Well my passion is reading, which in a way is making time for beautiful adventures every day. I always read before bed.
I also enjoy knitting, although I’m in the beginning stages of that craft.

I love to knit. I am a writer of short stories. My passion is jig saw puzzles. Also reading Mary Jane Farms! Gardening in spring/summer.

Hi, I am passionate about needlework and handwork such as embroidery, small hand quilting items, yo-yo’s, hexies, and crocheting. I try to do a little of one or more each day.

My passion was basket making for 18 years. Then my passion became grandchildren. I have a new passion emerging, WOOL! As in hooked rugs, penny rugs, and braided rugs!

My cross stitch, pictures, pillows, table toppers. I get to zone, unwind. A cup of tea and my hoop, all is good.

Sewing! Every day if I don’t sew, I am looking at patterns online or in books…the ‘future projects’ list of and dreams grows and grows!!

Love your posts! Inspiring!

My dear Dori, I love this blog post. And you are, indeed, a Maker!! You are also one who can inspire others to be passionate. I have to admit I have been in quite a long dry spell, creatively speaking. I love using my dust collecting scrapbook in supplies to make little gift projects for those I love. I don’t get to it daily, nor even weekly but when I do, I thoroughly enjoy it. Another creative thing I love to do is to cook for those I love, which happens more often than my other creative outlets 😉 oh my, I have gone on long enough…

For the last few months, I’ve been making this old farmhouse we bought “as is” in to a home. It was in really rough shape, so opportunities abound to create a comfortable and happy home (on a very tight budget) for our family. Thrilled and grateful to have heat and (finally) a working kitchen. So many projects await!

My passion is cooking and trying new recipes. I knew immediately without even looking at the name of the blog that it was by you because of your beautiful quilt and I could not wait to read it! You inspire me with your blog and your creative spirit! ❤

I guess I could be defined as a maker too! But what I make is seasonal – quilts and crochet in the winter, canner in the fall, gardener in the spring and summer. My husband joked that I’m a maker in the summer during salmon season – maker of noise!

I love everything that has to do with yarn or fabric!

Dear Dori,
I recently retired after 36 years of teaching Special Education. I miss my students, especially because we experienced a house fire on Christmas evening and have had to live outside of our home for the past 12 weeks. I look forward to resuming sewing and knitting, and improving my quilting skills. Since my passion for so many years involved improving the lives of my students, I want to continue making cloth books for them.

Dori,
I have loved in the past to change decorating our homes, but that has passed as we age. We are trying to give away some of our treasures. But the one thing I do have a passion for is working in the yard and creating a landscape that is beautiful out here in the AZ desert. As I have aged it gets harder and harder to prune the trees perfectly. I have decided I will do one project a day to keep the acre (one of five) that we have landscaped and decorated in beautiful shape. It doesn’t seem like so much now that I think about it as “my passion”!! Love, Ms

Oh YOU are an encourager for sure! I am an ” maker”, of many things but fabric is my first love. Some of my friends call my stash hoarding but when they ask me to ” make” something my stash is their first shopping stop …. isn’t it fun! Thanks for the super post, your summer camp sounds like great fun. God bless.

Love making-all kinds of things: sewing, card making, you name it , I’ll try it.

I have not used the title ‘Maker’ but it fits! I am passionate about knitting and sewing, and I have a cabinet painting business. Thanks for the words you shared about needing to be brave. In 2014, almost simultaneously, I became a widow and an empty nester. Grieving was exhausting. I finally have energy to to create again. But as you quoted, it takes courage! Thank you so much for the en’courage’ment!! Sharon

I am passionate about repurposing. I don’t take the time to start projects. I have a room full of ‘retirement projects’. I am just not sure when retirement will be yet.

I am passionate about writing. I carve time into my day to write. I just do.

