Thursday, March 31, 2011

Planting Happiness ~



I often get asked,

"where do you get your energy?"... "do you sleep?" or "how do you get everything done?"


well, I don't have a secret potion ~ but good living, good friends and family and a generally Happy Attitude

can help you accomplish alot...

now don't get me wrong ~

I have my moments...I can be as cranky as the next late 40-ish, menopausal woman dealing with bills, work and a teenager...

but I think how we cope has alot to do with being truly happy...


I have things I have GOT to do... laundry, farm chores, bill paying...the sometimes stressful things that if you're not careful can overcome you & drag you down...


BUT you have to find time to do something for just YOU

that makes you happy, and carry that with you everyday....

we all know that I love to sew & stitch ...and do practically any type of handwork that involves needle & thread~

before I sit down with project-in-hand, I make sure that all of the Got-To-Do's are Done.

(God permits industrious Angels afternoons to play!!)

making time for something I love helps me to reap much Happiness...


We reap what we sow...or in this case, SEW. Plant your Own Happiness!!!


(the work-in-progress shown above, is aptly called the same and I'll have more pics soon!)



Blessings from the Farm... Lori

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

a Sneak Peek ~


Join me this April 1st ~



to see my little Doll offering....

... and to visit all of the wonderful artisans there!!


many thanks for all of your emails about my little quilt... I will be making it into a pattern, soon...


I am working on another as we speak and having loads of fun playing with my fabrics!!!

{I'll show pics tomorrow of the progress.....}


rainy, damp & cold here at the farm today~ perfect stitching weather... that's my story & I'm stickin' to it! OH!!! ((((Have you read the new issue of Early Homes magazine?

it is FABulous...I bought mine at Barnes & Noble....))))





Blessings from the Farm...

Lori

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Airing the Quilts....

it has turned out to be a beautiful sunny day here on the farm ~

...perfect for airing out some of my old quilts!


below are some pics of my finished little quilt:

I like the way it turned out, do you? and here are two quilts that I bought while 'junkin' on Saturday...
this one, below is a Monkey Wrench design... I LOVE LOVE the early blue & brown calico's and how time has aged her....
this one, below, is a Star variation, almost with Log Cabin work on the stars, and again thee best early blue calico.
both quilts are tattered and loved... soft and faded and perfect. ~::~ and what else should we do on such a pleasant day, ...when all of our chores are done?
...nap in the warmth of the sun, of course!!!


...wishing you all a loverly afternoon ~


Blessings from the Farm... Lori

Monday, March 28, 2011

Little Quilt...

...here is a little quilt that I've been working on... in between everything else :)

I will sash and bind these blocks with repro civil war era fabric, haven't figured out which way I want the blocks displayed yet though....

I guess they look ok the way they are, no?


this will be a pattern available soon,

and I will show pics of the finish in a day or two...


in the meantime, I have to go UNpack my car from the show Saturday,

I have just been tuckered out!!


Hoping you all have a wonderful Monday ~ we are expecting maybe an inch of snow!



Blessings from the Farm... Lori

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Virginia Rug Fest pictures....



We had a FANTASTIC time at Rugfest yesterday!

these are a couple of snaps of the booth...

... we tried to keep it simple and farm-house-y... below is a snap of Rebecca Erb's fantabulous room of WOOLs... {{so much WOOL, so little TIME}}

here are Jane Haliwell's gorgeous rugs... she was the guest speaker, too....



and here is the rug show itself...


~SWOON ~
~DROOL~
~SIGH~
~WOW~
~WICKED!!~

~PERFECTION~


~BEAUTIFUL~
~MORE EYE CANDY~

it was a pleasure to see old friends and meet new... there's just "something" about Ladies who love wool...


they are sweet, kind, funny, quirky and honest. and I love them!!!


Thanks to all who came by my booth and shopped, visited with me and made me laugh... Thanks to Mary Henck for putting together a great show!!


...thanks to Joan for your friendship & company on Friday, and much thanks to Felicia for always being my right hand...


hope you can all come out to next years Virginia Rug Fest!!!




Blessings from the Farm...

Lori

Thursday, March 24, 2011

As promised...NEW Designs!!!


Finished!


here is
"Coxcomb & Tulip"
punch needle pattern


finished size is approx. 5" x 8"
and is a nice tombstone shape.


pattern is $8.00 + shipping



~AND~

here are
"Farmer & Wife"
punch needle patterns



Farmer has a raw sheeps wool beard that you can glue or needlefelt on
...measures approx. 5" x 7"

Wife is pleasingly plump and measures approx. 6" x 8"
I've chosen to mount mine to those antique children's rake heads...
(& I LOVE HOW THEY LOOK!!! so Folky!!)
you can find them on etsy, or use your imagination
and mount yours to an old basket, feedsack or wreath

you 'll receive both designs in one pattern
dual pattern is $12.00 + shipping


If you'd like to place an order,
...please email me at not4gopt@aol.com
and I'll total you up...
(: I happily combine shipping charges on both patterns for an additional 2.50 :)

these will debut in person at the VA Rugfest on Saturday!!

and I will ship starting monday when the dust settles around here!

tomorrow is set-up for the show, so you might not get an answer back from me
right away if you do place an order, but I will answer all emails asap!



