An Empty Chair

There is an empty chair at our table this year. My father's place. It has been empty many a Christmas, but never with the finality of this one. You see, he was a man of Service. I remember as a young girl, praying for his safety as he fought for our Country...and then as a teen waiting for his shift to end as he protected our County. I realize more than ever that there are many families just like ours this year. They have lost a loved one or someone beloved to them is serving their Country, their Community. Their hopes and wishes are not for toys or gadgets, but for someone they love. For Hope, safety and strength to carry on. There are also many families that are trying to celebrate this holiday knowing that someone they love will soon be deploying. Some will be working in our communities and giving their time caring for our elders, our sick, homeless, and travelers. The list is long, their deeds no less important.

I ask of you to take a moment or perhaps a bit more time. Say a prayer, stop and visit or even pick up the phone. Let those with an empty chair know you are thinking of them this holiday.

An Orange for Christmas

Looking back over the years, I still hold one Christmas in particular as my most favorite. I was six and our family was stationed at Goose Bay, in Labrador. I was hoping that I would get a new front tooth to grow in faster for Christmas, but as the day grew closer, I realized that these things can take more time than I would have thought. Life in Goose Bay was very different to the winters I had seen in New York, Maine and New Jersey. We had lived there for nine months when December came around. When we came to live there, daylight ruled and we kept blinds and heavy curtains over our windows to sleep at night. Now the days held very little light and we had to call for the wind-chill every morning before going out.




Everything we needed had to be flown in. There were very little selections besides basic needs. Care packages from family or friends back in the States were treasures. There were no cows and so our milk was mixed from powdered form in huge vats. Cardboard cartons were dipped in wax so there was a nearby and constant supply. We learned to keep a small strainer close at hand and pour our milk through, avoiding clumps of unmixed milk or chunks of wax.



I was intrigued with the Eskimos that lived near by in a town called Happy Valley. I had a Parka and Mukluks made by a dear Eskimo woman, named Voisy. Her son had fashioned her sewing machine on the arm of an old cushioned chair. Her home was tiny and the floors were dirt, but the oil lamps made it very cozy. I remember her answering the door, chewing on a piece of seal leather to make it soft for Mukluks. She didn't talk very much, but her eyes were happy as she went about her business measuring everyone and making sure that our Parka's would be special to each of us.



One evening, right before Christmas eve, my parents made sure we were all dressed in our Sunday best, Down the road we went to one of the big plane hangers for a party. There were two big tables mounded with presents, one for boys, and the other for girls. Beyond that was a table heaped with the biggest and most beautiful apples and oranges I had ever seen. Santa was there also. After picking a wrapped gift, we were able to pick out an apple or an orange each. It had been so long since I had fruit like this! Especially the orange! (The apple was beautiful, but with a tooth missing, I knew more difficult to chomp into!).



It took me several days to eat my precious orange. I treasured it and spent a few days just smelling it. Those days in Labrador are still wrapped close in my memory. We had few things, but mostly we had each other. Military families are one big, close knit family The simple gift of an orange, may be taken for granted by some, but very appreciated by others.

Looking Back, Looking Forward

Like most of you, it is a time of reflection for me as the year is coming to a close. I've weathered a difficult year for business and have had a major loss in my life. I am finding that it can take a very long time to settle an estate, realize that someone won't be coming home and understand that there are many more changes than I could have ever thought. My wee folk are the balance to difficult days. I am most honored with emails and calls that tell me that they make you smile also

As I look back at the body of what I have created this year, I am thinking as I do every year... just how am I going to go beyond this???? Somehow, something sparks my interest or grabs my attention and I am right back in front of the drawing board, working out an idea. I am always amazed at what I come up with; happy to inspire and be inspired. This is my passion and what I was born to do. There isn't a button to push and stop this crazy carousel of creating. I have been making art for as long as I can remember and realize that it won't just end at a given year when I am supposed to retire. It is a drive... a calling.

I am fortunate to be able to embrace kindred brothers and sisters. I'm ever humbled to think that so much of my work is a treasure for someone. A Santa or perhaps a Pumpkin witch, carefully packed away in some one's holiday boxes to decorate their homes and their lives. My heart smiles when I receive a photo of these wee folk, so that I can see them living happily and cherished in their home. There is no greater gift than to see a love connection in some one's eyes as they are drawn heart and soul to these little ones. Over 100 of my friends have been adopted this year...in a most difficult financial year for so many of us. I am stunned.

