Yes Life gets crazy and I don't get to update the blog like I would like .
i try to update the facebook page as much as I can.
But I will strive to do a revamp on this blog in the next few months.
Please go to dressagirlaroundtheworld.com for all the patterns and info about this wonderful organization.
Here is a link to the updated tutorial for making a dress form a pillowcase. but pease follow guidelines also on this site to truly make the best dress for a special little girl.
http://webzoom.freewebs.com/dressagirlaroundtheworld/dress%20pattern/Dressinstructions.pdf.

I will strive to post updates here at least once a week.
this week 150 dresses were picked up by Kim Soper and will be travelling to the ukraine and Uganda in June. So stay tuned to see the smiles of little girls enjoying there new dresses.
Thank you for all those that sew and support Dress a girl around the world here in Pennsylvania. i couldn't do it without all of your support.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.334156793294211.78472.133035066739719&type=3

Boo Boos Bows is having a Fundraiser for Dress a Girl PA , to pay for shipping to groups in PA and general supplies. All proceeds from Dresses and Shorts rompers will go to Dress a girl. Boo Boos Bows are making no Money from these. Cost is just covering materials and all profits are going to the Dress a girl Charity. 

So you get to buy a cute dress or romper for your little one . while supplying the means to supply a dress for a child in need. 

These are just some of the dresses  rompers available ( in limited quantities) 

Dresses are $20 + $4 shipping  matching hair accessories can be purchased for $5 extra.

shorts rompers are $23 + 4 shipping 

sizes newborn-8 years old are available.

I Love Shabby Apple

Shabby Apple are one of my favorite Clothing company. Thier dresses are amazing and modest styles too. And so many style, designs for all body types , ages. If you are in the market for a new dress for yourself or your little girl this is the place to go.
They contacted me and said they were willing to donate 5% of sales generated from a link on my page. What a generous donation. So please use the link at the right of this page  if you want to check out this great site.
Thank you Shabby Apple you ae the best it will help us so much to be able to mail dresses to other groups in PA and sending patterns to people all over PA. We now have some Mennonite and Amish communitys involved who don't have access to computers so we mail patterns to them. And other individuals without internet access. and we will also use it for supplies.

Great Day at PA Dress A Girl

Sorry I have been lacking in keeping up with the blog. I have been updating on Facebook . But not here.
We had a great day today with our sew along we were joined By students from Bucknell University  for part of their Day of service. we sewed, sorted pressed and cut and threaded.
and some students sewed for the very first time.
I was also Interviewed by our local Newspaper too. So I am super excited to have the word spread about dress a girl in the PA area. and hope to have more sewing groups started, and have more groups contact us when they are traveling over seas.
This was my first major sewing event since My Cancer diagnosis, so I am pretty tired tonight. But I am excited to still be able to work with such a great charity.

Blog update. Wow where do I start.

I thought I had better update my Blog. I looked at the date of the last one and it was 28th of March! And then I was just thinking I had back pain and some mild hyperglycemia .

Little would I know that 4 days later my world would be turned upside down.w
When I went to the dr to be checked out as I wasn't feeling good. It blows my mind to think that here I am saying that I have cancer!
It has been a interesting few weeks as I deal with chemo, Medications , blood tests and other medical tests and all the side effects.
But as I take it easy I have still been reading all the posts about Dress a Girl around the world and all the dresses being distributed . We have a group traveling to Nicaragua  in May, who will be taking 50-80 dresses .
So all you local sewers I have dresses ready in various stages to finish up contact me if you are interested in taking some to sew.

I will be doing some sewing for me in the next couple of weeks. As I am losing my hair through the Chemo. Which is emotional Journey in itself. I have tried to stay positive through all of this. And I know that I have a Heavenly Father that loves me for who ever I am.And Friends and family too who love me know matter what.But I didn't know how emotionally hard the hairloss thing would be.
So Today I ordered my first wig. and the other day I ordered a cotton sleep cap, and some headscarfs. But they can be so expensive. So I thought there has to be a pattern out there to sew them. So I searched and found a mcalls pattern. So when it comes I will be sewing away to have hats and headscarfs for every outfit .

