Monday, February 28, 2011

Sewing for Lilly

It should only be fitting that my first post is about the project I have been working on and warms my heart daily!
This sweet girl's name is Lilly Jane Gooch. Lilly has a Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD), as well as an aortic valve leak. A VSD is a hole between the two ventricles which causes oxygenated and unoxygenated blood to mix in the heart. Her heart has to work very hard, which causes it to swell. Because the hole is between the ventricles and so close to the aortic valve, she has to have open heart surgery to repair it.

She'll have surgery in just a few weeks at the end of March (at 10 1/2 months old) with about a week long hospital stay and 6 weeks recovery. For that total of 7 weeks she will not be able to lift her arms. Lilly's mom is a friend of mine and asked me to help her by making some kimono style tops for after the surgery for Lilly to wear.  So let me tell you.. I got ON this project!  I contacted a few sewing blogs with awesome ladies who posted about Lilly.  The response has been great!  Strangers coming together for a good cause like this is definitely a blessing!  
Here are the 3 blogs about Lilly from wonderful ladies and wonderful sites

We are asking everyone to make a kimono top or dress for Lilly so her mom doesn't have to worry about doing laundry for her for at least the week she is in the hospital. 

Although she is almost 10 months old, she only wears size 3to6 months in clothes (she is very tiny)
Her measurements are
Chest: 17 in
Waist: 16 1/4 in
Hip to feet: 12 1/4 in

I bought a simplicity pattern at Joann's for $1 to make my kimono's but if you need a pattern and tutorial I have a few free ones downloaded that I can email to you.  There are also links on some of the other blogs about Lilly.
Here's Lilly in an outfit I made.  (Please forgive the messy kitchen behind her)
The pants tutorial I used can be found here (no need to change anything but waist size) Made by Rae's newborn pants
Here is the flickr pool I set up to showcase everyone's awesome outfits!
Sewing for Lilly Flickr Photos
You still have time to help! All kimono's can be mailed to:
For Lily
417 Brazil Drive
Hurst, TX  76054

P.S. Lilly's mom is also going to "pay it forward" to another baby in the same situation after Lilly is done with these kimonos.  If we have enough she may be able to pass them to more than 1 family in need!