The New Year brings so much anticipation for all of us. We will look ahead with all goode things in mind. I know I am excited for the journey I am headed on. I know that there will not be great happiness without tears. I also know that I have goode friends and family ready to link arms and move forward. My work will continue and on a broader scale. You may see my designs in a gift store or at a friend's home. It may not shout out, "designed by Stacey"... but you will know. You will see the same spirit in the drawing or recognise a few of my friends in a different media. I am happy to grow and to share what gives me the greatest pleasure with all of you. I am most of all, thankful to have the opportunities to do this.

Tis the Season

November seems to have gone by me with great haste! My days are filled with caring for my Mom still and enjoying time with my daughters, who are adjusting well to living with Grandma and Poppa up at the big Farmhouse. I see them most days and there is so much laughter between all of us. It does my heart good to know that this decision made together was the right one and they will enjoy their school years here. We are all so much closer and appreciative of each other. I look back now and see how my parents had to make the same difficult decision with me. The best decisions are not selfish ones.

I decided to try doing a local show this past weekend. It is the first one since my Father took so ill and passed away. I wasn't sure just how much I could do to fill a booth with such busy days, but with some help, I managed to fill a small space. I went back to Weston this year and it was wonderful! A bit of winter fell softly upon us as we made our way down the mountain the first night and greeted us on our way back up the next morning. I enjoyed seeing old friends and meeting new. It is a tough year for all of us and one can't go into a show without being mindful of the loss of jobs. I did just fine, even with the move from my regular show. Now I begin my work for the January show that will be upon me in a blink.

Above are some pictures of the show, along with my Pickwick Toad on Simply Primitives. Enjoy the Season~

Let The Holidays Begin!!!

Thanksgiving is almost upon us and I am deep in my work. I can't imagine NOT working at this frenzied pace this time of year. So many of my wee folk are springing to life before my eyes and I know as they come together that this is exactly what I was born to do.

This is the perfect time to share with you exactly where the Goode Wife will be this week. I remember those beginning years when Pam and I would do 4 plus shows just during November and December. It was a very crazy work time, mixed with so many fond memories. I decided that it was time for this gal to go back home a bit.

Weston Holiday Bazaar

Weston Playhouse, Weston Vermont

Friday and Saturday,Nov. 27th &28th

10-4 pm

One of the best things about this show is that it is a quick stroll to The Vermont Country Store. If you've never had the pleasure, you will walk into an old country store and see much of your childhood. If you've been there before, I know there is a smile on your face as you read this... it is most certainly like coming home. What better place to spend Black Friday and Saturday ? Leaving the big box stores and rush behind and enjoying instead , a quaint Holiday Show with a piece of home for dessert. Do stop in and say hello, I'd love to see you.

A Love Connection

Our art is most certainly a journey and such a labor of love. We put ourselves and our heart out in a most public way and you see our visions. I am not sure how I am going to part with these two ladies when they are adopted. I have had the same thought for many of my friends, but these two show my journey, not just in the friend I have chosen, but the construction for which I have no training for. I cannot follow a clothing pattern if my life depended on it. I have found that with much patience, I can construct these small dresses and surprise myself in the process. My key has actually been the show, Project Runway. So many of my colleagues were talking about it and I thought to myself that I am no fashionista...heck, I don't think I own a shirt without coffee or paint on it somewhere. I decided to see just what my friends were talking about and I must say I am hooked. I love watching these designers as they manipulate fabric on mannequins and the enjoyment of working in a group studio. It has given me the inspiration to work on my own little models and work the vision.

Enjoy a cup of something hot and browse my fellow artists and I on TDIPT Mercantile where it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas~

Goode Worke Zone

This Goode Wife is still forging ahead with projects and new friends to be made. It has been three months since my Father went home. He is missed terribly, but embraced in our days with so many joyful memories. I am working as I can, remembering his wishes that I share with the world, what I love. My New Pattern Website is dedicated to him. It's been on hold since May, but finally it is really on it's way! A click on the picture will take you to a new beginning. In the weeks ahead I will be adding patterns as I can and I'll be a learning the process to maintain it on my own. A special Thank you to Jan of Big Brown Dog Graphics for her enduring patience and artistry in bringing my vision forth.

