LIFE ~ and all its happenings

 

It is a gorgeous morning here in Vermont. The sun is shining, the dew heavy, the temperature a lovely 64 degrees and the air is crisp. Our Summer thus far has been HOT and RAIN SOAKED.  As a result, our world is quite green though the heat has been so intense that the ground quickly dries out....Odd to be sure. As with everyone else in the country ~ our weather is changing.

Goode morning friends.  HOW ARE YOU?  I have missed visiting with all of you!!   I have several reasons for coming back to this blog but one of the top reasons is.... after six lovely years of publishing the gazette, it will be ending with the December 2025 issue.  SO this blog will be a way for me to still stay in touch and be social with all of you...   NOW....My main reason for ending the gazette is that....in December I will be taking care of our new grandson!!

THEREFORE...come December 2025, I will officially be semi-retired as I will be watching the new wee one at least four days a week. 

How gorgeous is our girl ~ she has had that pregnancy GLOW her entire pregnancy and, after NINE years of trying to conceive (Docters, test after test, IVF failures...etc. etc.)..SHE HAS EARNED THE GLOW!   She is due in August so we will be meeting this precious little one soon!!  Mark and I feel like kids anticipating Christmas as that has been our level of excitement!!

I WILL STILL BE CREATING...on a part time basis of course....  I have spent the last several months carefully planning, figuring out and slowing making decisions as to where to put my focus.    I need to create things that are easily planned and that are also portable.  For me my BEARS are at the top of that list.  I absolutely LOVE making them...they bring me such joy, I feel very confident in making them (especially now that I have made enough in a short time to feel like I am really starting to master them).  There isn't a ton of color planning, etc., and they are easy to take with me and work on while the baby naps.   I also have something else I am going to start concentrating on which I will share more about in my next post...    AND.......I am sure I will still dabble from time to time as that is just how this ADHD brain of mine works (more on this later).

(previous photo....July 17, 2025, Jen, Ben, Jack and BABY Lukacs) 

 (Photo to the left June 1, 2025, Jen's baby shower :). Ben, Jen, baby Lukacs, Me and Mark.)

LIFE IS GOOD.

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

AS I MENTIONED....BEARS are on my Makers LIST...and here are two of my latest. :)  They are bigger than I have made in the past.  Just a bit taller but their heads and bodies are larger, and they are heftier.  

Each one is stuffed with Excelsior (wood wool), wool roving and glass beads.  They are hand-dyed, plucked, aged and sanded.  They have black, glass, shoe button eyes, tiny red wool hearts and waxed and stitched noses. THEY ALSO HAVE THE SWEETEST PERSONALITIES...it always amazes me how expressive these little creations can be.  ANYWAY...Each one has its own wood and paper covered hangtag, made from aged antique images and text.  The tags hand from antique ivory satin ribbon. 

Each bear sits atop a wooden shaker style box that I have covered in the same antique, and aged paper.  Avery's box is oval & Bella's is round.

AVERY has sold ~ Bella is still available.  Email me if you are interested in purchasing; Doreen@vermontharvestfolkart.com.

That is all for today my friends ~ until next time, be well.  Doreen

 NEW BLOG POST AND CONTENT COMING VERY SOON :)

Hello Friends. It's lovely to see you.

 

HERE ~ YOU WILL FIND ME...CHATTING ABOUT LIFE, MY WORK (WHAT'S COMING, WHAT I AM WORKING, ETC)...  AS WELL AS RECIPES, MY LOVE OF SOURDOUGH BREAD BAKING & KNITTING.... AS WELL AS ANTHING ELSE I THINK YOU MAY FIND INTERESTING :)

I'LL ALLSO ADD HELPFUL HINTS FOR MY PATTERNS ~ :)  

be well friends ~ doreen

ON.....S L O W posting, LIFE, and a short video on stitching stems.

