Grandma's Pajamas

My grandmother asked me to make a pair of pajamas for her and I accepted the challenge. It was nice to have a sew something different for a change.  The whole time I was sewing her pajamas, I really enjoyed the project and I kept thinking I should sew up a pair for myself! I think I will!

Honestly, it took me way too long to finish these pajamas. I should have been able to do them in a much shorter amount of time but my sewing time has been very limited these past few months. I'm so glad I finally finished them! Now I just have to get them in the mail. My grandma has more patience than anyone I know. She must, she's still waiting for her jammies! I'll send them soon!  I just need to get someone to take them to the post office for me. Any volunteers? (I can't carry a package into the post office while on crutches)

My grandma sent me her measurements and her fabric preferences. She sent along one of her favorite pajama tops to use as a pattern too. I used the top to decide what type of fabric to get and of course, used it as the pattern for the top.

I took the kids with me to choose fabric. I was in charge of what it felt like and they were in charge of what it looked like. Good plan. But, they both chose something different. No problem, I'll make two pair! And, I did.

Cutting out two of something is just as easy (or hard) as cutting one. So, might as well cut two! The problem was that I didn't buy enough fabric of either print, so had to run back to the fabric store for more. Luckily, it was still in stock. 

The pajamas are two piece sets. Pants and a blouse.

The pants were easy, but I am worried about the fit. I really hope they fit nicely. She sent measurements but I had a hard time with the pantleg to waist ratio. It didn't seem right and when I finished, I feel like the waist should have been wider to allow more of a gather in the elastic waistband. I don't know; I'm just nervous that they aren't quite right. I will see what she says about the fit and try again if needed.

The top was more difficult because of the collar, but I finally figured it out.  I put the collar on wrong the first time I tried it and no matter how I tried to figure it out, it seemed wonky. I had to look it up in my sewing book! I like figuring things out on my own, but I do have a couple of nice sewing books that explain just about everything.  I looked it up and it was so easy! Why didn't I figure it out!

The collar has to be sandwiched between the neckline and the interfacing, and then it is perfectly placed and the facing lies nicely too. OOooooooh. Of course!

The other difficult part, intimidating actually, was the buttonholes. I don't have a buttonholer on my machine so I had to zig-zag the buttonholes on my own. I love my vintage machine, it runs like a dream, but now I'm longing for an automatic buttonhole feature. My buttonholes might be a smidge different but they are all pretty close to the same. I had to make 8 of them!

I added two good sized pockets to each top for hankies and mints and other things.

The pajama tops turned out great! I hope they feel good and fit nicely. I'm looking forward to giving them to my grandma and hearing if she likes them or not. If they don't fit, I might just have to pack up my sewing machine and go visit!

Rest in Peace, Sandy

Our dog died.  She was old and lived a good life.

She was born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on New Years Day in 2001. She was the runt of the litter and the last one to find a home. We got her on March 11th. Katie was 11 years old and Lexie was 9.

Lexie put at least two years of research and pleading into this decision to get a dog. She looked at lots of different breeds of dogs and knew what would be the best kind of dog for our family and our lifestyle. She wanted a female Golden Retriever.

I remember clearly. I was having an outpatient surgery that day in Sioux Falls and Keith went to pick up the puppy while I was in surgery. He was there to support me and ease my nerves and I never knew he was gone for a bit.

He must have arranged the pick-up of the puppy in advance. I don't know how he did it. But he said he met the mama and the daddy dogs. They were both 100% Golden Retriever dogs and had papers. But, he wasn't interested in a certified dog, just a good dog. And he picked the best puppy!

I remember seeing her for the first time in the back of the truck shaking and scared. She was so little!

When we got home, I went in and Keith told the girls to come out and unload the truck. They knew we spent the day in Sioux Falls, obviously that meant we had a truckload of Sams Club groceries. They groaned but they got up and went to the garage like a couple of slugs. They looked in the back of the truck and squealed with joy!

All that was back there was a box with a towel in it and a puppy!  Those were two very happy girls!

They thought and thought of names for her. They made lists and thought some more. In the end, Lexie named her Sandy and we all liked it.

I admit, I wasn't in love with her at first. I've never liked dogs. Ever. In fact, I've always detested all dogs. And I feared them. But she was ours and she was so cute and little. Keith promised she wouldn't be scary. She chewed on things, she peed on the floor and things, she was just a puppy!  But she was so cute and snuggly! I did have to put my foot down and demand that she would be an outdoor and garage dog though, not a house dog. I was not having any of that! Keith and the girls wanted her to be an indoor dog, but I am the mom and my vote counts more. I said NO.

She had a good set up in the garage and Keith and the girls built her a nice doghouse. For an outdoor puppy, she had it very good. The outdoor dog setup lasted about a year or so.  We kept her on a long leash outside since we didn't have a fenced yard. She was just fine out there, but I think she was lonely and longed to be with us. I didn't think so at the time though.

She became an indoor dog when she was spayed. I think it was August 2002. It was very hot outside and she had her surgery, so we let her come in to recover in comfort. She wasn't doing well though, she developed a life threatening infection and we were sure that we were going to lose her. We had to get a rag wet and squeeze the water into her mouth because she was so sick she couldn't get up at all. After that long illness, and lots of pampering, she was an indoor dog forever after.

