Rustic Country Handcrafts

Still Hustling for the Holidays

2009-11-23T22:25:00.004-05:00

I have completed and photographed another project to sell during my holiday open house.

Pictured below is another trio of pillows that spell out that timeless sentiment "Home Sweet Home"

I continue to work days and evenings on additional things that I hope to complete by my December 4th and 5th showing. I will share my pictures as I finish things.

Getting things done!

2009-11-15T14:37:00.010-05:00

In preparation for my upcoming holiday open house called "A Homespun Christmas" my hands have been very busy completing several projects that I have designed to sell.

Pictured below are some of my handmade pillows that I just completed.

"Live Simply" was created using a vintage doily on which I hand-embroidered the sentiment. The posies are made from scraps of wool and appliqued on the doily.

The trio of pillows below spells out "Live Laugh Love" and are done in coordinating pinks and greens. They are romantic and would bring charm to any feminine space.

I recently purchased some whimsical fabric that features various snowmen. With coordinating fabrics added, I made several projects with the piece, including the pillow and table runner below. I also made three additional table runners that are not pictured in this post.

This table runner has prairie points at each end with rusty bells attached.

I embroidered "Olde Country Home" on this homespun dish towel and hung it through a shutter with a missing slat.

Here's is a close up view of the embroidery on the towel.

In an earlier post, I used this sentiment on a pillow that I designed with wool mittens. I used scraps of wool to make the mittens that are attached to this sign. I also crocheted tiny doilies for the cuff detail.

Once in a while I get the urge to paint something! I had purchased this cute 5-drawer stand several years ago. It was unfinished wood when I bought it. I had this paint left over from a bathroom renovation project so I decided to use it for the stand. The color is neutral, a grayish brown and would match the decor in just about any room. On top, I crocheted a candle mat from 100% wool yarn, washed and felted.

Please check back from time to time as I will continue to post pictures of my creations as I complete them!

Preparing for the Christmas Season

2009-11-01T12:16:00.007-05:00

Well, Halloween has come and gone and we have just entered November. I am now busy preparing things to sell at upcoming fairs and holiday open houses.

Each year I host a holiday open house in my home called "A Homespun Christmas". I always celebrate it the weekend following Thanksgiving weekend. This year it will be Dec. 4, 5 and 6. I invite several of my crafty friends to participate in the event. They work on their creations during the year and sell them as they would at a typical craft fair. I usually send out more than 100 invitations and encourage folks to bring friends. I have several folks that come back year after year.

Pictured below is a pillow I just completed boasting the sentiment "My mittens warm my hands . . . my family warms my heart". I read this quote in a random catalog and liked it so much I thought it would make a cute pillow to set out for the winter season. The mittens are appliqued wool scraps, embellished with hand-crocheted cuffs and buttons. I embroidered winterberries coming out of the mittens. The quote is also embroidered.

This little guy (or gal) I created from a doily that I crocheted. I used black wool for the head and legs and real sheep curls adorn the tail and the small tuft on the head. To embellish the pillow for Christmas, I appliqued green wool holly leaves and embroidered mistle toe among the leaves. Please click on the image to enjoy a closer look at the detail.
I really love working with wool, as it is so forgiving. I designed this snowgal wearing a wool coat. She is holding embroidered flowers and is appliqued to a patchwork foundation of Thimbleberries fabrics. I have the piece hanging from a stick with wire so it can hang on a door or the wall.

Another wool creation I just completed below is a mitten candle mat.

Here is another wool mitten mat that can be used for a candle, or maybe a candy dish.

This image shows a close-up view of the mitten detail.

Autumn Blessings From New England

2009-10-04T07:04:00.013-04:00

Oh what a beautiful place to be this time of year!

Autumn's Beauty

The splendor of orange, gold and red

paints an image of beauty inside my head.

The colors of fall appear before me

reaching far for the hills and beyond what I see.

The crisp, clean smell of the air right now

has captured my senses off guard somehow.

The magic of Autumn with it's beauty galore

is a gift from God for us all to adore.

by Deb Boudreau

There is no prettier place to be in autumn than New England.

The air is crisp and sweet . . .

The leaves are magnificant shades of red, gold and orange . . .

The smell of burning leaves - mmmmmmm . . .
The frost is on the pumpkins . . .

The mums boast their colors . . .

Apple pickin' and candy apples . . .

Fall country fairs . . .

Speaking of country fairs, last weekend I participated in the annual "Collector's Eye Fall Festival". It is a two-day event held the last weekend in September, boasting wonderful antiques, primitives and collectibles, as well as hand-crafted offerings, art and other needfuls.

Pictured below are some of the photos I took of my setup at the fair featuring handmade creations that I have worked on all year. Some of them I featured in earlier blog posts. You may recognize them as you scroll through the photos.

Surrounded by mums, this is a sign I constructed and painted. It would be a great addition to one's bar, pub or game room.

I purchased this rustic trellis at my friend Lynn's shop, Log Cabin Antiques. I made the little "harvest blessings" sign and embellished with a swag of bittersweet from my back yard.

My friend Mollie dropped off a section of picket fence one day, so I decided to craft something with it that would be useful. I got out the power tools, screws, paint, sandpaper, etc. and this is what I came up with. A rustic bench! Not bad for a woodworking novice.

The next few photos to follow are my booth display. Please click on each image for better detail.

In this photo, I put out some homemade pumpkin mini muffins. It confused a lot of folks because inside my tent I had a "Fall Festival" candle burning. The candle smelled like pumpkin, cinnamon and all the smells associated with baking muffins. So my visitors were not sure if the muffins were real! Too funny!

This box is one of my re-do's that I featured in an earlier blog post. I simply added a mum and some bittersweet to create a colorful autumn display that would be great on a porch.

This small divided box was one that I purchased from Log Cabin Antiques. I repurposed it by hand painting a saltbox scene and adding "home sweet home" embroidered inserts. A very unique offering . . .

I had to make several yoyo's to create this embroidered table mat. Even the flower centers are yoyo's with small pompoms inside.

This is one of two wall-hangings that I completed in time for the fair. I featured this one in an earlier blog post.

Happy Fall to All

A Repurposed Collectible

2009-09-08T09:11:00.005-04:00

From time to time I visit local antiques/collectibles shops and browse for inexpensive items that I can repurpose in some way. I have an extensive collection of vintage pieces that are waiting for a new life.

Pictured below is a skimmer/strainer with a small crack in it. It was a very inexpensive purchase, but I instantly had an idea for it when I spied it. Pictured with it are three yoyo's, a fabric leaf, a small piece of batting, some buttons, floss, a paper pattern piece, a cardboard pattern piece and the word "home" printed on a piece of paper . . . . .

. . . . . . . and this is what it became . . . . a cute little embroidered sign with yoyo flowers, great to hang from a rack, shelf, wall, etc.
I plan to repurpose several small items that I have collected and list them on Etsy at some point in the very near future. I am currently setting up my Etsy shoppe, taking time to write up my shop policies and shipping costs. I will provide a link as soon as my shoppe is ready.

Whatcha Working on Wednesday

2009-09-02T08:58:00.009-04:00

I am back! I really need to take this opportunity to apologize for abandoning my blog for over a month. So much has occurred since my last post in July.

Please follow along as I share . . .

I am very proud to announce the birth of my granddaughter, Peyton Marie, born 8/6/09. She is God's reward for what my daughter Holly had to endure during her pregnancy. During a routine checkup, Holly showed signs of premature labor/delivery at 26 weeks into her pregnancy. From that point on she was required to spend the remainder of her pregnancy on strict bed rest. She managed to do that and keep her sanity for 12 weeks! Holly's pregnancy was considered "high risk" to begin with, as her first born son, Adam, was born at 26 weeks. He is a very healthy and energetic 8 year old now.

