My new PROM dress

I didn't want to wear the same thing I did last year to the CASA Gala. I had bought this fabric, absolutely falling in love with it. I liked the pattern and had worked on and had made a simple short dress to make sure the fit was just right. I am very short waisted and am a different size depending on where you measure me, so some adjustments have to be made. I think I have finally gotten pretty good at sorting it out for my best fit.


My Christmas present from last year works perfectly with this dress. Can't wait for CASA!

Real or Fake

I recently did a t-shirt quilt for a friend, then my neighbor asked for my help to make a t-shirt quilt for her husband. I have been wanting to make one for years! So why not NOW!

My son literally lived in Hard Rock t-shirts and sweatshirts when he was in Junior High and part of High School. Some parents actually thought he wore the same thing every day! I guess they didn't notice the cities changing. They were a big deal in our family and with our travel, extra fun to actually GET one at the source or find an interesting fake.

I think it started when we visited Chicago just before moving overseas. We all bought Hard Rock Chicago sweat shirts, and ended up in Norway in August with NO shipment for six weeks. It was August, we came from Texas, we had NO warm clothing and it is kinda chilly in Norway in August, who knew? We LIVED in our Hard Rock Chicago sweatshirts. I guess with my son, it started something.

Can you tell which group are real and which are fake??






I have enjoyed the process of dreaming up how I will put these together and what embellishing and patterns I will use to build it. I have some really GOOD ideas! I will have to shop before I can proceed. Yesterday I ironed on the tricot backing and cut the squares to prep for constructing what I think will be a fabulous memory.



One year I let them wear their Hard Rock shirts for the annual "my great kids" photo. My son's is a fake, the youngest's was a gift (never been to Vegas) and the oldest's was bought ON SITE! Rock ON!!!

Baltimore Album square #3 and #4a

I finished up the third square and here it is! What a lot of stitching.



Detail of square. This was done from one piece of fabric.




The next square is prepped and took forEVER!! It is reverse applique and will be done in the red color.



I had a friend let me know she is coming to the quilt fest in November and I invited her to stay with me. She came years ago and we went together. I am hoping there will be some sort of Baltimore Album class I can take to get even more inspired!

Jesus. Him.

Every once in a while a writer resonates with me on such a profound level. In the December 2010 issue of The Lutheran Magazine, Walter Wangering Jr. published an article entitled "Jesus. Him."

The quote that got me excited follows.

At the center of our right relationship with God is Christ Jesus.

Jesus: The person and the work he has accomplished. He! Not some teaching of his. Not his model for our obedient behavior. Not his poverty, not his meekness, not his condemnations, not what someone makes of him to signify some other thing.

Jesus.

I love that, as it hits my core of belief, and was not something I have been able to articulate.

There is so much judgement about peoples lifestyles, excesses, choices, etc.

We ALL fall short and are saved by GRACE.

Then in another article in the same magazine a study that focuses on Discipleship and THE GREAT COMMANDMENT is also featured.

From Matthew, Chapter 22, verses 36 - 40

"Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" He said to him, " 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

The only person who's salvation I can insure is my own. When I point a finger in judgement, there are three pointing at me. There is a LOG in my eye and I CANNOT throw the first stone. I am so thankful for Jesus and what he did for me.

Size 5

This past week I made two little items for a little girl, size 5. A great way to use leftover fabric from other projects.


A little skirt with an elastic waist. I have ribbon on each end of the elastic so that the waist size can easily be adjusted.


I love this corderoy, brown stripy. So cute. I will maybe make a little blouse for it at some point, or a turtleneck. No plans for them, they will just hang around here for a while.

While sewing these I prayed for all children in foster care and the people that take care of them. Some of those caring people I love VERY much.

My Green Jacket

I got the buttons on my jacket and wore it down to my doctor appointment this week. I got a couple of comments which was nice validation, as I wasn't sure it looked "normal" enough. Of coarse, what is the point of looking normal when you can do anything you want? So here is a rare photo of yours truly. I am sure my mom is glad to see a picture of me now and again.

Lookin' a bit pale there, girl! Yeah.

Where's my banana?

Chemo . . . does funny things to the brain, let alone the rest of a body.

Yesterday I ate one banana and planned on eating a second one, as they were ripe, maybe a bit OVER ripe (remember this part) and after the first one, I lost track of the second banana. Roaming is a big part of my day the week after chemo. Just roaming, shuffling, peering out of the windows, senseless mind wandering as well. I remember thinking about the banana a few times during the day, but not with enough passion to stick with the thought, just a fleeting question in my head . . . "where's my banana"?

So, last night, hubby gets up from his "spot" on the couch to head for bed. Our living room is dim at night, some ambient light and the TV and under his bum was a very strange sight. It was sort of light and dark and blurry looking. At first I thought he must have sat on a bird and killed it. Don't ask me, it made sense at the time. Then he reached for it and pulled back with a "eewww". I bravely reached down and it quickly occurred to me . . . THERE's my banana! The poor thing had sat in a warm squishy place for at least an hour and neither of us had noticed. And remember the OVER ripe part. yeah baby, it was! Chemo brain.

My worst "c.b. incident" (thus far??? yikes!!) was when I followed hubby in from a venture out of the house (rare for me these days) and I left the garage door open and barely shut the door from the garage to the house. Hubby set the alarm when we went to bed and in the middle of the night we were woken to the alarm! The wind had blown the door open. We shut it, reset the alarm and went back to bed. In the morning he discovered that that garage door had also been up all night, not noticing when the back door blew open. I hope he learned his lesson!

Green corduroy jacket

I have been working on a jacket little bits at a time. Haven't had much energy, but after nearly two weeks I finally have it together. The only thing left is the buttons. I have some, just not sure they are the ones I want. They are from mom's stash and maybe a little too fancy for corduroy. We'll see.

I decided to fully line the jacket, just to give it a try. Wasn't hard, but makes a lot of difference in slipping it on and off. Lining is always worth the effort in my book.


My best discovery through all this was to finally pull out the steamer that my mom gave me about a year ago. Been a little scared to try it, but it was really quite simple and does a SUPERB job steaming/ironing. Very simple to use, straightforward and very effective. I guess (after looking at the receipt she left in the box) since it is obviously top of the line. Lucky me, my mom has such a desire to only use the best.



I think my next project will be for me again, a skirt all ready to go.

Post chemo reactions

SOOOO tired, all sleep overwhelmed with bad dreams, nausea staying low key, but there even with meds. Five days since I started third round (three days) and hoping to snap out of this . . . really quick. Yuck.

Had been working on a green corduroy jacket before starting. Might be done in a week or so. We'll see.