She loved being with us. If we were all in the living room, she was in the living room. If we were all on the patio, she was on the patio. She was a very social dog and she loved us! We all loved her too, even me.

When she was 4.5 years old, we moved to California. People asked us, "Are you taking your dog?"  I do not understand this at all. She was a part of our family, how do you leave your pet behind when you move? 

She always went on vacation with us. That was one of her favorite things! No matter where she sat in the van, one or two people could pet her. She always had a great time vacationing with us. We took her camping and to motels and to fields and rivers and you name it, she went with us and she loved it! 

Sandy was very perceptive. Maybe all dogs are, I don't know, but she was. She knew if someone was sick or injured and she would lay nearby. When I was pregnant with Gracie, but didn't know it yet, she was constantly laying near me, following me, getting underfoot. It was like she was suddenly my best friend and she just wanted to snuggle me and lay her head in my lap or on my belly. I thought she was just being a weird dog, little did I know that she knew there was a "puppy" coming!

She raised five "puppies". Gracie was the first of the litter, then Libby, Charlie, Henry and Alfred. She loved all of the kids very much! Katie and Lexie grew up and she loved them dearly but they weren't little ones anymore and they never really were little to her.

The kids loved Sandy! And Sandy let them love her and play with her in whatever way they wanted to. They rode her, they pulled on her, they pinched her, napped by her, slobbered on her, used her like a pillow, took her toys and bones away from her while she had them in her mouth, everything. She was very tolerant and forgiving and the worst she would ever do is wait for an opportunity to get up and walk away.

Know what I really liked about her? She didn't bark!  Well, she did, but hardly ever. She would bark once while standing at the door waiting to be let in if she had been waiting for a while. One woof. Usually that was all you ever heard out of her. But of course, if all the neighbor dogs were barking at a rabbit or a shadow or gardeners on the hill behind our house, she had to run out and bark along with the chorus of dogs.

A tumor grew on Sandy's hip recently and it didn't stop growing. It was huge! She looked like she had a football in her pocket. She was in obvious pain too. We took her to the vet for surgery and he was able to remove the tumor although he said it was "gnarly" and very involved. He hoped that he got it all but there wasn't a guarantee. She really felt better!

While she recovered, our favorite neighbor dog died. He was a year older than Sandy and they got along very well in the 10 years that they lived next door to each other. They were best friends, if dogs have best friends. They did seem to understand one another and  had a healthy respect for each other. Teddy was a sweet dog and Sandy seemed to know that he was gone. Like I said, she was perceptive.

After a couple of months, the tumor returned. And it came back with a fury. It grew very fast and it spread. It grew over (and probably under) the base of her spine. It also grew into her belly. It caused her a lot of pain this time. Her last week, the tumor blocked her intestines and she was throwing up each day, until the tumor grew more and she just stopped eating. Her back was in so much pain that she couldn't squat to go to the bathroom and she was losing all dignity.

On her last day, she couldn't get up. She was so sad and her eyes pleaded for relief. We knew it was time to end her misery, but we each day during her last week we thought she deserved another day. We knew that when she couldn't get up that day had arrived.

Keith took care of her on her last day and after her euthanasia, he brought her home so that the kids could say goodbye.  He then took her to a place called Veterinary After Care for cremation. They took very good personal care of her and returned her cremains to us in a cedar box with her name on an engraved plate on top. Very dignified and lovely.

Sandy was in our family for 12 and a half years. She was a member of our family just as much as anyone else in this family is. We will always miss her. She was the best dog!  I can truly attest to that since she completely transformed me from a strong anti-dog person . She loved every one of us every day. We'll miss her wagging tail.

Ankle Update

As it turned out, I really did break my ankle. I also sprained it. I went to Urgent Care the weekend that I injured myself and saw an orthopedic doctor a few days later. He couldn't tell from my Xrays if the bone was fractured but he thought it was. To be sure, he sent me for a CT scan.

He said it didn't really matter because treatment was the same. Stay off of it, elevate and ice. 

The CT scan was weird! I didn't have to have my whole body in the gigantic tube, just the knee down. Then I went back to the orthopedic doctor.

He showed me the CT scan images on his smart phone, and told me that he would email the little video clip to me (never did). In the CT images, you can clearly see that the tip of the tibia bone is broken off. Not fractured, not chipped, broken.  At least I didn't break my leg bone in half and develop a new bend in the middle, right?

Since I am a trustworthy grown-up (doc's words and I didn't pay him extra to say that), I was given a choice of a boot or a cast. After three weeks in the splint, I got a tall walking boot. It is so big and heavy, I'm not sure if it was the right choice. But, the 100 degree weather keeps reminding me that indeed, the boot was a good decision.

With the boot, I can scratch my itches. I can use lotion. I can strap an ice pack on. I can air out. And best of all, I can take it off and have a nice bath!  I wear the splint at night because the boot is to cumbersome for sleeping and the doctor suggested switching to the splint for night use too.

