Wednesday, September 5, 2012

It's My Blogoversary, Some Stitching and Tree Climbing

Hi Dear Friends.  It looks like I slid off the blogging wagon again for the past couple weeks, but I'm going to do better from this point out.  Promise.  The past couple weeks (or three) have been filled with getting DS back up to college, DD registered for school and all the related shopping (you know how those teenage girls love to shop), and my DH's beloved Aunt passed away after a long battle with Alzheimers.  So we've had a lot going on the past couple weeks.

With that said, it's my 4th Blogoversary today!!  I can't believe I've been blogging (sometimes rather sporadically) for four years.  I've met so many wonderful people, some in person, and I truly love the friendships that I have made through this blog.  I hope to blog for another four years and continue the friendships that have really grown close to my heart.  Blogging has also brought me an unexpected surprise - but I'll get to that a little later.  And yes, I'll have a giveaway.  I'm not sure when - soon - once I get the mayhem cleared up from a very busy summer!!

So what have I been doing the past few weeks besides the above?  Well, I've gotten a little more stitched on Elizabeth Clayton, although the progress has been slow.  I love working on her with the NPI's and think I'll have to use more silks in the future:




I had hoped to be finished with the entire side, but that didn't happen.

I managed to get a few more basket blocks finished with my QAL with Siobhan - 8 as a matter of fact.  They are the perfect thing to carry around with me.


And here are all the baskets that I've finished so far:


23 blocks total with more waiting in the wings!  I don't want to think of how many more I have to sew!!

So there you have it - not too much really.  But wait - there's more!!  I seem to have gotten myself into another mess with some stitching.  I've joined a SAL with Terri, Marsha, and Sandra.  Although I should call her Cousin Sandra, but I'll get to that in a minute.  The four of us are going to be working on Susanna Singleton by the Scarlett Letter:


This will be a lot of fun.  Although, truth be told, I totally stink at SALs.  We're all doing it over a two year schedule and will post every three months, so maybe there will be hope for me.  I've had this in my stash forever, so it will be fun to finally work on her.  I don't know where I'm going to find the time, but I'll give it the ole college try. (Edited to add:  It seems that since Terri's and Sandra's posts - we've acquired three more SAL girls - GabiSuzanne, and Margaret!  Woo Hoo!!)  This is going to be so much fun!!

I also noticed that Sandra recently posted some beautiful WIPs that she has going on, so you need to look at her most recent post.  Since I'm so bad at SALs, I hang my head in shame because the two of us were going to work on Marquoir de Justine together.  Take a look at her picture on her blog of her Justine and then look at my progress:


Shameful, I know.  But it's the linen - I'm not loving the linen, so I'm going to have to start it over.  This is also not a very good picture of it.  It doesn't photograph well!  But after seeing Sandra's beauty, I know that I have to stitch it with new linen!

Now, here comes the Cousin part with Sandra and I and what I meant about Tree Climbing in my post title.  That referred to Family Tree Climbing.  And if you get bored with reading family stuff, then skip to the bottom!!  But I'll try to make it as brief as possible.

When my husband's aunt died, I stood in the cemetery and started thinking about all the people and what their lives were like.  Sometimes we know so little about our relatives.  I've even thought about people and their lives when I've gone into an antique store and made a purchase - who owned what I was buying and what were they like.  Well, I decided to trace my roots with encouragement from Sandra.


Here's some of my immediate family - on the left my Great Grandmother, in the middle my Grandfather in his WWI uniform, and my Grandmother, and to the right is my Great Grandmother when she was small.  In the middle is my father when he was little.  I have a ton of pictures of relatives, but now I'll have some history.  Sandra has encouraged me time and time again to trace my roots and I started with my father's side of the family - actually his mother's side of the family - the one in the middle picture.  And what a mother lode I found.

I found out that my Great-Great-Great Grandfather married a woman named Victorie Pelletier (which makes me think of Anne Pelletier who charted Marquoir de Justine - are we related)?   Victorie's father was Charles Stanislaus Dagneau de Quindre dit Fortenay.  Victorie's mother was a Shawnee Indian.  His second wife (or 1st - there is no proof he married the Shawnee woman) was Marie Catherine Chene.  Both Dequindre and Chene are well known street names in Detroit.  And it appears that good ole Charles had Indian blood in him too (denoted by the use of Fortenay in his name).  Oh this is getting good - the black sheep in the family type of thing - skeletons in the closet.  Well, it seems that Charles and his family were very prominent and instrumental in the history of Detroit in the 1700's.  Are you bored yet?