Tomorrow evening, I will be uploading two offerings on TDIPT Mercantile and will be fast at work, creating for my final show of the season as well as my biggest show of the year in January. The new year ahead holds much excitement for me as my little friends will hold a bigger presence. You will see some in stores and others in magazines. Eventually, I hope that you will see them as stamps and note cards. A special Thank You to Sandra Evertson for encouraging me!

A Trip of Treasures

I'd love to share with you, my special friends Robert and Millie Huckabay. A click on the picture will bring you to their site and back in time. Millie Huckabay's American Country store is sure to delight any lover of old. Millie herself is very beloved by me.


I met her several years ago at Fort Washington as Netty and I were setting up for the Gallery of Craftsmen Show. Now, setting up is never a pretty sight and we can get lost in the vision of the booth or rattled as time counts down time til opening. Millie came and sat beside us as we were madly pulling out our wares and setting them up. She has joined me every set up since. Millie has such a wonderful sense of humor and a twinkle in her eye, that you can not help but enjoy the gift that she is. She has reminded me of just how much I miss the South. Business isn't cold with Millie, but rather a handshake, a hug, a family. We catch up every year in Pennsylvania; our families, the smiles and sorrows. She is my favorite Aunt, I just know it! If we lived closer, she told me once... it would be deadly between the friends that I create and her keen insight to extreme primitives.


American Country will be holding their holiday open house this weekend. If you are in the area, please stop by and give them my best. I was able to send some Jakes for the show to set in among the time worn pieces and treasures from my colleagues. I know they will be happy to help you out so that you too can be Caretakers of Olde.

Millie and Robert~ Tim and I love you both lots and miss you VERY much. We can't wait to see you in January. As life settles ahead, it is our wish to set with you on the porch, in the cabin, on Crowe Road.

November Arrives

The sun is peeking through the clouds this morning. Most of the leaves have fallen and the mountains have taken on their blue gray coats for winter. I love listening to the leaves rustle under my feet as I walk, their smell is absolutely wonderful. When blended from the smoke of a wood stove, I just have to stop and close my eyes a moment, taking in the best smell in the world to me. Oh the memories of childhood come rushing in and I am in my own little world!

It shows in two of my offerings on Simply Primitives today. The season of Scrooge and Chimney Sweeps is upon us. Can see that I just never quite grew up, when you saw Mrs. DiNucci? I just crack myself up sometimes! Mrs. DiNucci is a sweet childhood memory. Not that she was a fish-heavens, no! She would chuckle at me naming this one after her though. One never saw Mrs. DiNucci out and about, that she wasn't dressed properly with handbag, dress shoes and her hair in a scarf, so that it wouldn't get mussed. She adored everyone and everyone adored her. Cheers Amelia and thank you for the memories that keep you here with us.

There is a new announcement in the next day or so. I'm very excited about it, but I need to read the instructions before I start. Most of you know that I am a very visual person, so this will be my biggest challenge. I will share, I promise...but know that it won't come without a few "Duh" and "Aha!" moments. I tend to do everything the Lucille Ball method. It's never boring and always entertaining!

Enjoy along with me!

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It's almost time for new offerings for November first. Here's a goode song from one of my favorite musicians, Sting. It's new, and it is about the origin of what we know as Trick or Treating. These cakes or Souls as they were called, were given to the poor and children on All Souls night. When eaten, each cake would release a soul from purgetory. Turn off my Playlist music for a moment and enjoy along with me~

Relieving Pressure

Some days my head is just so full with ideas that I think I just may burst. Of course, that is always when I'm at my busiest and may not have the time to get it all out. Last night was just such a night. I worked all day, detail stitching a store order and a few things for my next show. It was midnight and I was ready to turn in. With sore fingers and tired eyes....I drew for another hour and a half. From one idea to another, I filled several pages. Sometimes a design would multiply into several more. Oh! The excitement! Finally, after a couple false starts, I made my way into bed, trying to claim a bit of it from two stretched out pups. Lying in bed, more ideas came out to play and I was caught between wanting sleep to come and trying to keep my brain from forgetting those ideas until morning.. well, a more normal morning time at least. I did bolt out of bed and begin where I left off. I feel better now and excited for these new friends to take shape. The agony however, is knowing that as I head back to the sewing machine, my deadlines come first. Oy! the pressure mounts as I struggle with what I need to do and what I want to do. Back to work......

