I Have Been Busy!

Three years ago in June 2010 I started scanning and naming old family photos on my side of the family. In October of that year my mother in law was ill and I started scanning her family photos. It took three trips to Winlock to scan them all (Thank You Eileen!) Grandma Shy ended up dying of pneumonia the day before her 94th birthday. It has been 3 years but I miss her still. I just sent off 15 CD's of pictures on Monday the 9th to various family members. The six siblings split up the actual photos but now everyone will have a copy of all the pictures.

I also made some copies of Barney and Marilyn 50th Anniversary slide show.

I am almost done with the pictures for my family but I will have to wait until I am ready for Christmas to finish that project.

Turkey Day - already a week plus ago!

 Me and my Turkey - I have to say he was just about 22 pounds of perfect!

 The Family

 Since Nicole was not looking at the camera we had to get one of her ~

Jackson got in the habit of not wearing shirts in the summer so now he doesn't ever want to wear a shirt. I had to get a shot of his "plumber's butt."

New Ancestry Results

Well with refinements to the Ancestry DNA test my brother Terry took he has gone from 

93% British Isles 7% Finnish/Volga-Ural 

to

Europe 100%

• Europe West 62%
• Great Britain 18%
• Iberian Peninsula 8%
• Ireland 6%
• Scandinavia 5%
• Trace Regions 1% 

           Italy/Greece < 1%

According to Ancestry.com the associated geographic areas are:

Europe West 62%

Primarily located in: Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein

Also found in: England, Denmark, Italy, Slovenia, Czech Republic

Great Britain 18%

Primarily located in: England, Scotland, Wales

Also located in: Ireland, France, Germany

Iberian Peninsula 8%

Primarily found in: Spain, Portugal

May also be found in: France, Morocco, Algeria, Italy

Ireland 6%

Primarily found in: Ireland, Scotland, Wales

Scandinavia 5%

Primarily located in: Sweden, Norway, Denmark

Also found in: Great Britain, France, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, the Baltic States, Finland

(This is where the Viking ancestors come from.)

Italy/Greece <1%

Primarily located in: Italy, Greece

Also found in: France, Switzerland, Portugal, Spain, Serbia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Austria, Croatia, Bosnia, Romania, Turkey, Slovenia, Algeria, Tunisia, Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia, Kosovo

Cushions are done.

All finished - I just need to sew the quilt label on the back of the quilt. The cushions are for the comfort and exclusive use of the kitty boys.

Finished The Bedskirts

 The Boys are still not sure what to make of the new quilt. Puddy Tat really likes to attack the back side of the quilt which is an English garden.

I actually finished the two bed skirts on October 30th - I did one in dark green to go with my floral garden quilt and then in one in dark blue to go with the shop hop quilt.

Return from the Absent

I haven't posted in 6 weeks! Longest that I have gone. I haven't been doing anything except work, read and go to bed early. We are doing a software conversion at work and running two software systems for the month of October - double entry of everything.

I hadn't seen my grandsons for awhile but I did watch them last weekend.

 I built a large fort for the boys in the living room.

 Dylan made signs - this one said "No Girls Allowed - Boys Only"

This one was next to the bathroom door.

It is Done!

I picked it up on Sunday - but I haven't had time to finish the dust ruffle yet.

 

Sue Lohse quilted large flowers and leaves all over the quilt.

The back is the English Garden print. I am going to make the cushions for the bench 

out of this material.

My Mick

This is the longest that I have gone without posting! It has been a HOT and HECTIC two weeks. I have worked a number of 11 or 12 hour days and since it has been in the eighties - way to hot to do much at all once I get home.

This weekend I drove over to Sequim - the longest I have driven since surgery April 29th. My knees were a little stiff when I got there but didn't hurt. I started reorganizing my storage unit - things have just been tossed in over the past year. Unfortunately, I broke my antique 52 year old lamp that was a Christmas present - along with a vanity that Mom made Lisa and I that year.  I should have quit before I got so tired.

I missed my dog Mick and his other mommy.

He thinks that I visit just because I miss tossing his green turnip for him. (Napping after chasing said turnip.)

 This look is because I am too stupid to pick up turnip and toss it.

He is ready to go for it at a moments notice.

I did a little bit too much driving on the way home because I had to go up to Lake City to pick up my finished quilt. 124 miles is ok - 150 miles is too much.

I Drove to Lake City

I did my longest drive yet - up Lake City Way to my quilter Sue Lohse's house which is just a couple of blocks from the house that my mom and dad brought me to when I was born. My quilt should be done in a week. On the way back and stopped off to see the Bryant's/

My grandson Jackson got new pens and cleaner for his dry erase board and was very proud that he had written his name on it and just had to show us.

My Sister's Birthday Present

I just love this Sweetwater Table Runner pattern which I made with their Mama Said Sew fabric. My sister did not want to be in the picture - but she was holding it up!

Cheryl is up for the long weekend taking a class in Snohomish and staying with me so we met Lisa and Jeff at Old Spaghetti Factory at Southcenter after she was done with class for dinner.

