OK...enough already!!!!!!!!

we needed the rain.

really we did.

...but 5 straight days is quite enough
thank you very much.

the cellar is musty.

...the sheets on the beds seem damp even.

and

yes, the new little plantings in the gardens
needed their drinks.

but now,

me thinks it should come to a quiet end...

at least for a while.

we've begun sprouting mushrooms and toadstools everywhere!!!

(ok...that one, big red toadstool that you see above
didn't magickally sprout up from the ground like the others...
I needlefelted it from wool roving...guess all this rain has made me bonkers!)

At least the weatherman, in ALL his infinite wisdom,
has declared this weekend to be sunny, milder and less humid.
(I can only hope, as I'll be wearing layer upon layer
of colonial-styled clothing at the Pharsalia show...)

maybe I'll skip the breezies, and go commando?
nah.....

In the meantime, i'm packing everything to take to set-up tomorrow morning...

It's a 2 day show, so I'll be back to post all about it sunday evening.

Have a great weekend, and stay dry!
Blessed be!
Lori

Just a Quick Note...

Just a Quick Note...

to let you all know that the Shop here at the farm will be
CLOSED
Friday May 29th and Saturday May 30th
in preperation of the show I'll be attending at
Pharsalia Farm...

we'll be open again for the June 5th and 6th regular hours...

Enjoy the needed Rain!
(but pray that it gets it out of it's system before the show!)

