Sew and Live Chaotically! ~ Alter it August - Porch refurbish!

I should have taken a "before" pic!  This portion of the front porch originally had spindles that we learned several years ago were NOT intended for outdoor use.  Leo and his side kick smeared them with a bit of wood putty and paint when we last had the porch repainted.  Unsurprisingly, this was not a real fix!  So, when some months ago B found water seal stain for half price which we need for the back porch we decided to embark on a porch re-furb!!!

We started on the front.  B removed the icky rotting spindles.

Replacing them with this!  For some reason he said, 'Never engage in carpentry with a sewist!"  No idea what brought that on! I was helping!!!

New boards in place.  Putty in needed areas.  Sanded and ready for paint!

Ta dah!

Now for the back!  B sanded all the white railings and pillars and I painted them!  Shew!

After he sanded the floor, I started painting - 1/2 at a time.  The stain was a bit redder than anticipated - but we like it!!  At half price, why not?????

The long view!  I think it works!

Still love my dragonflies from Ruthie.  I added a pillow, stuffed with sewing scraps, to the bench.

View from the opposite end with matching table cloth I stitched up!

We are lucky to be able to spend our time doing projects like this while living through this crazy time.  Stay safe.  Be confident that you can do whatever you set your mind to! - love, les

Sew Chaotically! ~ Alter it August: From dress to skirt to top to the world! ALTER IT = VOTE!!!!!

One of my earliest makes was:
a) a pretty good rendition of my goal.
b) a HUGE learning experience.
c) worn a good deal.
d) flimpy.

Yep.  All of that.  You can read the entire story of the 'flimpy' dress here:  2016: Cute little summer dress ~ McCall's 7242  Not only was the material flimpy, it had flaws in the printing and the least little thing would put a bit of a 'run' in it.  I jacked up the collar.  Though having made the pattern twice now and gained a great deal more experience, I can tell you - there are some things about how it's drafted that just ain't right!  Still, the material is lovely on the skin.  I like the color and print.  So, I wore it!!  But, now - it is worn.  What to do?  Alter it!  Twice!!!

She was most often worn with a belt and jacket to cover the collar and the fact that the elasticized waist was odd.

Given her issues and worn and weary status, this summer I decided to hack her into a skirt.  I started to fold and stitch the waist band, when suddenly - and I don't know why, given my knowledge of this flimpy fabric - making a paper bag waist seemed like a good idea.  It wasn't.  Fabric this flimpy is NOT going to remain standing through summer heat and my activity!!!  Still, she got a couple wears in that iteration!
FREE PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT:  Don't boo!!!  VOTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sew!  Given my lack of success you'd think I'd give up!  NOPE!  I turned her upside down.  Kept the button placket in center front.  Cut her into a hacked Paris Top by Orageuse leaving off the sleeves and cutting the cute shoulder details and neck facings from the skirt pockets.

There!!!  I think I'll keep her this way.  She should be good for a few more wears!!!

Like my dress, our world is jacked in too many ways to count at the moment.  Still, there is beauty and value under all the mess. If we don't like what we see, we have the power to ALTER IT!!!!  Make things better.  Create a world that reflects what you value and need for you and your loved ones.  Just like we sewists can change our makes, we can ALL change our leadership.  Don't like how things are going?  ALTER THEM!!!  VOTE!!!

Stay safe.  Be the change you seek! VOTE! - love, les

Sew and Live Chaotically! ~ Quarantine-while means Mask Making - Japanese Sewing Book Masks!

Mask Making!!  Not exactly happy sewing, but happy I can do something to help.  In a rush, I made my four kiddos some masks back in May.  They were quick and dirty, but they did what they needed to do!  All were made with two layers of tightly woven cotton left over from prior makes with a layer of melt blown filter fabric inserted between.  Much praise to the many pattern companies who have been incredibly generous in providing an abundance of free, downloadable mask patterns.  Here's my take...

For the tri-fold version above I made a bit of a mish-mash of the Tilly and the Buttons version (which has a great how-to video) and McCall's Face Cover.  I added a nose wire between the pieces.  They work pretty well for a variety of face shapes, but do tend to get "eaten" if you have to talk a lot while wearing.  

Freddo and I preferred the State the Label version.  My other creatures felt that it was too small.  I could certainly tweak the size, but there you go.