Here we are..... four months later and I am just getting around to posting again.  I really don't know what to say ~ One would think that I wasn't a routine person, which I very much am.  The trouble is, I have found it oddly difficult to incorporate blog writing into that routine.  SO, I shall pop in when I can, regardless of whether it is morning, afternoon or evening, and hopefully there will be someone out there wishing to read what I have to say and, if there isn't.....  at least I am writing and sharing :)

Today in Vermont we have heavy rain and storms forecasted.  This morning, I woke, made myself a cup of coffee and, regardless of the downpour, Oliver and I made our way to the front porch.  The rain was so heavy that Oliver refused to step off the porch and, who can blame him.  We stayed, me rocking and listening to the wind and rain as it washed away our driveway, once again, and Oliver sniffing around the porch trying to discover the origin of the animal that stole two large pieces of homemade bread, I had left out yesterday afternoon for the birds to enjoy.   We didn't stay long, the fire needed tending, the house needed tidying and Oliver was clamoring for his breakfast.   A few hours later, I made my way back out to the porch with my stitching.  The rain calmed down a bit, as the birds finally began to sing and move out of the shelter of our newly open leaves.   Oh, how I love to listen to the Robins ~ their song is one of my favorites!

I must be off now ~ much to do on this rainy day, but before I go, I wanted to share a very quick little video of the way I stitch floral stems.  As most of you know, I typically like to represent stems with Weeks Dye Works Kohl floss and an embroidery stem stitch, but I am finding that it doesn't always fit a particular piece, so I am forcing myself to do as our beloved Maggie B does, with wool and the ladder stitch.   I had a heck of a time getting the rhythm of this stitch when I first attempted it years ago.  Thankfully, a couple years ago, I was able to attend a workshop, in Salem, MA, with Maggie and  was able to see her do it in person which finally made it click for me.  I am definitely a visual learner which is most likely the reason my patterns are SO VERY WORDY and full of photos and sketches lol...I write them for the other visual learners out there...hoping I can write and show them enough, so it makes sense :).  Anyway, I hope the short little video helps you, should you need a bit of a visual :).

Until next time friends.  Be Well, Be Joyful, Be Kind. hugs to all, Doreen

~Home Again ` Home Again ~ Jiggety Jig~

 

Hello again my friends and welcome back to my original blog which I started back in...oh my heavens, 2012...  This is where I should have stayed, rather than flittering off to other "lands" only to find they did not suit me.  This is so much more personal...easily worked and maintained and best of all, easily personalized for a look and feel that is all ...ME.  

As I go forward, I am not going to commit to being here at any given time ~ I will just pop in and post when I have something to say. The brief time "off" I have taken, over Christmas and New Years .... a bit of WINTERING if you will....has taught me an important lesson.  I need quiet!  In an age where we are constantly told to be ON, I need to turn myself OFF...or should I say away (as often as my work allows).  Away from schedules, daily to-do's...posting here, posting there, oh, and don't forget here.....  Keeping yourself in the public eye is A LOT OF WORK....finding the right photo, coming up with something to say....it all takes away from the process of actually creating.  You reach a point when keeping yourself ion everyone's radar becomes a full-time job and your window for quiet contemplation to come up with new ideas becomes smaller and smaller.  I need the day to day routine of tidying my house, while classical music plays, baking bread.... the kneading, stretching and folding so meditative that this is where my ideas form, my sketchbook and a cup of coffee in the afternoons, hearing the fire snap and pop, and stitching in the evenings.   I shall become a bit smaller in this online world ~ simply posting, updating, etc. etc.....when I truly have something to share.  

AT HOME TODAY ~ we have lovely sunshine and a mild 33* with a few snow showers on the way.  The last few days have been bizarre weather-wise, with 6" of snow falling on Sunday and then high winds and rain taking over Tuesday evening, stealing away most of our snow.  The winds were so bad in the wee hours Tuesday, neither Mark nor I slept.  They were bashing against the house with crazy force, coming from all directions (which was truly unsettling).  When the sun rose everything on the front porch was bashed about, chairs were on the ground, everything soaked through with rain, blankets, chair cushions and pine boughs littered the front lawn along with countless branches and a few limbs.  In our woods there are a couple tree's down and throughout our little village, many trees fell... power was out for thousands.  Oddly, our power remained on.  Quite unexpected as we have lost our power in far calmer storms.  We have another storm, of the same rain and wind, moving in Friday night into Saturday.... :(   Over the past several days, while this crazy weather bashed about, I have been busy baking and cooking.... Hamburger Soup, Peanut Butter Fudge (I should not make that again as I ate FAR too much of it), Baked Chicken, Sweet Potatoe Casserole and Cheddar Biscuits and last night, Chicken and Dumplings .... AS WELL AS, sketching, writing and stitching.  