Blessed be,

Lori

Simple Country Pleasures...

~~~~~~::~~~~~~~~::~~~~~~

Living in the Country means being Blessed with sharing our surroundings
with animals friends and gardens...

I took a stroll around our farmyard and snapped a few pictures for you~

Guinea Hens taking dirt baths in the little front herb garden...


...as well as Young Spring Hens too!

while one of our older Roosters surveys...

at LAST!
my Yarrow is blooming!

These will be hung in the shop and dried...
I love decorating the farmhouse and shop with dried flowers, herbs...even weeds!

I tuck twigs, nests, branches and leaves everywhere!

...even the simplest things bring me great pleasure..
and if it's from Mother Nature, all the better!

Enjoy the long weekend doing what makes you happiest!
Blessed be, my Friends!

~Lori~

Happy Memorial Day !!!

Wishing you all a Safe and Happy Memorial Day!!!

enjoy the long weekend!


We'll be working in the gardens...
like busy little bees ~

and relaxing on the porch with friends and family...
...Kicking of the Summer in Peaceful Country Style!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just a note:

The shop will be
OPEN
all Summer long!

I usually close for the Summer, but we will be open our regular hours,
Fridays and Saturdays
10:00 - 3:00
(or you can contact me if you would like to visit on another day of the week)

ALSO:

Beginning in June, I will hold a
Summertime Stitching Group

here in the shop...

June thru August,
every Wednesday evening from 6:00 - 9:00
Bring your stitching, hooking, punching projects and hang out with the 'girls'!!

No Fee, Bring baked Goodies if you WANT to share,
I'll provide the lemonade and sweet tea!

Come have Fun at the Farm and create while you do!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I might be away from the computer more than usual this weekend,
but I will check in~holler if you need me!!

Have a great Holiday!
...and Blessed be!
~Lori~

some shop photo's....

The counter has been moved to the back...

and surrounded by all of my cross stitch and needlepunch models!!

... finished wool applique and hooked mats
displayed on an old cobblers rack...

little farmhouse "kitchen"

another cobblers rack, this one is stocked with
yummy wools for hooking/applique!!

all fabric bolts are now located on the pumpkin colored
shelves...

primitive cupboards and cubbies full of goodies!



I'm not finished changing things out yet, but I sure do like how it's coming along!
I'll be adding more or my own finished goods,
and some more finished treasures by other folk artists!

WOOHOO it feels good to be
"HOME"...

Wishing you all a peaceful day
filled with the wonderful spirit of creativity!

Blessed be,
Lori

Little Hogscraper Doll ~

...just a simple little dollie made from scraps
and an old farm implement...

a sweet penciled face and raw flax hair ~
and thee tiniest little pinkeep stitch over one on early linen...

She'll be looking for a new home this morning on ebay!

~::~
Today will be spent re-primitizing the shop.
I know that months ago I was led into temptation
to go to a more 'cottage' look, but my Heart is just not in it....
I have to be true to me, and that is PRIMITIVE!

So, I'll take down and put up, arrange and rearrange...
Lots of work, but it will be worth it!

I need the shop to represent the real me~
the Simple, Plain and Down-to-Earth Farmgirl that I am !

Hope your day finds you being True to Yourself and Loving what you do!
Blessed be, my Friends,
~Lori~

Some Goodies to Share...

I was out antiquing the other day at the
Blue Moon Antiques Mall
here in Nelson Co. VA ~

I found a bunch of stuff,
....but this ~

this beautiful, fragile thing...

caught my eye and heart!
It is something I've only seen a couple of times...

~ a Glass Picture ~

the photo's subjects are almost ghostly in appearance,
which only spoke to me more!

and here's a group shot of the other goodies...

a child's garden hoe,
4 hooked chairpads,
a flower frog,

a hogscraper
(soon to be a doll!)
a green wooden box,

a tiny metal pincushion/box
and some photos...

All of which will find their way into my humble farmhouse...
(except the hogscraper doll, she'll need a good home soon!)

Hoping your day is filled with Goodies of all kinds!!!
Blessed be~

Lori

No Chickens Allowed!

People Only Please!

Well, Peter got the outhouse door up...
and the Hens aren't Happy...
(they held a sit-in in front of the 'loo' to let us know just how mad they were! HA!)

...didn't Pete do a great job at the little moon cut-out?
I love it!

I may leave the door painted red,
and keep the rest of the little building natural,
just a protective stain on it,
to weather to that really beautiful
silver-brown-grey that old wood gets...

I have some shoots from my bittersweet vine that I'll be planting alongside...
won't that look swell in the Fall?
and some mums and pumpkins gathered 'round the bottom...
OH I can't wait!

I've pulled out my stitching and am working on some samplers now for the Pharsalia show...
can't wait for that eiether...it's such a GREAT festival!!

I have to bring Jo to the dr's tomorrow for blood work and a tumor marker check...