...thanks Friends!!

Blessings from the Farm...

Lori

"...And Spring arose on the Garden fair ~
like the Spirit of Love felt Everywhere...
and each Flower & Herb on Earth's dark breast,
...rose from the dreams of it's Wintry nest..."


Hi Friends & Folk!
well tonight I will share with you my new punch needle designs...
and do you see the little children's rake heads in the photo above?

well, I will share with you what I will be doing with them...
...stay tuned!
Blessings from the Farm...
Lori

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

a little bird told me....

...to be on the look-out for those new designs
from Notforgotten Farm
SOON!

(this little visitor, above...
...sat on the Donkey's gatepost for the longest time today!)


watch for top-hatted Ladies, Spring Flowers...

and a character or two!!

I should have them all finished by thursday....
until then, I'm
counting down the hours till VA RUGFEST!
...getting everything together and ready to go...

I love being a vendor there, seeing old & new friends,
buying
WAY TOO MUCH WOOL
than one woman will ever need,
and GOING Antiquin' with Friends!

WOO HOO!!!!
~~ALSO~~
go see Felicia's NEW punch needle patterns on her blog,
www.bluemartinhouse.blogspot.com
so pretty!!
~~~AND~~~
if you would like to see some of thee most gorgeous
Button Necklaces
you've EVER seen,
please visit my friend Kathy's shop on etsy:
http://www.hennypennymercantile.etsy.com/

(tell her I sent you!)


ok, that's it for my short break...back to work I go!

Blessings from the Farm...
Lori

Monday, March 21, 2011

Oh to be Young again...

Here are Skyler and Hannah....
my two loves!!!
all decked out in their upcoming
Junior Prom gear...

this was just a test run, as Skyler just got his tux...

they are going for an 80's theme
(if you didn't guess that)

I can't wait to see how BIG Hannah's hair will become...
I better stock up on the gel, mousse and hairspray!!!!

classic 80's pose of
Charlies' Angels...
but they're MY angels!
hahaha ~
two crazy nuts that keep us laughing,
and full of love !

This will be a busy week...
I have to take down models to bring to the show on saturday,
inventory their corresponding patterns...
plan how my booth will look ~ finish punching and stitching...
so if you don't hear from me as often,
you'll know why...
BUT
I will be here when the time allows to show you the new designs...
&
Felicia has come out with three new punch needle designs too...
(hopefully she will be sharing them with you on her blog,
which lately has become dusty and full of cob-webs...)
*SUBTLE HINT* to you Flea!!
her blog is
www.bluemartinhouse.blogspot.com

see you all soon!!!!


Blessings from the Farm...
Lori

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Happy Spring !!

Good Morning Folks!
I am happy to say GOODBYE to Old Man Winter
and
HELLO SUNSHINE :D

the old farmhouse is getting spruced on the inside,
and as time and money allow,
the outside will begin it's transformation...
nothing radical,
but
we need to strip the wood clapboards and stain her...
paint the trim, repaint the roof and
put on a new front porch....
this old wood porch has surely seen better days.
We're thinking about laying brick or soapstone down on a concrete base
as the flooring for the porch...either one sounds good to me,
...but I'm leaning toward the red brick !!!

then we'll plant some wild azalea bushes from our woods around it,
aand fence in a little herb & wildflower garden in front...
kinda like the one in front of the shop.
Such Plans!!!!
stay tuned for pics and more on the change...
what better time to start anew than
Springtime??
wishing you all a BEAUTIFUL first day of Spring with many happy plans!


Blessings from the Farm...

Lori

Friday, March 18, 2011

New Designs!!


Hello Friends & Folk!
wanted to let you know that I have new designs coming out soon!

remember the little pocket above?
well I have been asked by many to adapt the design onto a pattern for
cross stitch, and I have gone one step further
...and also made a pattern for it for punch needle,

I also have two new punch needle patterns based on my
"A Plump Wife" sampler, and one other pattern called
"Coxcomb & Tulip" ~ inspired by my love for PA German folk art....
I am putting the finishing touches on all,
and will have them available next week for the Virginia Rug Fest
and also in my etsy shop and picturetrail...
I'll show more pics of the progress during this coming week.
Yesterday was a beauty,
even if I counted a bazillion stink bugs in the old farmhouse & shop...
I did a little gardening & stitching, so to me it was a full day!
Remember that Spring arrives Sunday eve at around 7:30 pm...
and even though it feels like spring already,
our little bird-friends still have no natural seeds of their own,
so
please fill those feeders for a couple more weeks!!

Blessings from the Farm...

Lori

700th post?

well I missed it.
I don't know how, but I did....
I was planning on a big to-do for my 700th post here on my blog,
but
for some reason
I forgot about it & my last post about chickens was my 700th.
I guess I got carried away?...

not that I'm a girl who talks too much...
((((who am I kidding?
