Howdy folks!
Welcome to my new blog.
Let me first say that my name is not Matilda.
Now, now hold on a minute, get back here, I didn't lie to you or anything.... yet.
So if "I" (the author) am not Matilda, then who is?
Well, she's kind of quiet and doesn't get out much.....
She doesn't eat much and she doesn't mind too much when I accidentally stab her with pins....
Ok, you got me, she's a dressmaker's dummy.
But what's with the name? I can hear you asking.
Well, that's a loooooong story.
See, when I was little I got a a stuffed koala bear from some relative or another, and I was always fascinated by where they came from and always used to pester my Grandfather (who had been in World War II) about that.
He would always say that he had been in New Zealand and not Australia and didn't really know where Koalas came from, but he could tell me all about wallabies.
Not a lot of help, but I didn't care, I mean I was like four and he was the most awesome thing on the planet (well, they both were, my Grandfather AND the stuffed animal, at least the stuffed animal WAS until my dachshund got a hold of it and ate one of his eyes....).
So I grew up with this stuffed koala, and loving the whole idea of the land down under and all that good wholesome growing up in the 70's stuff and loving this Australian song "Waltzing Matilda".
Then I went to college and things changed.
I had already fell in with the "drama" crowd in High School, but I met people in college, people that took dressing up and acting to a Whole New Level.....
Reenactors.
So in college it was the SCA (we were the incipient shire of something or other somewhere in Caid, THAT was decades ago don't remember what the name ), then after college I moved and found more SCA groups (Bjornsborg I miss you.....).
Anyway, I moved again, further north, but still in the state and we ran into another group of people....
Civil War Reenactors!
I said this was a long story....
Ok, so I got into Civil War Reenacting hook, line and hoop skirt and started volunteering at a local history museum.
And that's where I found Matilda.
She had been used for a exhibit and they were going to get rid of her, so I took her off of their hands.
And named her Matilda....
Why? Because that was the song that was stuck in my head when I got her. And coincidentally, now that I have finally gotten around to researching the song (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waltzing_Matilda) it sort of make sense.
Ya see, Waltzing Matilda has nothing to do with dancing with pretty Shelias in the outback. Oh no my friends, it's about a swagman walking (waltzing) around the outback with his bag o' stuff (Matilda) and nicking sheep!
Well, I say (covering Matilda's non-existent ears), if you tilt your head just so, and squint, she kinda looks like a bag....
Ok, so I don't have a picture yet, you'll have to trust me on this one.
Ok, so you know a little about me, and the long twisty story of Miss Matilda, now you are probably asking why the heck am I blogging about her?
Well, I'm a bit of a procrastinator, and I figured that if I had a blog I would actually work on things so I could post my progress and there by want to do more so I could post more....
Oh you get the idea!
Just don't ask me how long I've had this blog and this is my first post.
So, I'll be posting info on my project and all sorts of fun things here. Hopefully fairly regularly.
Now I just have to finish organizing the sewing room.........
