I think this is my favorite week yet!!! I love to make crafts. I love to try new things and get my hands dirty. I have always enjoyed making things but it has just been the last couple of years that I have been making primitive country crafts. My house before was sort of a mish mash of homemade things without a real theme to it, I was looking for something that felt like me and I hadn’t really found it until I picked up a copy of a Country Sampler magazine, I was instantly sure that this was what I wanted my home to look like. The problem was that “primitives” were not really very popular in my area and no one was selling them. My friend and I had always been pretty crafty so we decided to just study the photos and see if we could reproduce the items for ourselves. We did it! Not only were we happy with the result but our friends started asking for things and we ended up doing craft shows and farmers markets. We love signs, they are quick and easy, but I also love the windows that my friend has quilted for me (sorry no photos), and I love to punch needle 
and stitch pillows. In this photo
the pillows are sitting on a refurbished filing cabinet. Since I home school my kids needed a place to store their school work but I didn’t like having an ugly filing cabinet in my living room so I covered it in fabric. It is one of my favorite projects. Another favorite is this shelf
that I picked up at a church sale for $2.00 the center of it had a drying rack in it that I pulled out and put a quilted piece in it. Then I made this quilt block
to match and I made a chalk board 
with the same colors as well, they are all in my entry way. As much as I love making things I don’t want my house to be filled with my things I want to fill it with other peoples items but unfortunately I don’t have a lot of money to do it. I am lucky to have some really crafty friends who give me amazing presents as well as over at http://www.createaprim.com/ I participate in swaps so I have things from all over the world made by wonderfully talented women. My love for primitives fits in wonderfully with farm life, being close to your roots, using what you have, and making your house a home.
Thanks so much Tina for letting me participate in this blogathon, I have learned so much about myself through this experience, and I have really enjoyed reading about other womens experiences on the farm.
To share with other farm girls and to learn about the Farm Girl way of life visit: http://www.maryjanesfarm.org/
dear farm girl,
someone emailed me a link to your blog and i find it very interesting. if you would like to receive a free sample of Living Crafts Magazine (a new cottage crafts magazine) i’d love to send it to you for review.
pardis amirshahi
editor
949-650-5405 direct line
Living Crafts Magazine
125-1/2 Broadway
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
http://www.livingcrafts.com
hey there,
love all of your items. I am so glad that you have enjoyed the blog a thon.
Jenn your “crafty things” are beautiful. I know what you mean by not being able to find primitive ( folky)here in Canada. I guess in Toronto we would find more of the kind of things you like.
My old house ( 13 years ago) was a stone house built in 1830. I love the country look too and had all kinds of folk sheep motifs around it ( shepherd that I am)but when we moved to this farm it was built 1881 more the Victorian Era. I loved Century Home magazine which is now out of print and started to change my direction in decorating as this house was in the height of Victorian. I love lace and doing heirloom sewing so the potentials were all there. I have had to be very creative though as the funds are not! You know same old, same old!! Also its a working farm, dirt and poonuer coming through. So its been a long drawn out affair to get completed. Every year something.
I have needle punched one thing in my life. A mat for a chair! But quilting!! What Mennonite doesn’t have quilts on every bed? I also live to smock and as said heirloom sewing.
I will mention. I love how you covered the file cabinet. You have this old brain thinking of what to do with ours. Great ideas.
Neleh