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 Pumpkins. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pumpkins. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 10, 2019

~My first...FINISHED...rug hooking project~



Goode day my deare friends.  Tis snowing here in Vermont this morning.  Our Spring weather has been one of ups and downs to be sure!!!  Yesterday, I sat on the front porch hooking, barefoot & wearing just pants and a light sweater, and this morning, bundled up in hat, coat and scarf, I still shivered as Oliver & I took our morning walk!    I do believe I will have to keep the fire going all day & perhaps bake a little something to keep the coziness going :)….I'm feeling something gingerbread related may be in order.

Speaking of gingerbread, I just realized that my first FINISHED hooked project reminds me of gingerbread.  I'm not quire sure why, but it does nonetheless.  :).  I'm quite pleased with myself in having finished my first project....oh I have several in progress, hooking projects but this is my first OFFICIAL FINISH!!  


My loops are 10 different heights and I'm not really pleased with my color choices but I did what I set out to do, which was to feel comfortable with knowing how to hook.  I'm hoping keeping a steady loop height is something that comes with practice...  (YES???  NO???))   

The stool it is sitting on was made by my niece and her husband (Shopgirl Design Studio).  I LOVE IT. It is angled slightly and is perfect, for resting your feet upon, when hooking and/or punching.



NOW..ON TO MY NEXT PROJECT......

COLORS ARE...from bottom left to right...
deep blue grey/black,
 dark orange and black,
dark greenish brown,
light greenish tan
 light orange.
 This is a design I drew almost a year ago, when I was in Belfast, Maine, and first met my dear friend Connie of Seven Gables Designs AND  got started on this rug hooking journey.  As you can see I had previously hooked the turkey and the pumpkin stem.  Yesterday, I took the loops out, as I feel I can do a better job now than I had done originally...well, lets hope anyway.    

NOW...the NEXT thing and, what I seem to be struggling with the most....

CHOOSING COLORS!!

I feel like I am usually quite good at color planning.  As far as my punch needle embroidery designs go, I love them,  but for some reason...I can't seem to settle on what colors I should use when rug hooking!!!  I don't trust myself, especially after having chosen WRONG with my foot stool!!! 

 I MEAN..IT'S AN AUTUMN DESIGN..THIS SHOULDN'T BE THAT DIFFICULT...… 

 Why am I making this so hard??? 

URN....grey/black?
PUMPKIN.....orange...white...green???????
PUMPKIN STEM...… greenish tan??
TURKEY....UGH.....  red neck...brown/black body...  ?
BACKGROUND....????????  black?... OATMEAL????





I was original thinking a dark green background (because I LOVE green) but I dont' think that is going to work...….  Though now that I am starring at this photo....How lovely would the dark grey look next to that green!!!

UGH....I JUST DON'T KNOW...…

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By the way...this is the first design that I've created specifically for rug hooking!!  I usually design for punch needle FIRST and offer the template for rug hooking :~).
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Okay..i'm off to finish tidying the house then it's a shower and pattern printing for me.  Hopefully, as I walk past all these colors, laid out on the dining room table, the proper color palette will come to me. 

Until next time ~ wishing you JoY, Doreen





Saturday, September 29, 2018

A couple little changes.

MY GOODNESS, can you believe September is drawing to a close???  I certainly can't!!! It is truly crazy, how fast this month flew by.  It was a flurry of appointments, gramma baby sitting time and filling orders..it's truly all a blur!! :)

Therefore, IN AN EFFORT to find time for...well, ANYTHING...haha...I am making a couple of small changes. These changes will make things much easier on me and allow for more creative time.  

#1......I will no longer be selling punch needle supplies such as weavers cloth, Cameo needles, hoops, frames, floss & thread. 
...Keeping up with the constant ordering/tracking/selling/shipping of these supplies is so very time consuming and taking this duty out of my daily schedule will free up a LOT of time for me. AS ALWAYS,  I WILL SHARE with all of you where you may purchase these products yourself.   

#2...I have reduced my Blackened Beeswax offerings to just a few pieces.  Things I can make quickly and easily.  This too, will free up a LOT of time for me. 

I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you and hope you understand.
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NEW THINGS TO COME...
KITS....I will soon be offering a **LIMITED NUMBER** of full kits for all of my new designs. :)

 **I HAVE A NEW "BOOK" IN THE WORKS :)

I will be ADDING candles and tarts, made by my daughter, to the site, this holiday season.

SO..that's it. 

 Whew...I feel better already!!! 
 Now..on to the most wonderful time of the year!  
Love and hugs, Doreen

Thursday, September 13, 2018

~Year Of The Pumpkin~


                                                                         

 At least it is at The Frost household. My goodness our pumpkin patch is amazing this year.  Mother Nature can be trying at times as she put us through hell with her hot, humid, unbearable days however, she has seen fit to reward us with the nicest pumpkin patch we've ever had.  This particular pumpkin is my favorite.  LOOK at those ridges..she's gorgeous!  And her color, oh my goodness I love all the variations of green!  She seems to be staying green too although, when I was in the pumpkin patch this morning giving everyone a roll over to avoid rot, she is turning orange underneath, which is baffling but as I said before "mother nature" :).

We are trying to hold off picking them but it is getting harder and harder not to!  We also have some gooseneck gourds growing in the patch as well. 

Autumn...she is slowly making her way to Vermont :)

She's a bit orange underneath :)
Here are a few other garden shots and a shot of my end of Summer/early Autumn window boxes. I'll be changing everything over to Autumn very soon! 


           Here she is in all her glory ~ Isn't she just the PERFECT Cinderella Pumpkin :)  I just LOVE HER!!!!!




 I'm off now to stuff my punched pillows and then I'm on Mimi duty this afternoon.


Until tomorrow ~ wishing you joy, Doreen