be about 15 yrs or so.

Bobby, her son is 8-ish if my calculations are correct

{ he is devoted to her and never leaves her side }

just a happy snap of our Roosty, showing off his spring feathers :)

 Here are two books I recently found at Joann's store and got with 50% off coupons!

I am so happy that they accept coupons on books now ~

these are two very good, inspirational books on my favorite subject:

Hand & Surface Embroidery

AND

Progress on the shop:

Peter & Chris have been working every day on the shop...

and yesterday our friend Lee a.k.a. Mr. Millstone 

{Robin's sweet hubby & Millstone Mercantile's main-man} 

came out to help Pete with the pegboard...

 it will be painted a very soft, light grey color, along with the trim and floors

and the walls will be a brighter white

the lower shelves are in the process of being built, as you can see in the photo below...

 

we can't believe the change already ~ 

we are excited to reopen and have you in for a visit! 

We are planning a grand reopening day with our fresh look and new products,

that will also include an outdoor market of vintage items, plants and flea market goods!

 stay tuned for more on that ~

Well Happy weekend my friends,

hoping you all have a peaceful & creative one!

 

Blessings from the Farm

 ~ Lori

~ Farm Shop Closed and Other News ~

Our little needlework shop 

here at the farm is...

today!

sorry for any inconvenience...

we are busy preparing for the upcoming

 From Our Hands Show on November 11th in Peninsula, OH

and our own Open House Week December 2nd through December 9th

here at the farm shop

🎄

I have exciting news about the shop and the upcoming New Year ~
more Classes! New Guest Teachers! a new Look!

{have I piqued your interest yet?}
stay tuned ~

Blessings from the Farm

 ~ Lori

~ Crafty Saturday & Shop is Open Today ~

Good Morning Friends & Folk ~

just a reminder that our little needlework shop here at the farm will be 

OPEN Today from 10:00 - 3:00 only.

{regular shop hours are usually 'til 4:00}

 we will be gathering again on Crafty Saturdays 

for you to come out and bring your project in progress ~

hooking, punching, stitching ~ whatever! come create with me!

I'll be leaving this early evening for Richmond, VA

where I will be staying with our daughter Hannah for the weekend.

We'll be taking in a few museums because it is free admission weekend for the museums there :)

I am excited to visit the Edgar Allen Poe museum and the Medical Museums, in particular.

{I know...weird, but that's just me}

and in case you're not on Facebook,

here is the pumpkin that I've finished from a pattern I purchased from

 BeFruitful Kreations on Etsy....

~ although I did alter the template to make it a more fuller and 'squatter' pumpkin...

think I'll make some more...

yes! a white one! Oh! a BLUE one!!!!!

it turned out better than I thought I would do, and I am so proud of myself!

same pumpkin, different views.

 I'll have it in the shop with me, 

so if you're coming out to play you'll see it in-persona.

I am thinking about teaching a finishing class for a smaller version of this pumpkin, where you would hook the panels yourselves before class and then I will help you put them together.

If you have any interest in this, let me know!

Well I am off to get ready for the day ~

Hoping you have a *Sparkling* Autumn day my friends!

Blessings from the Farm

 ~ Lori

~ Come On In ~

 our little Needlework Shop here at the farm is

Open Today ~ 10:00 - 4:00

Grab your needlework basket & come on in for a visit!

 

Blessings from the Farm

 ~ Lori

~ Come on by ~

 Farm Shop 

will be OPEN today from 10 ~ 4:00

grab something to work on and come on by for a visit with me!

Blessings from the Farm 

~ Lori

~ Farm Shop is Open Today ~

 Farm Shop is Open Today May 20th ~

10:00 - 4:00

come on out for a visit, bring your needlework {any type!} in progress

and come create with me for a relaxing day on the farm ~

{p.s. we have puppies!}

;)

Blessings from the Farm

 ~ Lori

~ Friday Musings ~

 Happy Friday 

Friends & Folk!

a busy day ahead for me ~ after processing customers' orders,

I have to get the Farm Shop back into 'gear' today...

... it has been as I left it since returning from the PSS retreat a few weeks ago.

{{ it has been neglected with all of the happenings lately. }}

with the hot temps and rain, the gardens need pruning back as well ~

and there are plants to be...

well, 

... planted.

a busy little bee I am.

In the evenings, I have been stitching on this:  

my little 'Tomato Season' design ~

 as I've mentioned, I'm working mine over-one

 on 32ct Vintage Sand Dune linen from Lakeside Linens...

this is the bottom left of the design...

 

my sweetest model stitcher Heather 

sent me a photo of her progress as she is working it, 

this is a sneak peek below, of the lower right side of the same design...

she's stitching it on same linen but over two threads 

~ so when we are both finished you'll see a 'regular' sized model 

... and a teeny tinier version of it too :)

I wanted to show you my finished project bag too!

I purchased the boiled-wool bag from Ali at the PSS Retreat

{{www.alistrebeldesigns.com}}

along with some new roving and new felting needles...

I appliqued the wool tulip on, 

then embellished with needlefelting on the leaves, stem and flower.

I LOVE it ~

how many of you folks needlefelt???

I'm thinking of holding a class here at the Farm shop this Autumn ~

any interest in learning??

 and 

of course I have been perusing Pinterest

every. single. night.

I love being able to pin my favorite things on my boards ~

So here are some EARLY miniature samplers to enjoy...

{these are not 'mine' ~ they are all from Pinterest}

 

 well I'm off to 'work' ~

 hoping your day is filled with wonderful little things!

 P.S.

FARM SHOP WILL BE OPEN TOMORROW Saturday May 20th!!!!

woot woot!

 

Blessings from the Farm 

~ Lori