82-Lancast«r Farming, Saturday, June 28,1986 Holstein Cows Are Basis BY SHARON SCHUSTER Md. Correspondent SMITHSBUEG, Md. - Marlin and Eva Martin’s Jawood Farm is much like other dairies in Smithsburg, Md. Holsteins and a few Jerseys loaf in the barn lot and cool their heels in the pond. And, hogs groan about the heat of the noonday sun. What sets Jawood apart from other Washington County dairies is evident inside the Martin home. Cows are on the sofa, draped over chairs, and hanging from the ceiling. The inside menagerie is all part of Eva Martin’s Country Craft Designs. “There just isn’t a whole lot of farm oriented stuff,” said Martin. Looking for items to place in her own home, Martin said she became frustrated and disappointed with the misproportioned cartoon-like designs that seemed to prevail in the market. “I had in my mind what I wanted,” said Martin. “I put it on paper and tried to get it proportioned properly. ” What she came up with was a realistic likeness of a Holstein cow and calf which now adorns pillows, tissue boxes, note pads, T-shirts, and more. Since February, what was once a hobby has developed into a successful and growing business. Her designs were displayed at the Maryland State Holstein Convention, hosted by Washington County. “That day, I sold completely out of the notes,” said Martin. “I was amazed.” The farm wife also drives a school bus every day. “I really don’t have time to do crafts when I’m here on the farm,” she ex plained. “I take something with me wherever I go. You’d be sur prised how much you can get accomplished in 15 to 20 minutes.” At present, Martin is trying to build a mail order business for her stenciled designs. The cow and calf design appears in several kits that she has assembled for others to purchase and complete. The %(cmcsfcad I t Eva Martin is surroum popular slogan, “We Love Holsteins,” depicted with a heart and a cow, is another design found on kit items. A kit for a ruffled pillow sells for $5.95. Available in blue or green, the kit also includes a matching print for the reverse side of the pillow. For $6.95, a decorative hoop with stenciled fabric also includes thread. The hoop kit comes in blue and white or green and white. The small tissue box kit is available in blue or apple green, for $4.95. It also bears the Holstein slogan. The cow and calf emblem decorates the pack of 10 notecards with envelopes. These bestsellers are only $2. Martin also offers quilt kits which contain squares with stenciled designs. The friendship quilt bears a different design on each of 24 squares with room in the center for friends to embroider their names. The Quilt of Praise has a dif ferent stencil on the 12 squares that the kit contains. For those who prefer to applique’, the Flower Blossom quilt contains the pieces necessary to create the flower designs. Quilt kits do not contain thread or extra materials for sash work. Martin explained that this allows for home crafters to use the colors they prefer. The kits cost $l5. Martin also offers a kitchen hand towel, anniversary plaque, and counted cross stitch picture in a frame. Soon to be available for purchase in kits are a key holder, bookends, and pencil holder. “I’ve even got a clock in mind,” said Martin. In describing the process <of creating an item, Martin said she first thinks of a design. “Sometimes I see a picture of a cow I like,” explained Martin. “I’m not a real artist,” she added. After she has a design “in her head,” she said she sits down with pencil in hand and tries to put it on paper. When she is satisfied with c H/oifiS led by examples of her Country Craft Design kits. For Eva Martin's County Craft Designs Fancy enough to dress up any clothesline, the heirloom quilt Eva created is displayed in the yard of her Smithsburg, Md. home. Her son, Kevin, bought the quilt with money that he earned from the sale of his 4-H hogs. the proportions and overall look, Martin said, “I put it onto material to see if I’m satisfied with it.” The next step is to have the prototype made into a form for duplication. ‘T send them away to get them made into hot iron transfers and then iron them onto material.” When the pieces are assembled into a kit, they are then ready for sale. As an example of time involved from conception of a design to preparation of a kit, Martin referred to the cow in a frame counted cross stitch project. “It took about 5 hours until the design worked out and I got it onto the material,” she explained. “All that takes time,” she said. Martin explained that many people have asked her to do special projects-that include hogs or dif ferent designs. “At this time, I’m Eva Martin, seated in the shade of a tree at her farm, displays some of the items that are offered for sale through her new business. just establishing kits. Eventually I will get into custom orders,” she said. “It takes a lot of time to work out a pattern. I’ll be expanding into crocheting and all types of needlework,” she said. The biggest obstacle to deal with in her new business “is not having enough time to get all those ideas out of my brain,” she explained. Martin said she is trying to meet the needs of those who are looking for a way to advertise their farms at upcoming shows. She designed an applique to be sewn onto the back of a shirt which depicts a Holstein cow and the farm name. Probably her most cherished work is a quilt that Martin designed and completed for an auction to benefit a 4-H memorial fund. It depicts a serene pastoral scene on a green and white background. A picturesque farm complete with flowers in the window boxes was assembled from many scraps of material. Cows graze in the pasture, and a silo is found next to the red barn. It is a real work of art. The quilt was auctioned and sold for enough money to benefit two 4-H’ers that “we thought exemplified 4-H character,” Martin said. But, what makes the quilt particularly special to the whole family is that the memorial fund was in memory of the Martins’ son, Craig, who was killed in an automobile accident two years ago. “Craig excelled in public speaking and dairy judging,” said Martin. They chose to donate the money from the sale of the quilt to the two deserving 4-H’ers in his memory. And, perhaps the most heart warming part of the story, is that Martin’s son, Kevin, bought the quilt. “It is special because my mother and my grandmother made it," explained 16-year-old Kevin. “He used his 4-H money to buy it,” said his mother. She added that he is saving the heirloom for a special day, perhaps his wedding. It is evident that the Martins are close to their children, and en cpurage them to be very active in 4-k. Daughter, Kaylena, was recently crowned as the Washington County Dairy Prin cess, and she was also Farm Queen three years ago. Their oldest son, Kenlin, 21, just got married. Sad to see him leave home, Martin said the one consolation she has is that she will have “a room of my own to work in.” Martin keeps a file of customers and makes a practice of keeping in touch with them. She said she plans to develop a mailing list to send a brochure showing which kits are available twice a year. Interested persons may contact Eva Martin at the following ad dress: Martin’s Country Craft Designs, Rt. 2, Box 414, Smithsburg, Maryland 21783 Telephone 301-824-2106. “It’s really just a hobby,” said Martin of her new business. “Maybe someday I’ll quit driving the bus and do this instead. ”
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