I have spent the last week sewing the table runner and piecing together the quilt back, the quilt batting, and making the binding. I just have to iron the top and the back and call my quilter.

I Am Done Sewing the Top

Last night I finished sewing my Boxed In quilt top. I started it at the Quiltmaker Block Party in Portland, OR on Saturday, March 23, 2013. The designer of the quilt Julie Herman of Jaybird Quilts taught the class. The pattern is from her book Skip The Borders.

Five months is pretty good time considering I had knee surgery 4/29, can only sew for short periods and still have to keep my knee up, I work full time, and I was finishing up the reorganization of all my scrapbook supplies during the same time period.

The pattern was designed to be a lap quilt but I can never seem to sew anything small - the lap quilt had 9 dark blocks, 4 light blocks, 8 half blocks and 4 corner blocks. My queen size quilt has 30 dark blocks, 20 light blocks, 18 half blocks and 4 corner blocks.

I still have to cut all four sides even and then trim all the threads and press 2 seams open along with pressing the whole top again. I have the material for the backing and just have to sew it together and piece together some batting so it will be ready to go to my quilter Sue Lohse. I haven't talked to her since February 2012 so I hope she is still quilting. I just can't do any quilting - even a table runner hurts by left arm - and the nerve spasms in my left hand make it impossible. Lesson Learned - Do Not Trip on a Sidewalk.

93% British Isles 7% Finnish/Volga-Ural

That is where my brother's DNA tells us that our ancestors were from. OK. Who is Finnish/Volga-Ural? I am hoping that the DNA 4th to 6th cousin matches will help me find J Alexander Beaubier!

Finally!

I sat down in my sewing area for the first time Friday evening and was sewing the Boxed In blocks into strips - while I watched Supernatural. It had been the worst day possible at work and I just wanted to accomplish something. I stayed up way too late.

I plan on eventually putting up a design wall beside my sewing area.

At about 1 a.m. Stan Lee had had it and knocked down all the strips that I had been piling on the cabinet to the floor. He was tired of waiting for his treats. I gave him treats and then put the strips back - but they weren't as neat this time.

I just finished sewing the last block together and now I am heading for bed. Tomorrow I can lay them out on my bed to see if I have enough. Then I can start sewing the strips together. I am hoping that I have enough because I really don't want to have to piece more together - I want to get the top done!

I Signed Up for Another Year

Marc did a fantastic job on cleaning the house for our walk through inspection today by our property management company. They extended our lease for another year through September 2014. The rent stayed the same - which is great and we were told we had the best looking lawn in the whole neighborhood - not easy considering the builder just threw grass seed out in a field and didn't level anything or fill in any holes. I knew that the owner of the house also owned the house that we share a driveway with but he also owns a house off a 118th on the other side near the entrance. I wonder what it would be like to buy three brand new houses in a housing development as an investment?

Tomorrow night it is back to quilting! I am going to start sewing rows of blocks together on my Boxed In quilt.

Back Ups

I spent today backing up photos, patterns etc. I always keep my hard drive backed up but due to surgeries, moving and so on I hadn't done any since last September 12th. I also print out contact sheets for all my photos and file them by year. It comes in very handy when scrapbooking. I use them to print out the pictures I need and then for reference while scrapbooking.

A Bouquet of Flowers

A couple of weeks ago while sorting through the last of the things in the scrapbooking room I found some fabric roses that I learned how to make years ago when I worked at the City of Longview. They make a great gift for a quilter since they consist of a fat quarter that the quilter can add to their stash.

You take a fat quarter and fold it so it is about 5 inches wide and then you start at one end folding it around and around making petals as you go. You fasten it with a fancy corsage pin (JoAnn's.) It doesn't take long to get the hang of it. I was originally taught to make stems out of cardboard which you then covered with green florist tape. You lay them out in a long box and then give a quilter the bouquet of fat quarters. Dresses them up quite a bit! These were my samples so I decided to make them more permanent and bought stems at JoAnn's and put three stems at a time together covering them with florist tape. I also purchased leaves which I then attached with a second layer of florist tape on the stem after first attaching the rose on top. I have bad kitties who like to eat real flowers, leaves, and stems so this is a perfect answer. I think if I give someone fat quarters again I will do it with stems and leaves because I really like how they turned out.

Done with Die Cuts ~ AND DONE with room!

Last night I finished up inventorying the last of the scrapbook supplies. Everything is now organized and put away.

