Costume Sewing Pattern Sale at GoofingOff Sewing

I can't believe it is  time again for the Annual Costume Sewing Pattern Sale at GoofingOff Sewing. This year all costume sewing patterns are a big 50% off. All of them....and they are going fast. Here's a sampling:

Simplicity 0237 Wonder Woman, Batgirl, and Supergirl patterns in size 3-8, uncut

Simplicity 0241 The Avengers Thor costume for Men and Boys UNCUT

Simplicity 3782 Misses' Elizabethan Costumes in size 14-20 UNCUT

Simplicity 9257 Dog Costumes Uncut 

There's lot more costume patterns to choose from, all 50% off for the sale, then they go back to full price.
Stop by to get your favorites before they are gone.

Post by Eileen of GoofingOff Sewing

After Irma: Downed Power Lines, Cement Poisoning, and a Sore Butt

The tree that took out the power

Hurricane Irma came and went but what a mess she left in her wake! We were very lucky....we didn't get the Category 4 winds or a storm surge that the islands and South Florida did...however, some of our trees came down. The picture is a tree that came down in the barnyard and took out our power. The tree is approximately 60+ feet...a monster. I am grateful it didn't go down on the barn or the house....they would have been destroyed. The fun stuff comes, though, since we are responsible to get the monster out of the yard so the power company can run power lines again.

The meter pole was undamaged....good for us....but the hubby decided to concrete it in, which he did. Our price.....cement poisoning to his hand in a couple of places. A disclaimer....I didn't know anything about cement poisoning...nada, nothing. I do now. I now know it is a chemical burn caused by the alkaline chemicals in cement and it continues to burn EVEN WHEN THE CEMENT IS REMOVED FROM THE SKIN.  Yes, sorry, I am yelling. So what did we do? Burn antibiotic ointment, clean bandages, mild acid soak (vinegar and water) to neutralize the chemicals from the cement. Luckily it is healing well and we avoided a trip to the ED. I also found the best way to treat cement poisoning is prevention....gloves....flush the area with water.....soak in vinegar.

Back to the tree.....the chainsaws are going and cutting up the monster. The tree will be firewood this winter so at least it won't go to waste.

The tree in sections to be carried off

The limbs from the tree

Oh, the sore butt? That is from carrying in the plants from the yard to protect them from Irma's wind. I am a firm believer that body parts are supposed to work without letting you know about the process or mechanism. It is when something happens, like an injury, that you become aware of the part...acutely aware.....like breathing should be easy and never difficult, the heart should beat without pain.....Well, while carrying the big ponytail palm tree into the house I discovered my sciatic nerve...or maybe the muscle in the butt. I was happy to know it was there without having to know exactly where.
It's better now, though. I can get back to doing what I do best.....GoofingOff.
Post by Eileen Patterson of GoofingOff Sewing

Water, Laundry, And Banana Nut Bread: Getting Ready for Hurricane Irma

I've been mentally practicing disaster drills since I first saw the destruction Hurricane Camille left on the Mississippi Gulf Coast back in the 1970's.  Over and over I go through the drill....water, food, keep the freezer full, storm shutters or plywood over the windows, important phone numbers close by, important papers easy to get to. With Irma projected to hit the majority of Florida tomorrow I guess  I will be put to the test.

Latest projected path for Category 4 Irma. The red line goes over my house. 

Whether or not to evacuate is a big decision the hubby and I thought over. The line of cars coming from south Florida goes for miles. The cars creep along the highway at 20 miles an hour.  Gas is in short supply.

Cars on US 19 going north....a back road to the Panhandle and Tallahassee. The line extends more than 20 miles south.

We are staying put. The last place I want to be is in my car when the storm hits.

We live in an area that isn't close to the shore or low lying. Our home is a house, a solid built one (hopefully) that can take long hours of the winds that are predicted. We have pets....three dogs...that are not welcome at the shelters. And, most importantly, the hubby says he's not leaving and I am not leaving without him. Then again, I could knock him out and drag him along....maybe not. It would be quite a task.

Today is last minute prep day. Cleaning and filling the tubs with fresh water for drinking, washing, and flushing toilets. Laundry. Baking my favorite banana bread recipe. Stop laughing. Carbs that taste good will help a bit.

I am more than a little concerned for our friends who live on the coast. Hurricane Hermine (a category 1) swamped the little seaside town of Suwannee. Some friends had 6 feet of standing water in the house while others had their homes moved off their foundations by the storm surge.

I have more than a few hand workable projects to keep me busy and quell the fear I feel inside.

I will post more later. Keep us in your prayers.
Post by Eileen Patterson of GoofingOff Sewing

GoofingOff's Very First Halloween Pumpkin Challenge

Inspiration comes in the strangest places. Magazines, Pinterest, and Etsy are all good places to find great ideas to inspire but this time a trip to the dollar store got my creative juices going. 