Welcome little "Sweet P"

In addition to Peyton's birth, I had house guests from August 3rd to the 19th. First, my niece Laurie, and her family came to visit from Michigan. I believe you all know Laurie from Downriver Primitives. We had a wonderful visit with all of them and packed many activities in during their stay, including birthday parties and a family gathering. During the same period, my mom and stepdad traveled north from Florida to spend a couple of weeks with us. I am happy to say that everyone was here for Peyton's birth and they were able to meet her before they retreated back to their homes.

During the hectic month of August, I did manage to complete a couple of projects and start others. Pictured below is a small stool that I purchased unfinished. I painted it black and distressed it. Then I designed this wool topper for it with an appliqued sheep smelling a flower.

Of course I had to embellish the little guy with buttons and real sheep curls!

With fall and winter approaching, I like to get a headstart on my holiday projects. I dug out these two items and sketched out this snowman to paint on them. The jacket is a crazy quilt design, so it will take some time to paint. I'll do a little here and there until it's finished. I will share photos later when the projects are complete.

Another event that has kept me from my blog is our home. We planned to spend all summer replacing the old siding with new and painting as we go. We seemed to have lost the beginning of our summer season to extremely rainy and cold weather conditions. This really backed up our planned schedule for the renovations. When our visitors departed, we got right to work on the project and managed to complete one end of the house. With all that went on this season, we never even took our boat out of the garage . . . oh well, maybe next year!

Now that school has resumed, I am once again caring for my two grandkids, Jack and Norah. I have them full-time during the week as their mom is a school teacher. So far, the weather has been nice and we have already gone on a picnic to the park and a couple of stoller rides. Life is good!

Finally, as I wrap up this post, I left you with a mystery project in my last post. I pictured pieces of various items including bits and pieces of wool, a vintage crocheted collar, thread, buttons and paper pattern pieces and asked for guesses, but got none. As you scroll down, you will see how the bits and pieces have developed.........

She is not complete yet, but I think she will end up as a pillow.

I am happy to be back!

To see what others are working on today, check out Leslie's blog, My Country Home.

Whatcha Working on Wednesday

2009-07-15T08:07:00.009-04:00

This week didn't provide a whole lot of crafting time for me. Since "Mother Nature" has finally stopped raining down on us, I have spent some quality time in my yard catching up with the mowing, mulching, weeding and yes, I am still planting flowers. Where has summer gone? I can't believe it is mid-July already and my gardens aren't done yet!

I did manage to complete a couple of projects. I try to spend at least an hour each morning in my craft room, accomplishing whatever I can. I am producing items for four different shops (consignments) and I am also trying to complete things for the fall fairs that I participate in.

Below, I completed another fall project. It is a pillow I patched using leftover squares from my fall wall-hangings that are almost finished. I decided to add an overlay with wool appliqued flowers to add interest to the already colorful pillow.

As I explained in previous posts, I love to recycle items and repurpose them. Below is a button bag that I designed. Inside the bag is a plastic coffee container and lid to keep the buttons. I just used scraps of Thimbleberries fabrics, bits and pieces of lace and household twine for the tie closure.

In between my household and yard duties I like to keep a lap project handy to work on during my coffee break. Below is a wool drape that I am making for an old, rustic black wooden box that I will decorate for the fall fair. This year we have an abundance of wild bittersweet growing all around us. I call it the "Bittersweet Forest" and I will make a sign! I plan to fill the box with bittersweet and perhaps make a sign to stick in it that says "Bittersweet Blessings".

Finally, I will tease you with another mystery project. I have laid out these items including various pieces of wool scraps, buttons, lace, fabric, a pillow to recycle, some embroidery floss and a crocheted item. I hope to have this done to show off next week. Any guesses? I'll give you a hint: it's a classic that has been around for many, many years!

To see what our other crafty friends are doing today, check out Leslie's blog at "My Country Home".

Whatcha Working on Wednesday

2009-07-08T10:31:00.002-04:00

Today it's raining (yes, again) and I'm not taking the time to do much crafting. I did, however, finish up these signs that I pictured last week. Tomorrow I will be taking them to Primitive Gatherings.

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I am still working on the Autumn wall hangings I pictured last week. They are almost completed. I will share photos when they are done.

I am also trying to finish up my granddaughter's baby quilt I posted a couple of months ago. I need to finish tying it and do the binding. Her birthday is August 8th, so I plan to present it then.

Baskets Baskets Baskets!

2009-07-08T09:35:00.024-04:00

When it comes to baskets, I think you could say that I am crazy about them! I have collected baskets for years. I just love that they are handmade, useful, decorative and functional. This morning I toured my home with my camera and took several pictures to demonstrate how I use my baskets. Enjoy the trip!

Pictured below are a few baskets holding pinecones that I will "someday" work into a wreath. Seems like "someday" never comes. I've had these cones forever!

My favorite baskets to collect are pie and picnic baskets. They not only make excellent out-of-site storage, but they are also useful and decorative.

Inspired by baskets, I created this framed embroidery designed by Rhonda at Primitive Stitches. Tomorrow I will be consigning this at Primitive Gatherings, where I sell several of my creations.

Below is another one of my basket-inspired projects using a yard sale frame and bits and pieces of wool scraps with embroidery.

Baskets are so "useful", . . . . .

. . . . . and "decorative" . . . . .

. . . . . and "inspiring" . . . . .

. . . . . and "functional" . . . . .

I have this niche area in my bedroom that I had my husband wire for electricity. I lovingly decorated it with my favorite collectibles, including some baskets.

One of the walls in my bedroom is also decorated with my favorite rustic things.

I built this shelf above the door as a nice way to display more of my collectibles.

Another basket thrown atop a wardrobe with some rustic birdhouses.

Down cellar in my "girl cave" I have many many baskets containing fabrics, craft supplies, embellishments, etc. It is sometimes quite a chore to find things. I will have to develop a labeling system.

If you want to see some really awesome baskets, check out my blogging friend Pam's blog, Baskets n Prims. She does a great job with her baskets.

Jack and Norah

2009-07-05T21:36:00.003-04:00

I just had to share this photo of my grandchildren. They are so sweet!

Tomorrow they will begin swimming lessons with their Mommy and I will be assisting. They were supposed to start their lessons two weeks ago, but the weather has not cooperated. Summer is now finally here!

Quote for the day . . . . .

2009-07-02T07:03:00.002-04:00

Don't procrastinate JOY

Whatcha Working on Wednesday

2009-07-01T06:35:00.003-04:00

Today I am really busy with a lot of things going on so I will quickly post my current projects.

Last week I mentioned that I would begin some fall projects in preparation for my fairs this season. I had pictured a "daisy" wall hanging in last week's "WWW" and explained that I would work it up in fall colors. I selected some Thimbleberries scraps, embroidery thread to match and also bits and pieces of wool to match.

In the first image, (please click on image to see the close up detail) I have already begun stitching the wreath. I still need to applique the wool flowers and leaves and add the button centers to the flowers. "Autumn Blessings" also needs to be embroidered in dark brown.

In the image below, I selected a pattern that I purchased from Rhonda at "Primitive Stitches". There is no wool work in this one, just embroidery. I will complete each wall hanging with binding and ties at the top of each piece so they can hang from small tree branches. I will share photos when they are completed.

Be sure to check out Leslie's blog "My Country Home" to see what other crafters are working on today. Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Mystery Project Completed!