I love this post! I too am a maker. But some times life stress ( like having your power out for 6 straight days) gets the best of me and I shouldn’t let it! I am passionate about fiber arts… spinning, weaving, knitting and nalbinding! I am going to take a deep breath and have some “maker time” today ❤️

Thank you so much for your words of encouragement. The timing of reading your encouragement is spot on. I have always been a creative person but it has been for my personal use. Recently I joined an instagram group where at the end of the month we send a “happy mail box” filled with 7 specific topics to craft. My heart was seriously beating so fast when I pressed the “join group” button. But I have just been encouraged lately to step out of my comfort zone. I’m so worried she won’t enjoy her gifts or hers to me will be so much more crafty, but I’m doing it So again I thank you. It’s helped me very much to keep my creativeness moving forward

What a wonderful idea! I love the selections you’ve chosen. I am not a quilter (I’ve made two small 9-patch quilts), but I am a collector of quilts and love, love, love them all. I’ve rescued a few, too. I bought one of my rescues at a yard sale for $3.00! Can you believe that? The lady who was selling it didn’t seem to appreciate what she had. She even made the comment that her mother had made it, but that she had made LOTS of them, like it was no big deal. So I had to take that quilt home and give it the love it deserves. I think it’s wonderful that you’re teaching these girls a skill they can have for life.

I really do like your blog. I’ve always wanted to live in the country again since I grew up there as a child for 12 years. It’s so nice to have houses so far apart now we live in the city and it’s not the same. You’re fortunate to have such blessings and such talent with your quilting. I feel like we’re friends already I like your bright happy smile thanks for your ideas on goalsetting which I definitely need right now. Thanks again.

What a wonderful idea to instill this in our future…in 2001 I taught hand sewing to some second graders and one acually started a mending business which was wonderful..

Just a thought…I have had an idea to create quilting circles to gather and create quilts for a cause….once the quilt squares were done by those in the circle..it would be raffled off for a charity..I thought that kits could be made up..those registering a circle would say how many and would be charged a small fee to mail the kit out..a box filled with the squares, directions on theme..some scraps of material.ribbons..embroidery thread..etc..and those coming to the circle would pay to go..that would pay shipping costs and help with putting the quilt together…Quilting for a Cause…Please let me know your thoughts and if anyone would like to take this on please do..it came to me and I think it could be a fun way to help those in need..Blessings…michelle

Dori, you are an angel to even think of this wonderful idea. Those girls are very lucky to have you teach them the wonders of sewing and especially creating quilts. I am sure you will have a great time together. Can’t wait to read the progress of your project in the future.

I’m sure the girls will love this class. I have a friend who’s friend owns a fabric store and every summer they have quilting camp for girls and the girls love it. and I know one girl will sew on her own now. another lady sent her daughter to a sewing class and she said she thinks she is now going to have to buy a machine for her daughter. so I think the girls in your class will love learning how to quilt! Have fun!

WHAT A GREAT IDEA, GOOD LUCK. I ALSO MOVED TO THE FARM OF MY DREAMS 5 YEARS AGO IN EAST TENNESSEE. THIS IS GOD’S COUNTRY FOR SURE!

I look forward to checking in. I’ve had a similar idea for a long time but always am busy with life. So goals are so important.
For mine I’d like to teach low income moms and girls to sew. Even basic mending, repurposing and alterations.
I’ve never made a quilt although I’ve been a seamstress over 30 years.
But this seems a perfect project! I LOVE Keeping the past crafts going in our young!
I’m teaching my 13 yr old to sew at the moment and she also is working on a little quilt.
Good luck, although you seem well prepared already so I think it will come together great 🙂
Nicola x

Your goal for 2017 sounds absolutely wonderful. I love the idea of teaching children about such passionate things. I bet you really are going to enjoy teaching them. When I am ready I would love to take a class like yours to learn. All of your block choices appeal to me, especially block two and three. Do you plan to teach them all at the same time? Or will it be private lessons? Will they do all the work with you? Or take the work home and do it? I can’t wait to hear how it goes this summer!

Last summer I did a Cousins seeing camp for my granddaughters and niece. We made pillow cases, made homemade strawberry jelly, helped in food preparation. We also went swimming and went into the mountains to play in a river. It was an amazing week. The lady day of the week we planned a special lunch which the girls all helped to prepare, set a beautiful table, picked flowers from the garden and made flower arrangements. I made plain aprons for each one and we spent one day with them decorating them with Rick rack, buttons or lace. What I learned from that week is having other helpers there is vital. All my girls hadn’t really sown anything much so we really needed one on one. I used grandmas and their great grandma’s also helped. It would have been much harder if I hadn’t had the help. Good luck on your adventure. I know your students will have a wonderful time. By the way, the girls all said they wanted it to lady 2 weeks this year. Don’t think this grandma is up to that though.