I found this cute foam pumpkin....12 in a pack....8 inches wide by 6 inches tall. I thought Templates! OK, templates. What to make with the pumpkin template.......How about a quilted wall hanging? Why not? A wall hanging would be fun when the grands come over before Halloween.

While walking around I also found bats and thought I could incorporate the bats into the design. 

I decided to leave the pumpkin orange...like a coloring book....and make him (her?) a jack-o'lantern. I used some black scraps for the face....in triangles as if I was cutting a pumpkin. I used a piece of green fabric for the stem. 

I made a few bats in different sizes to give it dimension. After making myself crazy about what color background to use I decided on a white print. I machine zig zagged BOO on another fabric scrap then backed it with black and white stripe. I found a stitch pattern on my machine that looks like bats (at least they look like bats to me) and sewed the sign in place.  The sash and binding were made with spooky eyes on black. The eyes glow in the dark. How cool is that?

I overall machine quilted the quilt. The bats and pumpkin were thread painted with machine embroidery thread. 

Not fancy but still cute enough to bring a smile to the grandkids faces. 

So, here's the challenge. Use the pumpkin. The pumpkins are available at the local Dollar Tree or use the picture and copy it. Make a wall hanging, table runner, pot holder, mask, or anything that you want to do. Any color. Let your creative juices run wild. When you get them done we will post the pictures on the blog and Facebook to show them off. 

The challenge will run until Halloween. 

Have fun!

Post by Eileen Patterson of GoofingOff Sewing. 

GoofingOff At The Sisterhood of the Traveling Quilt Shop Hop

I promised more about the shop hop so here goes.
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Quilts went to seven quilt shops, Rainbow's End in Dunedin, Inspire!  in Plant City, Nancy's Quilt Shop in Winter Garden, Boutique 4 Quilters in Melbourne, Bernina Sewing Center in Lake Mary, and Seaside Sewing & Quilts in New Smyrna Beach. We started and ended in Lake City at the Fabric Art Shop.
Every shop had beautiful fabrics, patterns, and goodies to brighten our day. The best part...at least for me...was the incredible quilts I saw and the exchange of ideas and knowledge among the members of the group.
I posted the links to the shops so click on the pictures to check out them out.

My buddy, Karen Albert (incredible long arm quilter) at the Corkscrew, a winery in Ocala...our first stop.

Beautiful Judaic fabric from Rainbow's End in Dunedin, FL. 

Cute Halloween pattern and ideas at Inspire! in Plant City, FL

I think just about everyone who has seen this quilt has fallen in love with it. This was displayed at Nancy's Quilt Shop in Winter Garden. 

Boutique 4 Quilters in Melbourne, Florida

Cute thread catcher made with an embroidery hoop . 

Amazing quilt.

I love this quilt from the Bernina Sewing Centre.

Check out the flowers! They grow without water....or sunlight. 

I have to make this. 

Just right for the bathroom door, don't you think?

I love this. One block would make a great wall hanging. Not too difficult.....I think

So, I learned how this is done. I am so psyched.  It is on display at Seaside Sewing & Quilts. Doesn't mean I will get it right but now I know the process. Got to try it.  

 Our last stop before Lake City and home was at Sweet Pete's in Jacksonville.....an incredible candy store.

Candy flowers....a feast for the eye and our sweet teeth.

Here I am with a couple of members of the Springhouse Quilters Guild, Linda and Melva. 

and clowning around with Shirley at the mouth. Had to get a picture of that. 

And to top it off, Karen won the traveling quilt. Yay!
So, which shop was my favorite? That's hard. I love Rainbow's End but I used to live down that way so I am partial. The folks at the other shops were so friendly and helpful....very important to me when I am shopping for goodies.
That's all for now.
Happy sewing!
Post by Eileen from GoofingOff Sewing on Etsy.

GoofingOff on a Shop Hop

Hi All! Yes, it's been a while but I'm back with lots to tell, things to share, and stuff to show. Before I get too crazy I've got to share my shop hop adventure with everyone. 

For those who've been on shop hops you know how much fun they can be. For those who haven't gone it's like this.....a big shopping trip with the girls where you don't have to drive, you are fed, and get to stay at a nice hotel. Definitely, worth going. Every shop has the nicest folks, discounts ranging from 20-50%, and demonstrations. 

I guess every shop hop has a name and ours was the Sisterhood of the Traveling Quilts. A beautiful quilt was specially made for the Hop to be raffled off at the end of the trip. 

Our shop hop started in Lake City with stops in Ocala, Dunedin, Plant City, Winter Garden, Lake Mary, Melbourne, New Smyrna Beach, and Jacksonville. Seven shops with a winery and chocolate factory, too. That's a lot of driving in 2 days. I am so glad I wasn't driving. 