Knowing I needed to make more, I reviewed tons of mask patterns offered via the internet and considered adapting the patterns above.  Simultaneously, the sewing community was mask making like crazy and kindly sharing their tips.  Through them I found what I consider to be the BEST mask pattern:  Japanese Sewing Books - Free Mask Pattern Download – Contoured 3D Face Mask  Several sizes are included.  I made the "large" for my ladies and the "XL" for my men folks.  There are additional sizes.  An XXL, M, S, and XS with measurements included.

Armed with that finding, I made 40 for more peeps and teachers at my daughter's school.  Again, all are two layers of tightly woven cotton with the blown filter fabric sandwiched between.  You can use ties or elastic around the head or ears.  With elastic at a premium, for the most part, I used ties made from bias binding, but also made use of a strange colorful collection of shoe laces we had on hand!  Ties do make it easy to fit heads you don't have access to!

The link shared above includes a great video tutorial.  But, just to give you an idea of how I layer the pieces with the filter ~ stitch edges of your mask pieces, inner most bits on the outside.

I had hoped the way this mask is stitched and folded - almost origami style - would obviate the need for a wire nose piece, and while it does better than any others, the use of 4 - 4 1/2 inches of plastic covered wire really does make the fit much better.  I insert it between the layers, after I've stitched the edges as seen above, turned/pressed the layers, and top stitched around the top and bottom.  After pinning the wire in place, I stitch at either end, then run a line of stitching just below it.  A zipper foot or regular foot with the needle positioned toward the edge helps the process.   Other sewists are placing a nose wire in a tunnel from which it is removable for laundering.  So far, mine are holding up well to washing in the machine and air drying.

Here's how it looks inside when finished.

You can easily use elastic, or pieces of stretchy knit fabric, to create loops to be worn over the ears - elastic to go round the head - or ties as I have here.  If you do opt for ties, it is best to attach them at the side, so they won't keep slipping when the wearer tries to tie them in place.  You also need the longer portion toward the top.  Just play around with it to see what works best for you.

And there you have it!

These are quite comfortable in that they stay in place, do the job they need to do with a good occlusive seal, yet stay away from your face in a way that facilitates breathing and speaking!  Sew!  On to another batch. Making the ties is the most time consuming and least fun part! Although...

I do have a secret weapon!!!!  B has been helping me in my production line!!  He has become quite adept at turning and pressing, making bias tape and pinning nose pieces in place!!!

There!  Another batch of ties done!

Just in time for another batch of 15!

And another 4!  I thought these turned out really cute!

More FREE mask patterns:

This one was very tempting to me and has good reviews among sewists.  It is similar to the Japanese Sewing Book Pattern - Free Mask pattern by Aplat

This one is similar to the State the Label pattern above - Victory Patterns free face mask pattern

Along the same lines - Free from Craft Passion

Also tempting and along the State the Label lines, though with a bit more fabric and fit beneath the chin, in multiple sizes - Dhurata Davies free mask pattern

Simple tri-fold version, with pocket for filter - Makers Habit free mask pattern

Similar tri-fold version - Butcher's Sew Shop free mask pattern

Another simple folded version - Free from Fibre Mood

Simple folded mask with ties - free from Mood Fabrics

Includes a sewn and no-sewing version - Deaconess Face Mask

NOT free, but with a piece of fabric under the chin - cost = 2 pounds, supposedly donated to charity -Trend Patterns PDF

Take care.  Wear a mask.  Pull together and stay apart!  Much love to the sewing community for all the info and support they share. Great thanks to all the pattern makers who made their patterns available and free to the world!!!  Hang tough, guys! - les

TIL ACT for melanoma patients - past and present...

TIL, the use of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes, to treat melanoma has changed a good deal over the years.  Here's a bit of a review from 2016:  TIL - Tumor infiltrating lymphocytes

And these two reports from 2019:  Baseline levels of IL-9 predicted response to Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) using TIL in melanoma and a complete response in TIL paired with nivo (a case study)

A variety of reports follow.  First ~

Efficacy of adoptive therapy with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and recombinant interleukin-2 in advanced cutaneous melanoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis.  Dafni, Michielin, Lluesma, et al.  Ann Oncol.  2019 Dec 30.

Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) using autologous tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) has been tested in advanced melanoma patients at various centers. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess its efficacy on previously treated advanced metastatic cutaneous melanoma. The PubMed electronic database was searched from inception to 17 December 2018 to identify studies administering TIL-ACT and recombinant interleukin-2 (IL-2) following non-myeloablative chemotherapy in previously treated metastatic melanoma patients. Objective response rate (ORR) was the primary end point. Secondary end points were complete response rate (CRR), overall survival (OS), duration of response (DOR) and toxicity. Pooled estimates were derived from fixed or random effect models, depending on the amount of heterogeneity detected. Analysis was carried out separately for high dose (HD) and low dose (LD) IL-2. Sensitivity analyses were carried out. Among 1211 records screened, 13 studies (published 1988 - 2016) were eligible for meta-analysis. Among 410 heavily pretreated patients (some with brain metastasis), 332 received HD-IL-2 and 78 LD-IL-2. The pooled overall ORR estimate was 41% [95% confidence interval (CI) 35% to 48%], and the overall CRR was 12%. For the HD-IL-2 group, the ORR was 43%, while for the LD-IL-2 it was 35%. Corresponding pooled estimates for CRR were 14% and 7%. The majority of HD-IL-2 complete responders (27/28) remained in remission during the extent of follow-up after CR (median 40 months). Sensitivity analyses yielded similar results. Higher number of infused cells was associated with a favorable response. The ORR for HD-IL-2 compared favorably with the nivolumab/ipilimumab combination following anti-PD-1 failure. TIL-ACT therapy, especially when combined with HD-IL-2, achieves durable clinical benefit and warrants further investigation. We discuss the current position of TIL-ACT in the therapy of advanced melanoma, particularly in the era of immune checkpoint blockade therapy, and review future opportunities for improvement of this approach.

~ and now there is this out of UCLA, Jan 30, 2020:  Researchers identify possible new combination treatment for advanced melanoma

A study by researchers at the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center suggests that using an immunotherapy drug called NKTR-214, also known as bempegaldesleukin, in combination with an infusion of anti-tumor immune cells, or T cells, may produce a stronger immune response that could help fight advanced melanoma.

When tested in mice with melanoma tumors that were unlikely to stimulate an immune response, the approach increased the number of anti-tumor immune cells, and those immune cells lived longer and functioned better than the standard therapy, empowering the cells to destroy the tumor.

Adoptive cell therapy is a type of immunotherapy that has had promising results for treating people with advanced cancers. The approach involves extracting and harvesting immune cells from a patient and engineering them in the laboratory to attack specific antigens on the surface of tumors. One challenge is that it requires giving patients interleukin 2, a protein signaling molecule in the immune system, to promote the development and expansion of the infused immune cells. But interleukin 2 can also activate cells to suppress the immune system, and because it is highly toxic, it can have serious adverse side effects.

Researchers have been seeking ways to produce large number of immune cells without exposing patients to those negative side effects — including by combining adoptive cell therapy with other treatments.

Researchers used mice to test NKTR-214 in combination with adoptive cell therapy. Using bioluminescence imaging, the researchers tracked the movement of T cells in the mice that received the combination therapy. The team observed an expansion of T cells in the spleen, the organ that helps accelerate the activation and expansion of T cells throughout the body. The T cells then migrated to the tumor, where they continued to have a long-lasting effect. The in vivo expansion and T cell accumulation in tumors was greatly improved when using NKTR-214 compared to using interleukin-2.

While immunotherapy has changed the face of cancer treatment for people with advanced cancers, it still only works in a small subset of patients. The results of the UCLA study suggest that using NKTR-214 in combination with adoptive cell therapy could be effective for more people with advanced solid tumors.  The study’s senior author is Dr. Antoni Ribas.

For some background on NKTR-214, there are these reports:  NKTR- 214 (bempegaldesleukin) with Opdivo

And finally, this ~

Comprehensive single institute experience with melanoma TIL: Long term clinical results, toxicity profile, and prognostic factors of response.  Besseer, Itzhaki, Ben-Betaalel, et al. Mol Carcinog. 2020 Apr 6. 

