Sunday, March 30, 2008

Updates...and more

Sorry to keep you all hanging but I have been waiting to hear back from the MD before I wrote anything. Still haven't heard back officially, but while we were there at his office he was pretty sure that Gillian doesn't have leukemia or any other form of cancer. She still needs to go for her colonoscopy to rule out colon cancer, but I am no longer worried about this. Whew. I do have to say that there is nothing quite like walking into a Hemotology outpatient clinic. The first thing that I saw was a little bald headed boy hooked up to his medication and my heart just sank. I just started to bargain with God saying, "Please, please don't let Gillian had leukemia or cancer, or, or, or..." and when the MD said he was 99.9% certain that she didn't, I actually felt guity along with the relief. How many parents didn't get that news and walked out of there overwhelmed and devistated? We did go for more blood work and we actually sat with the MD at his microscope and looked at Gillian's blood under the scope with him. She still has a high eosinophil count, probably due to her Ulcerative Colitis and she's still anemic, but they will follow her and try and figure out the anemia and keep an eye on the eosinophil count. She has a new diagnosis to add to her list.....Eosinophilia. Just basically a high eosinophila count.

I am continuing to sew. I made a halter top to go with the skirt below, but it still needs some tweaking. I bought some elastic thread to try my hand at shirring, so I will let you all know how that works out. I do have to admit that I haven't worked on "the" Easter dress. At which point does one throw in the towel? Well, too many people have helped me gain valuable expertise on this dress, so no throwing in the towel for me! I will tackle it again tomorrow. I also started working on a mystery quilt. I only had to go out and buy 1 yard (1/2 yard of 2 different fabrics) that I didn't already have. I must be building quite a stash as they say. I bought a purse pattern to use some of the fabric that I have that I don't want to sew clothing with and want to try my hand at that.

I had another exciting thing happen tonight, but I am not ready to share yet. All I can say is that there are some exciting things in store for me apparently. Stay tuned...
Wendy

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Why I haven't been online!

I have been working in this skirt!




While I love the colors, I think it's way to short. I haven't put the elastic in yet, as I am waiting for Katie to get home from school to measure her waist. I bought this pattern from
You Can Make This and the directions are excellent. The problem is that the length of the skirt comes from the top tier and I was afraid that one pattern would over power the skirt so I only cut it to what it said. I measured and remeasured, but they were accurate, so I think the next time I make this skirt, I will add 2 more tiers and get more length that way. The problem is the tiers are so tightly ruffled together that they bunch up and that takes away from the length. I think I will also add some cute ruffle accents next time too, now that I know how to put the skirt together! The bottom ruffle alone is almost 3 feet long before ruffling!

Which brings me to the magic of the ruffler foot! It's a special foot for your machine that creates ruffles and pleats so there is no more pulling strings and trying to get things just right. You can even go to the above mentioned web site and DL a free tutorial on how to use a ruffling foot. Came in very handy for me.

The other reason I haven't been online is that Gillian has been sick. She is severly anemic and had a really funky blood test result that could mean many things, one of them cancer so we are going to the hemotology dept at the local Children's Hospital today for an appointment there. If you are a praying person, please send prayers our way that this is something else and not cancer. Good thoughts, positive energy, etc would be gratefully accepted too. I am scared out of my mind!

So, how's that for an update? Sorry to keep you all hanging, but it's been a zoo and I feel like the monkey!

Now, back to the Easter Dress.....yes, you read that right. Maybe it will be ready for next Easter?

Wendy

Sunday, March 09, 2008

Procrastination

I am supposed to be working on Katie's Easter dress, but instead, I am finding all sorts of things I don't really have to do and doing them anyway. I got the collar on (with a lot of help from my MIL)and I have to trim the excess away and start the sleeves. I am not looking forward too it. I know what I have to do, I just don't know if I can do it. I can't do the spacial stuff, like sewing on the right side to right side and see it come out right. I think I like quilting much more, and don't ask me why it's so much easier to do that. Maybe because I actually pick patterns that I can do instead of something that is way too hard? Well, it looked easy and pretty on the package anyway!

On a good note, I won a prize from Fabric Bliss and am really excited. You see, I have all these grand plans in mind when it comes to clothes and yes, they do come out cute when they are finished. It's just getting them finished.

So, before I go and play an online game, let me close this out, get up from the computer and go to the sewing area and get that dress done! Keep your eye out for pictures!

Wendy