I HAVE FINALLY begun the stitching on the project I will be teaching at the Big Blue House Spring Retreat in Tennessee.  CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS.  I am afraid I cannot share details or sneak peeks of this project.

Okay ~ I must be off.  I've a fire to tend and stitching to do.  Enjoy the day friends.  See you soon.  Doreen

Mondays, Aging, Stitching & Baking

 

I woke early this morning, earlier than I have woken since November.  As I grow older I find (or perhaps finally realize) my body naturally moves with the earth's rhythm and this year, I listened to my body's wish demand for "wintering."  I use to force myself away from these natural rhythms, keeping the same schedule for work, life, eating, etc., all year round. However, one of the luxuries of growing older is the ability to listen to your body more...often out of necessity because, as you grow older, the refusal to listen to your body begins to have consequences. **Please excuse me for a moment, I must give my focaccia dough a stretch and fold/slap and shape**   Alright, my dough is now tucked into its proofing container for its bulk rise, on to today's post.... My mind and body are still working together, thank goodness, to let me know what is needed before everything goes awry. Those little hints and pushes have always occurred but when we are younger, we think we have forever to ignore them!  Now that I have reached an age where doing what is best for my overall health is no longer a luxury, I have started paying attention!!!    I go to bed when my body commands I do so, I eat healthier, lighter, and more seasonally, and I keep my body moving....  Eating seasonally has become an important thing for us...more on that in another post. I could go on forever but I actually did not have the intention of this post being about aging...insert eye roll here :) oh, well, I shall put it in the heading and proceed ;)

....I woke early this morning...to cold rain, a cozy fire burning (thank you husband) and the cold winds making the newly open leaves dance.    It may be necessary to burn the fire all day today, rather than simply lighting a morning fire to take the chill off! I also woke to my head swimming with creative ideas.  This always seems to happen during "gazette week"...is it my mind looking to distract me or the process of writing and creating the gazette that brings about new ideas?  I'm choosing it to be the latter. :)    Once the gazette has donned its traveling clothes (a first-class stamp) and is on its way to my subscribers (by the end of the day) I will be free to bring all of these creative ideas to life...but first, I must begin stitching my primitive stool topper, which is part of what set these bubbling creative ideas in motion! I am still playing around with penny placement but I will have that settled and be ready to stitch tomorrow.  

Before I go, I wanted to share a link to the wonderful focaccia recipe I am making.  Again, it is from my favorite sourdough book ~ Artisan Sourdough Made Simple by Emilie Raffa.  Emilie shares this recipe on her website and it is a FANTASTIC one. Here is the link;  Beginner's Guide to Sourdough Focaccia Bread - The Clever Carrot.  

What does this week hold for you, my friends?  

 Until next time, be well, be happy and...be creative :) Doreen

Creating A Spark

 

Goode day dear reader.  I hope this note finds you in goode health and grand spirits.  This week has been gazette week for me ~ the week I take all of the ideas, recipes, writings, quotes, and images which have been forming in my head, for this particular issue, and create something solid with them.  I typically "disappear" during this time as it takes over my days, needing concentration & focus to take the jumble of what is in my head and make it into something worth reading, timely, creative, and enjoyable (all of which I hope to accomplish with each issue).  It also takes flexibility as often what I have in my head refuses to come together in the way in which I had in mind.  Art ~ it does have a mind of its own.   I create the gazette in a manner most would likely find quite old-fashioned.  Building it like a scrapbook page..I start with a blank piece of paper then write my articles; stories, quotes, and recipes then begin cutting and pasting these onto the blank page along with my chosen graphics.  Without a doubt, there are simpler, and more efficient ways of doing this but it works for me and I enjoy it.  It is building something from various materials, much like my other artistic endeavors.  This week a nasty spring cold has added to the  "disappearing into my work" mode as once I "leave the studio for the day" at six, I find myself showering, putting on my pajamas, and falling into bed.  At 6:00 the next morning, I force myself out of bed and find myself wanting to go back to bed while having my morning coffee.  Spring colds....why must you be such a bother!!!