I know I can find headscarfs at thrift stores to, but right now I can't go anywhere my immune system is pretty bad . My white blood count was down to a 1 last friday, ( 4 is considered low) and came up to a 2 today. But I have to be so careful.So can't go to public places and being around a lot of people, and wear a mask when I do go out. My Dr pretty much put me on bedrest for a few days. As my mediport area needed to heal too. My platelets are really low too which means I am more prone to bleeding.
Well I know this too shall pass and I will have the energy and time to sew soon and find some cute head scarfs and hats at thrift stores. So no thrift store shopping for me for a while.
But I count my blessings every day. This could be so much worse. They have caught the cancer early and it is low grade non Hodgkins Lymphoma. And they hope the 5-6 chemo treatments will fight this disease. My next treatment is this Friday the 29th of April..

I will continue to be strong and fight to and Love life and live it to it's fullest and when I have the energy I will Sew Sew Sew!!

My Addiction got the better of me! oh my aching Back

So here is something I don't reccomend.
Sitting on the floor cutting.
Let me tell you about the events of  my last few Days.

So I gathered up my fabrics on Thursday and sat down on the floor and started cutting some dresses out. Before I knew it 2 hours had gone by. Then there came my problem. I  stood up and my back was aching and just not feeling great. So I had dinner then laid down on the couch. Then  I went to move a heavy laundry basket into my daughters Room. So I lift it up and promptly dropped it and cryed out in pain. As pain shot down my leg and up my back.
So I slept on it ( not very well) then was very tender. But had already planned to go to a friends house for a couple of days. And thought I would be fine and the break away would be good for my mental health.
My friends kept telling me how pale I was and I just kept on going taking Aleeve and  wearing Bengay pain patches on my back. I kept thinking if I sit a while, then walk awhile, then lay down a while all will be good.

Well to cut a long story short my friend who rode with me, had to drive me home in my car .
Then I finally got to the Chiropractor Saturday night ( who is a family friend) . And He was shocked I survived the weekend. I was in bad shape. My body was pretty much in shock that was why I was so pale. He also said he is often dealing with clients  especially around the holidays as they sit on the floor and wrap presents.

So let this be a lesson to all of you .
One look after yourselves first. So you are then in a position to help others.
And the biggest thing DO NOT SIT ON THE FLOOR FOR 2 HOURS CUTTING.
So here I am laying around and trying to take it easy for a couple of days. No sewing for me. But who said you can't lay flat on your back and thread elastic in Dresses:-)

Simplicity Bias maker and other goodies

So I head to Walmart today, because I had a $25 gift certificate to use. So I head to the sewing department ( surprise surprise) and I was actually going to pick up a thread box and some new yarn to knit something.
But what do I see but the Simplicity Bias tape maker! it was $60. So I thought ok I actually will only have to pay $35 so I thought thats not bad.
So I bring it home and couldn't wait to plug it in and try it with some of the strips I cut the other day from Sheets . So there were no seams or anything. So I wind it on the spool, then let it heat up and set it all up and it started running. It had a little bit of a faulty start, but started feeding out great bias tape.
So I go eat lunch and put some groceries away. Then go back to my tape maker. Plug it back in, and let it heat up again, and wind the fabric onto the spool . And I was using the same fabric as earlier. And I let it run. But I had to push down on the top for it to feed through automatically. and it kept getting caught up inside.
Now I am not saying It isn't good I will continue to play with it . And use different settings etc and different fabrics. It's a great concept and I think I like it, But not totally in love yet.
I also picked up the Threading gadget that Janine mentions on Dress a Girl Connecticut.

Now what I am in love with is the Goodwill Thrift store. Although sometimes their prices can be a little high than others on their clothes. But their linens and fabrics are pretty good.

I know what your all thinking right now with all the donations etc why am I still looking. Well because they have some great stuff and I am addicted LOL.
I picked up more white  pillowcases  to be tie dyed and some other great pillowcases and  fabrics, with lots of yardage.

These fabrics are so fun . And with the one on the right I have some great really bright Pink Ribbon for the straps that matches perfectly. What is it with new fabrics that motivates you so much? I just love the start to finish process of taking fabrics and seeing what you can make.

 I'm off to sew