If not, there's more.  In some articles I came across it was noted that Charles' family (who came from Quebec and France) was key in surrendering  Detroit to the British in 1760 (although one article says it was his uncle - Francois Marie Picote and another article said it was Charles - more investigation is needed, but since the records are in Detroit, I should be able to clear up that mystery). And that Charles was instrumental in the capture of Daniel Boone in Blue Lick, Kentucky.  Okay, this is cool.  But then I came across documents - one after the other and then the mother lode - a 294 page document about the Dagneaux/DeQuindre family beginning with a Henry D'Agneaux (I shortened the name) in 1068!!!  Thank goodness for the internet.  My direct family started showing up down the line at item 95 and at item 138 appears my GGG Grandmother and Grandfather, and further down the list there are more relatives.   I'm thrilled and some documents also tell me where they are buried in Detroit and Windsor.

In my excitement, I emailed the document to Sandra - not to read - heaven forbid, but just to see what I came across.  She glanced through a little of it and discovered another name, DeGrey, on the list that she thought I should investigate further.  A quick search on that name takes me back to some Queen in Denmark in the 600's (still investigating that one also).  But along the line what else do we find - that we're both related to William the Conqueror and that Sandra's line comes up and converges and she is my Cousin!!  To quote Sandra:

  "We are related to William the Conq. through his Grandfather Fulbert of Falaise and William's Uncle and Fulbert's Son Reynar.  William's Mother was the Daughter of one and the Sister of the other.  So that makes William our Cousin many many many times removed.  To make things easier, you could say that we all share the same Grandparents".

So there you have it.  How cool is that?

So, not only has blogging brought me so many great and new friends, it's also brought me in contact with someone who helped me find my past and is also related.  And who knows, a lot of us are probably related somewhere done the line.  I'm sure that we've all heard the term ,"We're all related"!

Now, what I'd love to do is find a sampler that one of my relatives stitched!  There are a lot of names in that big document.  Maybe I'll find one.  Wouldn't that be great??

If you're still reading this after the brief history of my family and you haven't bolted for the next blog out of boredom, thank you for following my blog, thank you for being a friend, and I hope that our relationships continue for years to come!!!  And I hope that we all share another four years of inspiration!!





52 comments:

Vickie said...

I find family history very fascinating. Have fun with it. And congratulations.

~*Sharee*~ said...

Beautiful stitching and beautiful family hun; I love old photos of family members. Happy Anniversay; time does fly..

Hugs, Shar

Yvette said...

Happy blogversary! A usual, your stitching is perfection. I think we have about the same amount of baskets done. I try not to think about how many more I need either. I try to make one every lunch hour, I call it my work project.

Kim said...

Well happy blogiversary! You're making me want to pull Elizabeth Clayton from the chart pile. I've been itching to stitch more...must be the weather! ;o) LOVE your progress. And your baskets...oh my GOSH! Swoooning!

Incredibly interesting family history! Are you using Ancestry.com or anything similar? I want to find my roots, as it were.

Margaret said...

Happy blogiversary! Love your Charlotte and your baskets. And Justine -- bummer that you don't like the fabric. :( I want to stitch her sometime too. And I want to stitch Susan Singleton too, and it's all your SAL's fault. lol! Sandra was telling me about how you two are related. So cool! I love seeing your old family photos as well. It's all so interesting! How does it feel to be related to William the Conquerer? :D

robindefender said...

Your stitching looks great and happy blogaversary. The family tree stuff (and your newfound cousin) is cool. Many years ago, several members of our local EGA were visiting my mom's home. Mom had a few old photos from the 1800's out, and one of the other stitchers wanted to know why Mom had a photo of her great great grandmother sitting out. Turns out, she's a cousin! How funny this small little world we live in can be.

Teresa S. said...

Welcome back, Deb! Looks like life has been happening at your house.

Family research is so fun. We traced my mom's side back to 1680 here in America. And found out I am a Daughter of the American Revolution, just not a member of the "official" society.

merumo said...

Your red baskets are fabulous and look very tempting :) I love SAL, too! I saw Susan all over recently and now know why. I may want to join the other SAL for Marquoir de Justine. I have started her a few years ago and got quite stitches in already, but have never close to finish yet. I even don't remember how far she is so far any more :O I will visit her today and find out!!

Diane (di) said...

Happy Blogiversary Deb!!! Your pics and posts are always so much fun to read. Love the family history you shared with us, too.

EC is coming along nicely and your baskets... sooo beautiful! The colors in your Susan Singleton piece are so colorful and I'm gonna love watching that one come together. Congratulations again and see you real soon! ;)

Poussy Stitches My Love said...

Oh I love your blog, very beautiful pictures and I love your sampler ...

bisous mon amie de France, marylin

Annette-California said...

Oh my goodness, I was hooked on to every word of your family roots story. Way cool - imagine you got to discover a new living cousin:) Lovely quilt blocks, love the red baskets. Eliz Clayton is beautiful. Looking forward to seeing SS-wip.
love Annette

Annette-California said...

Happy Blog Anniversary!!!
love Annette

Ranae said...

