Poodle Skirt!

Been playing around with the sewing  machine again. 

Actually.. this was by request of Sarah.  Each year in February, her class (well, the elementary) goes to the Surf Ballroom  and tours the Museum.   The Surf was the location of the last performances by Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and the Big Bopper.  On January 3, 1959, they were on the Winter Dance Party Tour and their plane crashed just five miles out of our town of Clear Lake, IA while they were en route to Moorhead, MN.   There is more on the story via Wikipedia. 

Anyways, Sarah wanted a poodle skirt last year when they went, just that we didn't have the money for one at the time.  She asked again this year and after doing all those quilts, you'd think I'd be sick of my sewing machine, but I did have some fabric left and figured that I'd google a pattern and try to make one.   I was talking with a friend about them, and asked her on if she'd think they would sell on the "FB Garage sale sites" in our area.  With the Family Sock Hop being about 2 weeks away, along with the Winter Dance Party Celebration, she gave me a big thumbs up and said I better get sewing incase there's a huge demand for them. 

The Hot pink one is for Sarah and boy was she VERY HAPPY when she got home and I had her try it on!  The smile on her face was priceless.

This pink one is what I put up on our garage sales sites... and it was only up for an hour when some asked for one in Red and little bit larger.  I'm sending Tom to JoAnn Fabrics tomorrow to pick up some fabric (and it's 50% off this week!) and more elastic... and a big cardboard box so that I can use it to make a few different sized patterns. 

Abby is Home!

Sorry for the delay in this post.. but Abby came home on Sunday!  Just in time to ring in the New Year!

I don't know how long the Stint will be in, sounds like they are just playing it by ear for now.

Thank you all again for your prayers and well wishes!  Here's hoping for a full recovery!

A Gift for Lilly

I just finished up one of Lilly's Christmas presents.  This fits a twin sized bed.  

This quilt has a double meaning, to me at least.  First, I made it just for Lilly, so it's something that she (hopefully) will be able to use and hold on to for a loooong time. Second, I did this pattern in High School during my Sophomore year.  My grandmother, Jeannette, helped me with it one weekend when she was staying at our house.  She was a quilter herself and did many many of them through out the years (she even made dresses for my mom when she was younger, and made some doll clothes for me one year) Anyways, she passed away in 2001, my Junior year of High School.  I know that she's smiling down on me tonight and enjoying my creations, and proud that I am sharing with my daughter my love for quilting like she did with me.  I wish I had more time with her to learn a few tricks, but I'm picking up some as I go and learn myself. 

The pattern that inspired this design is called "Windmill"  Mine uses 4 fabrics, where I have seen some use only 2 or 3.  Some other examples are here and here.  The blocks are approx 16" square. After doing all the individual blocks, I decided to use an idea that the manager at JoAnn Fabrics in Mason City gave me when I purchased the fabric.  Ok, his words were "Are you making a rag quilt?" and that got me thinking.  So, I did the rest of the quilt in the rag style, modified since my squares are bigger than the average ones.  I used a thicker batting in between the top piece, and then a solid color piece (either in black, white or pink) made a sandwich, and then sewed them together down the middle and side to side.. so a big + sign. then, I sewed it so that on the backside, you don't see the seams/edges, but the front side you do.  Let me tell ya, it was a PITA getting the pattern to match up as closely as possible since the 2 solid colors were back to back. I did not take the time to fray the edges, mainly because I didn't have a chance to buy one of those spring action scissors and my fabric scissors that I have won't cut the 1/2 inch of fabric (they are sharper on the the inside part vs the outside, if that makes any sense lol)  But I figure in time it will fray.  There is a black border around the outside edge that adds another 2 1/2 inches on both sides. 

Abby Update..more surgeries..

Please everyone, keep those prayers coming that Abby gets better soon.  The only details that I have is that she had surgery again today, and will have another one either Friday or Monday to put in a permanent drain tube for her head.

sorry everyone that doesn't know: I was woken up this morning to things are great fever has come down and white blood cells are going down. then i get woke up a few hours later to we're taking your daughter back in for surgery. they put the drain tube back in. they thought maybe the infection was coming from the old one. so they opened it up and they said it wasn't like they thought. so they think her h

ead can't take the pressure she is not releasing it like she should be so that's why the old wound wasn't healing like it should have. so now as far as i know by Dr. Wilson is that she will have surgery again Friday or next Monday to put in a permanent drain tube. so that took all out of me. i cried like a baby. i hate to see my baby girl go through all this and them just keep chopping up her head like it is nothing.

Abby Update and Prayers for Jackie

I found out on Sunday (well, the family did) that Abby has an infection in her spinal fluid. She was hooked up to an IV to run antibiotics for the next 10-14 days :( so she will not be home for Christmas. The hospital has been so kinda and Santa has even stopped at her room a few times since being transferred to a regular room, but the family is planning on having a "mini Christmas" at the hospital, and then doing their actual Christmas once Abby is able to return home.

Here is the update that I got from Christina (her mom) today :UPDATE: abby just got a semi iv put in. they are gonna give her antibiotics for 10-14 days. so looks like she wont be home for christmas maybe not even new years :(

On Monday, Abby had surgery again.  Tom talked with her dad and they said something about Cranial Leakage, I didn't get all the details on it. 