2009-06-29T08:41:00.007-04:00

I recently completed my "mystery project" that I had teased you about in a couple of my past posts.

I am a huge "green" supporter, so I am always looking for ways to re-use and recycle various items. Nothing hits my circular file without getting the "creative possiblity" test first. So I recently emptied this oats container (the large size) and tried to come up with a practical and decorative re-use for it. Well . . . . . .

what do ya think?

I designed this little sewing tote using the empty oats container. I used various scraps of fabrics to create the bag and the yoyo flowers and leaves. The buttons were used for the flower centers. I lined the top portion and made a casing for the ribbon drawstrings.

This is not only decorative, but it is also useful!

Once I completed the project, of course my brain started buzzing about other ideas for this type of project. So far, I came up with a "My Bingo" bag, a "button, button, who's got the button" bag, "My Paint Brushes" bag, a "From our house to yours" homemade gift cookie container, or just a plain and decorative container to hold recycled plastic grocery bags. I guess the possibilities are endless. Please let me know if you have any fun ideas.

Happy Crafting!

Whatcha Working on Wednesday

2009-06-24T08:32:00.009-04:00

Today I am listing several projects that I plan to start, or I am already working on. I can't just focus on one thing at a time, I have to have multiple things going on all over the place!

First of all, I completed my wool applique table runner pictured below. I am very happy with the way it turned out. The colors are warm and rich.

As I explained in last week's WWW, I plan to start working on Fall themed projects in preparation for upcoming fairs that I will participate in.

Pictured below is a picture/pattern designed by Heather Waldron from "Patchwork & Stitching" (Australian magazine), Volume 9, Num. 1.
I plan to work this up with the fall colored prints I have selected below, of course they are Thimbleberries! I plan to revise the project slightly by changing the word "Daisy" to "Autumn Blessings", and I will change the daisy flowers to maple leaves and sunflowers. For a hanger, I plan to hit the woods and find the perfect branch to hang it from.

Below is an old wooden box that my husband used for nails. It was destined for the burn pile, along with another larger box and some rough boards. I rescued them before my husband noticed. So far, I have painted the box black. I will distress it and probably make a fall themed wool drape to hang over the front. I will add a potted mum and some bittersweet vines and sell it as a decorative fall arrangement.

Below are the cut up rough boards that I rescued. I grabbed them because I loved the rough nature of the wood and thought they would be great for small signs. I traced the lettering on each of them and just need to paint, distress and wire them. You can't see the words very well in this photo. The top one says "primitives', the second one says "woolens", but the O's will be small wool sheep or pennies. The third one says "country" and the last one says "welcome". I offset the "welcome" so I can attach a rusty star or a wool penny pineapple next to it.

Finally, I have not yet begun my mystery project that I pictured last week. I guess I should start that before my autumn projects just to end the suspense.

To see what others are up to today, head over to Leslie's blog, "My Country Home".

Completed Table Runner

2009-06-22T06:21:00.004-04:00

Pictured below is my completed table runner that I posted last week for "Whatcha Working on Wednesday". I think it came out rather cute. Now I have to decide which shop I will consign it in. I think I will get out some autumn colors and do a couple runners that say "Autumn Blessings". I have a couple of fall fairs that I participate in, so now is the time to start building up my inventory for those.

Next, I will begin working on my mystery project that I also posted last week. Any idea what this will become? That's OK. I don't even know what it will transform into yet!

Don't Throw That Away!

2009-06-19T17:07:00.004-04:00

Once upon a time, there was a couple that lived in a house that they built over 25 years ago. Residing in the basement was an old woodstove that was not in use. It wasn't a nice air-tight stove, just a plain, "ho-hum" stove. When the lady of the house (me) decided that she wanted to renovate the basement into her crafting studio, she kept stumbling over the old woodstove that seemed to always be in the way. The lady asked her husband how much it was worth and he said "not much". So she asked him to please list it on Craig's List for sale. When he didn't do that, the lady asked him to put it out at the curb with a "free" sign on it. When he didn't do that, she became a bit frustrated because she wanted it out of the basement.

A bit of time passed and the lady of the house happened to come up with an idea for the woodstove. Around the second weekend in May, the man asked the lady what she wanted for Mother's Day. She replied "I'm not your mother, but I would love a woodstove planter". "What?" I explained that I wanted to put the woodstove out in my garden and use it for a planter. He said "No way! I don't want that piece of junk in the yard!"

A couple more weeks passed and it was the lady's birthday. The man asked her what she wanted for her birthday. After thinking for a moment, she replied "Hmmmmm.....I would love a woodstove planter". He chuckled.

Anyway, I ended up having a very happy birthday!

Go Red Sox!

2009-06-18T07:35:00.003-04:00

My husband Chuck, and I had a great time at the Red Sox game last night. It was a beautiful evening for a game and of course, we won! Go Sox!!!!!

Whatcha Working on Wednesday

2009-06-17T07:36:00.008-04:00

Today will be a beautiful day . . . a gift! The forcast is clear blue sky with the temperature between 75 and 80. My plan is to spend most of the day outside working in the yard, prettying up my gardens. At 4:00 I will come in to shower and get ready for the Red Sox game that hubby and I have tickets for tonight. I can't wait!

I probably won't do any crafting today, but I will share what I have in progress and also something in the planning stage. Below is a photo of another table runner that I am designing to sell on consignment. It is simple patchwork using Thimbleberries fabrics. The oval in the center says "Country blessings" which I will embroider with black cotton perle. The circle shapes you see are for yoyo flowers that will be attached with button centers. I will applique the leaves among them. The project will be completed with backing and binding.

I live in a rural area in southern New Hampshire and there are several farms around. Not too far from my home is a sheep farm that produces various wool products and also sells meat. Occasionally I stop in to see what's available for wool offerings. In the past I have purchased wool roving, sheep curls, a sheep blanket and yarn for my craft projects.

I recently came up with an idea to knit some "thumbless" mittens with 100% wool, then wash them in hot water to shrink and felt them. My plan is to make little ornaments with the felted results (hopefully it will work). I thought I would applique wool hearts and stars them, attach buttons and a wire hanger, stuff with greens and maybe a little snowman, and sell them as ornaments. Last year I created a club called "Trim ~ A ~ Limb" Ornament Club. I will explain more about the club next week when I have more time.

Below is the wool applique and patchwork table runner that I pictured earlier. All of the blanket stitching is complete. I just have the backing and binding to do. I laid it out on my couch to photograph it, and it looked pretty cool there. So now I am thinking I may have to design a patchwork and wool drape for the back of my couch! Oh my...........

Any clue? Wait and watch!

"A flower cannot blossom without sunshine, nor a garden without love"

This is one of my roses that I photographed yesterday.

I hear my garden calling me . . . have a wonderful Wednesday!

Completed Projects to Consign

2009-06-12T08:15:00.006-04:00

This past week proved to be a productive one for me. I had several unfinished projects waiting to be completed, so I tackled them one by one. Today I will take each one to Log Cabin Antiques to consign in my friend Lynn's shop.

The first item pictured below is a mini table runner that I designed. It is made from homespun fabrics and I used bits and pieces of wool for the cat and the flowers.

Pictured below is a pillow that I completed with the help of my friend, Sue.

Sue is an avid cross-stitcher and her work is beautiful. I asked Sue if she would be interested in doing some "joint" projects with me. I love the look of counted cross-stitch, but I don't have the time to devote to it, so Sue agreed to produce some small projects for me to use to create pillows to sell. She has made several small images for me to work with. This is the first one that I have completed. We will split the profit as each item sells. (Thanks Sue!)

