A new project - the physiotherapy Granville (1.1)

I've been having some health problems, and developed mild to moderate ataxia in my arms and legs. I'm off work until I regain better use of my hands, at that needs physio. Well, sewing with it's cutting, machine work, and ironing uses lots of different muscle groups in my arms so what better way to enjoy your physiotherapy?

 I've had the pattern for the Granville Shirt for a long time, since not long after I bought the Minoru jacket pattern. I haven't had much time to sew because of having two small children and a no craft room so the pattern and the fabric destined for it sat unused. I decided to give it a shot after much review of the tutorials and looking at other blogger's shirts. I know I'm slightly pear-shaped, with a bit thicker waist now after two kids so I decided to make a wearable muslin out of hand-me-down fabric from a friend instead of basting in waste fabric.

 I initially sewed it with no alterations to the pattern pieces or the instructions (Size 4), but after turning the collar points I decided to round off and narrow the cuffs slightly so that I didn't have to make 4 more of those points! I have quite long arms for my height so I didn't shorten the sleeves at all - we'll see how they fit once I attach the cuffs (they were narrowed because I somehow nicked off a corner on one piece, so I took 1/4" off a long edge). I also decided to fit the sleeve caps in flat because I usually have better fit that way, then sewed up the body and side sleeves in one. After doing this and putting it on, I realised I needed a smidge more room in the waist. I added the equivalent to 1cm to each side back and front piece and graded it smoothly into the bust darts and hips. This really helped the fit. I also noticed some pooling in the lower back so I might try and add a bit of a swayback alteration, which is easier with princess seams. I'm also considering sewing all the seams with 1/2" seam allowance just to lend a bit more room for movement. The sleeve plackets went really well and I'm super pleased with how good I was able to get my collar to look. I just need to hem and attach the cuffs and the shirt is done!

 I'm also going to be making it in the fabric I originally bought for it - a light puckered cotton (possibly gauze?) with a large white, pale green, and pale blue plaid pattern. I'm going to add contrast quilting cotton to this one, on the sleeve plackets, inner collar stand, and under collar. I'll do the same thing (contrast cotton) on a pink linen shirt, and I have enough linen to also consider making a sleeveless version.

Minoru Post #2

I've been able to do some work on the Minoru, following the official sew-along posts from 2012. I'm up to step 9 now, which is the plackets and front zipper. I've made two modifications so far - I lined the hood as I said, and added in side-seam pockets. I had issues with the hood zipper, because for some reason even when carefully cut to the right size the zipper opening ended up much too big for my zipper. I dug through my stash though (when I see sewing supplies for a good price at thrift stores I snap them up) and was able to get a nice dark blue zipper that I adjusted to size and sewed in instead. When I'm making the lilac rain coat I might cut the opening a little smaller...we'll see. If I can get the front plackets and zipper on tonight I'll try and post a picture!

Minoru Post #1

Well, I suffered another glutening (ick) but am recovering now. Glutenings follow a reasonably predictable path most of the time: - stomach cramps and *ahem* multiple bathroom visits for Day 1 (and sometimes reccuring again another day) - stomach cramps continue after every meal for 3-4 days - brain fog and migraine-like headaches on days 2 and 3 - starting day 3 for a few days joints swell and are painful - day 4 or 5 mouth sores start to appear It often takes 2 weeks for everything to be completely gone, with the sore joints and mouth sores lasting the longest. It's been a week since the 2nd glutening and I'm just a bit stiff in the hips and knees. I got my Minoru jacket pattern on Friday and busily spent that day tracing out the size 4 onto large sheets of paper - last night I cut out my main fabric (red corduroy) and today I recut the back (yeah....somehow I cut it warped last night) as well as the linings, with the sleeve linings in a slippery polyester to simplify wear, a hood lining to show off my cute birdie fabric, and 2 collar linings so that you don't see the wrong side of the corduroy when the hood is pulled out. Now to start with the Minoru Sewalong!

A challenge

To try and pull myself out of the funk of the last while, I've decided to challenge myself sewing! I love the Minoru Jacket by Sewaholic, and I just happen to have enough red corduroy and cute blue lining fabric to make it! I only had to buy the pattern, zippers, thread, and elastic. I also have enough fabric to make it in a pale pink linen blend (I think), and I intend to make it with a water repellent fabric, once I understand the pattern enough to brave it with new fabric. Anyone want to come along?

