And Sew It Goes...

Mom was in Chicago most of this week, so we didn't go to the studio Friday. Dan works Saturdays and most of the T and I will go to Mom and Dad's to hang out. With Mom gone, I needed something to occupy me. I decided I'd get back to sewing. I'd finished a bunch of hours during the week for one of my freelancing jobs, so I didn't want to be on the computer.

I first made Troy a lounging outfit. It's out of this precious bug and lizard double knit. It was my first time dealing with knits, but it was pretty easy. The t-shirt turned out to be waaay too big (I always forget that you can't count on a pattern's sizing charts). So, I made him a sleeveless shirt, instead. I did it all my hand - I didn't have a pattern. I looked over a tank he already has and then I just cut out my pattern. Well, I turned the fabric around and found there was a square of fabric missing. Great... So, I had to do some adjusting. It wound up making it look more like a girls' top, but who cares. It's for hanging around, not for entering a Manliness contest.

I also made him a button-down shirt and shorts. I never thought I'd be able to do the shirt without Mom's help, but I did it! I couldn't believe I did so well. The collar-setting was actually really easy once I read the instructions over a bit to figure out what they're saying. It fits perfectly. I'm thrilled with it and now know I can do lots of things if I can make a shirt like that and it doesn't look like the one Vanessa did for Theo on The Cosby Show.

On a sadder note, we also got some terrible news from my Uncle Bill. It seems that my Ant K's cancer has come back, full-throttle. It's ravaging her organs and is now terminal. My Uncle Bill's diabetes is also to the point where he is most-likely going to have his legs taken very soon and his heart is functioning only at 50%. This devastates me, because the Whitlocks are a very, very special family to me and my family. Ant K has always felt like "the future me" - like she is what I'm going to be like when I get older. Uncle Bill is the coolest, too. And their kids, Billy and Christi, are great. They're all such kind-hearted, good people that are also tons of fun. Even though Billy and Christi are quite a bit older than me for being 1st cousins (Billy is the beginning of our generation of the Moody-Joneses and I'm the end, with a near 20 year gap), we share a special bond. I can't imagine the pain that they are dealing with seeing their parents going through so much. I love them all dearly and the pain in my heart just grows and grows as I think more and more about it.

Well, here are the pictures of the new outfits. I hope you enjoy.

Love,

Casey