All you have to say to me is: “lemon” and I’m there! Thanks for sharing. i just printed this out and look forward to making it…yum!

I just got back from Key West, Florida and brought a bottle of Key Lime juice. I’m going to try your recipe with lemon and with lime (separately). Thank you. Happy holidays.

Oh how I would love to join you in your delightful farmhouse kitchen & share some of this yummy-ness ❤

Hi Dori
Homemade gifts mean so much more. I am going to try the mini cakes and look for the gift boxes. My son and daughter in law live in MN and we started a christmas tradition a few years ago along with our daughter in laws mom and grandma. We exchange recipes and this one is definitely one to give. Merry
Christmas.

Dori, I’ve gathered the ingredients and plan to make this for gifts in a few days. Unfortunately, it seems there has been a serious run on low-fat buttermilk around here – so do you think I’m ok with full fat? Many thanks!

I know they sell a frozen red chile container in the freezer couldn’t it be used instead?

Dori, thanks for sharing such a special recipe with us! I am not the biggest fan of Mexican food, but my family sure is! I will definitely share this recipe with them and give it a try. The main reason I avoid Mexican food is because of how spicy it is. Do you think this recipe is spicy or mild? I am also interested in trying an enchilada with an egg on top! Sounds really interesting.

Oh my goodness I cannot wait to try. My best friends mom (who was like my mom) taught me to cook alot of mexican dishes as she was from Mexico. I just finished making tamales last week and probably will make another batch next week. You probably can buy red chill sauce already made but it is not the same. I grow my own peppers, and let them turn red on the plant then pick them string them up with thread to dry, then I roast them in the oven just a bit, and then grind and make my own pepper. The taste is so amazingly different from red pepper you buy in the store. So I feel like the fresh made chilli is going to be alot tastier than canned or frozen. I am so exicted to try this. Thank your mom for sharing her wonderful recipe. I enjoyed this post as it reminded me so much of being in the kitchen with mama Cindy. she has gone home to be with the Lord now, but I know she smiles down everytime I make her tamales, or make homemade tortillas. (she knows somebody was paying attention in the kitchen) 🙂 Be blessed and thanks again for sharing.

Wow someone else uses the egg! How that warms my heart. My mom used to make rolled enchilada and always stuffed them with chopped cooked eggs and cheese. She also taught me to dip the tortilla in the sauce, as opposed to just pouring it over the top. Much better dipped (funny how you really can tell the difference). One year I decided to have enchiladas for Christmas dinner ~ just to mix things up a bit for kids hauling their young families from relative to relative for holiday dinners. It was such a hit I now get requests. Yep. This Thanksgiving was not turkey 🙂 So glad I finally got time to get back to your blog! Almost done with my over-enthusiastic response to your quilt challenge way back… when was that?! 🙂 Season’s best to you!

Dori. thank you so much for this post. i could almost taste it looking at the pictures 🙂 i have tried to make beans (like your mom made) but have not had any luck. would your mom be willing to share her recipe? Thank you,
Sonya

I know they sell a frozen red chile container in the freezer couldn’t it be used instead?

Dori, thanks for sharing such a special recipe with us! I am not the biggest fan of Mexican food, but my family sure is! I will definitely share this recipe with them and give it a try. The main reason I avoid Mexican food is because of how spicy it is. Do you think this recipe is spicy or mild? I am also interested in trying an enchilada with an egg on top! Sounds really interesting.

