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Isn’t she a riot? I love my sheep… She’s made with 100% wool. The head is needle felted (did I mention needle felting is my specialty?) with my farm raised wool. I stitched the “body” with recycled wool from one of my rug hooking projects and repurposed a hog scraper as the base. I’m often creating little sheepies with my farm raised wool to sell in my shop. I’m currently working on some Valentine-themed pieces and having lots of fun!
Blessings, Jen
One of my New Year’s Resolutions is to spend a little “me” time doing the things I enjoy. I’m probably like most of you who get caught up taking care of the kids, husband,work, chores, and on and on… There never seems to be enough time to, well, just do something for yourself. So, yesterday I gathered up my rug hooking materials and headed over to my good friend, Lynne’s house. She has a wonderful 1844 Greek Revival home in the historic Village of Romeo from which she teaches primitive rug hooking and Russian punch needle.
For those of you not familiar with rug hooking, hooking began in the U.S. around the mid 1800’s. Women made rugs for their homes using old clothing torn in strips and hooked into burlap feed bags. Fabric was hard to come by and nothing was wasted. Most designs of early rugs were very primitive. Familiar objects such as houses, trees, pets, birds, etc. were often drawn onto the burlap with charcoal from the fire.
Rug hooking today uses new wool and recycled wool from thrift stores. Linen, monk’s cloth and burlap are used as the foundation. It’s a wonderful old world craft, very relaxing and fun to learn. Get together with some of your friends and learn primitive rug hooking. You’ll be hooked!
Blessings, Jenny
It’s hard to believe that just last week we had 12 new inches of snowfall and today we’re experiencing a real January thaw with temperatures near 60 F. The snow has all melted and we actually heard thunder in the middle of the night! That’s Michigan weather for you!
It’s boot suck’n muck around here which I’m sure anyone who has a “barnyard” can relate to. Nevertheless, I thought I might share a few facts about one of my favorite herbs, lavender. I’ve been invited to speak at a “Tea” fundraiser early February…the topic, “For the Love of Lavender”.
While I’m sure that you’re capable of reasearching everything you’ve ever wanted to know about lavender, I’ll share some of my knowledge about this wonderful herb. Did you know that lavender is a flowering evergreen shrub native to the Mediterranean region. It is often referred to as ”the Swiss army knife” of herbs because of its many uses and benefits. Lavender is treasured for its rich aroma and garden beauty. A favorite herb for bath and laundry since Greek and Roman times. An effective medicinal herb, antiseptic and anti-inflamatory, lavender also helps relax and vitalize, reduces stress and lifts depression. Apply a little lavender essential oil on a bug bite or bee sting, sunburn or cuts to help relieve the pain and promote healing. Enjoy lavender in fresh arrangements as well as dried in sachets, potpourri and other herbcrafts. Fiber enthusiasts value lavender as a natural moth-repellant! Both lavender flowers and leaves are fragrant, but the flower buds are used most in cooking – just a hint imparts a subtle nuance. English lavender, Lavandula augustifolia, hardiest of the species, is most often used in cooking. Lavender prefers full sun and dry, well-drained soil.
Harvest lavender as the buds swell, just before flowering. Cut the individual stems in the morning after the dew has dried. Bundle the stems with rubber bands and hang upside down to air-dry in a well ventilated room out of direct sunlight. When dried, you may remove the buds (and leaves) from the stems by sliding your fingers in the opposite direction along the stem. This is often referred to as “garbeling”.
In Michigan, winter often takes its toll on lavender. Wait until late Spring before you assess your lavender. Look for signs of new growth. Once new growth appears, trim back approximately one third of the plant to revitalize and remove any brittle, dead stems to allow good air circulation. Enjoy another growing season with this wonderful herb!
First, a brief introduction. I’m a former engineer in the automotive business who left “the Company” (after 23 years!) to stay at home and raise my two children. I’m also a fiber artist and gardener! I guess you could call the 30 acres where I live, a small farm. Our small farm is located in Armada, Michigan. Armada is a small rural community about an hours drive north of Detroit. We have a small menagerie of barnyard animals including 3 horses, rabbits, chickens, 8 sheep, 3 goats, 5 cats and two dogs.
I hope to share with you the adventures of “life on the farm”. From daily chores, gardening tips, recipes, herb culture and especially fibering! I love my sheepies!
Blessings, Jen