Adoptive cell transfer (ACT) of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) mediates objective responses in 30% to 50% of patients with metastatic melanoma according to multiple, small phase 2 trials. Here we report the long-term clinical results, intent-to-treat analysis, predictors of response and toxicity profile in a large patient cohort. A total of 179 refractory melanoma patients were enrolled in the ACT trial. TIL were administered in combination with high-dose bolus interleukin-2 following preconditioning with cyclophosphamide and fludarabine. Patients were followed-up for a median of 7.2 years. A total of 107 (60%) of 179 enrolled patients were treated. The main reason for the drop out of the study was clinical deterioration. Of 103 evaluated patients, 29 patients (28%) achieved an objective response (OR), including complete remission (8%) or partial response (20%). Sixteen pateints exhibited stable disease. Predictors of response were performance status, time of TIL in culture and CD8 frequency in the infusion product. The absolute lymphocyte count 1 and 2 weeks after TIL infusion was the most predictive parameter of response. With a medium follow-up time of 7.2 years, OR patients reached a median overall survival (OS) of 58.45 months and a median progression-free survival (PFS) of 15.43 months, as compared with nonresponders, with 6.73 months OS and 2.60 months PFS. By 6 years, 50% of OR patients were alive and 43% had no documented progression. TIL ACT can yield durable objective responses, even as salvage therapy in highly advanced metastatic melanoma patients.

We've come a long way, baby!  But we have so much further to go!  For what it's worth. - c

Late addition!  There is also this report out of UPMC Hillman Cancer Center:  Udai Kammula, MD: Adoptive Cell Transfer Immunotherapy: Building on a Blueprint Provided by Studies of Metastatic Uveal Melanoma  Thanks, Edster!

Sew Chaotically! ~ Summer tops from the Maria Apron Dress!

Still doing some summertime, quarantine stash/scrap busting here!  Having already made Roo her yellow eyelet Maria Apron Dress shortened to a top from Maven Patterns for her birthday, I was taken with the notion of making one that gave her a bit more coverage.  So I played around with some scraps and made these!!!

I made the same size medium as before, though I did take some off both sides, and redrafted the pieces in order to bring up the sides so you needn't wear a shirt underneath.  Voila.  A perfect little summer top!

Still have plans to make an actual apron using the pattern!  Sew chaotically! - les

Tangy, tart and sweet! Does citrus intake cause increased risk of skin cancer and melanoma?

As an extreme lover of all things fruit and veg, I find EVERYTHING even more delicious when touched with a lovely citrus tang!  Sugar on my grapefruit?  Absolutely not!!!  Lime in my water?  Yes, please!!!  A squeeze of lemon over everything?  Definitely!  Favorite desert?  Fruit pies.  Favorite cake?  Lemon poppy seed!  B winces as I eat lemons as though they were the sweetest tangerines.  There have been prior reports linking citrus intake with various skin cancers.  Now this ~

Citrus intake and risk of skin cancer in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort (EPIC).  Mahamat-Saleh, Cervenka, Rahmoun, et al.  Eur J Epidemiol.  2020 Jul 24.

Citrus intake has been suggested to increase the risk of skin cancer. Although this relation is highly plausible biologically, epidemiologic evidence is lacking. We aimed to examine the potential association between citrus intake and skin cancer risk. EPIC is an ongoing multi-center prospective cohort initiated in 1992 and involving ~ 520,000 participants who have been followed-up in 23 centers from 10 European countries. Dietary data were collected at baseline using validated country-specific dietary questionnaires. We used Cox proportional hazards regression models to compute hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). During a mean follow-up of 13.7 years, 8448 skin cancer cases were identified among 270,112 participants. We observed a positive linear dose-response relationship between total citrus intake and skin cancer risk, particularly with basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Citrus fruit intake was positively associated with skin cancer risk, particularly with melanoma, although with no heterogeneity across skin cancer types. Citrus juice was positively associated with skin cancer risk, particularly with BCC and SCC, but not with melanoma. Our study suggests moderate positive linear dose-response relationships between citrus intake and skin cancer risk. Studies with available biomarker data and the ability to examine sun exposure behaviors are warranted to clarify these associations and examine the phototoxicity mechanisms of furocoumarin-rich foods.