Happy blogoversary and many many more, Deb
Awesome family history
Love how Elizabeth is looking

Cath said...

Happy blogoversary. Wow , loads of info to go on . You will be at it for years ,lol .X

WoolenSails said...

Your new pieces are wonderful, such beautiful work. I haven't done any cross stitches since my eyes can't see the holes, but I got new glasses, so will have to try again.

Finding out about family is fun and great inspiration for memory quilts.

Debbie

Katherine said...

Congrats on the blogoversary and the super find Deb!

Lanie said...

My sympathy, Deb, on the passing of your husband's aunt. Alzheimers is a difficult illness for the family to cope with.

Your Elizabeth Clayton is so pretty and she looks like she is enjoyable to stitch!

Patty C. said...

Congrats on the blogoversary !!
Enjoying the photos of your WIP's - Love the quilt blocks !!!

Chocolates4Breakfast (Terri Malinovich) said...

Happy 4 years! EC is looking lovely (even if it is does have a giant cat), and I have to agree about the fabric on Justine... what a bummer.

The SAL is going to be fun.

Fun family history.

samplerlover said...

Hi Deb or should I say Cousin lol, happy anniversary. Love Elizabeth, she is looking wonderful. I have always liked this one. The baskets are looking beautiful. I know how much work you have done on each of these blocks.

It was lovely, seeing photos of you Grandparents. Now I can put faces to them. You know although we live in different hemispheres, the world turns out to be such a small place lol. - Sandra.

Loraine said...

Congrats on 4 wonderful blogging years! I'm so glad you started blogging, so that we could meet. It's been a great blessing to me as well.
I love the progress on your sampler. I think of Margaret every time I see that sampler, because it's on her avatar picture. LOL.
I think your SAL with the other ladies is going to be awesome too! That is a huge sampler, and I know you can do it in 2 years. You have to keep telling yourself your wonderful at SAL's so that your sub conscience will believe it!
What a great story about you and Sandra being cousins. That is so ironic, and incredibly wonderful! I didn't know that you were interested in family history. I love it as well. Keep pressing forward because it's so worth it!
Have a wonderful week! Big hugs to you.

Carol said...

What a neat story about you and Sandra being related, Deb! It really is a small world and I think the internet and blogging has made it even smaller. Congratulations on your four years in blogland--I'm almost there myself (in January)--hard to believe it's been that long!

Your sampler and latest quilt are looking lovely. Hope you have more time to yourself now that the kids are back in college and school. And please accept my sympathies for your husband's aunt. My dad has an Alzheimer's related dementia and it is just heartbreaking to watch his decline...

Laurie in Iowa said...

Loved reading your post about your family history and being related to Sandra. How cool! All your stitching is lovely and I have a feeling I'm going to be stitching Susan Singleton soon too!

Shelly said...

Very cool Deb! Finding out about your family's history is a lot of fun. Good luck with the SAL!

Happy 4th Blogoversary!

Gabi said...

Congratulation to your 4th anniversary. Your blog is one I always look forward to read :)
Charlotte is looking great and so are your cute red baskets.
The family history is so cool. Really interesting. Amazing what you all can find out when looking into that. Even found a cousin :)
Looking forward to start Susan Singleton as well. What fabric are you going to use for her?

Ellen said...

Happy 4th Blogoversary! Love Charlotte, the silks are gorgeous!

Interesting family history!

Hugs,

marly said...

So sorry for your family loss. Interesting stuff about your history. My grandparents on both sides came to the USA when they were adults. I know when they arrived from the Ellis Island records but it ends there! It's amazing how far back you've gone.

Giovanna said...

Nice going on the sampler - it's beautiful! Happy blogaversary.

Sherry :o) said...

happy 4 years of blogging!! Love your SAL and can't wait to see the different progresses.

Cool family history.

Hope to see you Sunday!
Sherry :0)

Cari said...

Love your post...you are one busy gal and such an enabler. After I leave your blog I'm usually off to shop !! Hugs dear friend....

Rugs and Pugs said...

Deb ~
Your research has turned up amazing things. What fun! (Yes, I did make it to the end...lol!)
Be proud of all you've accomplished!
Hugs :)
Lauren

Jennifer Ann Fox said...

Deb,
so happy for your blogvisary! Congrats. Sorry for all the stress you;ve had going on lately but seems you are coping well. Your family history is interesting!
Your WIP looks GREAT!
Stay cool,
Jennifer

Siobhán said...

Happy 4 years, gal pal!! Here's to another 4 plus years. ;) LOVE the stitching and quilting!! I am so amazed at all that you've found in your family tree. Definitely very inspiring!

Jo who can't think of a clever nickname said...

Happy Blogaversary!!
How great to find your long lost relatives! I bet we're all related somewhere along the line. Have you heard of the "Six Degrees of Separation" theory? It's fascinating.