On top of that, our cousin April (I work with her at the gas station, and she took care of our kids when we went down to help with the room) went down to Davenport Sunday night to see the family. She has her own pre-surgery (kidney stone removal) appointment in Iowa City Monday. Anyways, her and her mom arrived at the house and the kids were really excited to show them the rooms in person.. And her mom took a fell backwards down their stairs (the stairs are horrible in that house.. People with small feet are ok, but the house was built in like 1862 or something and the stairs go up about 7 feet and then curve up, and where it curves the steps themselves are really narrow compared to the stairs on the straight part) anyways, so my cousin's mom was rushed to the Davenport ER, they did xrays and such. She hit her head, shoulder, knee. I guess Kaylee (the 8 year old) tried to "catch" her and took a tumble too, but other than minor bruises she's OK.  April said that her mom is OK, xrays showed nothing broke, but she's very sore and her knee is swollen.  Sounds to me like the doctors just said put some ice on it and they sent her home. 

The picture below is of Kaylee (age 8) sitting in the ER with April and her mom, Jackie. 

If anyone would like to take the time to send a Christmas card, or a get well card to Abby and/or her family, I am posting their address again. 

Abby Alcala (and family)

1903 W 2nd Street 

Davenport, IA 52802

The Girl's Room.. and more prayers needed!

Tom and I went back down to Davenport on Wednesday night.. we got there around 11.  Mark and Christina were able to swap places with his parents so that they could help us with the painting.  Mark's parents stayed the night in Iowa City with Abby.  Before we left for Davenport, we were being told that Abby would be released that night, pending if her fever came back or not.  She had got a flu shot on Monday and then spiked a fever that night.  The fever had gone away by Tuesday night, so they were waiting 24 hours as a precaution.    She did not come home Wednesday.  Then had a 50% chance of being home by Friday.  It is now Sunday, and she still isn't home :(  The fever came back.  They ran a bunch of tests including a Spinal Tap, and discovered that she has an infection.  This is the latest update from Christina : BAD NEWS- abby had to have a spinal tap done today and the results are that she has some kind of infection. waiting to hear the final answer.  theres alot of stuff that needs to be done she might not be home for christmas:(

Please take a moment to send well thoughts and wishes.  Since they were expecting her to be home, they packed up most of the gifts that were sent.. I got a chance to go through some of the cards that were sent, and the family would like me to let everyone know that they are greatly appreciated, and something that Abby will hold on to forever.  I'm going to make a mini scrapbook for Abby of the pictures that have been taken and the FB status updates, blog comments and such, and the cards will be added to this scrapbook. 

On a positive note, the room is done. We all primed the room Wednesday night, and then spent all day Thursday painting.  Tom and I left Thursday night (friday morning I guess...) at 12am, and was back in Mason City by 5am. 

This room all 4 girls will share for the time being.  They have 2 sets of bunk beds that were received as gifts (One was from our Cousin April, who stayed in Mason and watched Sarah and Ashley for us; the other from from a local friend of theirs) 

Once the other bedroom is done, then just the 2 older girls will be in this one, and the younger 2 in the other one. 

Here is Vivi (3) Helping out

Mark painting on the TV Wall

Christina touching up the purple

 Here's Vivi :) 

Tom painting in a peace sign

Kaylee's Wall.  Everything but the giant peace sign and the "peace" was cut from my circut.  "Peace" was freehanded to match the font for their names. 

TV Wall

Kenzie's wall.  Heart/Peace was done freehand

 I wanted to put something special in the room since that all 4 will be sharing for the time being, and since they are all close to eachother, I thought this fit perfectly. "Sisters are Forever" is the Brush Script Font, used SCAL and the cricut to cut out.

Once Abby gets home, her handprint will be added to the wall. 

Paintings by the Girls

So, while walking around Hobby Lobby yesterday looking for things to make our snowmen out of baby food jars, I wandered to the art section and picked up 3 11x14 canvas's figuring that the girls could occupy themselves painting them after we did the snowmen.  

This is what they made... 

Sarah - she made this for her mom as a Christmas Gift :)

Ashley

Lilly

This is one that Ashley did last week for her Grandma Hall

Happy Abby News!!!

They removed the "brain drain" from Abby today!!

Doctors say she can go home on Wednesday!!!

Thank you so much for all your thoughts and prayers!!! Looks like she'll be home for Christmas!  

From my understanding, the doctors were waiting to see how her speech was and if the tumor had any impact on it.. since she's usually a gabber and didn't really talk a whole lot after removing the tumor... well that changed like almost over night.. she's been non stop talking :) 

Her dad has been working hard on the room, and almost has all the walls up... just need to mud and paint afterwards... Tom and I are still planning on going down on Wednesday night and staying till Friday morning, I turned in my baby bucks through Hyvee and got a $50 gift card that's good at Hyvee Gas, so we're going to use that to help fill the truck up to get down there.  And our cousin, April, made a deal with one of the furniture places in town and got 2 sets of bunk bed and 4 mattresses, and they are letting her do a payment plan for them!   All that's left is Sheets and comforters for the 4 girls, which I'm hoping that if I can sell one of my viking quilts that I'll be able to pick them up before we go down there.