Distraction or prep?

Next week is a big week for us.

Our mischievous, smiling dynamo of a girl will have her open heart surgery in London.  We've known since she was born that this surgery was likely, but it doesn't make it easy to anticipate.  So, amid the planning and packing lists, I did what I least needed to do and stitched something I hadn't really planned to.

Really late one sleepless night, I decided on a whim that I would make some hospital kimono pjs for CT.  They were mentioned by one of the nurses who has been helping us with our arrangements as a good option for post-surgery wear.  Let's just say it wasn't one of my smarter moves.  I'm not a dressmaker, I'm a quilter and I plan to stick to what I'm good at from here on in.  Poor child could have ended up in a right tangle of all those ties if the light hadn't finally dawned and I hadn't fixed my rookie errors!  And those pj bottoms are taking wide leg pants to the extreme!  I was using a pattern but my CT isn't really a standard size - she's just a little 18lb whirling dervish - and my alteration skills are fairly non-existent.  Verdict is, they fit (ish) and are actually quite cute on her, but I won't be making more for Christmas gifts.  I think I just needed to feel like I was doing something for her because this is a funny time when I feel a bit helpless actually.

I snuck in a quick hour and a half's stitching on Friday afternoon to make a pretty, scrappy wash bag for taking just the essentials with me when I stay with CT on the ward.  Last year, my gorgeous and generous friend Di made me a beautiful drawstring travel bag for our trip to the op when it should come around, so I thought it would be nice to make a little co-ordinating wash bag.  (Of course, I really hope to be using these for fun travel in the future.)

I used Jeni's pattern from In Color Order which is a really lovely tutorial to work from.  I did adjust the sizes a wee bit just to fit the 2.5" squares I used up from my pre-cut scrap box.  I lined it with a piece of shower curtain, admittedly melting the first one I used, but finding a better quality non-melting curtain to replace it with.  The shower curtain should provide protection from leaky bottles and toothpaste.

My snatched stitching time was during CT's afternoon nap, but she was soon awake again to inspect the end result.  She seems to have approved, and can confirm that the drawstrings taste great ;-)

So, there you go, some random stitching and a rambling post from my wee head that's all everywhere just now.  But, I hope you'll understand.  She's so precious and it's scary and I am not a machine, I'm a mummy.

Stay safe my little one.  We need your smile in our lives. xx


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