A Stroke of Luck--and Plans for the Future

Hi folks ~ Long time, no blog! It's been a combo of boring and scary around these parts. 

Like many of you, I have been being extremely careful during the pandemic, not seeing people outside of my bubble, using curbside service if I need to buy groceries, always wearing a mask when I'm doing so, and attending Zoom meetings. I haven't had a need for new clothes, and my daughter hasn't either. Well, I'm fully vaccinated now, so I have a bit more freedom, but with the Delta variant all around us, I'm back to being hyper-vigilant. The pandemic is definitely the reason for the boring part of my first statement.

The other part of my statement, the scary part, I wasn't going to write about. But, it did happen and a lot of what I'm doing now stems from that: I had a stroke. I spent five days in the hospital and then moved in with my daughter, Mehetabel, and son-in-law, Aloysius, for the first part of my recovery. I'm very lucky in so many ways. They took care of me thoroughly and were so kind and loving that I don't think I can thank them adequately. After a bit, I moved back to my house which felt wonderful--as if I were no longer a victim (not that the kids made me feel that way; the stroke did). I had physical and occupational therapists, and a nurse, all of whom provided in-home care. They were wonderful, but I'm happy to say that I have graduated from those services. I'm back exercising in the pool most days, driving, and doing most of the normal things. One caveat I made was to hire housecleaners--because if I'm going to wear out easily, I don't want to waste my time cleaning!

While the stroke was scary, it was also what I'm calling a stroke of luck. Besides all the support I have, I'm lucky that I am alive, and I'm lucky that the stroke affected my cerebellum and not another part of my brain. I had no cognitive losses and no paralysis. The cerebellum affects equilibrium, so my balance was way off. I'm much better now, but I still careen and lurch sometimes! I'm sure it will get better with time. 

So, that's what I've been up to. I'm ready to get back to normalcy--in more ways than one! My daughter, who had been teaching remotely, will be going back to the classroom in August. She teaches at a local university and is completing her PhD dissertation. Teaching from home involved looking professional on top and ready for bed on the bottom! It'll be back to real clothes come August, and I've been daydreaming a lot about some possible new outfits!

We live in the high dessert, and it is hot here in the summer. Triple digit hot. That heat usually carries on at least through the end of September, followed by a few weeks of autumn, and then a cold, snowy winter. For now, I want to concentrate on making clothes that'll look professional but will be thermally cool. I'm thinking loose, linen pants, good-looking tops, and sleeveless dresses. Generally, I like a topper to complete an outfit. It's just too hot for that right now.

The first thing I'm going to make, because my serger is already threaded with navy, is a pair of wide-legged pants in a navy linen blend. I've never used this particular fabric before. It is by Telio and is a blend of linen, cotton, and "Cool Max" polyester that I purchased from fabric.com. I think I'll use Simplicity 8841 but make the pants full length instead of cropped. I blogged about this pattern here and Mehetabel likes it, so I think it'll be a great addition to her summer work-wardrobe. 

I'd like to make a few tops to go with these pants. I have an Art Gallery fabric with touches of  navy in cotton jersey that I thought might make a nice top from the Love Notions Willow Wrap Dress and Top. I've never made this pattern before, but why not give it a try? I love a surplice neckline.

I also have a black linen blend that will make a nice pair of pants. I might use the same pattern as for the navy, or I might use the Closet Core Patterns Pietra Pants. I'm going to make a pair of Pietra shorts to test the fit and see if Mehetabel has a preference.  For this one, I think I'll make the sleeveless wrap and tie blouse from Simplicity 8752 which is now out-of-print, but is on clearance on the Simplicity website. I passed by this pattern when I first saw it, but I liked the one that Vivmom Sews showed on a YouTube video. If I have enough, I think I'll use a rayon I purchased a while ago from fabricmartfabrics.com.

Next, I think a sleeveless dress is in order. Maybe the Turner Dress from Cashmerette (sans sleeves) in this red/white polka dot I purchased from fabric.com. This'll be my first time making a Cashmerette pattern for Mehetabel. I think the size 12 C-cup will work, but we'll see.

Another dress I like--and one I've made before--is a classic shirt dress based on a Dior design. As a pattern, it was originally sold as McCall's 6891, but it seems to now be Butterick 6843. I blogged about it here. Here's a photo of Mehetabel in the first dress. The second photo shows the fabric I'd like to use, a stretch cotton poplin from Mood.

Lastly, I might make the Style Arc Asha Dress, possibly as a top. I like this pattern, and I like that it brings the current shirring trend to a top or dress that looks more professional than a lot of the shirring one sees right now. For instance, the Nap Dress is cute, but I doubt Mehetabel would think it's appropriate for a college professor. I'll have to check my stash for suitable fabrics.

Of course, I might change my mind about some or all of this! And I might add a few more pieces. Such fun! I've been blessed with a full recovery and continued life, and this project is one of the many things I'm looking forward to doing.