Hmmmm.....eating the fruit is associated with increased incidence of melanoma, but citrus juice is not???  Hold up!  Y'all aint got juice in yo fruit????  Well, either this is bunk in general or there is some component in the fruit, that is not included in processed (I presume) juice.  Still, overall - if there was substantial risk of melanoma with citrus intake, one would expect to see increased rates of melanoma in areas with increased citrus consumption - which according to a little research happens to be India, Pakistan, China, Mexico and Brazil.  However, the areas with the highest rates of melanoma are New Zealand, Australia, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden.  Clearly, melanin content in the residents' skin is vastly different in those areas as well.  So - what does all this mean?  "No se!"

"Don't drink.  Don't smoke.  What do you do?"  Why, I run and eat lemons!  How bout you?

For what it's worth.  - c

Late addition, 8/18/2020 - Now, there's this:

Association between Citrus Consumption and Melanoma Risk in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study . Melough, Sakaki, Liao, et al.  Nutr  Cancer 2020 Aug 13.  

It has been hypothesized that consumption of citrus, a group of foods particularly rich in a class of photoactive compounds known as furocoumarins, may increase the risk of malignant melanoma. However, this hypothesis has not been rigorously studied in a general sample of US men and women. This study examined the relationship between citrus intake and melanoma risk in subjects of the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study. Among 388,467 adults, 3,894 melanoma cases were identified during a median follow-up of 15.5 years. After adjustment for relevant potential confounders, total citrus consumption was not significantly associated with melanoma risk in this cohort. Among those with higher estimated exposure to ultraviolet radiation, and among those aged 60+ years at baseline, there were significant trends toward increased melanoma risk associated with whole citrus fruit consumption , but the hazard ratios of the top consumers (2+ cups per week) vs. nonconsumers were nonsignificant. Further research is needed to explore associations of citrus with melanoma risk among older adults and those with high sun exposure.

So there you have it.  For now.  - c

Gregory Bald - AGAIN!!! Days after our last walk! Such crazy fun!

And just like that - we were in Cades Cove again!!!  Poor Bentie!  After getting home from our Walk in the Woods, posted a couple of days ago, I mentioned my desire to hike Gregory Bald once more, a 12 mile round trip, for my birthday at the end of July.  Here's the story and pics from our incredible adventure to the bald in 2015:  Gregory Bald...one of the great wonders of the world!!!  It's quite a walk and I wasn't sure B would be up for it.  He surprised me by happily agreeing to do it!  BUT!!!!!!!  When I looked back over my notes, I realized that in order to see the wild flame azaleas at their peak one needed to go mid- June!!!!  It was already June 18!!!  Oh knows!  Undeterred, B was game!!!  In fact, Rose and Jamie were, too!  To stay safe in the world of COVID, on this trip - just like our last one - there was no staying overnight, no eating out.  We drove up and back, same day, packing our lunch.  To keep a safe distance, R and J drove up in their car.  We all had masks handy.  While on the trail we pulled together and stayed apart!!!  

June was a very rainy month in TN.  The trails were a veritable mud lolly!  With good attitudes and ponchos, we were prepared for any rain we might encounter.  We made it up, rain free, but just as we reached the top the skies opened and we were in the midst of a serious deluge followed by some fairly significant wind!  The azaleas were still absolutely amazing, most of them still at their peak.  Given the weather, we did not have the leisurely picnic sitting atop the bald I had envisioned.  Instead, we shivered and laughed in the rain, eating our PB&J's and apples out of hand as we wandered through the grove of color.  I felt bad that B didn't get to photograph them as I know he would have liked as he had to protect his gear from the elements.  Even so, we had a glorious time.  Rose and Jamie were great sports and kept me in stitches throughout, but especially as we went back down an even muddier slip-n-slide than the one we had come up on!!!  We all had our own techniques.  B and Roo tended slog straight through.  I did a bit of hop scotch and J adopted more of a cross country skiing method.  They all worked, though the Jamester came out the cleanest!   I was glad they were able to see the rhodies still in bloom on the ride in and on lower portions of the trail.  A few residual mountain laurels surprised us with their pretty parachutes on the upper levels.  It was beautiful.  

Thanks for playing with me, my sweet peeps.  I hardly dared dream I would experience this extraordinary natural phenomenon again.  Thanks to all of you, in so many ways ~ I did.  So, Bentie.  Twenty miles hiked in three days?  No, biggie!  Right???? 

May you all have peeps like mine who will walk through mud to help you reach the beauty - laughing along the way. ~ love, les