"To make art is to tend the light.  To serve as a kind of lighthouse keeper, for ourselves certainly, but also others who may be lost in the darkness" Anne  Brones.  I love this quote ~ it gives such meaning to creativity.

 Today, while Oliver and I took our morning wander through the yard and woods, I stopped by to visit my returning green friends, running my fingers through their delicate stems and leaves; early spring chives, garlic, rhubarb, Bee Balm, and wild Juniper.  "Hello little Bee Balm, how wonderful you look," Oh, Garlic, you look fantastic"  Our world makes an effort to please and create a spark within us, does it not?  We often take this for granted without ever giving it a thought.  The Bee Balm sparks creativity in my work as I think of a way to sketch their beautiful flowers.  Garlic and chives create a culinary spark and the wild Juniper, creates a spark of wonder as suddenly, we have it in our yard and woods ~ for the first time ever.  Where did it come from???    

This is what I hope to do with my Art... Create a spark of creativity through my creativity. :)

Tis chilly this morning, freezing the water in my favorite little coppery bird bath and leaving glittering frost in shady places.  The sun is warm however and soon, all will be warm and flowing once again.  Today, I must put the final touches on the gazette so that tomorrow I can head to the printers.  Later today, a bit more time working on another new design, a primitive stool topper :).  I am loving the rustic simplicity of it.

Enjoy the day my friends.  Until next time, Be Well, Be Joyful. Doreen

Tuesday, April 18, 2023 ~ Goode day friends

 Goode morning friends.  We wake to a gently falling rain here in Vermont.  The air is a little chilly as I sit by the fire, doing a little stitching and sipping my second cup of coffee.  A group of Robins scurry around the yard, plucking earthworms from the dirt, a job made much easier after yesterday's steady rain.  Mr. & Mrs. Bluebird (my word, the blue of their wings, when they fly by, is absolutely stunning) flutter back and forth as they move into their new home, a nesting box on our front porch, for the second year in a row.  I love watching them, they are shy but determined and seem to have gotten used to our routines and take care of their moving in & nest-building accordingly. :)

This morning, after tidying the house and planning tonight's dinner, I am working on the May issue of The Little Brown House Gazette.  This afternoon & evening, around dinner and yoga class, I will begin stitching a new design ~ a primitive stool topper made with some new hand dyed textures from Blackberry Primitives..they are gorgeous!  :).

What does this day hold for you?

Until next time my friends ~ be well, Doreen

New Wool Applique Pattern & accompanying Willard Inn Story :) HELLO FRIENDS!

The Willard Inn~ A Brutal Winter

By Doreen Frost 

Hannah woke in the middle of the night to the hush brought on by snow.  Graham lay next to her, a mere lump under the large pile of quilts.  He had only come to bed a short time ago but was already deep in sleep.  This winter had been the coldest they had ever experienced, and, for that reason, their routines had changed much!  Not wanting the fires to die down, as they typically would overnight, he was now staying up into the small hours to keep them going strong. Hannah lay there, feeling his warmth next to her, grateful he was getting some much needed rest. 

Though Graham had stoked the fires just recently, Hannah could still feel a deep cold seeping into the room.  Despite the many efforts they had made over the last two months of bitter, bitter cold, it still managed to force its way into their home through the olde windows and doors and anywhere else it could manage.  They, along with everyone else they knew, had rolled fabric and placed it beneath the doors, and hung quilts or blankets, if they could spare them, over each of their windows. 

Winters in New England could certainly be harsh but this one was particularly brutal.  Three feet of snow lay thickly over every surface, and though it presented challenges as far as getting around, it was welcome during this winter of brutality, as it helped to insulate the homes and barns.  Hannah and Graham spent these winter days like their neighbors, doing all they could to keep themselves and their animals warm and fed.  Everyone in the little New England village had suffered, some most desperately, but the town had come together and helped one another so that everyone was faring well now.  People with a little more shared with those who needed it; food, clothing, shelter, wood & encouragement.  Neighbor was helping neighbor in the most wonderful way making a very difficult time, a little easier to bear. 

