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Hello my Farmgirl friends!!! I get myself into some pretty crazy sewing rabbit holes… you know what I mean. You just keep getting deeper and deeper until you realize it’s really becoming a problem right? Well, here’s my story!
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is a certified farmgirl at heart. She’s happily married to her beach bum Yankee husband of 20 years. She went from career gal to being a creative homeschooling mom for two of her biggest blessings and hasn’t looked back since. Debbie left her lifelong home in the high desert of Northern Nevada 10 years ago and washed up on the shore of America’s hometown, Plymouth, MA, where she and her family are now firmly planted. They spend part of each summer in a tiny, off–grid beach cottage named “The Sea Horse.”
“I found a piece of my farmgirl heart when I discovered MaryJanesFarm. Suddenly, everything I loved just made more sense! I enjoy unwinding at the beach, writing, gardening, and turning yard-sale furniture into ‘Painted Ladies’ I’m passionate about living a creative life and encouraging others to ‘make each day their masterpiece.’”
is a “MaryJane Farmgirl” who lives in a large metropolitan area. She is a lawyer who has worked in both criminal defense and prosecution. She has been a judge, a business woman and a stay-at-home mom. In addition to her law degree, she has a Masters of Theological Studies.
“Mustering up the courage to do the things you dream about,” she says, “is the essence of being a MaryJane Farmgirl.” Learning to live more organically and closer to nature is Rebekah’s current pursuit. She finds strength and encouragement through MaryJane’s writings, life, and products. And MaryJane’s Farmgirl Connection provides her a wealth of knowledge from true-blue farmgirls.
an old-fashioned farmgirl with a pioneer spirit, lives in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. As a “lifelong learner” in the “Live-Free-or-Die” state, she fiercely values self-reliance, independence, freedom, and fresh mountain air. Married to her childhood sweetheart of 40+ years (a few of them “uphill climbs”), she’s had plenty of time to reinvent herself. From museum curator, restaurant owner, homeschool mom/conference speaker, to post-and-beam house builder and entrepreneur, she’s also a multi-media artist, with an obsession for off-grid living and alternative housing. Cathi owns and operates a 32-room mountain lodge. Her specialty has evolved to include “hermit hospitality” at her rustic cabin in the mountains, where she offers weekend workshops of special interest to women.
“Mountains speak to my soul, and farming is an important part of my heritage. I want to pass on my love of these things to others through my writing. Living in the mountains has its own particular challenges, but I delight in turning them into opportunities from which we can all learn and grow.”
Dori Troutman is the daughter of second generation cattle ranchers in New Mexico. She grew up working and playing on the ranch that her grandparents homesteaded in 1928. That ranch, with the old adobe home, is still in the family today. Dori and her husband always yearned for a ranch of their own. That dream came true when they retired to the beautiful green rolling hills of Tennessee. Truly a cattleman’s paradise!
Dori loves all things farmgirl and actually has known no other life but that. She loves to cook, craft, garden, and help with any and all things on their cattle farm.
describes herself as a goat charmer, chicken whisperer, bee maven, and farmers’ market baker renovating an 1864 farmhouse on an Ohio farm. With a degree in Design, Mary says small-town auctions and country road barn sales "always make my heart skip a beat thinking about what I could create or design out of what I’ve seen.”
Rooted in the countryside, she likes simple things and old ways … gardening, preserving the harvest, cooking, baking, and all things home. While you might find her selling baked goods from the farm’s milkhouse, teaching herself to play the fiddle, or sprucing up a vintage camper named Maizy, you will always find her in an apron!
Mary says, “I’m happiest with the simple country pleasures … an old farmhouse, too many animals, a crackling fire, books to read, and the sound of laughter … these make life just perfect.”
is a budding rural farmgirl living in Palmer, the agricultural seat of Alaska. Alex is a graduate student at Alaska Pacific University pursuing an M.S. in Outdoor and Environmental Education. She lives and works on the university’s 700 acre environmental education center, Spring Creek Farm. When Alex has time outside of school, she loves to rock climb, repurpose found objects, cross-country ski on the hay fields, travel, practice yoga, and cook with new-fangled ingredients.