I had xrays done again the day I received my boot. The dr said I'm healing nicely. Yay for healing!  It doesn't feel like I'm healing at all, so I'll take his word for it. My ankle and foot are still swollen, still can't wiggle my toes, and still have a lot of pain. The bruising is starting to go away.

I have to stay off of that foot until August 8th, and if all is well at that point then I can start to apply pressure and begin to walk on it. I will have to wear the boot until mid-September, again, that 's if it heals well. After that, I will have to invest in a decent pair of shoes and stick to my promise to never jump off my bed again.

I can't wait for mid-September!

Super Baby Capes

We were invited to a birthday party for Ian and Alina, cute twin babies turning one year old.  I am currently challenged as far as shopping goes (I haven't figured out how to hop a mile through the aisles of Target on crutches). So, I turned to my trusty sewing machine and my pile of fabric and hoped something quick, easy and thoughtful would happen.

It did.

I remembered that a few months ago, the mommy of these adorable twins sent me a photo of a kid wearing a superhero cape and she mentioned that it was cute and something I could sew. I really didn't give it much thought at the time. But, now the idea resurfaced.

I just pretended that I knew what I was doing. It's amazing how often that works. I used my scissors and just cut out a large bib shape of red velveteen type stuff (leftover from the Captain Hook Halloween costume) and the same shape from some glitter infused red poly-satin. Then I cut out an I and an A from a scrap of blue. Also, cut out two white circles. Using fusing to stiffen the circles and initials, I appliqued them to the outer part of the cape.

Then, I sewed the liner and outer cape together, flipped them inside out and topstitched. After that, I searched frantically for velcro.

No luck. No velcro!

Snap tape to the rescue!  It isn't ideal for this project, but with the birthday party only minutes away, it would have to do.

There you have it.  Happy Birthday, Superbabies!  Faster than a loaded diaper, it's Super Alina and Super Ian to the rescue!

Sewing Stinky Bags

My daughter is turning into a hippy. Long hair, baby wearing, openly breastfeeding, Prius driving, organic veggie eating and cloth diapering. Kinda like her mom!  (kinda)  I'm so proud of her!

I have never been courageous enough to use cloth diapers! Even the thought of cloth diapers makes me want to run away screaming. I'm a big believer is using disposable dipes and getting rid of them as fast as possible! Wash 'em? Ewww! Not me!

But for those who do use cloth diapers, there is a need for this thing called a "wet bag" to store the wet stinky diapers in while on the go. Then when you get home, you add them to the mountain of wet stinky diapers waiting for the next laundry cycle. The wet bag is outing survival gear. It's a must have! Seriously, you wouldn't want to tote your soiled diapers in a ziplock baggie or a plastic grocery sack would you? No! Those are disposable plastics - that would defeat the whole purpose of going with cloth diapers. I'm having a hard time grasping the concept too.

My daughter wanted some wet bags since she's just starting this whole cloth diapering thing. She was using disposables before and recently discovered that she could be even more of a hippy by going with cloth and doing more of the one household chore she hates: laundry.

What's a mama to do but sew some cloth diaper wet bags for her little girl and make her a happy mommy.  I do enjoy spoiling my girls with whatever they want from my sewing room!

I picked up some PUL at the fabric store a while back. I was going to make her some wet bags before she started using cloth diapers but I was thinking of swim suits and that type of wet stuff. it's nice to have a place to store wet things especially if you take a trip to the beach, pool or splash pad. I guess she can use these wet bags for that purpose too. Wet is wet.

PUL is polyurethane laminate. It's fabric that is sprayed with plastic. Nicely water resistant! It's also not cheap. It's not so expensive that it is out of reach, but you don't want to waste any, that's for sure.

I made four wet bags for Katie of varying sizes, and one bag that would hold a small item or some wipes. Two of the bags I used just the PUL and two of the bags I used scrap fabrics on the exterior and PUL as an interior lining. One bag was lucky enough to get an outside pocket for dry items. That was her idea, and I was nearly done sewing them when she told me that a dry pocket would be nice, so only one bag ended up with a pocket.

All of them have a plastic zipper. The zippers are all from my stash and so they are whatever I had on hand, not necessarily the best color choices and not all of them heavy duty sports zippers. That would have been ideal.

Anyway, the wet bags were simple. They are just rectangles with a zipper. I didn't use the serger on the bags because the PUL sort of hugs the needle and I thought the last thing I need is a serger problem, it's a finicky machine. I just used the sewing machine. I doubt there will be any fraying issues.

I also added a loop for carrying or hanging on the stroller. Since the wet bags will be filled with wet diapers, they might be kind of heavy and the loop might need to be strong if she uses it to function as more than a decorative touch. Because it will be utilized to hold a lot of weight, I made the standard tube out of fabric, and then threaded an athletic shoe string through the middle of it. That should be durable!

I enjoyed making the bags. They're cute and practical. Plus, they were easy and a nice break from my other sewing project in progress. Plus, I made my daughter very happy! She is such a good mommy to her sons that I don't get much of a chance to help out. Seems she handles parenting with such ease.