The next two pictures are patchwork pillows that I made. I saw the "Home" image on a greeting card somewhere and decided to embroider it on a pillow using wool and/or yoyo flowers for the "O" in home.

I finally completed a set of four crocheted coasters to sell.

RED SOX NATION

2009-06-05T06:29:00.003-04:00

About a month ago, my first-born grandson, Adam, came to visit with his family. To my surprise, we were dressed exactly alike that day.

We both boasted our "Red Sox" shirts . . . . . and check out our blue jeans - - - we each have a rather large hole in the knee. This was too funny so I had Grampa take a photo of us!

Adam and I are both huge Red Sox fans and Adam is an even bigger NASCAR fan, with Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson as his idols.

Whatcha Working on Wednesday

2009-06-03T09:32:00.008-04:00

Today I will be making a special trip to Hooksett to put these items into a shop where I consign, Primitive Gatherings. I usually try to complete five or six items a month to bring there. My things sell quite well there and I have begun to develop a following.

Yesterday I laid out this wool applique table runner that I will be working on. I made three patchwork runners with Thimbleberries fabrics. The first one I appliqued snowmen at each end and that sold last winter. For this one, I just began cutting flower and leaf shapes from newspaper and then jumped right into my wool stash for bits and pieces to make the blooms. I have the design all pinned and ready to blanket stitch to the runner. Also pictured is more crocheted coasters that I am making from a skein of Red Heart Luster Sheen. So far I have five made. I hope to get eight from the skein so I can sell two 4-coaster sets.

To see what others are working on today, check out Leslie's blog, "My Country Home" for a peek.

Multi-material pillow

2009-05-27T14:48:00.004-04:00

Today I completed this pillow using various materials and my own design. As you will notice, I had one of my crocheted doilies left over. Using Thimbleberries fabrics, I made a simple 4-square patchwork base for the pillow cover. I extended the cover to allow for a button closure. Next, I cut from wool a flower shape to match my doily that I overlaid on the wool applique. The center of the flower is actually a rug-hooked circle using this funky black/brown fuzzy yarn. I simply tacked it on with needle and thread.

Accompanying the pillow is a beautiful crocheted cotton lap robe that my mom made me for Christmas. She used a pattern that makes these squares with raised flowers in the center. She had some left over from a large afgan she made for my daughter's wedding gift last July.

Whatcha Working on Wednesday

2009-05-20T08:08:00.009-04:00

Today I am showing off "Pennies and Posies" that I finally finished! I decided to mount it into an old wooden square platter that I painted black and distressed. I attached a picture hanger on the back so it can be hung on the wall or a door.

Another project that I have "in progress" is a baby quilt that I started several months ago for my granddaughter, Norah. I really want to get this finished for her crib. I selected various pinks, greens and off-whites for the patchwork. At the top I attached a muslin band and embroidered Norah's name and embellished it with embroidered vines, yoyo flowers and silk rosebuds. I also embroidered "Made by Grammy's loving hands" in the upper right hand corner. I need to finish tying the quilt and do the binding around the edge. Please click on the image to view the stitching detail.

Here is a closer view of the stitching and personalization detail.

And here is the "star" of the quilt, my precious little granddaughter, Norah!

To see what others are working on this Wednesday, head on over to Leslies blog, "My Country Home" .

Mug Rugz and Mug Matz

2009-05-15T14:14:00.009-04:00

Today I am happy to share pics of my latest creations: mug rugz and mug matz.

I have an extensive wool collection that includes many recycled clothing items and some new wool, some of it hand-dyed.

I am always trying to think of unique ways to use my stash. I keep a supply of magazines in my "reading room" to poke through for ideas when I am there. I have seen candle hugs made from wool and wool coasters, but I had never seen any wool mug rugz. So I got out my recycled paper, pencil and scissors and doodled a few shapes and cut them out of wool scraps. Below are pictures of the ones I have designed so far. Some of them are similar to the candle mats I designed and pictured in an earlier post. To date, I think most of them have sold already. I consign them them in a couple of antique shops.

These pictures below are mug matz that I just completed today. They are made from bits and pieces of Thimbleberries cast-offs from other projects. Each one is hand-pieced, log cabin style, and features a little hand-embroidery design. Please click on the image to see the detail close up. I will make more of these as time permits. I have a picnic basket full of small scraps to use for projects such as this.

Whatcha Working on Wednesday

2009-05-13T08:00:00.004-04:00

Today is a busy day for me so I am only posting one project in progress. This is my needle punched "Pennies and Posies" that I have shown in the two previous weeks. I finally completed the mini rug, and now I need to create an artful piece using it.

In my stash of yard sale and thrift shop finds, I dug out this wooden tray. I think I will paint and distress the piece, then using the wool pictured above, I will make some pennies to attach to the rug and mount the works in the tray somehow.

I hope to complete the project this week. Please check back for a photo to see what comes about.

I loved my design so much while I was punching the rug, that I have decided to enlarge it for a wool appliqued pillow, and possibly a hooked rug. I just love the country colors.

If anyone is interested in obtaining a photocopy of my design (no charge), please send me an email with your name and address and I'll be happy to share it with you!

To see what others are working on this beautiful Wednesday, check out Leslie's blog, "My Country Home".

Thank you, Mom!

2009-05-09T18:09:00.003-04:00

You give beauty and meaning to the word "Mom".

I honor you for all you do . . . your encouragement, caring, sharing, endless praise and most of all, your love.

It's your day . . . enjoy, and know that you are loved so much.

Love,

Deb

I am pleased to introduce my Mom, Janet. God bless all you Moms and Grandmoms on your special day!

Thyme for Gardening

2009-05-08T13:31:00.005-04:00

This morning when I woke up it was a glorious day! The sky was vivid blue and crystal clear.....the birds were singing.....the air was pure and sweet smelling. I thought to myself, "what a beautiful gift from God".

I was so inspired this morning that I got excited (finally) about doing some gardening this weekend.....but I made the mistake of listening to the weather report. The forecast is clouds and showers for the entire weekend. As I sit here right now, after lunch, the clouds are rolling in for forecasted showers tonight. I am waiting for my granddaughter Norah to awake from her afternoon nap so we can go for a walk before the raindrops arrive.

Below, I am sharing some of my photos of a garden vignette that I created last year. I purchased a few old, rusted pieces from my friend's antique shop, "Log Cabin Antiques". I love to use "olde junque" as artistic pieces among the beautiful blooms of planted annuals.

I created this verse for the garden and painted it on an old piece of wood. I hung it using rusty wire to match the rusty old crib rails that it hangs from.

I had purchased this old box with a lid that someone had attached hardware cloth to. I tucked a potted annual into an old rusty flower sifter and set it inside the box. I also planted an ivy in an old rusty funnel and hung it from the left side of the box. I just love old junque!

"Tickle it with a hoe and it will laugh itself into a garden"

Whatcha Working on Wednesday

2009-05-06T08:47:00.009-04:00

Last week, I pictured several doilies that I had crocheted over the previous weekend. I put my thinking cap on and came up with a couple of ideas for how to use them. Pictured below is a candle mat completed with a tea-stained doily attached to black wool.

These two candle mats below are a simple patchwork design using my favorite Thimbleberries fabrics. One of the doilies is a vintage one from my collection.

Another project that I pictured (incomplete) last week was a slate. I have completed "Rise -n- Shine" below. I used acrylic paints to complete the simple rooster silhouette. I finished it with a coat of matte varnish so it can hang outside.