Waiting....

With my Candy Corn-peanut mix in hand and plenty of fresh cider, my evenings are spent fast at work stuffing and sewing as I watch any show on TV that will satisfy this girl's love for Halloween. Even as I stuff Jake the turkey, my mind is still on Pumpkin headed people and witches of all sorts. My pattern customers are just as reluctant, it seems. In a sea of Santa and turkey orders, there are still almost as many Halloween patterns to be shipped as I speak. The orders are stacked and envelopes await for morning.


It is always a bit sad to see the last of the beautiful colored leaves fall from the trees. Each season holds it's own magic, but for me, the one who dislikes shoes.... I can't wait for leaves to come in and socks to go out. As I get ready to pack away those sandals and cover my toes, I will be fast at work as this is my busiest sewing time. Patiently I wait, not just for the Great Pumpkin and all goode things Halloween, but for the shows and Holidays ahead and then finally for green grass to wriggle my toes in, once again.

Of Pilgrims and Promises

There is a chill here in the North Country as leaves are gently falling and snowflakes are dancing in the air. I have been snuggled in my little work area, which for most of you would be considered the kitchen table. There has been a flurry of activity for weeks as I prepare for next year. Applications and samples have mixed into my daily work and there is excitement in my heart as I look ahead and keep the promise to my Father to continue not just with my little friends here, but in my drawing, sculpting and painting.


I have had the most fun with my new friends on TDIPT today. I loved making the Puritan dress and the wee little mice. It's still full steam ahead with a different show this November and Heritage Market in January. Oh, what fun I'm having! It's time to light a candle, put on some Celtic music and start some new friends. What could be better on a cold afternoon?

Simply Goode

It's a chilly Fall night here in the North Country this evening. I've just come in from taking my furry kids out for the night. They are all curled up behind me now, and so with a mug of hot chocolate to take off the chill, it's time to share goode things with you.

First,I'd like to introduce to you some very goode friends of mine. Serafina, a Harvest Angel. The Soul Keeper and Mrs. Mezzanotte (Mrs. Midnight, in Italian). They are residing at Simply Primitives, my new home for first of the month offerings! If you've never visited before, click on the link and take pop in. You'll meet some wonderful artisans and see some amazing work.

It has been a very goode busy here as another bunch of applications made their way out today for local shows. I will be trying out a show or two that I haven't done since I started doing the big shows in PA. It will be so fun to meet with old friends and make new. I will let you know as they approach, so that if you are in the area, you can stop in and say hello! It looks to be an exciting time here for this Goode Wife and gears change at the end of this week as I start for the upcoming Holiday Season.

Time Marches On

I just love my friend here, The Undertaker. He was one of my first Halloween pieces that I made for the September Brimfield Show 2001. I came across quite a few of my friends as I have been sorting and filing my designs. The Undertaker has been redone now to my liking... all I needed was time and experience to really take him to the level that I had pictured. It's really interesting to look back that way, to see how far you have come. Beginnings are always just that, in everything we do. I have some new beginnings ahead in my personal life as well as my dear wee friends here. There is one new beginning ahead for me to share. But that, I'm saving for the next post.

Road Trip

I'm looking in my rear view window as I drive ahead on this artful journey. I've watched and been a part of Primitive Folk Art for twelve years now. It was difficult to find at first. I remember coveting one of the last issues of Country Folk Art magazine. Found in dog-eared pages, were a few "Prim" dolls in all of their tea dyed glory and old looking wood pieces with paint taken off the edges and corners. I would scour the local LARAC show for these works every Spring with friends. I was hooked the moment I stepped into Netty's home and spent many an hour paging over every detail of Hollyberry Hill Catalogs. There, the hand drawn artwork captured so many of us and we were introduced to Nicole Sayre, Deerfield Farmhouse, Folk and Whimsy and the Ragged Edge to name a few. Little did I know back then, that I would later meet and get to know some of these talented women whose work nestled into the hand drawn pages and came alive in my mind's eye.