After a LONG hiatus, I've decided to ressurect this blog. In the time since the last post we've: - Had to look for a new job for hubby because his company let him go - Had hubby move to Edmonton to start courses in IT while he worked for a friend in the mall - Gotten pregnant, found hubby a great new job, both moved to Edmonton, and had a baby girl (March 2012) - I got a job at hubby's work, then had another baby (boy) in March of this year! I've found this maternity leave much more difficult, as I've now got a very smart and active 2.5 year old (Munchkin) and this baby (Samwise) had colic and then issues with reflux. I also struggled a little more with the post-partum hormone changes. I'm hoping having a little outlet here will make things less blue some days! Part of my struggle has been lack of time to do any crafting, which is my major stress relief. Samwise wouldn't tolerate being held by anyone but me, and after a 3 week vacation at my parents' house without hubby neither will Munchkin. :/

I got my biopsy results back, with confirmed blunting and atrophying of the vili - ergo, I definitely have celiac! I'm sort of happy and sort of not about that. It confirms I will never be able to eat gluten again (unless they can figure out how to make some sort of gene therapy or something), but at least now I have answers for things, and doctors don't think I'm crazy anymore :P

I've tried some new foods, and have hit on some more winners. Kinnikinnick Pancake and Waffle Mix is fantastic, as well as Udi's bread (which I think I've mentioned before). I've mostly either been eating crackers, cheese, fruit, and veggies or naturally gluten-free food instead of processed things.

Last night my husband made spinach salad with blackberry balsamic dressing, and portabello mushroom steaks with prosciutto and swiss cheese. Fantastic! Tonight is his crusted fried fish, which we'll be using Kinnikinnick Panko crumbs for.

Sorry for abandoning - I was away on vacation!

I do have some new additions to the edible (and non-edible) lists.

Edible:

Udi Bagels - these taste like REAL BAGELS and are neither dried out nor spongy. Need more!

Gentle Grains Breadsticks - a lady bakes these in Winnipeg, and they are sold by several stores. Very tasty, just need browning in the oven first.

Glutenfreeda Instant Oatmeal - also very tasty, and it's nice to have an instant oatmeal since I work 12-hour shifts and can't eat any meals at home when I'm working.

Freybe Meats: Freybe is a company that makes cured sausage (salami, pepperoni, etc) that is all gluten free. The nice part is that it's a very popular brand and can be found in regular grocery stores.

Ben's Meat and Deli in Edmonton: they make gluten-free jerky (even a Teriyaki one!) because one of the butchers, who I think is also an owner, has celiac! They're the people who carry Udi's.

Less-than-edible:

Celimix Pizza Crust - I shouldn't say inedible, it just wasn't very good on the first day, despite all Chris's (my FIL's) efforts to make it nice, and was definitely inedible the second day after warming up.

Kinnikinnick Sunflower Flax bread mix - flavour is good, but it's incredibly spongey which is a texture that I find really horrible.


I kept completely gluten-free over the holidays, and of course am now staying that way as well. I didn't myself notice any immediate changes, but my Dad, sister, and Sean all pointed out that I had developed an incredible amount of energy! I also caught a cold which I fought off without much trouble at all, for the first time in...probably over 10 years. Maybe even longer.

I also can tell now whenever I accidentally get gluten, as I start feeling really unwell, get stomach cramps, and then spend the next morning trapped in the bathroom for awhile. Definitely not worth it to do it deliberately!

I got through my first shift without a ton of trouble, but it was still difficult to figure out what to eat. I made a big pancetta-spinach-cheese frittata the night before I started, and had a piece of eat each day for lunch. Dinner was fruit, yoghurt, salami, cheese, crackers, and sometimes an Udi bagel. It would help if we had more freezer space - once we move into a larger apartment we'll be buying a small deep-freeze which will give me more options.

I think for next week I'll make a cheese-broccoli-rice baked casserole and do a similar sort of thing. I'm also going to try out my new baking mixes and make some muffins and waffles.

In knitting news I finished a lace scarf, and bought some gorgeous purple silk-merino to make a cowl. I also got some nice knitting books and yarn for Christmas, so they'll be added to the mix too!

Small setback

I was supposed to go back to work Saturday, but with the number of biopsies they took I've been feeling pretty uncomfortable and had a small amount of bleeding. Bouncing around in a mine truck probably isn't the safest thing (and the ER doc told me to stay at home) so I've been sitting on the couch!

I've tried a few more GF foods, and hit upon some stuff I'm not as fond of. Arrowhead Mills makes a GF macaroni and cheese mix that wasn't so much BAD as boring. There was no real flavouring to be had in it, and the sauce was incredibly runny. I added a bunch of black pepper, but it didn't help a whole lot. I'll probably keep a box or two around for now for emergencies, but I know I've seen recipes around for making your own ry) GF cheese sauces, so I'll probably make some of those up instead.