For the third week in a row I am picturing my partially completed needle punch project, "Pennies and Posies". It is about 75% complete. I still haven't decided how I will design it into a completed project. I have several ideas I'm considering, but can't decide yet!

Another project using one of my doilies is this one mounted to a band box. I painted the base of the box black and distressed it a bit. Then I mounted the doily to a wool-on-wool circle with a wool center to create a flower for the box top. I just have to trim out the rim of the lid with either a strip of black wool or some 1" black grosgrain ribbon. I'll see what I have in my supplies.

To see what other creative friends are working on for "Whatcha Working on Wednesday", visit Leslie's blog at "My Country Home".

Happy Birthday, Sis!

2009-05-01T05:53:00.007-04:00

Today is May Day, and it is also a special day for my sister, Patti. It is her birthday.

As I sit here writing, I am thinking back to our childhood days when we would go to the store with our mother and buy yarn and fabric to start new projects at home. Mom and Grammy taught us so much when we were young girls. We used to make our own clothes for school and we'd make afgans, mittens and scarfs with the yarn we bought. Did we ever really finish any of our afgans we started? Remember the yellow, white and purple granny square one we started for our bedroom? I have so many wonderful memories of times I spent growing up with my sister.

Today she lives in southwest Florida and I am way up here in southern New Hampshire. Patti, I am missing you today . . . . as you celebrate your 5?th birthday, think of me and know that you are loved!

Hugs,

Deb

Check out my sister's blog, "Wild Berry Primitives" to see the things she is creating (and finishing) today. She is very talented!

Whatcha Working on Wednesday

2009-04-29T07:20:00.013-04:00

Today I am working on a few projects that are "in progress". I can never work on only one thing at a time. I like to jump from project to project. Most of my friends are just the opposite. They have to focus on one thing at a time and won't allow themselves to begin a new project until the current one is finished. That's no fun!

Pictured below, I am working on some crocheted doilies that I whipped up over the weekend. I have no idea what I will do with them . . . yet! I may create some patchwork candle mats and attach the doily where the candle would rest. I may also create some with wool scraps.

I may tea stain some of these for a "prim" look, or I may add wool pennies to the center to make them into flowers . . . hmmmmm. What should I do?

This picture below is a needlepunch project that I also started over the weekend. I featured a picture of my materials in last week's WWW. I called the project "Pennies and Posies" and hinted that it will be a surprise. It's still a surprise to me. I haven't decided what to do with it when it's finished. Keep checking back to see the result!

Finally, another project in progress, I felt like getting out my paint and brush. I have many, many recycled slate roof shingles that I acquired (free) for painting. I began this picture yesterday by creating a background for a rooster silhouette that I will paint in the center. I traced lettering above that says "Rise -n- Shine". The color scheme will be gold, barn red and black. Check back again for this finished project.

Happy Crafting!

To see what others are working on for "WWW" check out Leslie's blog My Country Home.

Happy Birthday Holly!

2009-04-28T12:00:00.004-04:00

Today is my daughter's birthday.

This Year's "Mother" Pillow

2009-04-28T08:32:00.005-04:00

Back on April 4th I posted a "Mother" pillow that I had made last year around Mother's Day. I featured a picture of that patchwork pillow done in Thimbleberries fabrics. In that post I explained that I would make a couple of pillows for Mother's Day using something more "flowery". Well, I did just that. I purchased a coordinating bundle of fat quarters at JoAnn Fabrics and created two pillows. One of the pillows is pictured below.

The pillow is 12 x 16 inches and features an embroidered "Mother" on a scalloped overlay with handmade yoyo flowers with covered buttons. I included a close-up picture below . . .

I had enough fabric in the bundle to make two pillows (excluding the backing fabric). I have not completed the second pillow yet. It will have binded edges in the lavender color, as I did not have enough of the green fabric left to duplicate the first pillow.

I decided to take the completed pillow to a nearby shop for consignment. The shop is called "Country Pursuits Antiques" and opens for the season this weekend. It is approximately four miles from my home.

Family Quote

2009-04-27T07:23:00.017-04:00

Pictured below is a picket order I just completed for my sister-in-law, Pam. She is designing a family picture wall in her home and requested this sign to hang along with her favorite family photos.

Because "family" is so important, I searched for a quote for the day that lends meaning to the subject:

"Treat your family like friends and your friends like family"

(The quote is from a marginal note in "Country" magazine, Feb/Mar 2001 issue, page 24.)

WWW's Completed Project!

2009-04-24T07:53:00.005-04:00

If you read my post from "Whatcha Working on Wednesday", I had begun a project using a crocheted doily, some wool, and a couple of ideas in my head.

Since Wednesday was Earth Day, I spent some time thinking about how I could do my part, considering the three R's (reduce, re-use, recycle). I have quite a stash of recycled wool clothing from area thrift shops, so my project ended up being a wool penny pillow. Even the pillow insert is a re-use. Just last week my friend Mollie dropped by and she asked me if I had any use for a recycled pillow form. Of course my response was "absolutely"! So here is my completed project . . . a recycled wool skirt, a recycled pillow form, recycled thread and other bits and pieces of recycled wool scraps. Oh, and the button in the star came from a yard sale!

Just yesterday, I received a call from my friend Theresa, owner of "Country Pursuits". She was asking if I had any primitive wool penny projects that I wanted to consign in her antique shop that will be opening this weekend. Now I can proudly call her and say "yes, as a matter of fact, I do"!

Whatcha Working on Wednesday

2009-04-22T07:04:00.007-04:00

Today I will be completing a project that I started earlier in the week.

My quilting pal, Nancy, has been cleaning out her late husband's workshop and she has given me a few things, including these spools of thread pictured below. I have never seen thread like this before and I have no idea what it's purpose is. I did, however, like the quality and texture of the thread, so I decided to try a crocheted doily pattern that I like. The crocheted piece came out to be about 9 inches.

I decided I wanted to prim up the piece so I gave it two separate tea baths, drying it beneath my woodstove each time. Yes, my woodstove......it was rainy and damp all day yesterday!
The finished size of the piece prompted me to create a candle mat or hot mat. I rummaged through my recycled wool stash and found some black, burgundy and gold. I cut out two penny pieces and the star to stitch to the center of the doily.
Please watch for the finished product later today or tomorrow.

Lately, I have been in the mood to get out my needlepunch accessories and create something. I am not sure what I will create, but I doodled a picture that I will call "Pennies and Posies". I have no idea what will materialize from the items above...........I'll just keep you in suspense. Who knows, it may be framed art, or a box covering, or a candle mat, or a pillow. Check back periodically to see the completed project!

Pam's Mini Shelf Pillows

2009-04-19T22:30:00.010-04:00

A short time ago, I asked my sister-in-law Pam (also my long-time crafting buddy) to create some mini pillows with sentiments. I was looking for small, reasonably priced items to help me fill a space in a shop where I consign my crafts, Liberty Place Antiques in Liberty, Maine.

Pam completed my request with these cute little shelf-sitters below.

Below are a couple of close-up photos of pillows that would make great Mother's Day gifts.

My crafting days with Pam go way, way back to when she was sixteen years old and just got her driver's license. Our first craft that we did together was "ceramics". We did this for several years until we both got the "counted cross-stitch" bug. After stitching for several years, I took a decorative painting class and taught Pam everything that I had learned. Soon we were both painting ornaments and wooden objects that her Dad would cut out for us. We began doing craft fairs, several each year. Some were good, while others were duds! We actually kept a journal of our fair experiences and we read it from time to time for a good laugh.