 The Embossing Folders

Die Cuts

I started this project with a purchase of the ScrapRack and pages at the Creating Keepsakes Convention in Bellevue on November 12, 2011. I attended with my Cousin Cheryl and my sister Lisa. Cheryl and I were killing time in the vendor area while Lisa shopped elsewhere and we stopped to look at the ScrapRack and to talk to Tiffany. Cheryl was telling me to go ahead and buy it and I am so glad I listened to her! By the end of January I had over half of the rainbow done. Almost 21 months to finish is a long time for me but I had a few bumps in the road - in February 2012 I started getting my condo ready to sell and I had to box up ALL of my scrapbooking supplies. In June I had joint replacement done for my right thumb and then I moved in mid October 2012. I starting unpacking basic household items and then had my right knee replaced on November 5, 2012. I did my best to get most of the scrapbooking stuff put away by the time I had my left knee replaced on April 29, 2013. I have spent the last few months doing what I can a little bit at a time since I can only stand for short periods and I have to keep my feet up when sitting. (This is mainly due to being stupid in PT and hopping on my new knee by accident on June 4th - messed them both up.) 

I now can get some page kits ready to scrap - I have all the supplies for that already and my pictures and memorabilia are sorted. I just need to figure out which pictures I am using and pull things together! It is going to be time for the Cousins to get together again to scrap - as soon as I can drive more than 10 miles at a time.

Punches are Done!

102 Punches are located in various containers and divided amongst 4 Ikea containers.  They are sorted by brand and numbered.

Two of the containers are in the desk bookcase and two are to the left of the desk. Each container has color coded labels hanging from them so I can find the punches from my inventory list below.

Now I just have die cuts left and I don't have as many of those.

Scrapbooking Instructions

It took awhile but I got all the instructions etc put away. I also updated the Stamp Techniques and the Stamp Inventory. I have now started on my punches. I have too many, but my sister may have more!

The punches are going to take some time. A lot of time. I am not going to met my goal which was to have this done by the end of July. Die Cuts are last!

PS

Well, last night I did find where JA's wife Henrietta was buried. Clayton Village Cemetery, Jefferson County, New York.. 25 years, 9 months and 5 days old at her death. Inscription is Sister of John H Graves so Alexander did not buy her headstone.

Have You Seen This Man?

His name is A. J. or J. Alexander Beaubier. He was born in New York state in 1821 - parents unknown. In 1845 he married Henrietta Graves (daughter of William Tubbs Graves) also born in New York on 6 April 1830. In 1846 they had a daughter Effa (Effie) and in 1848 a son William. In 1850 he was a farmer in Clayton, Jefferson County, New York. On 11 January 1856 Henrietta died. Effie most probably was working as a servant at age 14 in 1860 while living in Orleans, Jefferson County, New York. J. A. may have had an older brother William who was born in Canada and lived in Orleans, Jefferson County during the 1850's to 1880's.

It is just so frustrating trying to find anything out about this branch and I have corresponded with several people with the same problem. One of them had this photo at least. This is all we know. I was looking through documents last night and my cousin Chris called and asked what his name was because she was at the Family History Library and wanted to look for him. He is driving us all nuts.

His daughter Effie is the mother of my Great Grandfather Jefferson Thomas Graves who was her oldest child. We didn't even know how to spell her name until I found this information - all we knew was that she was French.

The Scrapbooking Room is Done!

Marc vacuumed today for me - and finally agrees that my scrapbooking room looks good!

 This is what the floor looks like

It was almost completely covered.

 As you walk in

- to the right.

Now that my tools are put away, the room is done. I only have the die cuts and punches to inventory and then the rest of the instructions to put away.

I am done with Embellishments and Bling!

Thursday night I finished putting the last of my embellishments into pages and Spinders - and then I put the Spinders into crates in the closet.

 The Left Side

 The Right Side

There are 3 rows of crates stacked 4 high.

 The ScrapRack sits on the lateral file with some 

additional Spinders with borders, frames, hardware, labels, tags and supplies to make tags.

The Expedit table is full of tools and miscellaneous that I need to put away so I can set up my second ScrapRack and expansion base on it. I still have my punches and die cuts to inventory and put away and various instructions to finish putting in a binder.  I can then start getting pictures, memorabilia and paper put together for layouts. I do see another expansion base in my future. I went to a bridal shower today with my sister and daughter. Afterwards I showed my daughter my room and everything I have organized and informed her that it was "her inheritance' - she figures that she will just scrap at my house since I already have everything.

Work In Progress/To Do Sewing

WIP Sewing

Date Started	Project	Finished
6/2013	Room Divider Blocks to match quilt designed in 8/2000
6/2013	Bench cushions to match quilt designed in 8/2000
8/2013	Bed Skirt for Boxed In Quilt	10-30-2013

8/2013

Bed Skirt for Shop Hop 2000 Quilt

10-30-2013

10/2013

Bench Cushions to match Boxed In Quilt

11-18-2013

10/2012, 6/2013

Hem Curtains for Marc's Closet

To Do Sewing – Hopefully these will appear soon on the WIP

Table Runner for PWC Auction Bed Skirt for Carpenter’s Delight Quilt

Room Divider Blocks to match Shop Hop 2000 Quilt

Room Divider Blocks to match Boxed In Quilt

Room Divider Blocks to match Carpenter’s Delight Quilt

Bench Cushions to match Carpenter’s Delight Quilt

Pillow Shams for Carpenter’s Delight Quilt