Please keep her in your thoughts..
We hope that the marker number is down...that means the chemo is working.
The irony with chemo is,
the sicker you get from it, the more likely it's working.
~ such a double-edged sword.

Have a pleasant evening enjoying your favorite people and past-time,
Blessed be!
Lori

Never too EARLY!!!!

Introducing three new cross stitch patterns
from Notforgotten Farm...

All in the
Spirit of Hallowe'en !!!

"Skeleton Keys"
model stitched on severely stained 18ct. Aida

stitch count:142w x 86h
finished size on 18ct = 7 7/8" x 4 3/4"


"The GoodWitch Sampler"
model stitched on severely stained 18ct. Aida
stitch count: 135w x 171h
finished size on 18ct = 7 1/2" x 9 1/2"

"Hallow's Nigh..."
model stitched on severely stained 18ct Aida
stitch count: 126w x 90h
finished size on 18ct = 7" x 5"

ready for your Autumn stitching?
why not sit for a spell and make these into spice-filled pillows!!!
~or~
frame them in simple, plain black frames for a spooooky prim look!

each pattern is $8.00 + shipping
and you can order directly by emailing me at
not4got@aol.com
(paypal, check, money order gladly accepted)

I happily combine shipping (all three for 2.50!)

OH! and these will be available on ebay this evening too!!!

~Hope you enjoy them~
Blessed be!
Lori

Look closely....

I was working here in the office this morn,
and heard quite the cackling commotion outside...

seems as thought the 'girls' approve of the new outhouse!
(hurry up and get the door put on peter, or i'll be fetching eggs outta there!!)

thought you all might like a chuckle snort!

Blessed be!

~Lori~

An Outhouse!!!!!!

Peter has decided that he wants an outhouse....

(actually, I mentioned the idea to him last year...
saying how nice it would be to have on the property of the shop...
really quaint & cute and I could fix it up with old climbing roses
and hang old enamel pots on the outside and and and...
he disagreed, saying it would be hard to maintain,
needed a special permit, blah blah blah)

So I let the discussion go.

I came home this past Sunday and discovered that he had re-plumbed the septic lines
at the side of the shop, put in a water hydrant and built a base for our new 'Loo'...
(which will be an actual flush toilet/sink electrified little bathroom)

I reminded him about my idea last summer,
and about all the fuss he made about putting one in...
(he conveniently couldn't remember our conversation...and insisted HE thought of this)

isn't it wonderful when our Men-folk think of things all by themselves?
(I know you can relate...)

*sigh*

Bright Blessings to you!
~Lori~

Good Old Fashioned Handwork...

there's nothing that pleases me more...

than old fashioned handwork.

sitting quietly and letting my hands work for themselves,
and of course, seeing the finished product!

this is a little wool mat that i handstitched from beautiful black and red wools...

the simple heart and hand motifs and colors remind me of
the old PA German wool rugs of the late 1800's.

it measures 11 1/2" x 13" and is backed with the same red wool...
i quilted the back and front together with linen thread in a diagonal
direction and then whipped the edges together.

I'll be listing this on ebay this evening, and working on more for my shows..

Hoping your day is filled with sunshine and stitches!!!

Blessed be, my Friends~
~Lori~

a little late...

a little late, but heartfelt nonetheless...

This beautiful day began with a breakfast or eggs, fruit, tea, marmalade toast and oj...
made all the sweeter by peter and hannah...
thank you, my dears, you are my heart!

I worked in the herb gardens a bit,

as you can see by the photo above, my foxgloves are just beautiful this year...
I can't wait for the hollyhocks to come up!!

...then i did some stitching on a wool applique that i'm finishing up...
(i'll try to have pictures of it tomorrow...)

I had jo and emily here for dinner, i made a pork roast,
mashed garlic potatoes, brussel sprouts and sugar snap peas...

then i baked a pie from apples
that were gifted to us by our friends the fitzgeralds,
who own an orchard on the mountain...
served that up with whipped fresh cream
and tall glasses of icy milk!
YUM!

now i am going out for an evening walk..a much-needed one at that...
(after all of the great food today!)
with my sweet daughter and dear hubby....

the perfect ending for a perfect mother's day!

I'm hoping yours was as sweet as you all are~

Blessed be, my friends!
~Lori~

Porches....

What is it about Porches?...
the mere sight of mine makes my heart sing...

...they seem to welcome you home with open arms,
always there when you need them...

they provide a safe haven from the elements, and
are always prepared for informal company.

On my porches,
i've rocked babies and sang silly songs ~
shucked corn and shelled peas...

...sat in my rocker and laughed at my husband's corny jokes
after a long day's work
and
cried there when I found out the news of my sister's cancer...

it's where i go to stitch, read or smell the rain before a storm.

it's where i go to cool off on a hot summer's night
and from where i can count a billion stars...

