Penny Rug Revisited

Back after a period of absence is the first penny rug pattern I ever offered, my "Simple Folk" penny rug, based on my web site logo. The model pictured was originally stitched by Jackie Apessos of Lake View Primitives. We lived near each other in Massachusetts several years ago and worked on this and another penny rug project together, "The Reverend David Thurston", which will also be re-released soon. Trying to get back to offering some of my own things after being swept away in the current of buying lots of other designers' patterns over the years and never having time for my own ideas.

Today's garage sale with Kim Dubay of Primitive Pastimes in No. Yarmouth, Maine was fun and we had a good turnout. If you were there thanks for coming! Now the focus is turning to Camp Wool's hook-in in mid-September. I need to sit down and figure out what I'll be bringing to that.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

2nd Annual Fiber and Folk Art Flea Mart this Saturday!

Looks like the rain in Maine will let up for Saturday when Simple Folk and Primitive Pastimes of North Yarmouth will present our 2nd Annual Fiber and Folk Art Flea Mart! We'll have handmade and imported folk art pieces, books, patterns, supplies for rug hooking and crafts, kits, notecards and lots more! Click on the link for my web site and check out my What's New page for more details and a link for directions from Mapquest.

Hope to see you on Saturday!

New Stuff

Just arrived from Need'l Love, Cottage Garden. This book has 8 garden-inspired quilts designed by Gerry Kimmel-Carr and featuring Andover Fabrics' line by Renee Nanneman called Stone Cottage. Beautiful, pink and girly, for piecers and appliquers alike.



The July issue of The Wool Street Journal is here with loads of articles on hooking and dyeing wool, recipes, free patterns, some needlepunch and of course lots of eye candy inspiration for your hooking projects.



From Hollyhock Farm is new from Stacy Nash with 5 neat primitive designs for cross-stitch sewing needfuls, Stacy's trademark. All the items were inspired by things Stacy saw at a wonderful homestead, Hollyhock Farm.

Can't believe I haven't posted anything since the 4th of July! I think I'm still struggling with the question of whether I really have anything of interest to say to my readers! I can't quite log a post about the mundane daily "stuff" that goes on in my life even though other blogs do. Now and then when something really moves me I can justify it but not every day. I just don't want to waste anyone's time! Am I being silly? Oh well...

Oops!! Actually forgot an important item I really do want to post but will do that separately! See you in another minute or two...

A Holiday for America

"Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land Unto All the Inhabitants Thereof."
- inscription on the Liberty Bell

Happy Birthday, America!

Whether you're attending your town's 4th of July parade, local field day or muster, cook-out or fireworks, enjoy a safe and happy holiday with friends and family!

We've finally broken through the clouds and rain in Maine and will have a mostly sunny weekend, whooppee!! Time to play outdoors!

Have fun!

Summer Sale Winding Down!

We're in the final hours of my 15% off "Summer Sale", ending at midnight today, June 30th. People have been getting some great deals as everything on the web site (in stock) is on sale, including already-reduced Sale Bin items. I must clear out inventory to make room for new things that will be coming along for fall and the holiday season, so come out and take advantage of my over-zealous buying habits over the past several years! In a few weeks much of my inventory will be offered at a joint Fiber and Folk Art Flea Mart (info below in a previous post or on my What's New page on the web site) and what's left will probably be off to eBay.

Still raining in Maine! Wait, I can make a poem out of that:
The rain in Maine is sogging up my brain!

That and my poor annuals that are turning to mush... But, the one gleaming bit of hope on the horizon is Saturday, the 4th of July - we're actually supposed to see some sunshine! Now that will be something to shoot off a few fireworks about!

Have a safe and happy 4th if I don't get the chance to post again before that.

Passings

It's been a sobering few days with the high-profile celebrity deaths in the news. Two on the same day with Farrah Fawcett losing her battle with anal cancer, then the shocking news about Michael Jackson. Jackson's death immediately took over news reporting, putting Farrah Fawcett's story on the back burner and all the news media scrambling to put memorials and tributes together for both of them. God, their heads must have been spinning! Mine was just trying to comprehend it all. Then yesterday we heard about famous pitch man Billy Mays (OxiClean, Orange Glo, etc.) and his surprise death after being hit on the head during a rough plane landing in Tampa. Today's news seems to rule out the hit on the head as a cause of death, listing underlying heart disease, but my money's still on the hit on the head. I'll be very interested to know the results of Michael Jackson's autopsy. Liza Minnelli was quoted as saying, "All Hell's gonna break loose" after the results are in, perhaps she knows a lot more about what Jackson might have been taking. At any rate, it will be news for some time to come. Reminds me of the whole Anna Nicole Smith story when she died abruptly after accidentally overdosing on drugs.

Now I realize and understand what Michael Jackson did for music, changing rock 'n roll completely, but I was never a big fan. However, I can't seem to get some of his early songs out of my head the past few days. And I can't seem to separate the more sordid side of his life from his musical talents. That's how I'll remember him for the most part.

So it's been a disconcerting few days, my thoughts dwelling on death and the darkness in people. I am unsettled, feel very vulnerable and unprotected. All the continued rain isn't helping. We had such a glorious day in Maine Saturday, my spirit just soared! It's amazing what a beautiful, sunny day can do for the soul! Thank God for that day, it may help get me through the next few with more rain forecast. The local news folks were even talking about landslides and roads washing away with all the rain. The ground is just so saturated. Crops are being damaged, plants and flowers ruined, mushrooms and dampness everywhere! This is summer?? June, my birthday month and usually my favorite, has been ugly, gray and sad. Maybe Mother Nature is a little depressed over all the death and bad news lately too. Can't say I blame her!

I hope things are better where you are!

Take care,

Random Updates!

Finally posted on the web site: As described in my previous post, new patterns by Pineberry Lane and Notforgotten Farm are in stock and finally made available on my web site. I actually had the patterns for several days or so before having a chance to actually sit down and update the site! I won't re-post pics here, check out my last post to see a couple of samples. Better yet, visit my web site and click on What's New for the whole write-up and all the pics - clicking my Simple Folk banner will get you there.



Restocked and also ready for purchase are some popular patterns from Country Stitches that recently sold out including Sarah's Garden, a charming cross-stitched pocket or "huswif"-style sewing needful. Two doll patterns by Pineberry Lane are back including Herman & Petunia, which sold out quickly before Easter.

Shepard's Shade by Threads That Bind is finally back in stock, this one has been hard to get but we have a handful. I saw a newer one by TTB called Chalkboard Lesson too and that is available as well. Both for punchneedle.



Mark your calendars! The 2nd Annual Fiber and Folk Art Flea Mart, presented jointly by Simple Folk and Primitive Pastimes will be on Saturday, July 25th from 9am-4pm, rain date Sunday, July 26th, same times. Location is Primitive Pastimes, 410 Walnut Hill Rd., North Yarmouth, ME. This is Kim Dubay's shop/studio and the event will take place in her garage. We'll be clearing out inventory in order to make way for new stuff for fall. Get great deals on patterns, books, supplies, woolens, handmade and imported folk art and lots more. Call Kim for more info: 207-829-3725.

On a personal note, I've just celebrated my birthday at the beginning of the week. Kind of a milestone birthday - and I'm not telling which milestone! - but birthdays and New Year's always cause me to take stock of where I am in my journey through life. Still at a bit of a mental crossroad in terms of my business but I've got time to carefully consider a few options before choosing my next path. Stay tuned!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!