Hello Dear Friends, it's been some time since I've written. I've been pulled away by the Spring gardens and the warm sun. My work comes in dribs and drabs and I find myself easily distracted. Hmmm....seamstress block? Well enough for now there seems to be an empty chair under the tree and I feel the need to sit in it. Enjoy these summer days.

Here is my newest addition to the Blackstone Folk Family ~ Winky Jack Morgan ~ He was inspired by the one eyed cat Winky who lives with a dear friend. Thank you Mary...here he is.  ~ $32.00 ~

From Kin and Hearth...Country Folk

I've been hard at work on my selling blog. Yesterday I added a new section called Country Folk. Here you will find a collection of dolls inspired by mountain folk and some members of  my long ago family. I have posted only one photo of each but close ups and detail photos are available through email. Also color choices can be made as each one is made just for you. I hope you find my offerings enjoyable.

From the Hands of a Seamstress

I've spent most of the afternoon creating my selling blog. Here I will list my work for purchase. Some old and some new. I will no longer have my website. It seems to get lost out there in space but a blog is alive, changing and personal. I have listed a few Americana items that I think you will like. Memorial Day and  July 4th are very near and these will look primly perfect. Thank you, I think we will both enjoy this new blog

Halloween in May

 Halloween is my favorite time. I begin getting ready for those festive shows months before. So here I go, please welcome one of my old favorites, Liddy Nin Roote. She is my  version of a pattern by Venis Merchantile. ~ $42.00 ~
 Click on dear Liddy and visit my Halloween blog

Rainy days and Mondays...

                                                                                                      clay Sarah ~ $34.00

Blessings to all on this Beltane, may your fires burn brightly

"When nothing makes sense, right yourself and feel the earth beneath your feet."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My Bats have come Home

Every April a group of bats leave their hibernation in the Durham mines and come home to have their young ones in our dining room chimney. They are home agian for this year and we fully expect little ones to begin leaving around the 3rd week in July. We know this because some of the babies as they are learning to fly and leave their chimney come down instead of going up. Along with the little ones come frantic mothers looking for them. It is mayhem in the house as twilight descends and I crawl combat style out the back door and call for my dogs. Some day we will film this fun. Each year we keep count and our highest yet was last year at 14 in 2 weeks. But as much as I don't want them to fly into me, I love them, we don't have any biting insects and I love to see them leave our eves and chimneys. They take to the air as the chimney swifts return to the mill's chimney for the night. The dusky sky is filled with small flying creatures. Sometimes I feel we need some airtraffic control here in little Kintnersville. So with this as my insperation, please enjoy my "By the Light of the Moon" ~ $28.00 ~

Fireplace updates

~ so far~

I was planning a yard sale here for today and tomorrow. I have a dining room full of boxes and such to put out but the weather man predicted storms and an inch of rain. So I canceled, took down my sign and kept the table and boxes in the dining room. HUMF! no rain, no storms, not one drop just sunny and warm. Well I guess I'll try for next weekend.....
Here is dear Annabelle to make you smile ~ $34.00

This little piggy went to market

                                                      Herbert ~ $42.00

                                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

                          Blessed be the cool April breeze
                                      primitive ewe ~ $48.00

                                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Another very warm day here at Blackstone. There is a promise of thunderstorms this afternoon to break this unatural April heat. My pansys are looking so forlorn and I am looking forward to a gentle 60 degrees. Today finds me working on "If Pigs Could Fly". A charming very prim pig with wings. Pictures to come but meantime enjoy dear Oda May ~ $32.00

Its so very, very hot here today. Not at all like an April should be. I feel like the birds flying by and the leafless trees are very confused.
 I'll be inside this afternoon working on another Uncle Henry. He always finishes with such kind eyes. And he loves his cat so...
Many thanks to Netty for this pattern.

