Simple Things from the antiques Show today ~

Hi Folks!
thought I'd share with you all what I found today...
it was the Fishersville, VA Antiques Expo and Flea & I went together...

while we were there, we saw many friends and one in particular,
...Mr. James Cramer (Season's at Seven Gates Farm) ~
I haven't seen Jimmy in at least a hundred years ~ last time I spoke with him was at the Wilton, CT show where he and Dean sold their beautiful wares...Good to see you Jimmy! xoxox

I found a whole collection of THIMBLES!
(on our way home we stopped at a barn sale hehehe!!)

12 OF THEM TO BE EXACT...what's that? you only counted 11???

Oh, that's because Miss FLEA scoffed one of the sterling silver ones with tiny birds & vines...
(actually, I gifted her with it xoxoxox)

can you see thee tiny little thimble...
there, second to your left, next to the bakelite thimble??

it is embossed with the words
"For a Good Girl" and doesn't even cover the tip of my pinky!
too eeeepin' cute!

This pincushion, below...is mid to late 19th C. and is beaded/needlepoint/wool
stuffed with excelsior...gorgeous piece of work!!!
(HAD to come home with me)

...backed with velvet that's so worn,...it's shiny :)
LOVE L O V E LOVE

and the best for last...
THIS SAMPLER ~

*ack*...sorry about those squiggles...
it is SO worn...done in what-looks-to-be wool onto homespun linen...
red, pink, browns & gold...with some white lettering as well

sweet motifs of
2 red hearts, a 'tree' and perhaps a bird(??) in the bottom right corner...
THE MAKER'S NAME IS
Maria Hadley and the date is 1826

~ I saw this sampler sitting on the ground in the direct sun and thought I'd tell the dealer to move it into the shade a bit to try to save it from fading even more...I picked it up and saw a price of 135.00
which I thought was a great price for such a humble bit of naive handwork...so the dealer said to me,
'oh, that's not the original frame' and I took another look at the price sticker and it actually said
$35.00 ~ not $135.00 (so I thought it was a print) nope...it's real.

uh huh....it now proudly resides in my humble farmhouse and I can't stop looking at it, trying to uncover more clues as to what it says and perhaps who Maria was & where she'd lived...

AND
I am a candle freak. the second thing I do upong waking up in the morning,
is to light my candles ~ I love them. they can make the house semll so cozy & inviting,
comfy & clean...(sometimes they even trick Peter into thinking I've been baking! HA!)

so, when I came into Cecilia's booth
(www.picturetrail.com/henhouseprimitives)

I had to purchase two of these amazing Aqua Ball jar candles from her...
the labels are so prim & farmhouse-y...but their scents are heavenly...
this one is "Primitive Blessings" and the other I bought is called "1899 Early Buttery"

BOTH are delicious!!!

I will be in the shop tomorrow, and if you're in the neighborhood, please do stop by for a visit ~
I know there are some of you that will be attending the show in Fishersville tomorrow and will be stopping in ~ can wait to see you!!!

For those that want to come by to hook ~ come on!!!
I'll be hooking (or punching) so bring your projects and visit with me for a while :)

Blessings from the Farm!

Lori

WOO HOO for Lori!!!!

I am SOOOOooo happy for my friend,
Lori Rudolph of Retro Rudolph!!!

her amazing fabric design has been chosen
out of almost 300 entries to become the Fourth Place in the Spoonflower.com,
"Retro Kitchen" contest!

....can't you just see her fabric gracing a picnic table laden with Cole Slaw, Grilled Corn on the Cob, Burgers, Fries, Hot Dawgs....

and don't you forget the condiments ~ ketchup, mustard & relish....
maybe even some Piccalilly?

Oh, please do go over to Spoonflower to vote for her...
(and whilst you're there...please hop on over to the next contest, for HAND DRAWN Fabric ~
and vote for my Do Goode Witch??? pretty please  with brown sugar on top???
here's the link...i think.
http://www.spoonflower.com/profiles/notforgottenfarm?filter_action=freshtastic&info_action=&nav_action=port&shop_selection=port_freshtastic&sub_action=new_profile
YAY!  for Lori!!!!

