Wonky
This is my work in progress. It’s a lumbar pillow made out of a vintage print Japanese tea cloth. It looks a wee bit wonky because of the angle—the photos leave much to be desired. In fact, when I loaded this photo I panicked and actually went back and measured that trim (lower right hand side) to make sure it was the same width the whole way down the pillow. It is! It’s just the photo, wonky. Kinda like my day.
I woke up to my left eye sealed shut and swollen. When I was finally able to pry my eyelid open I was met with the unmistakable gleam of pink-eye. What am I? Three?? I have NO idea why or how, but it appears that I’m officially contagious until tomorrow when the antibiotics kick in. (Turns out, this is just de rigeur for my chronically dry eyes. Joy!) Not that I’d let any one close enough to touch my eye! Ack.
I managed to call my doctor and they called in script—and then promptly informed me that my TSH levels are off the charts and well, too bad for my fatty self, they are lowering my meds. By 50 milligrams a day, lowering. When I started to cry the nurse asked a few probing questions and we realized that there had been a HUGE mistake in my charts. The whole time they thought I was taking a 125 dose, I was really taking a 150—this all comes back to THE NURSE. You know, the one that gives me fits every time I call in and try to get my script reissued. Same nurse who refuses to have my standing order for blood work reordered. The one who yells at me for calling in my script without having lab work, a day after I call in to explain why I can’t have lab work done.
That nurse. What? Surely I’ve told you all about my medical trials and tribulations? No? Well, it doesn’t matter now, it seems this pesky nurse is, “No longer in this office, you’ll be happy to learn!” Indeed I was! New nurse, Terry, is the bomb. She made a quick call to my doctor and squared away my meds for now. It means more blood work next month, but I’ve been bonding with my phlebotomist, so it’s kinda like dating. You know, with needles and juice. At least I won’t be suffering from severe medication withdrawal.
So, this pillow. Is a WIP only because I’m technically contagious and I haven’t had a chance to go buy filler. It’s fairly wide and no where near the size for conventional pillow inserts, so I opted to fill it instead of making a pillowcase. It occurred to me only after finishing it, that I could have made a casing for the polyfill effectively making my own pillow as an insert. And the edging isn’t wide enough for the scale of the pillow–however, because of width of the print, I was really trying to make sure it didn’t end up being ungainly. I think once stuffed it will look ok.
The back is lined with matching butter yellow cotton and I placed an additional panel of yellow cotton behind the tea cloth due to its weight. Despite having a lovely print, it’s very sheer cotton and I was worried about how it might look once stuffed. What I’m really excited about is how wonderfully my machine worked! I added a subtle trim stitch to the edging—nothing too out there.
Since I have a stash of these Japanese tea cloths in different prints, I was planning on making up a few to add to Thrifty Goodness… you know, when it opens. Boy, am I behind on that! Sadly, that plan is on hold until my eyes heal over. Until then, it’s just me and my wonky eye dreaming about fabric. Fortunately, I can dream with my eyes closed!
February 26th, 2007 at 7:08 pm
Dear–please take pity on me and explain what TSH and script are. I am so lost–but worried about everything you have suffered through with the NASTY nurse. My mom has a kind of icky doctor with her diabetes; she could starve herself, and the doctor still wouldn’t be satisfied. I’d like to go down there and punch her!(the doc, not my mom–who weighs about 120 pounds, and works SO hard to eat correctly) The tea cloth is beautiful, and so are your plans for it!
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Oh, don’t worry. It’s just the typical routine with adjusting meds… it just never ends and gets OLD. (I’ll email you details!) I’m so sorry about your mom… a good Dr. can make all the difference in the world. ~W
February 26th, 2007 at 7:14 pm
What a surprise to hear, your eyes were both so healthy on Friday. I hope the pink eye goes away quick! I’m glad to hear you have a rockstar nurse now…
I love the pillow your making… um… I think you should really make two.
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I know! It’s the weirdest thing…except not really because I’m prone to infections anyhow. Good news is, meds kick it quickly and I’ll be good to go ASAP. (why I call my Dr. immediately when I see the signs!) As for the pillow, I’m making a bunch of them. However, no two tea cloths are the same, so they’ll all be individual. ~W
February 26th, 2007 at 8:36 pm
I’m actually in a bit of shock that you used your new machine! How did you wrestle it away from the Boy Wonder?! Fabulous pillow, by the way. Love those tea cloths - good find.