Alex grew up near the Twin Cities and went to college in Madison, Wisconsin—both places where perfectly painted barns and rolling green farmland are just a short drive away. After college, she taught at a rural middle school in South Korea where she biked past verdant rice paddies and old women selling home-grown produce from sidewalk stoops. She was introduced to MaryJanesFarm after returning, and found in it what she’d been searching for—a group of incredible women living their lives in ways that benefit their families, their communities, and the greater environment. What an amazing group of farmgirls to be a part of!
Suburban Farmgirl Nicole Christensen calls herself a “vintage enthusiast”. Born and raised in Texas, she has lived most of her life in the picturesque New England suburbs of Connecticut, just a stone’s throw from New York State. An Advanced Master Gardener, she has gardened since childhood, in several states and across numerous planting zones. In addition, she teaches knitting classes, loves to preserve, and raises backyard chickens.
Married over thirty years to her Danish-born sweetheart, Nicole has worked in various fields, been a world-traveler, an entrepreneur and a homemaker, but considers being mom to her now-adult daughter her greatest accomplishment. Loving all things creative, Nicole considers her life’s motto to be “Bloom where you are planted”.
Love them all
These bags are gorgeous. Well done!
Oh, yeah, I know about that. . .except my rabbit hole contains fine lingerie. I keep buying these kits and supplies from Madalynne and using up leftover fabrics and supplies from other projects to make new bras and undies. Nevermind how many I’ve bought, made, plus the extra fabrics and elastics and things. You know how hard it is to stop yourself from asking people, “Hey, you wanna see my underwear?”
Duffel bags? Maybe when I finish with lingerie! 🙂
Just wow!!!! They are all so pretty!!! What great memories for you and your girls 🥰. You’ve inspired me, I need one (or two) now! 😆
Hi, Dori, No, you are not the only one! My rabbit hole turned out to be a 5 inch mini quilt made of yoyos and a backing. It makes a great mug rug. I made one for a friend in her colors. Then I thought that they would make great gifts for the girls in my family: my daughter, her daughter, my daughter-in-law, her two daughters, my three sisters, my two aunts, and another friend. I have half of them completed, and am sewing yoyos together for the rest. I must say I think you rabbit hole was much harder than my yoyos! Your bags turned out so beautiful! Thanks for sharing them with us. Farmgirl Hugs! Joan P.
The bags are absolutely amazing Dora and all the girls looking lovely with the bags on their shoulders. You made 7 women beautiful bags they will treasure forever!
Enjoy the rest of your summer and I look forward to the next seeing rabbit hole you jump into.
What a special treasure for the ladies in your family! Those are beautiful!!!! I fall into the apron rabbit hole all the time. Last Christmas it was soup bowl cozies. A wonderful friend gave me the pattern, and some fabric, and I made them for EVERYONE on my list. I’m not sure what rabbit hole I’ll find this year but I know there will be one. You are not alone in the rabbit hole 🙂
Dori, as we say here to exclaim surprise and awe, “Good Night Irene!” Those duffel bags are an absolute knock-out! Gorgeous fabrics, room for everything a girl needs, and made with LOVE…7 lucky ladies. And we can tell by the smiling faces how absolutely thrilled they are. What a talent you have…and to share you time & talents says so much. Hmmm, a friend gifted me with 10 gallons of farm-fresh milk. I’ve been making ice cream, butter, cheese, yogurt…not sure if it’s a rabbit hole, but finding recipes has become an obsession. A gal just can’t let all that goodness go to waste!
Your are The Best Mom, and Grandma❤️. What a wonderful memory!
Gosh I wish I could see like you!
Hello Dori,
I am not a seamstress-Yet. Plan to pursue this when I retire :), and; I don’t have story to share-Yet. But I wanted to tell you how much I admire your duffle bag creations! They are beautifully made and that is easy to see. Love all of the fabric combos, hand-picked per lucky lady. Thank you for sharing your story: down and in and out of the rabbit hole. So glad that you did.
So long until next time!
Tammy