Finally Time To Sit

I love Sundays. It's always nice to take one day a week and just sit. And relax. And spend time with family. And know that I don't HAVE to get anything done.

And boy, do I need it! This week has been crazy............rather, these past two weeks have been crazy. Actually, the whole month of June has been crazy!!!!! Let me just tell you what this past week has been like, and you'll get the picture:

Sunday - A break day....hanging around the house with family, working on craft projects, reading.
Monday - cleaning the bathroom, and washing/ironing work clothes in the morning; in the afternoon, hanging out with my sister and cousins to celebrate a birthday, then a bonfire with the whole family in the evening.
Tuesday - Work at Genesee Country Museum with 765 children, from 8:30-4:00; Open the swimming pool; bake cookies; crochet.
Wednesday - Work again, with 1000 children, from 9:15-4:00; Go to Bible study.
Thursday - Work, with 900 children, from 8:30-6:30; Go to contra dance from 8pm-11pm.
Friday - Work, 1200 children, 9:15-4:00; Go to Worship JAM.
Saturday - Bake cookies in the morning; go to family reunion from 12:30-6:00; Go to barn dance at the museum from 6:30-9:30.
Today - hanging out with family again, and going to English Country dance this evening. 

Yeah....it's been busy. But I LOVE it! I couldn't ask for a better job; I get paid to teach people about history, to make them smile, to dress up in awesome clothes, to eat delicious food, to be outside in the beautiful (and sometimes not so beautiful) weather, and to hang out with awesome people!

But, since it has been so busy, this is the first chance I've had to sit down and weed through pictures and catch up on blogs.

So, first, pictures from Monday. To celebrate my cousin's 18th birthday, we did a scavenger hunt around town. There were 18 tasks, and it was a race to see which team could get the most done in the 3 hours we had. So, we had to do things like:

Take pictures of 18 street names:

Take pictures of 18 random signs:

Do a photo shoot and take 18 pictures of each team member:

Have somebody give you 18 random words, and then take pictures of items that correspond with the pictures:

Do 18 jumping jacks. Go to Starbucks, order something to drink, and talk for 18 minutes. Send 18 texts. Set foot in 18 locations. And many more.......It was an epic day!

Yesterday was a family reunion on my Mom's side. And, honestly, I'm still really not sure exactly how they're all related to me; so, I'm just going to call them all cousins. But, it was a fun afternoon of hearing family stories, looking at pictures, and eating. Lots, of eating! This is a picture of my mom and her first cousins (who she grew up with), and I was sitting in for my aunt, since she couldn't be there.

Next, my to-do-list. Remember that one from way back in April? Yeah, well, I'm getting REALLY close to being done! I just have half of one novel to finish, and the shawl to finish crocheting. But, I have another two projects to add to the list. One, I need to fix the neckline of one of my re-enacting dresses, and I need to finish that by this Saturday. And two, I need to make a scrap book to put all of my many random pictures and other special papers into.

And lastly, just to brag a little - flowers from Stephen Schmidt, the sweetest man and boyfriend in the entire world! =)

What Is In A Name?

Well, I've finished three more projects from my list: two more books, and the quilt. Here are pictures of the quilt, as well as two other I have finished this year. While I was at it, I thought I'd also share a bit about how I name quilts.


So, my most recent quilt, The China Plate Quilt. It was my first try at a scalloped edge, and I'm decently pleased with how it turned out:

 The other two I finished are Way Down South:

And Maple Leaf Rag:

 Now, as for names. As Shakespeare would say:

"What is in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet."

As true as that may be, I still love a quilt's name which has a story behind it. And it's a very fascinating process.


Only once in almost 20 quilts have I known what the name was going to be before I had actually made the quilt. And that was with Maple Leaf Rag, because I chose that pattern specifically because of the maple leafs, and because it corresponded with the song Maple Leaf Rag. But with all the others quilts, I never know what their name is going to be until near the end.

Usually, the name comes to me during the hand-quilting part. I'll have lots of idea floating around in my head for a while, but when the right one comes, I just know. And each one has a story.

Way Down South, for example, is named such for the line in the song Dixie Land,

"And I wish I was in Dixie, Hooray, Hooray, In Dixie land I'll take my stand to live and die in Dixie, Away, Away, Away down south in Dixie!"

I though it fit, however, for several reasons. One, geese fly south. Two, while I was making it I was doing a lot of Civil War reenacting, and that pattern was popular during the Civil War, as was the method of using lots of little scraps. And thus, Way Down South.

The China Plate quilt was named that, well, just because it stuck. I had no ideas what to name it, but my mom started calling it the china plate quilt. And....it stuck.

One of my other quilts, In Honor Of Glory, is done in blue and reds, with stars and stripes. Rather reminiscint of the American Flag. Another name of for the flag is Old Glory, so the quilt is in honor of glory.

And thus.....naming quilts.

Psalm 27

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple. For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock. And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD. Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me. When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek. Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation. When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up. Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies. Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty. 

I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.