Pam and I are still crafting together these days. Last year I organized an ornament club called "Trim~A~Limb" Ornament Club and Pam was the first one to say "Count me in"! So we meet once a month to work on our ornies. There is usually a group of about 6 or 7 of us that gather.

Through the years we have taught each other different techniques and shared much information about supplies, patterns, ideas, etc. We always have much to discuss when we get together, right Pam?

A couple of weeks ago Pam came over to drop off her pillows and she allowed me to grab a photo of her with my grandson, Jack. Aren't they a pair?

Primitive Stitches Has Joined Us!

2009-04-17T06:30:00.002-04:00

This morning, while enjoying my first cup of coffee, I was blog hopping. I paid a quick visit to Quilt Hollow and read a post that Rhonda, of Primitive Stitches, has joined our little blogging world. Please check out her blog and give her a warm welcome.

Rhonda designs the cutest country and primitive stitchery patterns. I have a file folder full of them. Her patterns are printed on high quality card stock and are very easy to read and transfer. When I have more time, I will try to find some photos of completed projects I have made using Rhonda's patterns.

Be Safe Amanda

2009-04-15T07:25:00.003-04:00

This is my beautiful niece, Amanda.

Today Amanda departs for a tour in Iraq. Amanda is in the U.S. Army National Guard, employed as an MP (Military Police).

As I publish this post, I encourage your prayers and welcome your comments.

Amanda, know that you make us very proud and we love you. May God bless you and keep you safe!

"Mother" Pillow

2009-04-04T06:31:00.003-04:00

With Mother's Day fast approaching, I thought I would share one of my creations from last year. I designed this pillow using coordinating scraps of Thimbleberries fabrics and patched the design. In the center I used matching floss to embroider "Mother" and the lazy daisy flowers. I made two of these pillows last year. I sold one and the other I presented to my Mom.

I think I will go through my fabric stash and skip by my favorite "Thimbleberries" collection (sorry kids) and look for something more flowery or pastellish to design a couple of "Mother" pillows to sell next month. Please check back to see what I come up with!

Handmade "Family" pillow

2009-04-02T19:04:00.003-04:00

I recently completed this handmade "family" pillow. I chose Thimbleberries fabrics to compliment the fabric at the top of the pillow. My inspiration for this project was the vintage doily, gently tea stained and bordered with lace. I embroidered "family" on it and hand-stitched it to the patchwork base that I pieced. I embellished it with a couple of yoyo flowers with button centers and appliqued leaves. The patchwork pillow cover was completed with hand-painted wooden buttons closing the top.

2009-03-26T22:46:00.004-04:00

I'd like you to meet my daughter Holly, and my first born grandson, Adam. This photo was taken about three years ago. It is so sweet I couldn't resist publishing it.

Adam is now eight years old and he is expecting a new baby sister. Holly is such a proud "Mom" and "Grammy" just wants to brag!

Happy Birthday Amy!

2009-03-23T15:11:00.002-04:00

Happy Birthday Amy. Amy is my sister-in-law, my husband's youngest sis. She is "thirty-something" today. Amy follows my blog, so I want to wish her a happy, happy birthday.

I'm Back!

2009-03-23T13:30:00.002-04:00

Well, it has been a couple of weeks since I have posted to my blog. I apologize for my absence. I have been nursing my cracked and painful fingers back to normal. It was difficult to do any stitching during that time.

I have recently been working on my basement renovation project. I am eager to convert our dark, dirty, dingy and disgusting cellar into my crafting studio. I have about one quarter of the space almost complete. The floor is now cleaned, scraped, etched and painted (3 coats). I have been slowly placing furniture down there as I complete small sections. I am staging different areas with country vignettes so I can photograph my creations in a decorative setting. I finished painting this wonderfully large desk with deep drawers that will be great for storage. I also purchased an unfinished dresser with 12 drawers. I painted it last week and have already filled it with my fabrics and notions. Now the fun begins. I will begin decorating the space to pretty it up and make it cozy for designing, sewing and painting. I will be setting up my stereo for my musical inspiration.

Check back soon, as I have been completing a few projects that I started a while back. I will be posting pictures of them, as well as different areas of my new crafting area.

Folk Art Chicks

2009-03-06T17:15:00.004-05:00

I am a bit depressed today because winter has taken it's toll on my hands. They're a wreck! It has been so cold this season and the air has been so dry, thus my hands have fallen victim to winter's wrath. My skin is cracked on my fingertips close to the nail and also along the bendy joints.....very painful and too sore to stitch, or do anything for that matter. I guess I will have to grease up my hands with petroleum jelly and wear socks on them to bed tonight, unless someone can offer a better remedy!

OK, I'm done whining. Since I haven't completed any crafts recently to feature on my blog, I am posting a project that I made last year. I frequently visit my local antique shops and browse for old, rustic farm stuff that I think would make unique hangers for my wall quilts. I have collected several "whiffletrees" (as pictured below) that work great for small wall-hangings. I am always thinking "outside of the box" with my creations and I am happy to share this one. The quilt design was inspired by a picture I saw in a junk catalog. I think the chicken was actually a clock. I really liked the whimsical look of it so I decided to applique three of them on a patchwork quilt and embroider "Folk Art Chicks" to bring attention to them. The applique work was done with recycled wool and the patchwork was pieced with my favorite Thimbleberries fabrics. Please click on the images to enlarge for a view of the detail.

Folk Art Wool Pillow

2009-03-02T11:20:00.004-05:00

For all you cat lovers, I have designed a folk art cat made with recycled wool. The pillow is patchworked with Thimbleberries prints in green, brown and black. I decided to add a little whimsy with the "meow" tag hanging from the tail. I will be consigning this kitty in a local shop, but if any of my viewers ever wish to order a custom-made design of mine, I am always happy to create one. I can be contacted through email or by leaving a "comment".

Wool Candle Mats

2009-03-02T11:07:00.008-05:00

Finally, I am back! I just returned from a week-long vacation including travel to Las Vegas and California. Upon returning from the west coast, my hubby and I retreated to our log cabin camp in the Great North Woods region of New Hampshire. There we were tortured with freezing temperatures one day and mild weather the next. We enjoyed several days of snowmobiling with our relatives that joined us.

While vacationing, I brought my craft bag (of course) and managed to design and complete six wool candle mats. I previously sold all three that I had consigned at Primitive Gatherings, so I decided that they are a popular item and I should make more. Each one pictured below is made with bits and pieces of recycled wool and some of them feature hand embroidered details and buttons. All of them are appliqued with a blanket stitch.

Barrel Stave Decor

2009-03-02T10:55:00.004-05:00

Recently I've been cleaning and organizing my crafting space and going through bins of projects that I have made, but not yet sold. I came across three of these barrel staves that I kept from an old whiskey barrel planter that collapsed a few years ago. I painted signs on several of them, and the one pictured below I made into an "herbs" sign. After stenciling "herbs" on the stave, I glued on a mini painted pot with dried flowers, and added a raffia bow with a rusty star. The three that staves that I found will be consigned this weekend in a local shop.

Log Cabin Wall Hanging

2009-02-19T16:15:00.007-05:00

In one of my very first blog posts early in January, I pictured a log cabin wall hanging with the saying "It's never too late to live happily ever after". I went on to explain that it was purchased by a gentleman in a shop called Primitive Gatherings where I consign several of my handmade items. When Cathy called me from the shop and told me it sold, I was very excited. I became even more excited when she said that he wanted to order another one! So here it is finally. It is made with a combination of my favorite Thimbleberries fabrics, hand quilted and hand embroidered.

