Notes from the Field | 012

One of the dozen plus red sunflowers that all grow on the same plant! I'd never seen so many flower heads on the same stalk until this year! 

Hello! Although I generally dislike blog posts that start by saying, "sorry! I've been busy!" that's exactly how I'm starting this one. I have been busy! All good things!

Last weekend my kids took a field trip to Nana and Paw's house so Adam and I had 48 hours to get work done around the house. I chose to finally complete a big task in my sunken living room and when I'm able to wrap up some loose ends this week I can happily stamp DONE onto that 8 month long project. And by eight months I mean that we started it last year but have been just living with it's completion in bits and pieces. I have some paint I need to touch up and a door to re-trim and then it's time for photos, baby! Even though it's taken a while, it's a huge difference from what it looked like when we moved in. If you haven't seen my other makeovers, here's a link to all of them!

Another big thing I've been putting both physical and mental energy into is planning out head to toe 18th century ensembles for the whole Quirk family. After going to the Jane Austen Festival a few weeks ago (see my previous post), I've been diving head first into costume research. I'm currently working on my own set of stays (an 18th century corset) and I hope to have my gown finished by the end of the month. The one thing that has me teeter tottering is whether or not to go 100% accurate. It seems like there are tribes who research down to the thread (silk!) and others who just stitch it up in whatever fabric suits their fancy. Part of me thinks GO FOR IT! GO ALL THE WAY! and the other, more rational (and time/economically aware) self says - it's just a costume. Don't get caught up in whether or not your print is a decade too old/young for the dress. At the end of the day, it's going to be fun, we're going to look great and I should ENJOY the process, which pushes me more to the less expensive fabrics and using a sewing machine over hand sewing. I am using a pattern based on a dress from the 1770s, so that's a great place to start. Down the road I can always make something more accurate (like if we journey to Colonial Williamsburg next year!) but for now, I'm going to do the best with what I have!

Lastly, I've put the wheels in motion to apply to the Daughters of the American Revolution. I met with my local chapter's registrar and coincidently, we're 7th cousins once removed! We both feel like I have a pretty strong body of evidence to connect my linage to a Patriot who fought in the Revolutionary War! I didn't even know about this group until I went down the rabbit hole of 3 am genealogy (you know what I mean, right?) and a few people suggested it on instagram, so I'm really excited to meet more ladies locally who are into the same thing. 

So that's about it! I'm still getting chills listening to Hamilton full blast while flipping through my costume history books, doodling 18th century outfit ideas and looking for the next weekend Rev War re-enactment in the Midwest. It's funny to me to remember that when I was a kid I dressed up in pioneer clothes to school, (photos here!) and here I am, planning out how I can do it again with my own family.