In the Dec/Jan issue of MaryJanesFarm, “Magic Happens” (on newsstands Nov. 10), I led you here to my daily journal for a chance to win a beautiful spoon-handle pendant from Erin Thormosdgard’s jewelry business, Girl Ran Away with the Spoon.
Girl Ran Away with the Spoon creates handcrafted artisan jewelry and gifts in the heart of historic downtown Miles City, Montana. For a chance to win one of Erin’s spoon-handle pendants, tell me about your favorite farmgirl artisan in the comments below by Dec. 1. I’ll toss your name into a hat and draw a lucky winner the second week of December. Stay tuned for more magazine-related giveaways!
If you’re not yet a subscriber to my magazine, MaryJanesFarm, subscribe here for $19.95/year.
My favorite artisan farmgirl is my mom who was raised on a small farm in eastern Tennessee. Quilts were a given and my grandmother made them from scraps. Later in life my mom began making quilts as a hobby. She makes them totally by hand and they are truly works of art.
My Farmgirl favorites on the page of expressions of “Magic Happens” are Vintage Feed Sack stockings and red farm graphic tea towels. I am especially enamored by the feed sack stockings. Totes adorbs!
Favorite farmgirl artisan: MARYJANE BUTTERS! Thank you for all the wonderful things you have created and shared with us!!!
My favorite was my grandmother. She used to can everything. She had the neatest feed bags. I loved being able to pick what color I wanted and sew something. We made from aprons to skirts. They were all beautiful. Miss them.
My favorite Farmgirl artisan is my garden buddy Annie Allbright, the most creative person I have ever met . She is just now finishing up her ” fairy gourds” which are her own homegrown huge hollowed out gourds. She filled them with woodland things like moss, live plants,her own glass sculptures and such and they are so much more artistic and truly magical than they sound. Her entire farm is filled with her artwork, as she is the queen of upcycling. I adore her giant dragonflies she crafts from wooden fan blades and hand paints. Or her glass ” totems” that tower throughout the property. Or her wall of blue glass that undulates through her flower beds. She recycles the deep cobalt blue Skye vodka bottles. I could go on and on- she gives classes a few times a year as well. She is an inspiration.
Does she have a website or Facebook page?
Details are in the current Dec/Jan issue of MaryJanesFarm!!
My favorite farmgirl artisan would be my mom. She made much of my and my sisters’ clothes when we were young and she really did do fine work.
I’d have to say my mom. She sews with the best of them. All my clothes were handmade growing up. All the curtains in the house. She loves to do needlework and knit too.
How about my latest fav? I have so many, my friend who remakes vintage windows to sell in West bottoms of Kc. Prairie moon primitives that I met at silver dollar city.
My favorite artisan is my friend Shirley. She started quilting seriously at the age of 70 after her husband passed away. She has made beautiful quilts for every member of her family, (about 30), as well as for friends. At the age of 82, she drove down to Portland Oregon, to take care of her grandson for a week and deliver another quilt to an older grandson living there. He has requested quilts for his children to come, thinking she might pass away before he gets married. We had a good laugh over this one. She has such a great heart, many talents in the fabric arts, and amazing energy. I think she will live to see many great-grandsons or grand-daughters and make quilts for each. I have so much admiration for her.
I find it very hard to choose just one favorite farmgirl artisan; there are so many who are highlighted in MaryJanesFarm magazine, who participate in swaps on MaryJanesFarm chat room, who have etsy shops, and who post items for sale in the Marketplace category in the chat room. I love working with fabric, so always enjoy seeing new ideas for items to make for myself, my home, or for gifts. For instance, the rolling pin holder shown on page 89 in the Dec/Jan issue is a perfect gift item for a friend who has a rolling pin collection. Thank you for all the creative ideas that get my creative juices flowing.
My favorite farm girl artisan were actually two artisans. Christine and Barbara Granzen who lived across the street growing up and taught be to sew, in the 5th grade. Sewing ever since and I do think of them every time my foot hits that pedal.
I am currently loving the simple farm related artwork by Chris at The Eggs & I
Love the jewelry here . . . thanks for the opportunity to participate.
My favorite farmgirl artisan is Sharon Bakke. She does the most creative, incredible papercrafting I’ve ever seen. I am the proud owner of some of her cards and ATCs which I will treasure forever. She also does wonderful paintings!
Thanks!
CJ
My favorite farm girl artisan is, Brandy, a friend I met when our husbands served together in the Army. She helped design and oversaw the building of their log home. She trained, rode, taught riding on, and cared for horses. She looked for ways to reuse interesting items and materials in the building and decorating of their home (concrete walls from an old bank for kitchen counters, old dressers for bathroom sink vanities, rough-edged planks for open staircase) and was creative with her family’s food preparation.
My favorite farm girl artisan is my Mom. She grew up on a farm in Washington State and learned to can, sew, cook and bake from her mother. She made most of our clothes, which I didn’t truly appreciate until I was in high school and found that my Mom could recreate just about any piece of clothing I wanted and make it uniquely mine, rather than something that came off a rack! She cut out recipes from the newspaper and magazines and came up with creative meals for our family, even when times were hard. She made loaves of bread and pans of cinnamon rolls every week, and even though I envied my classmates sandwiches made out of Wonder Bread, I knew that mine were made with love, which made them oh, so much better.
My favorite artisan farm girl is my youngest daughter who’s 24! Together we create wonderful gifts and decor for family,friends, and us. We waste very little,love to recreate treasures we find and are given. Thank you for ideas you share with us too. To create and recreate makes us very happy farm girls!!
I have so many but my fave will always be my youngest daughter! Se we are both Spoonies http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/articles/written-by-christine/the-spoon-theory/
Yet she plants our garden, she draws, writes,bakes,decorates cakes and just so much more. She plans to open a café someday which will no doubt feature only artisan created bounty. I’m very proud of her and the young lady she’s become.
