Tucked in a valley, at the foot of Round Mountain, among the graceful Maples & Oaks you will find our Little Brown House. Smoke billows from the chimney seven or eight months out of the year, a river rambles nearby, sheep & cows graze in the meadows and turkey's forage along the olde stone walls. Here you will find me, tucked into my cozy studio surrounded by my work. This is Vermont Harvest Folk Art.

~ I am a Punch Needle Embroidery Folk Artist, Rug Hooker and teacher, who is inspired by my love of Early American art. I have a small open studio and shop in our Vermont home, where I hosts holiday events, workshops and individual lessons.~
Showing posts with label Connie Fletcher. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Connie Fletcher. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 26, 2019

~Merrye Summer Thyme Has Finally Arrived~

Merry Day To You.  Tis a glorious one here in Vermont as the birds flutter about, the winds gust merrily from tree to tree and a flutter of merrye young birds dance to and fro.  Goodness, what a glorious and beautiful time of year.

I do so hope this greeting finds you well and enjoying these first few, lovely days of summer to the fullest.  Life is, as ever, busy here in Vermont as we tend & plant, gather & create in our usual Spring & Summer fashion.  I've been busy in the studio improving my rug hooking and am delighted to tell you that I have two new designs finished and made into patterns.  The first is my Olde New England Hen design that you will see in the column to your right.  I am SO pleased with how she turned out. You will also see in the column to the right, two other new design that are now available on my website.  :~).

....My second hooked design is shown in the photo at the top of this post entitled Olde New England Keepsake Box.  It will be available as a RUG HOOKING Workshop & Gathering, here in our home, on October 5th, 2019.  Registration is now open and there are only SIX spots available, so if you are interested, please sign up as soon as you can.  The workshop will run in the same manner as my Punch Needle workshops have always run...goode food, goode friends, a GOODE time :).    I originally did not plan on holding workshops this year, however, in the end, I just could not stick with that plan!  The workshops are a lot of work, but I adore holding them and hosting all of you, here in our home.  Especially during such a wonderful time of year.  I am also excited to have my deare friend, and experienced rug hooker, Connie Fletcher of Seven Gables Designs joining me for this workshop.  She will be here just in case you have any questions, regarding rug hooking, that may be out of my depth as a newbie to this glorious art.  And, of course, my sister-in-law, helper extraordinaire and deare friend Stephanie, will also be here.

...I will also be holding a punch needle workshop this year as well.  I will have photos of the design asap.  The workshop will be held on Saturday, November 9th, 2019 and will also run in our usual manner.  I am very excited about this project!   It will be in conjunction with my punch needle online video course :).  Details soon!!!

...Let's see....what else. Oh, I am still in the process of listing my designs under my rug hooking category on my website. I know it seems like it is taking me forever, however, size is very important when it comes to creating a  rug hooking design, therefore, I want to make sure I test sizes, etc. before I commit to them, which takes time.  Slowly, but surely, I am getting it done.

...I have several punch needle designs, from past magazine submissions and books, that I am getting ready to list on my website.  I am hoping I can start that today if time allows.  Goodness, that is a bombshell of a statement..if time allows..IMAGINE :~).  Anyway..IT IS ON my ever growing TO DO/MUST DO list!!!

Okay, I do believe that is all the news and information I wanted to pass on to you today.  Thank you all so much for allowing me to pop in and visit with you for a few minutes today.  If you have any questions, just shoot me a message.

Until next time ~ wishing you JOY, Doreen

Wednesday, January 16, 2019

~Tools Of The Trade~


Good morning my lovely friends.  I hope this day finds you well. I've been keeping cozy by the woodstove (it has been bitter cold here in Vermont) stitching, filling orders, baking, cooking and SLOWLY getting back into my usual routine.  It seems like it took me SO MUCH LONGER this year to get back into the swing of things!!! When the holidays were over, I was completely exhausted! That will teach me to skip Yoga for the month of December!!! I was thinking I just didn't have time for classes but what I failed to realize was...YOGA was what I needed to keep me fueled and strong for powering through the holidays!!!  I won't do that again!!!    Alas,   January found me BACK TO MY THREE TIMES WEEKLY YOGA CLASSES (Locally at Studio G) and Yoga With Adriene, here at home on non-class days, and my body and brain feel normal again AND..my muse has returned!!   :)

As I mentioned above..... it has been COLD here in Vermont!  It feels as if the cold grabs ahold of you when you step outside!!  Mine & Olivers walks and taking care of our chores has been quick, I can tell you!  CHORES....it's really just filling the bird feeders and feeding our new Crow friends (more on that another day). :~) but it is quick nonetheless. The cold is expected to worsen next week (argh) and settle itself in for a good long visit!  Goodness, I am not sure I'm ready for it!  Thankfully, our first (insert disgusted face here at this being our first) BIG SNOW STORM  IS expected to occur this weekend so perhaps, the cold won't seem quite so.....COLD.   To me it feels extra cold when it's below zero and we've no snow cover!  Thankfully, it would seem, this storm headed our way is a BIG ONE and our snow cover may be over a foot, or more, when Monday rolls around!!! WOOHOO!!!  


  OKAY>>SO....I am popping in today to share my new favorite tool of the trade with all of you.
This wonderful frame from Folk Art Primitives!  

They are made by Alice Frazier and her husband Sonny and it is truly, in my humble opinion, THE BEST PUNCH NEEDLE FRAME I'VE EVER HAD/USED/TRIED. Truly!!!  It's the perfect height for placing on your lap...... it spins, it swivels IT tilts!!!



 The lap plate is removable...so you can punch with the frame raised up on your lap, with the plate in place or remove it and punch on a table, hold it in your hand or fold it flat for travel.  You can also tighten the "nuts" completely which is how I like to use it when I am hooking with it.  YES, this is for punch needle AND rug hooking!!!

My dear friend Connie Fletcher (Seven Gables Designs and Primitives) brought this frame to one of my workshops in November and I fell in love with it and have been using it exclusively ever since.  



My frame has a working area of 9 1/2" x 11" but they also carry a larger frame that has a working area of 11" x 16" (that's on my wish list)  You can also purchase a floor stand (also on my wish list when I'm farther along with my hooking)


I actually met Alice and her husband Sonny, several years ago when I taught at From Our Hands Spring Creative event ~ they are the sweetest people!!!  I have put a link in the sidebar to their website or you can click here; FOLK ART PRIMITIVES

I promise you, you won't be disappointed!!!




Okay..I am off now to tidy the house, walk Oliver, fill the bird feeders, feed my crow friends (I now have four that visit daily) and then it's back inside to settle myself in for a lovely day of punching.

Until next time ~ WISHING YOU JOY, Doreen