Please say hello to Olivia, she's one of my old favorites. ~$30. ~

It seems the summer is coming to an end and with it my time away from the studio. I am busily sorting witch, pumpkin and bat patterns and my thoughts are turning to the frosty Autumn days. My All Hallows Eve characters will be arriving in all their spooky finery. Please greet them at this blog and From the Hands of a Seamstress.  

Come and Meet my new Folks and Critters this weekend at the Strawberry Festival in Peddlers Village, Lahaska, Pa.



Happy Easter to all my dear Friends and Family



bit by bit, slowly but surely Lady Spring is sweeping away Grandfather Winter...
 

There is a tiny violet flower that grows around the lowly shepherd's cottage and in the silence of the night gently breathes, "Forget me not"

Named Bridget, earth mother of the land,

midwife who brings forth our intentions,

our dreams for the coming year's cycle.

Called Bridget, Imbolc or Candlemas,

we acknowledge change without, within.

Light is rising, earth will enliven.

Happy Imbolc to you, Dear Friends

January Snows

 It seems the storms keep coming, but here at Blackstone we keep warm by the fire and busy sewing with a look ahead to Spring. My bunnies, crows and sheep are in pieces on the studio table waiting to be sewn to life. While the horses warm in their blankets and the forsythia tight in their buds pass the days in their snow covered worlds.

All the Christmas finery has been packed away and my studio is open once agian. I am sorting patterns bringing out bunnies, carrots and hearts for the upcoming seasons. Work will soon begin in earnest and the show season is starting. Another year begins.

May the New Year bring to you peace, love and abundance. May you find contentment with all you have and a fire to warm your bones.

Merry  Christmas to my dear friends and family

I will be adding my Christmas characters to my selling blog this week, I hope you enjoy them...fromthehandsofaseamstress.blogspot.com

Today is my Daughter's Wedding Day

                                                                     
                                                          

Blissful Tidings

There is much ado at Blackstone this month. My oldest daughter Jennifer is getting married on November 20. We are all working hard and trying not to miss a detail. It has been many years since I saw Jenn in a "princess dress" when she used to play dress up. But the day will be here soon that she will be the princess in the white dress she dreamed of. I wish her as much joy in her life as she has brought to mine. 

After a long summer rest I've returned, once again, to visit with you. My heart and body are ready to greet the sweet Autumn and to revel in the smell of the wood fires and the colors of the forest.

For your enjoyment, I will begin to add the All Hallows Eve section to my selling blog. There you will find many, many witches, ghosts, bats and even a pair of Aunt Hilda's shoes that she lost as she flew off on her broom. The link to the blog is at the top of this page. Here's to the end of a hot, challenging summer.

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