I would yearn for a stolen day or two to explore Market Square Shows and catch the Hilton Show at Valley Forge in the cold winter days before Spring. Brimfield was a magical land filled with antique dreams. With two young daughters, it was a world and years away... but l reached for that star above that holds our dreams, I grabbed it and I'm still holding on to the ride.

I sit proudly beside so many of you. Not of the very beginnings, but still new. We have done good shows and bad, Port-A-Potty and school gyms. Drenched in rain or sweat from the sun. Sold everything or nothing and have many, many wonderful memories and chuckles. Some of us became friends at shows and some through the Internet. We have enjoyed the heyday of Crow Soup and Folk-of-Art. We've cheered each other on for auctions on Ebay before their rules changed. We've seen our work and each others in magazines.

Over the past couple of years. we've watched new venues and new artists come aboard with welcoming smiles for their journey ahead. We know that there is room for all of us on the journey. The ones to watch will have to put time in, pay their dues and let their own style define them... they will set trends because they aren't afraid to take a chance. They will inspire us all. The ones in it for the art and spirit will let their work pave the way just as ours has. The journey still has miles to go...for all of us.

The Devil Is In The Details

I can't tell you just how much I love what I do. I've always been drawn to textiles and have enjoyed using them to showcase my ideas. Now, trust me, I could never sit through my Mom trying to show me how to sew a skirt and failed miserably at my V neck shirt for Home Economics....but give me a piece of muslin and a pencil and I'm off. When my girls were little, I did attempt to make mittens for all of my nieces, thinking how difficult could it be? I found a pattern marked in big red letters...EASY. Perfect. Little mittens with a fitted thumb and a simple hat. A migraine and two weeks later, I was talking to a friend who made many of her own clothes for years. I showed her the pattern sheepishly and thought to myself.. I'm gonna feel like an idiot after she shows me what I was doing wrong. Hallelujah.. I was not an idiot after all! The pattern was not as easy as it proclaimed and my seasoned sewing friend wrote them a letter a couple weeks earlier, letting them know just how badly they messed up.



Now I look at some of the things I make and wonder, just how would I explain how to do THAT? Thankfully, in the years that I have been writing patterns, I haven't messed up too badly. I want my patterns to be above all, fun. I like putting in some little detail that not only makes the piece, but gives someone a little something different to try. Tonight on TDIPT, I have three offerings and all three have something in common. The use of wire for the details. Will I make any of these patterns? I'd certainly like to, but you can bet that as I write up everything step by step...that fitted thumb issue will nag me to keep it simple!

My Hero

The Season of The Witch

At least it is around here! And not just regular witches, but pumpkin witches and rat witches. I am having fun with old friends and new. I've even been sculpting again. My sculpting has always been in ceramic clay and without armatures. I decided to take a class and revisit Paper Clay to start. I had tried it about nine years ago, but but my primitive fabric friends took the lead. Now, as a promise kept, I am moving forward in all that I do and embracing my gift beyond my dear wee friends here, to share with you what others have seen for many years. The gift that I was given in other areas, such as pen and ink and now the sculpting. This is a very happy time for me not only in the work I do, but in embracing my very favorite time of year. With my trusty mug of..."caw-fee" and the cool, crisp air of morning gently saying hello, I'm off to see what new friends await.

Meet Some New Friends!

It's official, I'm back to creating! It's still mostly part time, but today was 100% wrapped in bringing some new friends to life as offerings on Lemon Poppyseeds. Meet two of my wee friends. First is my beloved Igor...I just love Young Frankenstein and there is no question as to my favorite character! This house has been full of giggles today since he got his hair and face. Next is Eleanor Higgins. She's changed a wee bit from the original, but has still kept her charm. She always brings a smile and I get many requests for her.

What could be better than being back on Lemon Poppyseeds with my new friends??? How about new PATTERNS?? I am happy to say that Igor and Eleanor are now a part of the Raven's Haven Pattern line!