Oh my goodness I cannot wait to try. My best friends mom (who was like my mom) taught me to cook alot of mexican dishes as she was from Mexico. I just finished making tamales last week and probably will make another batch next week. You probably can buy red chill sauce already made but it is not the same. I grow my own peppers, and let them turn red on the plant then pick them string them up with thread to dry, then I roast them in the oven just a bit, and then grind and make my own pepper. The taste is so amazingly different from red pepper you buy in the store. So I feel like the fresh made chilli is going to be alot tastier than canned or frozen. I am so exicted to try this. Thank your mom for sharing her wonderful recipe. I enjoyed this post as it reminded me so much of being in the kitchen with mama Cindy. she has gone home to be with the Lord now, but I know she smiles down everytime I make her tamales, or make homemade tortillas. (she knows somebody was paying attention in the kitchen) 🙂 Be blessed and thanks again for sharing.

Wow someone else uses the egg! How that warms my heart. My mom used to make rolled enchilada and always stuffed them with chopped cooked eggs and cheese. She also taught me to dip the tortilla in the sauce, as opposed to just pouring it over the top. Much better dipped (funny how you really can tell the difference). One year I decided to have enchiladas for Christmas dinner ~ just to mix things up a bit for kids hauling their young families from relative to relative for holiday dinners. It was such a hit I now get requests. Yep. This Thanksgiving was not turkey 🙂 So glad I finally got time to get back to your blog! Almost done with my over-enthusiastic response to your quilt challenge way back… when was that?! 🙂 Season’s best to you!

Dori. thank you so much for this post. i could almost taste it looking at the pictures 🙂 i have tried to make beans (like your mom made) but have not had any luck. would your mom be willing to share her recipe? Thank you,
Sonya

Congratulations Jennifer! Enjoy your MaryJanesFarm Farmgirl DIY issue!

Dori, I am so happy to hear that your flower business means so much to you and your family! I also love that you go off the honor system and you have so many wonderful people in your community who abide by it. How nice for you to have met those wonderful ladies while you were setting up. It melts my heart for you! Maybe you should take a day to sit there and meet some of your clients and hear their stories. I wish you were in driving distance of me so I could come get some flowers for my home as well!

Dori,
You amaze me! This story made my heart happy. I LOVE flowers. I love that you do this for your community. Tennessee is not that far away…from FL. Hopefully someday I will be able to see your flower stand, buy a jar of happiness and have a wee visit!

Hi Dori- Thank you so much for blessing so many. We have a farm stand nearby that does honor system, too, and it does work. I love going out there. I have raised beds for veggies but flowers have always been on my list. You have inspired me to go for it.
Love your posts. I’ve made lots of your crocheted dish clothes and they are just too cute! Keep making smiles! ~~Kerrie

Dori, I so enjoy reading your farm life experiences. I have to say, however, that this one is my favorite because it involves your whole family in sharing and providing a sweet and loved service to your community. Don’t ever stop writing. Oh, and I just LOVE Zinnias!!

Dori, your flowers are beautiful. I love the idea of selling them in the mason jars. I wish we lived closer to TN. Its a beautiful state. My husband grew up in Greenville TN. Love your article in the Farmgirl DIY issue.

Love it! This inspired my 8 year-old daughter to make flower arrangements from the remaining zinnias in our garden and take them in to her teachers at school. Her grandma taught her how to arrange flowers over the summer (I missed out on the flower green thumb gene). She has plans to plant more flowers in our garden next year and have a little flower stand.

Lovely article and farmstand. I got to read it again when it showed up in my new issue of MaryJane’s Farm. A great followup would be the business side of things. I’m going to retrofit an old milk can as a chained-down pay drop. Do you have any suggestions or do’s and don’ts for starting a stand? Thanks!

I always shop stores to get ideas and then go home and see what I have to make it with. That way you get new ideas but use what you have.

Dori, I love your new shelf. I too am a DIH and have been all my life. I can’t imagine not tackling a project I want done before I’m too old to enjoy it. It helps to have a handy husband too. Thanks for showing us your special “ME” place.

I love what you did with your cabinet!!! It looks great!!! I’m glad you refurbished it after all your father in law put alot of hard work and love into making it!! You just made it better with your hard work and love!!!!! I’m always excited to get my Mary Jane magazines!!!! Love them!!!!!

This is a fun idea! Thanks for sharing…We recently moved to our dream ranch in the Mission Valley of Montana….The kitchen is HUGE…We have an old dresser, long and narrow…that I see as an island in that kitchen! May take some time to get to..but now that irrigating season is over…there is more time! CG

I loved reading your story. A dream come true! Most all of our DIH&H( his and her or her and his) projects are on our dining room table. Sometimes more than one sharing the space (Condo Living!) .

