Living with increasing
disability has some interesting aspects. For example, when I undertake a task I
haven’t done for a long time I never know whether my hands are still capable of
doing it. All the joint replacements in my fingers have broken down, leaving my
fingers attached to my hands only by skin and muscle. I can still use my
fingers, but they are not strong and have a weak grasp.
That uncertainty showed up
big time when I decided to make my granddaughter a flannel nightgown for
Christmas. Cutting out the pieces was no problem, but I kept putting off the
actual construction and didn’t get it done for the holiday. Fortunately she has
a January birthday, and last week I knuckled down to construct the garment.
Although I’ve done a lot of
machine construction of fabric wall hangings in recent years, I haven’t made a
garment for ages. Several aspects of the process were challenging: picking up
pins, making gathers, threading elastic through a tube, threading the sewing
machine needle with fused wrists, grasping a needle for hand-sewing. But, by
golly, I got ‘er done.
I even had fun adding my
own touches to the pattern, such as a faux chenille collar.*
Now I want to sew more. A
jacket for Zander. The wall hanging I started in May 2012 and set aside when I
had wrist surgery. A cushion for my kitchen perch. I’m happy that sewing isn’t
one of the pleasures I have to give up to rheumatoid arthritis.
*Faux chenille is made of layers of unhemmed strips of bias-cut fabric. When washed and dried, the layers curl up.
Copyright
2013 by Shirley Domer
3 comments:
Why is the photo so grey?
Neither photo looks grey to me. Which one looks grey to you?
I love the chenille collar! Such a darling nightgown for our dear Pipp!
Post a Comment