the porch is where my chickens roost and dogs lay~
where my bittersweet vine grows uncontrollably and
where i am visited by cardinals, jenny wrens and hummingbirds...

my porch is a place where friends and family land, always sharing their lives with me.

I'm fortunate to have two porches, one on my home and one on my shop,
so I am always looking at one or the other on a daily basis..

both are humble, chippy, worn and quirky~
just perfect for me.

Blessed be, my Friends...

~Lori~

tiny visitors...

every spring...

hundreds of tiny little frogs...

invade our swimming pool.

beautiful, yes...but

they get into the darndest places...

and blend in so well with their surroundings!

I guess you could say it is my fault that they are here,
and so many of them at that.

I won't let pete get rid of them until we fill the pool and even then there are still some stragglers that stay & swim with me,

and i have quite the 'knack' for imitating their
(ahem) mating call...
(some of you girls have been on the phone with me
while i performed this amazing stunt
...sorry for piercing your eardrums!)

i call to them, they call to me...
(i guess i must be whispering sweet nothings

into their little froglet ears...)
making them more amorous than they already are this time of year...

...we always seem to have a symphony of them peeping at night,
much to the dismay of hannah, who's bedroom windows are closest to the pool.
(sorry sweetgirl, but momma loves her li'l frogs!)

maybe i was part amphibian in another life? LOL :)
(that might explain my fondness
for the little swampy parts of my woods,
down near the creek.)

the whipporwils, owls, guinea hens and froglets
lull me into a peaceful sleep...

...can't wait for the crickets & lightening bugs to join in!!!

Bright Blessings to all of my nature-loving Friends ~
~Lori~

I'm just WIRED!

When Creativity Strikes:

what do you do when creativity strikes you and you just don't know what to create?
Do you reach for your trusty needle & thread?
Hook, frame and wool?

Brushes and paints perhaps?

~or~
do you grab for something...anything....different from your comfort zone
and devise some little treasure from it?

I do.

I like to let my imagination stroll through unknown territory for me...

and see what I can come up with.

I've been making little baskets, hangers and holders from WIRE...

above, are photo's of my absolute favorite piece so far,
a wire and glass photo holder!

I took my 19 gauge black wire and trusty needle-nose pliers
and just started bending and weaving and curling...
I found a late 1800's etched waterglass (it is chipped, but I love it)
and placed it inside the wire 'basket'...
then added a scattering of my beloved tin-type photos
and cabinet card photos...

Such a simple look, don't you think?

I was going to fill the glass with something...
flowers perhaps?...
maybe feathers or seashells...

for now, I'll leave it empty for the memories of the long-forgotten
' instant ancestors '
depicted in my photo collection...

Once i get all this bent wire stuff out of my system
(i'm thinkin' another day should do me.)
then it's back to textiles for me...

Just thought I'd share!

Blessed be my Friends!
~Lori~

MAY I...?

Hi Folks!!!

well...here it is May the 3rd already...

....wow, that snuck up on me!

Today was spent at the Fishersville, VA Antiques Expo~
Hannah & I braved the cold stinging rain
to venture into the buildings at the expo
that were just LOADED with goodies
for the antiques/primitives lover!

a couple of my favorite dealers were there,

Don and Donna Smith ~
www.picturetrail.com/southernstarantiques

and Ann Bedics
http://www.thecatladyantiques.com/

I picked up a few black shoe-buttons for use as eyes for my mohair bears,
some antique velvet, some millinery flowers and an awesome frame (above)
and Hannah found some pin-back buttons from the 1980's that depict rock bands,...

Although there was MUCH stuff
that the two of us could have easily purchased,
we both patted ourselves on the backs for being frugal...

It was a nice Mother/Daughter day and I always enjoy being with her...
she cracks me up sometimes,
and her 'eye' for really good stuff is phenominal for a 14 yr. old!
(but then again, the apple doesn't fall far....) LOL!

I'd like to remind everyone that our
Beginner's Cross Stitch Sampler Class

will be this coming Saturday, May 9th, from 10-2
here at the shop...
You'll learn how to create those really old looking samplers that you love so much...
AND yes, your samplers will be ON LINEN, so if you need or wear glasses, bring them along!
Each student will create a one of a kind small school girl styled sampler....

If you've signed up for the class, see you soon!

If you'd like to, please e,mail me at not4got@aol.com & I'll squeeze you in~
Class Fee + Materials is $30.00 per student.

I've spent the last couple of days sewing bear bodies ...
...so far I have 1 big boy almost ready to go to a good home,
I'll list him this evening on ebay...

Well friends, I'm off to finish this bear,
make something for him to hold and get his auction up ...
Have a relaxing evening doing what you love most...

Blessed be!
~Lori~