Past Projects

We are moving at the end of the month - we bought a house!  So instead of packing or hastily sewing to finish up a few UFO's before packing, I am going to wax reminiscent about past projects.

First up is Dad's Raven quilt, done last year for him for Christmas.  He had seen it in another colorway in Skagway while mom and he were on a cruise earlier in 2009. I called the shop and they sent me a kit.  This took me about 2 weeks of off-and-on sewing.  I was afraid of the machine applique as I had never done it before, but  it turned out to be a snap!  I love the way the delectable mountains are turned and make a completely different presentation.  I had it quilted at Cornerstone Quilt Shop in Fairfield, using a modified feathers all-over pattern. 

The search for where I came from

I have been bitten by the geneology bug.

It all started about 2 months ago with an innocent conversation in the office. Dale, a woman with whom I have worked for years, turns out to be a serious geneologist who has traced all the branches of her family back to the dinosaurs, and now actually does research for other people. I told her how my Dad's Italian family seems to end with his grandfather coming to America somewhere in the early teens. Legend has it "they didn't come through Ellis Island", I said. Well, she said, Ellis Island was just one point of entry. There were many! He could have come in anywhere. New Orleans, apparently, was a big point of entry for many Italians during that era. Well, I thought, how hard is this going to be, as another family legend is that my maiden name, Garcea, is supposedly very rare and there are only a few of us in America (and since my brother only has girls, possibly is a dying name)?

Ha.

One simple search on Ancestry.com showed me that there are thousands of Garceas in Washington State alone! Washington! Who woulda thunk? We always believed that there might be a few Garceas in the Chicago area, and the few of us here in California (oh, and my bro in AZ), but that was it.

I have since made contact with cousins on both sides, some who I'd met years ago, some who are completely new to me.

I have been able to give my dad his Grandfather's name: Rosario Garcea. I have determined from census records that his wife's name was possibly Mary Procopio. I say possibly because I haven't any solid proof yet, like birth or death certificates, marriage license, etc.

Oh, and Rosario DID come through Ellis Island! So much for family lore.

Next post: A little about the Sturtevants, Montagues and Bordens, oh my!