Uncle Henry~$44.00

                                                   
                                                     SARAH ~ $48.00

Today is Tuesday, two days after a wonderful Easter. My father has been in a work related accident, even though he is 81 he still worked full time. A large box fell on him and he has a few broken bones. He made it through surgery and has spent the last 2 weeks in a rehab hospital. He has done very well and will be going home tomorrow.
So, my father was in the hospital over Easter, my family could not even consider celebrating without him. We brought Easter to him. We packed up a large buffet, folding tables, chairs, Easter baskets and grandchildren and great grandchild. The weather cooporated, the trees were blooming and we set up a picnic on the beautiful grounds of the facility. I hid eggs for the little one, we cracked eggs and laughed, ate homemade peanut butter eggs and lots of good food. I can say it was probably one of the best Easters yet.
We are so greatful my father has recovered so well and he is going to be alright and back to normal soon.

May you always have work for your hands to do.
May your pockets hold always a coin or two.
May the sun shine bright on your windowpane.
May the rainbow be certain to follow each rain.

May the hand of a friend always be near you.

Welcome March

It is a fine feeling to know that in a few short weeks forsythia and daffodils will be blooming. There is still a bit of snow here but each day it melts and more of our green grass shows through. I leave today for 3 days for the first show of the season. It was wonderful to have been snowed in with my work, for now I have an abundance of goodes to sell. The show is Friends of the Arts at Owen J. Roberts School, a show for about 30 years. I'll be sure to post pictures when I return.

woohoo...bake oven

For 10 years I assumed our fireplace did not have an oven. I just couldn't see where it had been. But as I spent 2 days inside it and had it well illuminated, I noticed an indent in the plaster and the edge of a brick in an upright position. I nearly sent my husband into cardiac arrest as I danced around the room, making footprints in all the plaster dust. With masonary hammer in hand, I chiseled some plaster away, soon an arched formed and some hinges emerged. It was like finding buried treasure. There it was all this time. The oven opening is bricked closed but all else is intact. I am searching for a cast door and as soon as one is found I will open it. woohoo. Here are some pictures in the rough.

Redoing the 18th century

Today we start tearing off the stonework added to our open hearth fireplace in the 1970's. A huge oak beam was added as a mantel as their version of "rustic". Wood work in the 18th century was not rustic but fine, there were skilled craftsmen and all but the very poor had mantels with details. Well all in all, here is the fireplace as it exists now. More pictures to come.

If Candlemas Day be fair and bright, Winter will have another flight; But if it be dark with clouds and rain, Winter is gone, and will not come again.

fireplace renovations

I'm off to Peter Wentz farmstead. I will be taking pics of thier open hearth. We are tearing out all the post 18th century renovations to the one in our house and it turns out to be just like the one at Peter Wentz . Can't wait to start pulling out the 70's work I LOVE doing that. I'll post more pictures as we progress.

this is the fireplace at the Wentz farm. The walls of the house are black polkadots. Even in the 18th century people had bad taste.

From the Hands of a Seamstress

Tiny Gifts are the Best

blackstonestudio.etsy.com

To A Fine New Year

A Prosperous and Happy New Year to us all.

Thank you my dear friends one and all for a very successful show season. Your support inspires me to a new level of creativity for the new year and the new decade. My hope is that we all find our joy and carry it with us into our work and home. Many new characters, as well as old friends, will be joining me at my shows this spring. I hope to see you and to chat. Until then, keep warm, be well and smile.  Seamstress of Blackstone

Pinkeep

                           Pinkeep for Sale on Etsy

That which Soothes the Soul

When my world becomes frayed around the edges, I search out my needle, patterns and fabric. I find a quiet spot for Seumas and I by the fire and spend hours counting squares and transfering the pattern to fiddlers cloth that is my favorite. I hope you enjoy seeing these photos as much as I the stitiching.

"Love awoke one winter's night

And wander'd through the snowbound land,

And calling to beasts and birds

Bid them his message understand.

And from the forest all wild things

That crept or flew obeyed love's call,

And learned from him the golden words

Of brotherhood for one and all."

Happy, Happy Solstice