Wednesday, November 26, 2008

I love it when pants come together

The fly zipper on the pants I'm making turned out to be not too hard. It's the first fly zipper I've ever done; fortunately, the instructions were fairly easy to follow and I didn't have to rip any seams out. There was a lot of basting but I'm learning that basting is a good thing :)

There's a wide, contoured waistband on these pants that is supposed to be cut so that the straight grain is horizontal in center front and back. You might remember that I'm using a herringbone fabric with several different gray warp fibers, giving the fabric a subtle stripe. I had actually cut the waistband out with the grain as designed but then I realized that this wouldn't be all that flattering. I've made that mistake before: the horizontal stripe in front goes downward at the sides and makes my belly look bigger. I don't need my clothes helping my belly look bigger :)

So I recut the outer waistband on the bias (adding a seam in center back) which will look soooooo much better. I can still use the previously-cut lining pieces because the grain of the lining isn't so important; as well, the straight grain (and interfacing on the outer fabric) will help to stabilize the outer waistband. Hopefully I'll finish the pants tomorrow, if I'm up early enough. I think (hope) that they're going to look good.

Of course I'm still making pattern grading adjustments to another dress (a kimono-sleeved empire waist with a full-ish gored skirt) and I want to start work on grading up a top or two. So much sewing, so little time! I wish I was faster at all this ... then again, if I actually spent a few hours in the sewing room each day instead of once in a while, I'd get so much more done.

I appreciate all of the support you've given me since I've been feeling down. It might be time for a new antidepressant, or it could be the time of year (it is gray out there with all of the snow, and there's less light). One thing that's definitely contributing is the uptick in pain I've been experiencing in the mets in my sternum. The pain isn't so bad that I need to take breakthrough painkillers (although even extra Tylenol helps) but it's now this constant, low-level ache with occasional extra twinges of pain. Add to this the pain in my leg and I've got a recipe for depression.

I know I should see a doctor about the pain and I will, eventually. I'd expect my family doctor to increase my pain meds, but if I don't quite need breakthrough medications, it's hard to increase the fentanyl. The mets pain could be from the Pamidronate, I guess, or I could be developing a tolerance to the fentanyl, maybe. I see my oncologist in early February and I'll definitely talk to her about this then. I don't understand how I can have pain in the sternal mets if the mets themselves are stable and not growing - unless the pain is because the bone is growing over the mets. Anyways, if the pain gets a lot worse  I'll call my family doctor.

Heck, maybe changing my antidepressants will make the pain go away :)

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