Hope the eye gets better soon. Pretty miserable stuff…
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Me too! I kicked the boy out of my sewing room on Sunday. He wasn’t pleased, but he lived. :D As for the pink-eye… I wish I could say this wasn’t common, but I have a history of this stuff. S i g h. It’s almost gone, whew! ~W
February 26th, 2007 at 11:51 pm
I can’t wait to see the finished product. I’m sure it will feel great! The greedy side of me says you should make dozens of them and sell them. I think you could do quite well. Looking forward to helping make “Thrifty Goodness” a reality!
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I can’t wait to “see” it either. Ok, bad pun. Why aren’t you linking your website in your comments??
~W
February 27th, 2007 at 5:01 am
Oh that is adorable (the pillow, not the pink eye
). You are ALMOST inspiring me to take out my machine, which I made the HP buy for me 9 years ago and have basically never used, and try something. I even have some pretty vintage fabric stashed away.
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Oh, if you have vintage fabric, you must, must start sewing!!
~W
February 27th, 2007 at 12:30 pm
Silly pink eye! I bet you got it at the grocery store, I swear that’s where we pick up all these weird illnesses. Lovely pillow - dig the Japanese tea towels.
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I wish I got it at the grocery store: that would mean it is viral! Sadly, this is part of having the eyes I have. I used to get this all the time, and usually I can pre-treat to keep it from happening. It just means I need to keep eyedrops on me at all times! But when we moved to Oregon, I went an entire winter without it, so I kinda forgot it was an issue and stopped using fake tears. Oops. Uh… yeah, bad Wende. I’m such a nit-wit, at times! ~W
February 27th, 2007 at 2:09 pm
BUCKWHEAT HULLS she screams, hoping that she has caught Ms. Pink-eye (that color is lovely on you) in the nick of time. http://www.buckwheatpillows.biz/bulkhulls.html
For a lumbar pillow, they are a must. Especially for such a beautiful one with an Asian flair. (flare? No, that’s for flat tires, I think…)I love this pillow and the wonderful trim.
So- I’m sorry about the pink eye- gak. What grimey urchin did you catch that from? I’m sitting here waiting to get a rash or pink eye or green something after spending yesterday coddling wee ones at the homeless shelter. I’m fine while there and then I turn into Monk as soon as I get out the door- WIPES! I NEED WIPES!
Hey- I’ve been steady at .075 for almost a decade. I considered bumping myself up to 300 just to knock off a few pounds but I’m already TOO LOUD today so I’m just going to creep off and do a little yoga…feel better, dear.
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Oh, the pink eye isn’t the viral form! I get it because I have chronic dry eye and when my allergies act up I need to flush my eyes more than I have been. I’m eye phobic, so I hate messing around with them. Anyhow, back on eyedrops for me. Oh, buckwheat hulls… excellent idea. It will require some engineering on my part as this is made now, but… cool! :D However, you should know when I say “lumbar” I only mean size and shape. Like I’m going to let anyone use it! Ha! ~W
February 27th, 2007 at 7:26 pm
I like that pattern … hint, hint.
There is nothing worse than a bad nurse. Nothing. And there’s nothing better than a good one!
Hope your eye clears up lickety-split!
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Oh, I totally agree. I’ve stayed with Drs. in the past because I loved their nursing staff. Most often, I spend more time with the nurse anyhow! ~W
February 27th, 2007 at 9:04 pm
I love the pillow!
I take 150 and my levels are low. I leave them that way because I am too hyper when they are “normal”. At any rate, I find that I do lose weight when I eat right and exercise. I think with TSH, normal probably varies quite a bit from person to person.
That nurse. I know you are so glad she is no longer there. That could have been dangerous.
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Yeah, I’m pleased. This new nurse is on top of things… and I think she had some idea by the end of how frustrated I was with the whole thing. So far, I’m happy with how it’s working out, considering! ~W
February 28th, 2007 at 11:58 am
Sorry to hear about the pink eye! No doubt you caught it at the post office (of course now that you’re celeb mom there, they probably disinfected the joint prior to your arrival).
Love, love, love the pillow! That vintage fab is beautiful!
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It’s clearing up–I’m prone to infection in my eyes because I don’t make tears very well. ACK. Anyhow, nothing eye drops won’t cure and keep away, truthfully. I just hate interfacing with my Drs. office. And I have more pillows planned… I just need to get to it! ~W
February 28th, 2007 at 6:34 pm
Very cool pillow! I caught pink eye when I was a student. It happened during a terrible run of emotion filled days and was the final straw for me….I lay down on my bed and started crying. Of course, I had my head turned to the side so that the pink eye eye was above and a tear dripped over the bridge of my nose and infected the other eye so I spent the next week gooped up in both eyes. The good news is that I survived it just fine….all of it.
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Oof. I get it a lot! It’s just an excuse to buy new mascara. I treat both eyes whenever I get it, per instruction. See, I do pay attention sometimes! ~W