Stitch By Stitch said...

Happy Blogaversary to you!!! and many more:)

Linda said...

Happy 4 years Deb!! The time does fly. Love your beautiful stitchery. I'm still working on the same sampler for the past 4 years. Just about done. Can't hurry these things you know.lol

Lois said...

Happy 4th anniversary Deb! I'll soon be 3 years blogging and it seems to have flown. Really enjoyed reading about your delve into you family history. DH has done a lot of work on his side of the family and I know a little bit about mine. It is always fascinating and addictive!! Like you, I'd love to find a sampler with either DH's or my family name but, so far, no luck.
Love your basket blocks, your progess on Elizabeth and I'm looking forward to watching everyone's progress on Susanna. Sounds like it will be a fun SAL.

woolwoman said...

Happy 4th Deb
Loved all the digging thru history you've been doing - My great aunt was a geneologist and spent a great of her inheritance researching our ancestry and publishing beautiful books. It is fascinating what you can find out - Love all your stitching and the basket quilt is darling. take care Mel

valerie said...

Happy Blogiversary Deb! I am so glad to have met you through your blog in real life! :) Your basket blocks are so pretty and Elizabeth is really coming along. How amazing to find out that you're related to Sandra!

Maureen said...

Thanks for sharing some of your family history - always find this sort of thing fascinating, being able to delve back into time a bit..

Meriem said...

Beautiful stitching
I love your Justine

Karoline said...

Happy Blogiversary. Elizabeth is looking gorgeous & your blocks are lovely.

Patricia Lessell said...

Happy Blogaversary!!! You are so right about that linen - it ain't nice sorry!!! Hmmm my spellchecker doesn't like ain't well isn't that just tough!! So glad you had such a nice time with your sister (aka skin and blister - cockney rhyming slang - listen I had to learn something after being over the pond for so many years). I would so join in that SAL if it wasn't for the fact that I still have And They Sinned to stitch after all these years!!! And some other stuff I bought way back when. But you guys have fun and I love love love the quilt you and her across the pond are doing but I so wouldn't do that either - don't think I could do the handle part of the basket without swearing. Have fun.
Lots of Love
Patti xxx

Meari said...

Happy Blogversary! You've got a lot of quilt squares done. They look really good. So does your stitching. Good luck with your SAL.

Kathy Ellen said...

What fascinating discoveries you found in researching your family history and finding that you are not only related to some great historical figures, but also related to Sandra!

Elizabeth is coming along beautifully and your basket quilt blocks look great too. I am admiring Susan Singleton....such a beautiful sampler, and will look forward to seeing your progress!

Carin said...

What a great stitching you have done and those baskets ... I love them !!

Anne said...

Oh dear, so sorry to hear about your DH's aunt passing. My heart goes out to you and your family. It was wonderful to read your family's history. So fascinating!!

Love Susan Rambo and the colours and motifs oh my!! Beautiful progress on your QAL with Siobhan!! Love your new sal you are going to start too! Happy Blogoversary! So glad I found your blog awhile ago. I love reading your blog and seeing your beautiful stitching and quilting.

Anne said...

Oh dear, so sorry to hear about your DH's aunt passing. My heart goes out to you and your family. It was wonderful to read your family's history. So fascinating!!

Love Susan Rambo and the colours and motifs oh my!! Beautiful progress on your QAL with Siobhan!! Love your new sal you are going to start too! Happy Blogoversary! So glad I found your blog awhile ago. I love reading your blog and seeing your beautiful stitching and quilting.

Brigitte said...

I had already seen Susanna on some of the other SAL stitchers' blogs and frankly, she's absolutely wonderful. I'll follow your progress during the next two years.
Very nice progress on Elizabeth.
I love your QAL with Siobhán, what a nice idea. I'll soon be able to make my first big quilt. Next July I'll retire and my plan is to start making a big quilt then. I can't wait ...
Family history is always so interesting. My husband is also in it and he always finds new exciting details about his (and also my) family.

Dani - tkdchick said...

Your wip is looking lovely! Your baskets are coming along nicely.

Evelyne said...

Happy 4th anniversary. I'm invited to join the SAL for The Susan Singleton by Gaby. I'm still waiting for my supplies and looking forward to start this sampler.
Your baskets are really beautiful!

Have a lovely weekend, Evelyne

http://eefsneedle.blogspot.com

Stephanie M. said...

Sorry for the late post, have been catching up in blogland. I too have been working on my family tree and am taking a trip to Salt Lake City to the Genealogical Library next week. I really hope to uncover more great info on my ancestors. I use Family Tree maker which is software and have a subscription to Ancestry.com that syncs with Family Tree Maker. If you want any information please feel free to contact me.

Congrats again on your anniversary.

Stephanie