IS THIS WHAT YOU CALL AN ADDICTION. As you know, my right arm is in a cast and I cannot
in anyway use my fingers. After 2 weeks, I am about to loose my mind, no embroidery, no cooking, cleaning, nothing. I am the type of person who is on the go from morning to night and not one to just sit and twiddle my thumbs. So this morning I decided I had to find a way to do some embroidery. After struggling to cut some fabric (slippery little bugger, kept running away from my cutting wheel) I managed to hoop some stablizer (put my thumb through the first piece) and place it in my machine. Picture this, holding down the grasp with my left hand and pushing the hoop in place with my mouth, YUP, still not willing to give it up. After finding a design with not too many thread changes, go to the next step. Threading the needle, I have an automatic threader but that littlethingy is so tiny it is ridiculous. After 50 tries and such frustration I thought I would have to admit defeat, but no NOT ME. Walked away before I started pulling my hair out and got myself under control, just one more try I told myself. Well 10 minutes later "VICTORY" but that is just one thread change, I have 8 more to go. It has taken me almost 90 minutes to finish this design (only 19000 stitches) but oh so gratifying. I have decided that I am not crazy enough to try sewing this (will be a tote bag eventually) and I will call it a day. I have a new found admiration for those who live with handicape.
ADDICTED - ABSOLUTELY.
64451
Well done!!! I SOOOOO know how you feel! :-)
But you done good girl!!!
1 comment
122864YOU ARE WOMAN anything is possible.
often it is just shear stuborn pigheadedness that helps us women do things that any male would give up on.
just look at teh folk who have no hands but learn to paint and draw with their mouths there was one woman who learnt to type with her toes and hold a job down in an offce. one of those litle needle threaders ha tyou get with a pack of needles is a good way to go about threading the machine simply bend it so that you can place it behind the needle.Plenty of weights will hold the fabric down whilst cutting it.
i have a problem opening jars so whilst at the super market i ask someone to do it for me.
you can get lefthanded scissors to help as well.
in the meantime think about what you an do once the healing has taken place and get well soon. well done on a great piece of memory work.
annie in the uk
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14995Now that is my thing too, dont tell me I can't do it, or so help me I will make a plan. Seems to be the trend here too, more power to us. Well done and hang in there. Hugs Christine, Johannesburg
1 comment
by michemb
12 Apr 2012
Thanks Christine,
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right, after doing this I felt like the incredible hulk LOL
hugs
Muichelle
6734I love this story! I can relate on so many levels! Live Laugh Download Stitch! seriously!
1 comment
173690Does your machine have a fix stitch ?If so try hooping the stabilizer & the pin or glue the fabric into place & use the fix stitch which sews a shape around the area to be embroidered -doesn't matter if the stabilizer is hooped crookedly .Its amazing what we can achieve when we think out ways to do every day tasks.I had a tumour removed from my right hand yrs ago ,never managed to use scissors or write legibly left handed but still can do so many things using either hand eg threading needles.
25212Well it looks beautiful but you better take it easy or you will find yourself worse off and taking more time to heal. Not to mention a visit to the dentist when you chip a tooth!
Hang in there and behave yourself!
Debra
1 comment
by michemb
12 Apr 2012
Thanks Debra,
I will hang in there, this is just a tiny booboo compared to what you are going through,
hugs
Michelle
33580Just be very careful. You don't want to undo any healing and have to start over. Take care
Bev
1 comment
by michemb
11 Apr 2012
Thanks Bev,
I know I cannot use that arm, I actually hooped it into the top of my shirt so I would not be tempted.
67271
15711Great job - you are so amazing.
2 comments
by shirlener88
11 Apr 2012
Rick struggles daily - just to get movement in his right arm and then into the fingers - so when I told him about this - he said you are more than amazing and he is so proud of you.
by michemb
11 Apr 2012
Thank you Shirlene and to Rick as well.
I now my situation is very short term and my heart goes out to those who have this struggle each and everydaay. They are so corageous.
hugs
Michelle
211079This is beautiful. You must be so pleased. Who cares how long it might take. You can't do anything else and this is a real accomplishment. Did you also have to worry about placement, or will you cut it out after the piece was embroidered?
1 comment
by michemb
11 Apr 2012
Thank you,
This is a panel that I will sew in once I can sew again
hugs
Michelle
9945When my benign essential tremor got so bad I could not use right hand for mouse I forced myself to use left hand. I am becoming more ambidextrous all the time. It was slow at first but I'm really good now. Have RA twisted hands also so makes things a little harder. Keep on pluggin.
S
2 comments
by sandyqueen
11 Apr 2012
When tremor bad I thread machine left handed. Like I say forcing myself I can.
S
by michemb
11 Apr 2012
I have become very handy with the mouse and typing with one finger, have to be careful though because then it will be my left arm with the problem.
5271Yep , definitive you have a problem... I mean addiction :-)
1 comment
148828The design is amazing and you did it. I have a friend that is paralyzed on her left side and there isn't anything she can't do. She does tell me it might just take longer.
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by michemb
11 Apr 2012
She is right, but everything takes much longer.
You sure appreciate them more, once you have succeeded though.
89895When I had my arm in plaster and they came to remove the plaster the nurse asked me what I had done to get it so dirty so jokingly he said"You haven't been gardening have you?" I did not tell him that yes I had been gardening and the in that week a newt crawled up the plaster and I only just got it before it disappeared. DON'T DO IT!!!! My break had not healed and I needed another 5 weeks in plaster!
1 comment
by michemb
11 Apr 2012
I don't want to walk around the house, the flowers are all coming aut and I know I won't resist weeding and clearing,
57492you do have a right to fight, yes madam,
one step at a time - bless your willpower and love your hands and feet
1 comment
by michemb
11 Apr 2012
THIS JUST MAKES YOU APPRECIATE THE OTHER BODY PARTS, HOWEVER OLD, TIRED AND WORN OUT THEY ARE, LOL
20463I had hand surgeries...remember how difficult it was to do the "paper work" every time you went to the rest room and had to figure how to do it... well same with embroidery... you will figure a way, LOL LOL LOL
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60484You did it, Michelle! You absolutely won the battle! You are my kind of lady! You may forget most of the designs you have stitched, but this one you will remember! It does make you appreciate your right hand, doesn't it!!! I'm proud of you! Jan
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59631You have shirr will power. Someday you will look back on this and laugh - though it won't be today.
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13250Congratulations on completing the lovely design despite your cast, holes in the stabilizer, slippery fabric, thread changes (yikes!), and other nuisances. We're all right there with ya! :)
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33079We can always find a way if we really want to. I've had to make many adjustments over the last couple years at times. But, we are stubborn! Don't tell us we CAN't do something! You just showed that! And it is gorgeous!
1 comment
by michemb
11 Apr 2012
You are right Linda, and no one was telling me CAN'T but me LOL which made me even more determined.
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158714I think we belong to the same club. I spent 6 months last year struggling to hold my head up without a collar doing the job for me. I embroidered but most things were off kilter (like I was at the time). I could only spent a 1/2 hour or so doing what I love but I did it.
1 comment
by michemb
11 Apr 2012
As hard as I had to work for this simple design, it was worth it for my piece of mind
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