Well, I have actually got something on my desk today to show you, but nothing very constructive as yet!
I want to make a get-well card and a small gift for our neighbour who we have become friendly with, who recently came home from visiting family, having had a serious accident while away, and she is now mending and recovering, and needing a little cheering up! She loves butterflies, and last year she gave me a lot of lavender clippings from her garden, from which I made some infused oil, as well as having sufficient flowers left to dry for sachets. I made these for my fellow chemo-ites when I started my chemo, and thought I’d make her one as well, in its own little box, together with a small bottle of the oil, and possibly a lavender soap. Something else to keep my angels project on the back burner!!
I have been feeling so poorly since my last chemo that I haven’t been able to make a start on this, so this morning I had a rummage through my stash and selected a few cards and papers to make a start on the project. If I don’t get going soon, she'll be better before she gets it! Lying on top is a fabulous piece of silk paper that a mixed media artist friend gave me several years ago and which I have not yet put to use, and I thought I might add a bit of this. Silk paper is something I want to start making one day.
I have another project in the pipeline as well. Until now, I have been wearing a butcher’s apron in my studio and this doesn’t really offer me much protection especially once I’m let loose on the spray inks! It has been on my mind to make myself some sort of smock to cover me up a bit better.
Recently while surfing Pinterest, I came across this gorgeous “slouchy smock dress” and knew this was exactly what I wanted, and it has a free downloadable pdf pattern.
On a fabric website I found some linen-look heavy cotton fabric which is 60 inches wide and ideal for my purposes because it shouldn’t allow any bleed-through of paint or ink onto my clothes underneath. This is now washed in case of shrinkage, and waiting to be ironed once I have enough energy.
I shall make the sleeves longer, and put cuffs on them.
If I like it, I shall probably make it again, as a dress for normal wear!
Regarding my chemo, I have not been doing so well after my fifth treatment on 14th August, and am only now starting to feel more myself again. The peripheral neuropathy has been more severe, and I’ve noticed some loss of sensation in my feet and fingertips, which I shall report to the oncologist. She is most likely to reduce the chemo dose a bit more, because this is something they take seriously, as it could become permanent. I have been very wiped out too, sleeping a lot, and feeing pretty poorly generally, and unable to shift a very unpleasant sour taste in my mouth, and my appetite has been poor. All this means that I haven’t achieved much in the last week!
Yesterday, though, my new laptop arrived, and I’ve been busy getting it up and running, which is taking some time. My old one has been playing up quite a bit recently and is on the way out, but until it finally dies, I shall keep it as a spare.
So that’s been Shoshi’s week. I hope yours has been a bit more productive! Happy WOYWW everyone.
