So, yeah, I messed up my right hand 3 weeks ago by putting it through a glass pane on my front door. Not the most brilliant thing to do, but all I was trying to do was close it. It fought back.
Since then, due to where the cuts are on my palm, I haven’t been able to do any sewing. For someone who was trying to do it as a side business, that’s rough, but fortunately my day job was not much affected.
I had been hoping to go to the Pennsylvania National Quilt Extravaganza this weekend down near Philly, but it didn’t happen. I can drive short distances with my hand like this, but as I drive a stick shift/manual transmission car, it’s not easy. The idea of being that far from home if my hand started hurting wasn’t good. So, instead, I was determined to try to do SOME sewing.
I have a bunch of 3 inch squares that I cut up years ago for a quilting program at my local public library, so I decided to work with them. Found a bunch of soccer-themed squares and some accent fabrics that would work together, and went at it. Here’s what I learned today.
First, don’t get so excited you’re sewing again that you forget to pay attention to your seams.
Second, and directly related (sigh), my seam ripper is more ergonomically friendly than I had realized. Good thing, too, because I needed it to rip out 6 seams. The size of the handle made it easy for me to use without hurting my hand.
Third, big-head pins are much easier to work with when your fingers have problems holding tiny things. I figured out how to pin through the seams, but I’m not sure I’d have done as well with small-head pins.
Fourth, it’s really hard to thread a sewing machine when your dominant hand isn’t fully functional. I got the bobbin wound without too much trouble, but it took me three or four tries before I could get the machine properly threaded again. Very frustrating, but wasn’t going to let that hold me back.
Here’s what I accomplished today:
Not my best piecing technically, but I’m happy just to have done something other than sit on the couch. Speaking of that, time to give my hand a rest for a while and go read a book. I’m currently reading Lev Grossman’s “The Magicians”, and rather enjoying it.
Cheers!
