When you need to make something

What do you do when you need to make something but you have lymphedema and your lymphedema bandages just won’t let you knit or spin?  Really MAKE, like create.  Not make a bed, or make supper. 

You can sew!  It’s actually amazing how fast you can get a whole project done when you use fabric that somebody else makes 🙂 .  Kimberlee linked to a pattern for one hour one yard tote bags the other day (scroll down a bit, it was last week, I think…).  Here it is.  I modified it a bit.

As written, the handles are perhaps 10 inches long each when completed… 36 X 4 inches, divided the short way, but then with the ends tucked under the cuff of the bag.   I think such a generously sized tote needs longer handles.

So I divided my handle fabric the long way, making each piece 36 X 2, and matched it up with some sturdy ribbon.  It turns out that the ribbon was the only thing I needed to buy to make four bags, so the total out of pocket cost was less than five dollars. 

I was about to have to spend more, though… I couldn’t find my pins.  Guess that’s what happens when you don’t do any sewing other than mending for a year or so 🙂  But while searching for my pins, I found a skinny roll of some sort of double sided iron-on adhesive.  Since I haven’t yet lost my iron, I was able to use it to hold everything together.  It’s probably cheating or something, so don’t tell my mom.  She would NEVER lose her pins.

Don’t worry, I’m not depending on this nameless magic iron-on stuff to hold my handles together.  I sewed them securely.  See?  Actually, it’s hard to see.  This is because I WAS able to find matching thread.  So in two hours and 37 minutes, I made four bags.

 

Do you want to know how I know exactly how much time it took?  Turns out it is much harder to sew while playing with a toddler than it is to knit while playing with a toddler.  So I told the bigger boys that they could play Wii for as long as it took me to make my project if they would take care of George.  They’re usually limited to an hour a day, so they counted every second.

I’m going to be happy to get back to knitting, though.  Maybe tomorrow I’ll tell you all about lymphedema.  Or maybe I’ll show you the pictures I took of Danny’s swimming lessons.  That would definitely be more fun.