Yep….its the women in my life. They aren’t here any longer but both of my Grandmothers taught me soooo much ….I learned to sew on a sewing machine with a pedal. I learned to cook and can from the masters!!! I learned needlework from them also and now I enjoy sewing quilts, like those masters. I miss them but because they taught me so much I feel them near me all the time.
Hugs and prayers,
Daizy #1093
I would have to say that my favorite farmgirl artisan would have to be my grandmother. She was such a strong and powerful woman. She made anything and everything. She was especially gifted in her sewing and cooking. I am blessed to have many of her sewn items in my possession. In particular, some of her homemade Christmas decorations. It is also a blessing to have all of her most wonderful recipes all in one amazing book. Even though we all know mine will never taste just like hers, it’s fun to make her recipes.
My favorite farmgirl is my mother in law Kate whom just passed away this last August from cervical cancer. She was the greatest cook and the greatest inspiration to her children and myself. Kate loved to bake and can tomatoes, pickle. The best Granola of a mom. I truly love her and miss her. The HOLIDAY S ARE GOING to be different this year.
I have so many farm girl artisans that have touched my life and taught me so many things…sewing….from my grandmother….I still have her first electric singer sewing machine and sew on it…my mom….who taught me how to bake bread, and shares her knowledge of herbs…..my grandfather….now he’s not a “farm girl artisan” but a grandfather artisan…who taught me to garden and cook….he was a wonderful cook and a landscape designer by trade….my oldest sister, who ran her own craft store in Gatlinburg, Tenn., and always sends me material and patterns in my “care packages” so my hands will always be busy…
My favorite farmgirl was my grandma who passed away this year at 95. She did it all, gardening, milking, cooking, sewing, stitching, and lots of loving. My mom was single so the four of us kids spent lots of time with grandma and grandpa. My grandma was so fabulous that my career goal, my entire life, was to be as great a grandma as she was. I can only hope I have succeeded.
My favorite farmgirl artisan is my mentor Lynn. My mother wasn’t a creative person to her own acknowledgement but wanted to feed my passion for creating the best she could, so she contacted a lady in our church to mentor me. She took me to tea parties, fashion shows, home shows, fabric stores, fairs and more. After each event, I had to pick my favorite item : recipe, clothing, home decor item etc and recreate but in my own sense. She taught me what I didn’t know, encouraged me to learn new things on my own, and even taught me to catch crawdaddies! For the past year I have been working in a floral shop as a flower girl. My mentor came to me with our Autumn wreath for the church and had me repair and decorate it. Just recently she gave me the privilege of challenging me to spruce up the church’s many evergreen decors for this year’s Advent ceremony. I am looking forward to the challenge and am grateful that even all these years later she is still mentoring me and challenging me!
I’m thinking the feed sack stocking lady! now I have all kinds of ideas about what to do with my collection of burlap bags!
As a new subscriber, Erin is my favorite so far! Her spoon creation remind me of my mom, who had several spoon rings she loved. I have the only one left, and can’t really wear rings as an RN. Erin’s beautiful work makes me think I can use my jewelry tolls and possibly fashion a pendant out of my treasure!
My Mother-in-law is my favorite artisan farmgirl. She and my Father-in-law started organically gardening a few years ago. They work in their garden from sun-up until sun down Mom is and avid sewer and knitter as well. She has dabbled in painting, and wool felting as well. She is a great cook and baker. Both she and Dad are super generous with everything. I am blessed to be married to their son and to call them my family.
My favorite farm girl artisan would have to be MaryJane! You make such amazing things and you inspire me to do something great!
I’m most inspired by Amanda Blake Soule. She’s a blogger who homeschools, gardens, knits, sews and crafts. I do many of the same activities although I crochet rather than knit. Also I bake bread from fresh-ground grains and can a bit more.
My favorite farm girl artisan is quilt designer, Lori Holt. Lori’s designs and her excellent use of color come together to create captivating quilts.
Thank you for asking!
Years ago I grew up in a very small town. I became a nurse, married, and have 2 wonderful daughters. We live on a beautiful country setting and obtain this by choice. My husband grew up in the country and loved everyday. We wanted our children to experience the same. We have sheep, chickens, ducks,cats, dogs,and had horses & pigs. Our gardens are huge and plentiful for all. We love the hard work, and are grateful for all & what we have learned. We would not change anything. To name my favorite farm girl artisan – would not be just one but every aspect of a simpler, quiet, country life!!!
i can’t pick just one. i have always admired the handiwork of anyone who was passionate about their craft, be it sewing, pottery, doll making, painting, playing an instrument or whatever they enjoy making. it is all inspiring.
My favorite farmgirl (at heart) artisan is one of my bff’s Diane. Born in Poland, raised in NYC, she grew up with old world customs. We met about 15 years ago and she taught this city girl (Phoenix) the value of scratch cooking while expanding my quilting world. A few years ago she bought a long-arm machine and she immediately demonstrated real talent. I love her!
My favorite farmgirl artisan is half of a couple, Anne Bosch, with her husband Marc Robertson. Together they own Blackberry Ridge Woolen Mill (www.blackberry-ridge.com). They make amazing wool yarn out in the country in their own woolen mill! Although you will only see their beautiful yarns if you go to their website, they have a lovely residence in a rural Wisconsin area and are living the farm life to the fullest!
Mom was my favorite. She canned all of our food, took care of chickens, had a garden,had a milk cow and made butter. Those were the good honest days. I miss mom very much.
The local arisan farm girl is Shelly Poetter, who started a scrap book retreat in our neighborhood called the Country Cottage east of Blue Earth, MN.
She is a talented hostess and crafter!