I could talk the ears off a cornstalk.))))
I guess it's just that I enjoy sharing so much that it slipped my mind ~
to me, blogging is a way to open my heart,
to let my family & friends know that I'm always here,
that the door is always open
...& that the light will burn constantly for you.
when you need a break from your world,
I like to know you can come here for a visit...
so, no hoop-la, no bells or whistles ~
just a number to show me
... how many times I've enjoyed visiting YOU!

the shop will be open today,
but please don't mind that I'll be wearing my gardening clothes....
it's 'sposed to be in the high 70's
and
I have SPRING FEVER....
so I'll be clearing away the lamb's ear,
tidying up the strawberry patch
and
tending to the new little tendrils on the wisterias ~
c'mon by for a visit and sit with me on the porch swing...
while we watch the herb garden for more signs of Spring!!!

Blessings from the Farm...
Lori

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Calico Chicken ~

Some of my favorite people have been...
well, um....
Chickens...
there was Frank, the super-large Black Rooster,
that when Hannah was little, described as an... um, fluffy woman
...wearing a black dress and red hat to Sunday Meeting....

then there was Peep,
our first white Leghorn who traveled with us from CT down here to VA...
she lived for almost 6 yrs and laid a beautiful brown egg daily...
and who could forget
Little Bit ~
or
"bitties" as he was lovingly nicknamed...
the tiny Bantam rooster who would rather perch on my head,
fall asleep in my lap or greet our guests ~
then hang out with the other chickens....
*sigh*
yes, they come & go and leave little
Chicken Scratches on our Hearts...
SO ~
I've decided to make little Calico Chickens
for those that cannot have a 'real' chicken....

made from assorted civil war era reproduction calico's
in blues, browns, reds & creams....
an Original design from
Notforgotten Farm

each Hen measures approx. 10" long, from beak to tail...
stuffed with Old, Clean Rags for a nice heavy feel....
hand-dyed Shirred Wool combs, and "penny" wattles...
embroidered eyes.....

each one is $14.99 plus shipping and signed/dated....
(BOX NOT INCLUDED)
...available in my etsy shop
(SOON!!)
or email me here at
not4got@aol.com
these will also be available in my shop for our
Spring Open House~

remember that you saw them here first AND
"a house without a chicken is like eating an egg without salt...."
Blessings from the Farm...
Lori

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Wooly Friends

SO....

...do you think Bobby & Esther
need to be shorn yet?

I'm thinkin' they are ready....
but
by the looks on their faces they don't want anything to do with it....
both of them are carrying about 50 + pounds of wool on their backs!!!
...gives new meaning to the saying
"Ewe aren't fat, Ewe is just Fluffy"
and speaking of fluffy, or HAIRY.....
look at the chin whiskers on this guy...
i swear they have to be
half a foot long !

"give me a KISS Mom!"

(he is a love-muffion no doubt...)

so the reason for this fuzzy post?
to let you all know that we will soon again have wonderful
FRESH from the Farm sheeps wool for sale ~
perfect for your primitive crafting needs...

I will be picking, washing & hand dyeing it,
...although it will always be available in natural...

it's great for needlefelting, doll hair, mixed media artwork
... and to lend a different look to your hooked rugs....

I'll let you know when it will be ready!

off to work on those CHICKENS i told you about in my previous post....
(i will share them with you soon!)

Blessings from the Farm...
Lori

Monday, March 14, 2011

Handsome Boys & Cricket Cage Lights

oh yeah...they KNOW they're handsome ~
no need to say it ALOUD!

they parade & strut around in front of the Young Ladies
and drive them crazy,...They're like the Elvis Twins of the barnyard!

and
here are our little
Cricket Cage Lights...

now available in our etsy shop...


I love them!
just a tiny touch of old-time farmhouse goodness!

I'll be packing orders & shipping today,
...then will be back in the sewing room...
making CHICKENS!
(: oh...you'll soon see :)

Blessings from the Farm...


Lori


Sunday, March 13, 2011

Farm Work....

Hello Friends & Folk ~


oh the weather has been loverly....full sun, winds to blow Winter away
& mild temps...

Peter & I have been busy creating new things for the shop
and shows...

here are his Primitive Rug Hooks made from Antique Textile Bobbins...

they feel great in the hand and can accomodate primitive wool-cuts up to 1/4" inch...
here is my Mint & Nutmeg simmering spice...
this scent reminds me of Spring Cleaning and scrubbing the wood floors!!
it is sold by the scoop...
AND
I've created a new Spice Pot Pourri...
"Olde Farmhouse" scent

it is reminiscent of clove & citrus,
with notes of lavender...


it too, is sold by the scoop and available here in the shop or in my etsy shop...

Peter has also been building me some unique little things...
look for our original Cricket Cage Lights,
& other farmhouse smalls like shelves & cubbies....

...heading out to the clothesline now, to bring in the days' freshness!
have a beautiful evening...

Blessings from the Farm...
Lori