I'm also not wild about the Enjoy Life cranapple crunch. It's a sort of granola. It might be good in yoghurt, which unfortunately is not a way I particularly like granola, although I might have to try and come around to it. It got gritty very quickly in milk, which unfortunately is the fate of a lot of things made with rice flour.

On the other hand, my favourite brand of hot chocolate mix (President's Choice) is GF!

I've tried to spend my time at home in semi-valuable ways. I've finished a pair of thrummed mittens, and am now working on a lace scarf. I also folded all our clothes, and gathered up most of what I need to pack for vacation - we fly home in 3 days!

Scope

Well I had the scope yesterday. We were panicking because it was snowing - hard - and we were trapped in crawling traffic. If you arrive less than an hour before your appointment, they not only cancel it but you need to go through another referral to get a new one. We did eventually arrive barely on time though.

I explained to the admitting nurse that I was nervous, because the preparation letter I'd received said that people with a less-reactive gag-reflex would be given local anaesthetic. Naturally, I wanted none of this - if you're going to do a 6-ft enteroscope instead of a regular gastrocope, I'm going to want a sedative! She reassured me though that it's only for people who don't WANT the sedative.

They brought me in on time, but I had to wait in the procedure room for another 1/2 hour as they completed another scope in the next room. When the doctor came in he realised that they'd prepared for a regular scope - there was only a gastroscope and no pain medication in the room. I also explained that I had once before woken up during a scope when the medication wore off unexpectedly. While the dug up the other scope then, they gave me the medication in time for it to work before. That's the last thing I remember!

I'm guessing Sean walked in and got me, I don't really recall, nor do I remember the drive home although I DO remember going into the gas station, but not leaving there or how I go onto the couch. We watched a movie, and fell asleep for a few hours while Sean went out and got some things. This recovery was a little more painful, although they took a very large number of biopsies and warned me it would be.

Today I still feel sore-ish, and after gathering up some laundry and putting it on, and tiding the living room I feel totally exhausted again. I'm glad I took tomorrow off as well, and that my first two shifts are weekend days (which tend to be calmer and slower moving).

I've already started cutting back on gluten where I can, and can add PatsyPie biscotti to the list of very edible GF foods I've found. It's amazing how far some things have come in the last few years, since I last went GF.

Well I tried out some Blue Diamond Nut Crackers in Cheddar Cheese and they were rather nice. They have that super crisp snap you get from a rice cracker, but the nuts soften it up slightly in a nice way. The seasoning was great too!

Definitely something to buy again.

Luckily my favourite yoghurts are safe too: Liberte Mediterrainee and Island Farms Vanilla +. I'm going to have to start doing all the regular grocery shopping in downtown though instead of nearby since all of the above are from the Sav-On.

Starting Out

I decided to start a blog again, to try and document my adventures through trying to become gluten-free again.

I've had stomach problems for years, as well as things like joint pain, severe fatigue, migraines, and clumsiness.

Back in 2005-2006 they did blood tests which showed I had celiac antibodies. I went GF for awhile (though not particularly well, since I had no instructions on how best to do it and no dietitian follow-up) and didn't feel any better. I went back on gluten, and then had a gastroscope and biopsy. No damage was shown, so they assumed I didn't have celiac disease. I went on with life as usual, still feeling generally horrid.

Then I finally managed to see an internist again a few weeks ago. Many advances had been made in celiac research since then, and a new form of celiac - latent celiac - had been described. I fit into that category. This is someone who has antibodies in the bloodstream and other known celiac symptoms, but no damage is seen on biopsies. This may change, as I have a scope tomorrow to check again.

At any rate, I need to go gluten-free (GF) in order to prepare for us having children. The antibodies in a non-GF celiac's blood can cause miscarriages, low birth weight, early births, and other problems. Being GF may also help in preventing the baby from developing celiac disease.

I had an appointment today with a dietitian which was very helpful. She's GF as well due to an intolerance. I had originally gone to the local Sobey's, which someone had told me had a large GF section.

It consisted of 3 little shelves. I cried in the grocery store. It didn't help that the clerk treated me like I was a hippy freak.

The dietitian told me to check out the Sav-on foods instead, which had a MUCH larger array of products which looked really nice. One of the things I'm going to go over in posts is how the food tastes.

I went out after buying the food and bought a label-maker and new containers to put the GF food in. I will be going totally GF after New Year's, so I'm trying to be prepared.