I joined up the with group from Fabric Art in Lake City, FL. The store is a delight for the senses with beautiful fabrics everywhere....or so it seemed to me. They even had Judaic patterns....totally unexpected and yes, I bought a couple.  The patterns were designed by Rebecca Anderson. 

The patterns are for paper piecing. Not sure how I feel about that, though. hmmm....

Everyone received swag bags with goodies....pens, flashlights, patterns, and most important, fabric. This luscious fat quarter was in my bag. 













If anyone is interested in the patterns I am sure the good folks at Fabric Art can help you out. Judaic patterns, even when they aren't called Judaic, are hard to find. Tell them you heard about the patterns from me. 
Here's the address and phone number:
Fabric Art
4136 W US Hwy 90
Lake City, FL 32055
386-755-0179

I will be posting more about the shop hop. There is so much more to tell. 

New Look Patterns in the Shop

New Look 6899 Misses Skirts and Knit Tops

I love when I find a stash of patterns uncut and ready to list. Here is such a group of patterns. 

New Look 6403 Misses' knit tops and pants 

 Cute dresses, skirts, and tops just right for summer.

New Look 6404  Unisex Knit Tops, pants and shorts

 These gems are uncut and complete. They are all multi-sized so you can custom fit the pattern to your exact measurements.

New Look 6306, bust 31-42 inches

 The patterns are easy to sew with easy to follow directions.

New Look 6328 Misses' Camisole, Skirts in two lengths, and wide legged pants

New Look 6178 Misses' Dresses, Skirts, and Tank Tops

You can find these patterns at GoofingOff Sewing. 

Post by Eileen

New Pattern from Burda

Today I found this cute tote bag pattern from the good folks at Burda.. The bag is adorable! The pattern calls for leather strips and a scarf (if you can part with one of your scarf…fabric is always good).

Click HERE for the pattern.

You’re welcome.

Happy Sewing!

Post by Eileen Patterson of GoofingOff Sewing

Lymphatic Congestion or One Boob is Bigger Than The Other

Good afternoon, everyone! Hope you all are well. Yes, that is a very unusual title. Took me by surprise, too. I don’t know if I told everyone…or anyone outside of Facebook (good place to keep a secret) but I was diagnosed with breast cancer last year soon after I retired from hospital work. I was so caught up with getting things ready for retirement that I forgot about scheduling my mammogram so as soon as things settled down I went in for the mammo.

My heart sunk when I was told I needed more views of my right breast. After the tech took the pictures I knew an ultrasound and possibly a biopsy was in order (she let me look at the pictures. It didn’t look like a cyst). Well, after all was said and done it turned out that I had a 5 mm tumor…an estrogen feeding tumor that didn’t belong. Surgery was indicated followed by radiation treatments….more about that later. The surgery was a partial mastectomy or lumpectomy. “No problems,” they  told me. “We didn’t do anything to your lymph nodes” they said. “Your chances of lymphedema are very slim” I was told so I went on my merry way.

I completed my radiation treatments early November, went up north to visit family for turkey day, then on to Haiti on a medical mission (which was awesome, BTW). Shortly after returning home I noticed swelling of my right boob along with discomfort and dull pain to the axilla (underarm) and around the nipple. I had doctor appointments coming up so I told the doctors about it. They passed it on….did I tell the other oncologist? (Like why would I? I am here!) I finally had enough and called the radiation nurse who said “It sounds like lymphedema.”  WTH! My slim chances became 100%. I then called the lymphedema team at the VA.

What I do have is lymphatic congestion. It is not in my arm, just my right breast. I was taught how to do Lymphatic Massage Drainage (look it up on You Tube. No, you will not see my breast). I already had high impact sports bras (keep the girls in place with a bit of a squish) which helped. I also sleep in a compression t-shirt (Under Armor, short sleeve). I even bought an abdominal binder to really squish the boob and that helped a lot. Reminded me of the movie “Victor/Victoria” with James Garner and Julie Andrews where Julie Andrews played a woman who pretended to be a man who pretended to be a woman. She wore a binder. Kept the girls in place. Good idea.

Well, the congestion is still present but much better after help from my team at the Malcom Randall VAMC in Gainesville, FL so all is well, or better. And why am I telling everyone about this? you might ask. Because I was on Facebook the other night and noticed a post about similar symptoms. I can’t diagnose but I sure can tell her about my experience and use the blog to tell others, too. After all, one boob bigger than the other and holding about 4 pounds of water weight is not normal by any stretch.

Well, that’s all for now. Got to get back to posting patterns on Etsy. I have a bunch of new, uncuts ready to go….and some incredibly cool Hawaiian prints from, where else, Hawaii that I picked up my recent trip.

Love to everyone….and go get your mammogram done. And here is a quick shout out to Alice, the wonderful nurse at the North Florida Cancer Center. She is fabulous. Love my nurse!