Teddy Bear

2009-02-16T16:08:00.004-05:00

How many of you have a teddy bear collection in your home? I collected teddies for years. I decided to give some of my favorites a new purpose because I was getting bored with them. Instead of donating and/or discarding them, I decided I would give them new life and interest. This guy below with the floppy legs is one of my favorites. I decided to make a pillow for him to hold that has the sentiment "The Reading Room". I keep him propped on a rustic chair in my bathroom.......or reading room!

I have several more bears to repurpose. I think I will make up some little patchwork quilts for them to hold that offer a special sentiment, something to brighten one's day. Maybe I will even make some fleece jackets for a couple with pockets to hold dried flowers. Hmmmm. We'll see what develops.

While we're still on the subject of bears, I wrote a poem a couple of years ago about a boy and his teddy bear:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tattered and torn, weathered and worn . . .

this teddy bear looks so forlorn.

But in the arms of Jimmy Lee

the bear's as happy as can be.

A cute button nose, stuffing exposed,

this is the toy that Jimmy chose

when he needed comfort while going to bed

to get him through the long night ahead.

A teddy bear is a magical toy,

safe and warm in the arms of a boy.

He's always there to hug and to hold

giving unconditional love, I'm told.

Deb Boudreau

Happy Belated Valentine's Day

2009-02-15T07:32:00.005-05:00

I'd like to wish all my readers a "belated" Happy Valentine's Day. I had the intention of posting a couple of vintage Valentine images that my niece shared with me. I was also going to post one of my poems that I wrote. I simply ran out of time. Lately I have been preoccupied with cleaning out my basement in an effort to transform it into my sewing/crafting studio, so that is how I've been spending my free time. I did, however, manage to capture a picture of a project I made a couple of years ago before I put it in my friend's shop for consignment. I designed a patchwork wall-hanging with a crazy quilted heart that is attached with buttons. Inside the heart I included a proverb that I wrote:

Love, like a homespun quilt,

wraps our souls

in everlasting warmth.

The quilt is attached to a grapevine swag with sheer orgundy ribbon. I made three of these projects. I sold one immediately after completing it and I have two left. One of them is the one pictured above.

I hope you all had a pleasant day with your loved one. I did!

Stay Tuned!

2009-02-07T12:19:00.003-05:00

Today, and for the past few weekends and several week nights, I have been on a tear to clean out my basement in preparation for it's transformation into my crafting studio. My hubby and I are going through 25 years of "stuff" we have collected, stored, hid, stacked, thrown, etc. in the basement. Some of it has resided there since day one of moving in. It has collected plenty of dust, dirt, moisture, mold, mice matter and who knows what else has lurked down there. We have thrown out a huge amount of things that have been ruined, gone out of style, forgot we had, etc. I have been washing, etching and painting small sections of the concrete floor as it becomes empty. Today I pulled out a bunch of yard sale collections (yes, I've been a pack rat for years). I got all excited to lay my eyes on things I had totally forgotten about. As I write this post, I am asking you to "stay tuned" to my blog for future makeovers. I found alot of really cool stuff that I can't wait to reinvent. I will be doing before and after photos of everything I create. Hang in there. I have to clean the rest of the basement first, so Hubby can do his part: wiring for lights and heat, plumbing, partitions and closets to hide all the ugly stuff, and a suspended ceiling. Lots of work . . . . off I go!

Phenomenon, Gift From God or Hormones?

2009-02-06T20:49:00.004-05:00

For a brief period in my life while nearing fifty years of age, I was blessed with this strange ability to write creatively, with a very strong drive forcing it. I was compelled to write poetry! During my life, writing creatively was never challenging.....it was always easy for me. But during this "special" time, there was a distinct voice, no, a feeling that was fueling my mind with words. My brain was constantly buzzing with ideas for these words. I thought about writing song lyrics, maybe a book, anything. I had to get the words down on paper to get them out of my mind. So I attempted poetry, and wow . . . it really took over my life. I wrote maybe twenty complete poems and I have several started, waiting to be finished someday. Most of my creative thoughts occurred while I was in the shower or driving my car. I actually kept a notebook and a pen in my car and I would pull off the road to write down my thoughts when they started buzzing my brain. So I am wondering if this "event" was a phenomenon, a gift from God, or just plain hormones raging towards the dreaded "pause"! The whole thing lasted about six months, and thankfully during that time there were several things that inspired me to write some of the poems that I will share in this blog from time to time. If anyone who reads this post has ever experienced a similar or peculiar occurance such as this, I would love to hear your comments. The strangest part of it is that the ability left me as quickly as it came to me. I no longer have the strong inspiration to write poetry. I hope it comes back to visit at some point in my life so I can finish my poems that were left in progress.

This is one of many poems that I was inspired to write about my life and my family. Enjoy.

Home

I love being home where my family resides,

content in the structure where our love abides.

These windows and walls that keep us protected

surround us with comfort and keep us connected.

Home is the one place where I long to be

providing warm moments for my family,

the place where we gather and share conversations

of day~to~day small talk and "someday" vacations.

Home is where children learn values in life . . .

home is where we began as husband and wife.

Life is too short to not have a place

to grow with each other with laughter and grace.

As each year goes by we will never forget

the good times we share and the folks we have met.

In this place we call "home" it's where I long to be,

it's the gathering place for my family.

We'll always be humble and never outgrow

the walls that surround the love that we know.

Our family is growing in numbers this year,

but "home" will always be ever so near.

Deb Boudreau

Primitive Folk Art Sheep

2009-02-03T12:11:00.004-05:00

This morning I woke up with a creative urge. I didn't have the grandkids today, so I decided I would make a project that would come together rather quickly. I looked through a couple of my craft books for inspiration and this is what I came up with. I collect sheep and I love working with wool. I got out my scrap paper and drew a sheep body. Then I cut out the body from unbleached cotton flannel. After sewing and stuffing the sheep, I brewed some tea and painted several applications onto the body to prim it up. I got out my small scrapbag of woolen bits and found three pieces to make the penny rug blanket. For the tail I used real sheep curls that I purchased at a local sheep farm. I painted a black face and ears, added some rusty bells and a rusty wire hanger, and ended up with this little ornie. What do "ewe" think?

Calling All Quilters . . . .

2009-01-28T14:04:00.004-05:00

I have just recently climbed on the blogging wagon. I am a quilter at heart and I am anxious to meet anyone and everyone who loves to quilt and loves to share their passion. Quilting is a sisterhood of sorts. It has always been exciting and inspiring to see the work of others and to read the stories that inspire their love for quilting.

I am searching for quilting sisters to follow my blog and I hope to find many blogs to follow that will continue to inspire me. I have merely begun to post samples of my creations. Please take time to view my photos and leave a comment or two. I'd love to get to know you through blogging and through the common thread of quilting.

Happy Quilting!

Pickets on Parade

2009-01-28T13:32:00.010-05:00

Mollie, a good friend of mine who lives in town, gave me a call one day because she heard that I might be interested in gathering a few sections of an old picket fence that had been taken down and was headed for the burn pile. Excited about it, I told her I would be right over with my husband's truck to grab as many sections as I could! "Are you kidding?" "Free pickets?" So I came home with a truckload of old, rustic, flaky paint pickets and backed the truck up to the edge of the woods in the back yard. In the woods I found a spot to lean the fence sections up against a couple of trees. Occasionally I go out with my hammer and whack a few pickets off the rails and bring them in for projects, and sometimes special orders. Each picket is approximately four feet tall. I have used them for many purposes including: Christmas sayings, family names, quilt hangers, collector signs, etc. I have also cut them into smaller pieces and made mini signs. Below I have photographed a few of the pickets I have painted for gifts, home decor and whatever else comes to mind. I still have several rustic pickets in the woods waiting to become a treasure for someone. Thank you Mollie for thinking of me when your pickets needed to leave your property. I have put them to very good use!

