Monday, November 9, 2009

Dress Number One!

Here's Kellen's dress completed. Her bodice and the band around the hem are velvet with pin tucks sewn. The trim at her neckline is from an antique linens' store. I tea-dyed it so it the white flowers would be more off-white. I mimicked the flowers in this trim when I made the large one, which is made from really wide off-white satin ribbon, tied with narrow blue satin ribbon. I'm doing something a little weird with the lining of these dresses. I don't want to waste the wonderful feel of the satin lining, so I'm turning it so that its soft lusciousness is next to the kids' bodies. I hand stitched the bottom of the lining in Kellen's dress to the bottom of the band.




I see that I need to press this dress again. It got wrinkled when I took it to the nursing home to show my mother. Please keep her in your prayers. She is really having a rough time lately. I'm not quite sure what's up with her. She's not following the usual pattern for a normal UTI. So, there must be more going on. The nurse told me last night that this may be a new stage of Alzheimer's. We've never really thought she had this horrible disease, but I'm beginning to think that perhaps she does. She isn't reacting to it the same way my mother-in-law has, but I guess everyone is different.
Mother thought that her mother's cousins had been to see her yesterday morning. She thought she could see my grand-daughter, Jenna, getting in a car all by herself. She thought she had been to Nashville to a meeting. She tried calling people last night. I had to go to the nursing home late last night and hide her phone. I just told her that her phone was broken. I wouldn't care if she just tried to call me, my sister, my brother, etc..... but she has been known to call friends of hers and even 911 on two occasions. This would be funny if it wasn't so sad. Sometimes I have to laugh to keep from crying.
She ordinarily only does these kinds of things when she is in the beginning stages of a UTI. Usually, a day or two after the doctor starts her on an antibiotic, this stops. This time, though, it stopped for about a week, started again, stopped for two days, and has started again in full force. She's still on her antibiotic, and the doctor actually started her on a second one a couple of days ago. This could mean that her body has become resistant to these antibiotics.
I didn't mean to go into all of this, but it makes me feel better to share it.
I only have a couple of details left to do on Jenna's and Riley's dresses, and on Little Man's suit. I'm now ready to put little Emory's dress together. I should finish today. I'll post about the rest of these soon.
This is what I did last night after getting back from the nursing home, to relive some stress. I sorted all my buttons by color. It took me until 2:00 am, but I'm so glad I did it. I needed to do this forever ago. Some of these are leftover from my grandmother's collection of buttons. It doesn't look like so many now that they are all sorted, but when I was trying to find one certain color, size, etc.. amongst all of them mixed together, it seemed like LOTS!

12 comments:

Zep said...

I was just saying last night how much my mom drives me crazy sometimes...but...I take a deep breath and say at least she's here to drive me crazy. When my MIL was alive and she would call - I would see her name on the caller ID and say to myself I just don't have time right now because our conversations would sometimes last an hour or longer. She's been gone for almost 8 years now. Oh how I wish my phone would ring so I could talk to her again. We don't realize how precious things are in our lives until they are gone.

Last year I started separating my sons legos in the different colors because he can't build things and just leave them - he has to take them apart and rebuild into something different. He has TONS of little pieces. It took me forever to put the different colors together...so I know what you felt like last night.

I really love watching your progress on your sewing projects! They are always so beautiful!

Kim said...

The dress is beautiful- what treasures these will be for them later in life. I still have some handmade clothes my Mom made for me and I love them so much. I will keep your Mother and you in my prayers. It is so hard to watch our parents age. The buttons look so pretty all sorted into colors! Have a lovely day Julia!!

Myra said...

Beautiful dress! Great button sorting. I so need to clean the sewing area, but can't seem to. Woder why?

gwensews said...

That is a very lovely dress. I wouldn't have thought of pintucking velvet. What a great idea! I love that you're not using traditional Christmas colors, but going with that gorgeous chocolate brown.

So sorry your mom is having difficulties. Dealing with elderly and all of their issues is so draining and stressful on the family. It is a very difficult time. I know you feel so totally helpless. Take a deep breath, and know that what will be, will be, and take one day at a time. Blessings to your mother, and to you.

Susan said...

Oh Julia, I'm so sorry to hear that your mother isn't doing well. I know how hard it is to see a once strong parent decline like this. Hugs and prayers being sent to you and your mother!

Gail said...

Oh Julia I'm sorry to hear that your Mum is still doing poorly. I've just finished reading Amy Tan's The Bone Setters Daughter which among other things is about a middle aged woman coming to terms with her mother's dementia. It's quite redemptive, beautiful and cheering in these situations.

Chicago Sarah said...

That dress is beautiful- I couldn't see the pintucking very well on my work computer but now I'm home- wow! Hope your mom has a better week this week- thinking of you.

Kathy said...

beautiful dress Julia! love those colors together.

May God Bless your family in this trying time with your Mom...lots of prayers to you!

Trudy said...

That is a magnificent dress. I love all of the details.

I'm so sorry to hear about your mom. I know this must be very hard for you. I will pray for her. And don't worry about sharing whatever is on your heart. I'm sure no one minds. You are among friends.

What a great idea to sort the buttons by color. I never thought to do that. I just always have to hunt.

~~louise~~ said...

Oh Julia, what a lovely dress. As trying as these times may be, the spirit still lives in our hearts, another baby step forward. You and yours are in my prayers.

Thank you so much for sharing... I have tons of buttons, but I don't sew:) I think I'll sort:)

Tanya said...

The dress is beautiful. I will keep your Mother in my prayers. Good job with the buttons, I wish I had that kind of button stash.

window dressing said...

Julia I absolutely loved the dress and I missed the opportunity to comment on your other post so I have to tell you now that the little boy's suit is so adorable. I love the tie and even the vest. They are both beautiful made.

I was very saddened to hear about your mom not doing too well. I will keep your whole family in my thoughts and prayers. I fully understand about needing to keep hands and mind busy when a loved one is ill. I once sewed a whole outfit from begining to end in one shot when my dad was ill because I needed to occupy my time with something that would not let me go nuts. Alot of times I see "the ability to sew" as a gift from God.

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