Blessings from the Farm!
Lori

A Berry Nice Morning !

Good Morning Friends & Folk ~

a beautiful morning here on the farm...thought I'd head out to the strawberry patch ~
wanna tag along?

...we are having another bumper-crop again this year...
nice plump fresh strawberries...I don't think there's anything better on Earth ~

except, of course when they're added to a pie or freshly baked shortcakes.

I've been playing with my photos again...love playing with them :)

I made more of my little mohair & wool strawberries and tomato pinkeeps
and tossed them into the basket...

I'm going to hang some laundry now, in the wonderful country breeze
and get back to working on my needle punch...
then I'll get some baking done ~

~ Hoping you all have a SWEET day ~

Blessings from the Farm!
Lori

My New England Upbringing ~

Growing up along the coastal waters of Connecticut, I have a yearning for anything that relates to the maritime...ships, boats, shells, fish & mermaids and particularly, or more Peculiarly....
...WHALES.

(((Lately, I've been drawing WHALES.)))

I've been researching the history of whaling along the upper regions of
Massachussets and Rhode Island...
Narragansett, Cape Cod...Ipswich & Nantucket...

I've watched a couple of shows on whalers and whaling communities.
How they did what they did with such crude & rudimentary tools is beyond belief.
I'm not one that favors hurting animals (at ALL.) but I know that Whaling was crucial to the development of the Nation ~ the by-products of the whale were needed, and as such, brave men ventured forth ~ sometimes for years ~ chasing the huge, elusive creatures...

So, my creative muse has taken hold of me once again,
and I am working with needle and thread to put my thoughts to design...

(on my frame is a work-in-progress...that includes a whale, and of course...a witch)


shown in sepia tones until the finish...

but being raised in New England, I find myself being even thriftier than ever in today's economy.

I found 15 skeins of DMC floss at a local thrift shop for $1.00 ~ uh huh, that's right. I snapped them up and am using them in the above project...

but, just because I was raised a thrifty Yankee, doesn't mean that everyone doesn't like a bargain or the hunt for one...such fun in finding something in a dusty corner that we didn't know we yet needed ~

I'm sure you all are thrifty in your own right.

My decorating tends to reflect my frugality, too...

this little white pitcher was 50 cents at a barn sale last weekend...

the little black-iron bird (which I think is a lamp finial) was a mere 2.00.

the photos, below were found in our attic here in the old farmhouse when we renovated,

the flicker candle is from the Dollar Store, and of course, the Lavender is home-grown...

not alot of money spent on my favorite farmhouse look ~

...another little pitcher, (below) a larger ironstone pitcher (with a beautiful chip), a tiny birdhouse gifted from a friend (Thank you Tammy!) and a jar candle made by another friend, with a copy of an old sampler simply pasted on and wrapped with stained osnaburg ~

is all my salvaged mantle-scape needs...it fills my heart without breaking a very tight budget.

So, call me a Yankee, call me a spendthrift...call me whatever you'd like to ~

but, don't believe for a minute that I'm any different from those of you who do the same thing

and live to create something from nothing, reuse, repurpose & recycle...

In fact, it is quite the compliment to me,

knowing that I have so many friends, such as yourselves, that do & enjoy the same...

I'll share the finish of my WIP on my next post ~

Blessings from the Farm!

Lori

Earlywork Mercantile Preview ~

Howdy Folks!

here's a preview of my offering for tomorrow's
Early Work Mercantile

"Lavender Ladye"

a sweet little sawdust-filled, hanging (or not) pinkeep

...that shows a Ladye out tending her Lavender Garden...

I've embellished this punched work with thee tiniest mother-of-pearl-buttons for her eyes,
embroidered nose & mouth and a small scrap of fabric for a dimensional gathered skirt...

I adore her!

this pinkeep looks like it was found in a dusty olde sewing basket ...
I'm very pleased with how it finished up ~

Also,

the 2 remaining little Thimble Purse Necklaces will be offered as well...

Please stop by EWM tomorrow
and see all of the fine handwork presented for your shopping pleasure :)

Blessings from the Farm! Lori