These small picket signs are currently for sale in a nearby antique shop where I love to consign my creations. I will be doing a feature on "Log Cabin Antiques" in a future post.......stay tuned.

This little "snow" sign was one of my designs using a wool applique snowman head, taking the place of the "o" in snow.

These three signs I just recently completed for consignment.

This is a picket I painted for myself when I decorated a new bathroom we added to our home recently. I thought it looked perfect on the dark red wall.

These are small picket signs that I made for a fall fair I participated in. If you click on the image you can read each sign.

This is a flag sign I created using old pickets. I consign some of my creations in a small antique shop in Maine called "Liberty Antiques", so I figured this sign would be perfect to sell up there.....and it was. It sold to one of the locals that lives in Liberty!

I have several more lonely pickets out back in the woods waiting for a home somewhere. If you're interested in having a special sentiment hand-painted on a rustic picket, send me an email and I'd be happy to negotiate a design for you.

Wild About Wool !!!

2009-01-24T20:25:00.001-05:00

Wool! I have had this passion to work with wool for the past couple of years. I visit my local quilt shops and pick up pieces here and there for my stash, but that gets very expensive. So I learned to visit thrift shops for wool garments that are reasonable priced. I look at the tags for 100% wool before I buy it. When I have purchased a few garments, I throw them in the washing machine to felt them. Felting prepares the fabric for projects such as wool applique (see my photos below) or rug hooking. I have done many applique projects during the past year and some are pictured below. I love folk art and needed some autumn colored projects for a September fair that I was scheduled to participate in. This is one of my whimsical folk art creations.I purchased this Thimbleberries medley from the Keepsake Quilting Medley of the Month Club. I managed to scrape up some small pieces of wool to match the fabric colors. This is what I came up with.

I collect everything from buttons to doilies to old frames to wool to threads to junk. This framed autumn picture included some of my collections . . . a yard sale frame, an old doily and bits and pieces of wool.

This small wall hanging is made with Thimbleberries fabrics and bits and pieces of wool. I concentrated on the details for this project by embroidering flowers in the window box and a bush next to the chimney. If you click on the image you may be able to see the detail close up.

This is a sheep sporting a penny rug blanket on it's back. I inserted the finished piece in an old cast iron mini skillet that I purchased at a local antique shop. I love using old junk for my art pieces. It's unique and unexpected.

This is a seasons wall hanging that I created with Thimbleberries fabrics and wool scraps. The layout was inspired by a book called "Seasons Stitchin's" by Paula Stoddard. I bought the book, however, I did not use her pattern.....just the idea. There are several cute patterns in the book that I am anxious to produce. I also made the sign that the quilt hangs from. I am selling it as a 3-piece set. When I came across this quote I thought it was appropriate for the quilt. The set was displayed to sell at the Rockingham Craftsmen Fair held last Nov. 1st. It didn't sell there, so I had it for sale at my eighth annual "A Homespun Christmas" open house in December and it did not sell. I may consider listing it on eBay at some point. I'm not sure I really want to part with it though.

Cast Offs?

2009-01-21T06:40:00.001-05:00

This is a story about "cast offs". A cast off is a small piece of fabric that is left over from a previous quilt or pillow project. Someone taught me very early in life to be thrifty and frugal. It may have been my mom, grandmother or my late stepfather, Eddie, but I can't remember. Anyway, I can't seem to throw anything away . . . ever!

The projects pictured below are all produced from cast offs. I love working with "Thimbleberries" fabrics because they were all designed to coordinate with each other. Has anyone other than me ever noticed this? The "Thimbleberries" designer is Lynette Jensen and she is one of my idols in life. I just love her fabric designs and have built up an extensive collection. You will notice that most of my creations are inspired by the "Thimbleberries" colors.

Another one of my crafting idols is Eleanor Burns. Eleanor is a well-known quilt designer and has been featured often on HGTV's show "Simply Quilts". I love to watch her demonstrate quilting processes. She makes me laugh. While using her rotary cutter, she will demonstrate how to cut strips, squares, etc. and she will take the unused scraps of fabric and whip them backwards over her shoulder with a sound effect. This is an "Eleanor Burns" cast off!

So, now that you have been educated about "cast offs", if you follow my blog regularly, you will notice that most of my projects are created from these little pieces of fabric that I just couldn't part with.

Below is a pillow I designed from cast offs. It has an embroidered heart in the center.

The image below is a button bag I just threw together using Thimbleberries cast offs. I was scheduled to babysit my grandkids Jack and Norah in Newmarket one day last week, so I grabbed a small stash of fabric, some matching quilting and embroidery threads, buttons, my pin cushion and scissors, then off I went. When the kids were either sleeping or occupied with playing, I laid out my pieces of fabrics and matched up a few that I thought went well together. I hand-pieced all of the patchwork, embroidered a little "buttons" sign and attached it with blanket stitching. My style is to create as I go (I rarely use patterns) and this is what I ended up with!

My next door neighbor Joe, gives me all of his empty cigar boxes and I repurpose them into decorated boxes for buttons, recipes, keepsakes, coupons, etc. This is my latest creation using "cast offs". I made yoyo flowers with button centers and hand-embroidered the words. The cigar box is painted black to match my fabric choices.

Log Cabin quilted wall hanging

2009-01-19T10:59:00.000-05:00

This is a photo of a quilted wall hanging I made in 2007 and sold in 2008. I had it consigned in a great shop in Hooksett, NH called "Primitive Gatherings". I love to consign my creations there because it is a primitive/country shop decorated with colors and furnishings that compliment my projects. A gentleman purchased this wall hanging and asked the owner of the shop if I could create another one just like it. So I will begin the quilt this week and hope to have it finished by the end of the month. It is log cabin blocks made with Thimbleberries fabrics. I lay out the blocks with the lighter colored values joined in the center, creating an area for me to hand embroider a message. Click on the image for a larger view showing the detail.

Greetings!

2009-01-19T06:40:00.000-05:00

Before I begin to post my crafting story, I would like to thank a handful of special people who helped me get started with this venture. First of all I wish to thank my dear friend Sam, who is an awesome blogger. Just "google" Gollywobbles and she will pop up everywhere. Sam has been suggesting that I start a blog for quite some time and she has shared many of her experiences with me for months, thus inspiring me to get going already. When I wasn't understanding the fundamentals and language of blogging, Sam suggested that I purchase a blog template for starters. She recommended a wonderful graphic artist called "AmyBug's Primitive Attic". I visited Amy's website and was totally amazed at all of her beautiful graphics to choose from. I found one with an antique sewing machine which was appropriate for my business. Amy's original graphic for this was blue, but I didn't want that color, so I emailed Amy about maybe changing the background color and she customized it for me without any fuss at all. I must say that my blog template purchase was much less painful than attempting to create my own design. Amy made it a very pleasant experience and I thank her for her prompt and professional service . . . . and I highly recommend her for any type of primitive or country graphic designs. Finally I wish to recognize my sister Patti at Wild Berry Primitives and my niece Laurie at Down River Primitives. Each of them has recently created their own blog and they are currently creating beautiful dolls, pillows, etc. which they are successfully selling on eBay. I am so proud of both of them and admire everything they are doing with their crafts. Keep up the good work!

2008-12-29T08:42:00.000-05:00

Rustic Country Handcrafts