Graduation, Colonial Day and Stitching (oh and a TUSAL too!)

 The beginning of June bought a big moment for this Aunt in her nephew's life. He graduated from high school this year and will be soon embarking on the next chapter of life and college. Moments like these make you realize that life is truly a blink of an eye and it seems like just yesterday I had this young man sitting in my lap while I read him a book. I was very honored to be present as he accepted his diploma and had a tear in my eye thinking of how proud his Grandma would be if she could have been there.

This past Friday, I spent the day with Ray's 4th grade class teaching needlework for Colonial Day. All the students were to dress up as a famous Marylander and report on his accomplishments. Ray chose Peter Cooper, the inventor of the Tom Thumb, which was the first steam locomotive in America. It was so fun seeing each of the student's outfits and hearing what they had learned. Even Mom got in on the fun dressing up as a proper colonial lady for the day complete with mob cap. I worked with about 80 students that day explaining the importanance of needlework in a household and talking about the history of samplers. Then each student worked on on following a stamped pattern of ABC on a piece of muslin. The other stations included colonial dancing, a food station where they tried traditional colonial foods, making colonial manner books, quill writing, also soap and candle making.

Stitching on the Musician is coming right along with over 4000 stitches completed so far. Hopefully I can keep this pace up through the month and before you know it she will be completed. I have started some of the backstitching and it really did make her pop ~ as they say the devil is in the details. The colors on this piece are really keeping me motivated on this stitching project and I am hoping to make lots of stitching progress this weekend during the monthly Red Hot Stitcher's meeting.

I have been making some progress on the lighthouse design for my sister-in-law's birthday present. Right now I am working on Cape Hatteras about once a week but I think I am going to add another night on stitching on this in order to ensure I can make it to the framers in time.

Of course, it is time for another totally useless stitch-a-long with a favorite blogging buddy, Daffycat! Here is my jar which I keep stuffing threads into and hopefully I can add lots more odds and ends by the next update and at the same time have lots more stitching accomplished!