I love what you did. It’s awesome. My sewing room could use that.

My mother was a seamstress. She had drawers full of fabric and notions. I have fond memories of playing with her button jar. I would love to win a copy of Mary Jane’s new DIY.

Your sewing room is an inspiration. You have some really good ideas and you are very “resourceful”… My sewing area is starting to look like “hoarders” ugh! So I would love to win the DIH MaryJanesFarm issue and get more great ideas. Thank You for your blogs…

Love what you did with that piece of furniture. Thanks for the giveaway.
Marion

Hi, Dori! I have to admit, I have a little bit of “fence envy…” We’ve been needing to replace our split rail fence (“only” about 600 feet in our rural subdivision), and I really wanted a black, 3-rail fence. But to save labor & materials cost, (and especially since we might be “fixin’ to sell”), we’re opting for another split-rail.
In other news, my daughter and I had the opportunity to spend a whole month in Oaxaca, Mexico this summer…a dream come true! (For some strange reason I’d thought the fence would magically appear while we were gone, but no such luck! LOL)

Hi Dori,

Thank you for that great advice! Philippians 4:8 gives us the same advice, and a
list of all the things we should keep our minds on. Like you, I choose to keep my
mind on all the blessings I’ve been given.

Blessings,
Marilyn

Thank you, Dori! This post just might be a turning point for me, my attitude, and my life!

Awesome post…your blogs always warm my heart. Farmgirl-ing at it’s finest. Please do a blog out the sewing project with your granddaughter. I would love to do one with my daughter. She has been asking to learn to sew.

Dori,
Thank you for you great advice! I enjoy reading your post and would love for you to start a blog some day. You have a lot of wisdom to share with all of us! I just ordered a subscription to Mary Jane Farms Magazine! Have a blessed day today!

Beautiful words, beautiful life, beautiful photos, … Creative and wise living at it’s best!
Love it all… Thank you for sharing your slice of happiness and your friendship!
xoxoxo Deb ( Beach Farmgirl) …

Your flowers are looking amazing, as always and those little grand-girls of yours are precious!!!

Hi Dori,
Thank You for the reminder to choose happiness! With all of the bad things happening in this world it would be easy to get depressed and feel hopeless. Focusing on my family, home and garden heals my soul. We just picked our first watermelon of the season. It’s the best watermelon I have ever tasted! I love both you and your daughters blogs and enjoy looking at the pictures on your instagram accounts. They bring happiness to my day!

Dori,
What a lovely post. Enjoying the precious gifts of life is important no matter what is going on in the world. We can’t necessarily fix what’s wrong with the world but we can choose to celebrate what’s good and right about it, pass it on to our succeeding generations, treat each other with love, respect, and kindness, and hope that it makes a difference to all.

enjoyed your post and totally agree with you!!

Love and peace! We need so desperately !! GO TRUMP !!

I just loved your article this month about being happy. I have been going through a horrible time with my husband being in ICU for more than 2 weeks now. The doctors have also decided that there is nothing that can be done and have given him 1-3 months to live. Talk about stress. Your final paragraph made me very happy and I have cut it out and put in on my refrig to read every day or when I am getting depressed with everything that is going on. I too want to be happy again! I too want to laugh and take joy in the simple things life as to offer. Even if it is to pick up a craft project again and try to relax. Have a great day – Diane

I loved your encouraging and uplifting post! And yes, please do tell us about Illustrated Sewing!

Beautiful post, Dori. I had to smile at the shaker…I have similar shakers, by Tipp City. Mine are milk glass with red cherries, but so similar.

I thought of you and your grandgirls recently. My little nieces from Denmark visited recently. They are six and four. We went in the garden together, they helped me feed the chickens and make dinner, we baked cookies and I read bedtime stories…things I did with my girl when she was their age. It was so fun – and I thought, “this must be what it is like to have grandgirls someday like Dori!”

Love the flowers and the post. Much love!
Farmgirl Hugs,
Nicole (Suburban Farmgirl)