Information Gathering

Oh my gosh... Has it really been THAT LONG since I posted something here?? Egads! In all that time school started up again, my husband had a birthday and we took a vacation in the White Mtns of New Hampshire, I vended at a great new hook-in up here in Maine hosted by Camp Wool, Hallowe'en came and went as did Veteran's Day. How time (and crows) fly! And now Thanksgiving is this week...

I'm starting to think about 2010 these days and the direction I want to take.



So, last week I sent out a customer survey to get some feedback about buying habits and general information about what people are doing these days. The results have been very interesting and eye-opening, and I plan to share them in much more detail in the coming weeks. I'm also giving a 15% discount coupon good for an order placed after New Year's. Would you like to take the survey if you haven't already? There's a link on my What's New page where you can answer the seven questions and provide additional comments if you like. Thank you in advance for your feedback!

Thanksgiving will be busy for me with lots of family members coming north and south to converge on our house for the big meal. That meant this weekend was spent spit-shining the place as my mom and youngest brother have never seen our house yet. Tuesday and Wednesday will be baking nights with banana and cranberry breads made on Tuesday. Wednesday is traditionally "pie night" when I do my pumpkin and apple pies and try to prepare as much other stuff ahead as possible. Another dessert will be my "famous" apple-cranberry crisp and can be totally put together ahead in a nice glass baking dish and refrigerated, covered with plastic wrap until after the big meal. Then it's only a matter of microwaving it for about 15 minutes, break out the whipped cream and frozen yogurt and let 'em have at it! Oh, I'm getting hungry just thinking about it all! What are your traditional Thanksgiving preparations? Or are you dining out and letting someone else do all the work? That's fun too!

It continues to be a challenge working full-time and trying to maintain a web-based business and all that goes along with it, but I'm keeping my head above water for now. The coming weeks will be busy getting a hooked mat finished for a rug guild swap in mid-December as well as a craft fair at my work for which I committed to making some ornaments and needlepunched pins. Tough to get motivated after working all day and having to prepare a meal, clean up after and try to wind down from the day. Hopefully I can pull a rabbit out of my hat and get everything done so I can enjoy the final weeks leading up to Christmas! I'll post a picture of my little mat, a primitive tulip inspired by one on a needlepunched pincushion I bought from Betty Dekat (primitivebettys) on eBay a few years ago. It's great hooking practice for me but I hope it looks good enough for someone to want to swap at the guild party!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours and I promise to be back again soon!

Maggie, Oh!

Isn't this awesome?? It's a spectacular wool bed quilt designed by Maggie Bonanomi called "Settler's Pride". The gorgeous hand-dyed wools used are from Blackberry Primitives. The finished size is approximately 56" x 60". The pattern is available as well as an installment/block-of-the-month sort of option that includes Blackberry Primitives wool kits. Stop in and visit the What's New page on my web site for many more details.

I first came to know Maggie Bonanomi's work through the Need'l Love "Threads" books where she was usually a contributing designer. She has since published several of her own patterns and last year's best-selling book, With These Hands: 19th Century-Inspired Primitive Projects for Your Home highlighted her fantastic folk art talents with wonderful wool and fiber projects, all done by hand. A new book coming out next month will be titled Nature's Offerings: Primitive Projects Inspired by the Four Seasons, and I am just chomping at the bit waiting for it! Definitely available for pre-holiday buying for yourself and gift-giving. I'll give a shout out when that's available.

More new goodies arriving soon from Blackbird Designs, Country Stitches, Stacy Nash and Primitive Pieces by Lynda too! The fall design release season is getting underway! Stay tuned!

In Stitches,

Geez'em Crow!

That's a saying they use up here in Maine - it's a nicer way to exclaim something else. Anyway - has it really been a month since I posted anything?? Again I say, "Geez'em Crow!" I guess time really does get away from a person. I find myself routinely swept away in the tide of full-time work, nightly routine of preparing a meal for hubby and myself, clean-up afterwards and making lunches and snacks for the next workday, not to mention wanting a little breathing time to relax, maybe watch a little TV and catch up with what's going on with my husband too. Oh, and I have a web site and all that's involved there as well... All of a sudden I'm pooped!! BUT - I do have some newsworthy updates, so watch this space for another post soon, promise!

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!