Hannah, now fully awake, sat up and eased her way out from under the quilts and woolen blankets and lit the bedside lamp.  A warm glow encircled the room as she tucked the quilts more snuggly around Graham.  She put another pair of wool leggings on, under her flannel nightgown, slid her stockinged feet into her slippers, put on her robe, and wrapped her wool shawl around her shoulders.   Taking the lantern, she made her way down the stairs, through the quiet house, and into the warmth of the kitchen.  She put the kettle on for coffee, lit candles, and lanterns, and tended the wood stove in the main part of the house before returning to the kitchen to fill the cookstove and add wood to the great stone fireplace.

When the coffee was ready, she fixed herself a cup, spread butter and jam on a biscuit, and pulled her rocking chair closer to the hearth.  She laid a blanket across her lap and took her stitching from its basket.  She had been working on a new rug, this one made from small and medium circles cut from olde woolens that were no longer able to be made into anything else.  She had gathered the faded greens, reds, browns, and creams and stitched them together, placing smaller circles on top of larger ones, creating small stitched “stacks”.  Once the stacks were all stitched, she laid them out on the table and pinned the stacks in rows of different sizes, onto a burlap backing.  She took a sip of the hot coffee, and a bite of biscuit and laid the rug across her lap, and smiled contentedly to herself.  Her stitching is always a wonderful distraction during difficult times.

Far too quickly the warmth of the fire began to recede as the cold began to make its way across the kitchen floor, wrapping itself around Hannah’s ankles. She stood up, placed her stitching on the table, and made her way from fire to fire, this time filling each one heavily with wood.  After making sure the doors and windows were covered snugly, she returned to the kitchen, made herself another cup of coffee, and took up her stitching again. She would continue her fireside vigil for another hour, and then, as dawn approached, she would put a pot of beans on the fire, start a batch of hearth bread and put some bacon to fry.  The kitchen would be welcoming and snug when Graham awoke after another short night. ~ by Doreen Frost   

*This story appeared in the January/February issue of The Little Brown House Gazette ~ I thought it would be fun to share it here with all of you, as I incorporated this penny rug into the story  & included this story, in the pattern :).

IN THE MOSSY WOOD ~ a wool applique pattern, is now available on my website :).  

Greetings friends ~ It is GOOD to see you.  It has been far too long since my last blog post.  I have lots of updating to do and more blog posts to share with you ~ stay tuned.  Enjoy the day, Doreen

GREETINGS DEARE SEPTEMBER

 

"And the sun took a step back, the leaves lulled themselves to sleep, and Autumn was awakened." ~ Raquel Franco

Good morning my friends and HELLLOOO September.  The "BER" months have arrived!!! My favorite months!! A time for apple picking, cozy fires, glorious landscapes, and geese filling the sky!

We wake, on this first day of September, to chilly crisp air, heavy dew, and a cool and lovely day ahead.  I am off this morning to watch our little man until noon and then it is back home and into the studio, I go to fill orders.  I have been out of the studio much this week and I have a lot of catching up to do.  

How is your week going?  

Hugs, Doreen

August draws to a close....

 GOODE afternoon my lovely friends.  I apologize for my late greeting ~ twas a VERY busy day.  I took care of our little man (Grandson, Kurt Evan) then ran errands on the way home, once home, Oliver needed a walk, the flowers needed watering and the bird feeders needed filling. I usually do these last two things in the morning however, I left the house quite early and did not have the time. 

In the studio and settled, I am doing a bit of watercolor painting.  I am forcing myself to make MANY color wheels and to learn to mix paints using the three primary colors before I venture off to purchase special colors.  Watercolor supplies are expensive therefore learning to create a variety of colors using the three primary colors is important to me.  And, creating color wheels and swatches is also a perfect way to create muscle memory, and improve your watercolor skills!  DO you see that little pool of yellow-green?  That was the final color I painted, on this color wheel and, all of the colors were mixed in that one pan section.  It began as a yellow puddle of paint, made its way through all the rest of the colors, on the wheel, and ended as a puddle of green. I know that is something so simple but I find it fascinating and thrilling. I am also quite proud of myself that instead of ending up a muddy mess, at some point, each color came to life without much fuss and was quite close to what I was hoping for.  

I am off now to create another color wheel or two before Oliver James insists on his dinner.  Speaking of dinner...ours will be leftovers!! :) I love it when that happens. 

Enjoy the day my friends. hugs, Doreen