~ Busy Hands ~

Good Morning Friends & Folk ~

the days are now being counted minute-by-minute and my time is well-organized!

as you know, I will be heading down the dusty road south to once again be among the wonderful folks of PSS!

I have been blessed to be a member of this Facebook group since it's inception,

and have met so many kind, helpful and talented friends within the group's calm & peaceful corridors ~

The Prim Stitchers' Society 

2nd Annual retreat & Merchant Mall

March 31st ~ April 3rd 2016

Hilton Atlanta Marietta Hotel & Conference Center

500 Powder Springs Street

Marietta, GA 30064

 

I have been busy creating new boxes and such for those attending the Merchant Mall, and I am loving the new, Spring-ier color theme I'm using on them…..

still having a few more to finish up in the late & wee hours though, 

I do enjoy creating each & every one of these especially because I know my friends who are needleworkers can relate to their hand drawn  motifs

I'll be bringing the models for my new punch needle and cross stitch designs as well…

here are the most recent models:

almost finished with the third motto design, and will begin the 4th one

{I have lots more mottos in my head that I want to do!!!}

Here is a sampling of what you'll find in

 Notforgotten Farm's booth at the PSS Merchant Mall:

Peter's Primitive Rug Hooks

Hand Decorated Needle Boxes, Sewing Boxes & Coffers

Hand Dyed Old Farmhouse Linen from NFF

Hand Dyed Ironstone Linen from NFF

Weavers Cloth, Punch Needles & Threaders

Hookinpunch© Gripper Frames

Sit'n Stitch© Embroidery Hoops Stands

Notforgotten Farm's Valdani Pearl Cotton Designer Collections

Fat Quarters of Primitive Cotton Fabrics

Fat Quarters of WOOL

A rainbow assortment of BEAUTIFUL Silk Sari & Habotai Ribbons

A smattering of FINISHED folk art & needlework antiques for sale

and of course

Patterns for Cross Stitch & Punch Needle

{and their MANY Models to see!}

plus anything else I can think of last-minute cause that's when I think of them 

;)

I have MUCH more to do until I pack the van & leave VA on thursday morning ~

Joan & I are excited to be there!

hope to see you at the event, safe travels & godspeed!!

~ Blessings from the Farm ~ 

 Lori

Happy Easter Blessings!

~ Blessings from the Farm ~ 

 Lori

~ BEE-Witched ~

Happy Saturday Friends & Folk ~

hope you are enjoying the peaceful-feel this holiday weekend brings

 as much as we are…

tomorrow will be spent with family & friends 

{{ and we are looking forward to an awesome ham dinner too! }}

Here are some more photos of the little hedge witch…

I've named this pattern

"BEE-Witched"

;)

here it if, punching all finished and ready to have the backing machine-stitched on…

I chose a complimentary color cotton fabric in a wonderful cheddar color with tiny black stars ~

{witches & orange aren't just for Hallowe'en you know}

I've pinned by finished project to the backing fabrics, right sides together ~

…and  old black-swirl headed hat pin serves me well ~

now to machine stitch together…

can you see how very close I stitch to the last punched row of loops?

yep, almost on top of them.

I usually machine stitch completely around my project, 

~ then cut a slit in the backing fabric and turn & stuff….

and I always use my pinking shears to trim away, especially on curves.

that makes for nice & neat edges once turned right sides out.

backing & extra weavers cloth timed away to within 1/4" from machined stitching

I decided not to stuff this, but merely ironed it flat once finished,

added a bone ring & ribbon at the top to hang and….

voila! 

here is out little witch-friend,

tending to her beehive & bumblers 

:)

I like the 'flatness' of this style of finish,

 and I'm well-pleased with how my finished shape

 mimics her hat & tall, wonky beeskep !!

The paper pattern for

"BEE-Witched" 

will be released at next weekends'

Prim Stitchers Society Retreat in Marietta, GA

and will be available in our Etsy shop soon after that :)

I have two more designs that need to be punched for the 'motto' series yet ~

I will be working on them today!

Friendly Reminder:

our FARM SHOP is CLOSED from now until April 15th!

Have a blessed Easter {Ostara} my friends ~

and get outside to celebrate!

~ Blessings from the Farm ~

 Lori

~ Progressing Forward ~

Good Morning Friends & Folk

a somewhat-dreary day weather wise on the farm this morning…

but, it is still a beautiful day!

I can't believe how green our grass is already ~

... looks like I'll be revving the engine on my lawn tractor soon!

in the meantime, 

Bobby & Esther help keep the growing grass nice & trimmed

thank you my sheep-friends!

that rooster-boy is always running….

I put together a collage of progress photos for you 

~ of that little hedge witch design I've been punching;

I love her and can't wait to show you her finish!!!

but

I am most-excited to show this to you…

Peter has been working hard on this ~

our new 

Strippers Tote!

I wanted a portable place to attach my clamp-on stripper, and also wanted a box to carry it in to events

{and from room-to-room here in the farmhouse}

I didn't want it too big, but had to accommodate the weight of the cutter, too…

and, I wanted a place to store my strips & hook!

{am I asking too much? naaaahhhh didn't think so!}

 so he made this tote 

~ and yes, it is awesome.

he designed it so that when I cut my strips, they fall nicely into the tote…

via the cut-out portion in the handle ~

it reminds me of an old shoeshine box!

 we painted this one Iron Oxide Red ~ 

but we can paint it any of our signature colors 

~ like our hooks, needle boxes, etc.

nice silhouette too…dare I say even a bit…sexy?

lol

{hey, it is used by hookers & strippers remember, and we are ALL sexy!}

once you're finished using it, 

just un-clamp your cutter from the handle and tuck it away upside-down in the box!

yep!

 I will be bringing these along to the 

Virginia Rug Fest on April 9th

but

we will be offering them in our Etsy shop soon after that :)

and I cannot believe that in just a week's time 

I will be seeing so many of you in Atlanta at the PSS Retreat!

**Safe Travels & Godspeed to those coming from near & far **

Please note that our Farm Shop here will be CLOSED until after April 9th

and will reopen again for April 15th

Hoping you all have a beautiful & peaceful

Easter Holiday Weekend my sweet friends ~

~ Blessings from the Farm ~

 Lori

~ Tiny Loops, Buds & HOOKS! ~

Ok, 

so yesterday I said I was going to begin working on the 3rd Motto design project.

nope.

this little gal came to mind and I just had to bring her to life 

with my needle & thread…

a Summer-y little Hedgewitch!

hello there!

I just can't seem to punch those loops fast enough to show her to you!

hopefully I'll share her finish tonight on my FB page…

in the meantime, 

our gardens are yawning & stretching their way back to life!

our wisteria is budding like crazy ~

can't wait to see the beautiful purple hanging flowers 

~ and smell the sweetness of them once again…

other signs of new life…

our mint patch is sprouting,

and our iris' have come up!!

YAY!

Happy happy springtime ~

 and before I forget, I just listed a BUNCH of Peter's Rug Hooks in our Etsy shop!

go get one {or three} while you can!

I'm off to work on that little witch…

think I'll take her to the garden and work on her there.

Have a most beautiful day my sweet friends ~

~ Blessings from the Farm ~

 Lori