Samines

I help your hands create something beautiful

Category: Physio

  • Preloved Jubilee Needlecase

    Why I created Preloved Jubliee Needlecase.

    As we know it’s the Queens Platinum Jubliee this year 2022 and aren’t we happy that she has been on the throne for the past 70 years, I wonder what it’s like for her to have seen so much change in the span of a lifetime.

    I knew a few months ago that I wanted to make a handmade embroidery needlecase, but I had been waiting for my wrist to improve so I could do a major piece of stitching without it hurting, I have been doing physio each day, thankfully I have improved enough in my range of movement to drop down to 5 a day, when I first started physio exercises from the consultant I was doing them 8 per day and then I carried them on when I started having hand therapy.

    I looked on Instagram and Pinterest for many posts to see the sweet pieces being made with flowers and blanket stitches around the circles and the use of blanket stitch for the edges and I was conscious that if I followed suit the piece could look similar and I like to be different in my creations, this gives me the push to create new pieces. This got me thinking and I thought what could I design that was for the current day, the Queen, she’s current and it’s her platinum Jubliee this year and she came to the throne in 1952 which was around the time of The Festival of Britain and I knew that was it! I had my inspiration. Phew….

    I then remembered my sketchbook from my BTEC Fashion that I worked on using Lucian and Robin Day’s designs to create my own which was part of a 50s project to develop design work in one of my classes. So I looked on the above social media accounts, well actually Pinterest and looked up their designs and I came across one with a lop sided circle with straight lines coming out, then their were circles on the end of the straight lines, but when I came to start the design, (I didn’t translate to paper, just straight onto the fabric). I realised after cutting out a circle in jeans material and placing it onto the cut pieces of the jeans legs, along with the stitches, that I had used the middle of the circle as the centre of the design and not towards the outer circle, it’s still a good design and I believe it works well for the front of the needle case. I used split stitch for the straight lines and seeding stitch to create the circles at the end of the outer lines, my colour-ways are red, white and blue as these are the colours that were given at the Blackheath embroidery group for our stitched postcard, (which I haven’t started stitching, but I have the design work done, so at least I do not need to stress about that) and these colours are the colours for the Union Jack, so instantly the project would be recognisable. On the inside if the needle case I have created an extra design feature, so when you come to stitch the piece you know that it is for the Queens Jubilee, I am so satisfied that I sewed this piece and I was able to create it.

  • Anyone for Aqua?

    I swooped my swim for aqua aerobics on Wednesday 9th Feb, as I have been cat sitting for a friend in Peckham and as I was on holiday it felt right to do something different, so I went along to Peckham Pulse. Lorraine the instructor was brilliant and worked us hard and I was thankful that I have been swimming twice a week for physio reasons for my ankles, knees and wrist. 

    On Tuesday 8th I had tried a salsa video session and it flared up fatigue in both ankles and knees, with the aqua I experienced sharp pains in my knees, (I have been experiencing this since the accident) and it a much better experience. I was able to keep up and then the weights came out and I realised I was on another game changer and that with gripping in both hands to keep the weights under water will improve my right hand grip and I will know if it has worked when I see Joydan at my next hand physio appointment.

  • Valentines Heart Pin

    This is a piece of bondaweb that will be posted today for the packs to the workshop for Valentines Heart Pin, what I wanted to share with you was my printer wasn’t playing ball today. My frustration levels started to increase as the pattern for the hearts were not printing out and I switched the printer and computer off a few times to see if it would print. I tried to print from the copy that was on the scanner bed, but when switching the printer and computer back on, I thought lets see if I could print from Word and it did, then I thought let me see if it will print from the saved scan of the heart patterns and it did and I was so happy.

    When I have worked in the office in administration and things went wrong there was always someone on hand to pop over to help me figure things out, but now those days are gone and I am at home trying to figure the technical bits out on my own.

    What did I do so I didn’t get too down, was to shut down the work station, have some lunch, (a break) and come back to it, I think I will have to give myself a lot more breaks, especially with the recovery of my wrist, yesterday I did a marathon of two and half hours on the computer, although great and lots of tasks were completed, afterwards I had sharp pains and I had to do a recovery of finger and wrist exercises and then wrapping the heat pad around it. I have soreness starting in my hand now and so it is time to log off!

  • Orville Wearing Peach Flower Crown

    Meet Orville who is wearing a flower crown made in peach lining and created by Sarah who attended Flower Crown Red back in July 2021.

    Looking through my posts I have seen that I managed to blog in August, todays blog is brought to you written on a laptop and I am managing to touch type.

    For the past month I have been swimming twice each week and have manged to swim a good few laps, 16 in total for the past 3 times, this is encouraging all round as I am getting stronger and increasing the steps I am walking. I have seen from swimming that I am gaining more strength in my wrist, I am still writing with my left hand and when I write with my right hand, (I am right handed) it is scrawly and unrecognisable.

    I was booming and busting, as my physio had said when I had my first session for my ankle physio, the accident that happened in July saw me spraining my left ankle and breaking my right wrist and I was pushing myself too hard increasing my step count to soon, to the point that the days I was walking 8,000 to 10,000 steps, the next day saw me laid out on the couch recovering and limping when walking.

  • Accident in Scotland

    Wed 14th July I was walking with my friend Carl along a pavement path in Carron Scotland in the Highlands. I stepped onto a piece of round circular bark and the next thing I knew I was on the floor.

    Carl wanted to lift me up and I was screaming at him don’t touch me. At first thought I had broken my left ankle and right wrist, but after getting to see the paramedics they confirmed I had sprained my left ankle and broken my right wrist. I was given gas and air to help with the pain while on the thirty five minute journey to Elgin hospital, it was between 8 and 10 level of pain. After around 5 in and out exhales I pulled the devise out of my mouth, it was affecting my head and voice, after a while I asked if they had any water and I was given a small container of water to take the edge of the thirst. We arrived at A&E and waited in the ambulance to be admitted, from the conversation I had with the female paramedic, I learnt Elgin has only two ambulances to cover the surrounding areas, calls were coming in and she said the night crew will be busy as they had four emergency cases that will need to be driven to Aberdeen. I was wheeled into A&E and then taken into a room to wait for a doctor, he examined my right wrist and I am ouching in pain and I said what about my ankle, (it was the end of his shift and he was tired and I felt he could have been gentler with me.

    The consultant came in who examined the wrist, he said the wrist was broken, but smashed and I would need an operation to have a metal plate and pins put in. Dr. Papolopapos gave me options, the two were, 1 – I could make my flight and been seen in a few weeks for an operation in London, (as they were so busy) or 2 – he could give me an operation tomorrow, (now the next day)so I opted for the 2nd to stay in Scotland to be operated on. Andrea from Dalmunach House collected me with Carl to drive me back to Carron, she was our Airbnb host and was fantastic on all levels. http://www.dalmunachhouse.com I am now left handed and cannot link correctly, please click on link.

    The day of the operation arrived quickly and I was awake at 6am to make sure luggage was packed and breakfast was eaten, our orginal flight was at 8.55pm and we needed to have left at 11am, a taxi was booked for 8.30am, Carl had to make sure everything was out by then as he wouldn’t be back in time before check out and now with the accident we had to come back to stay in another part of the house. I am so thankful Carl came with me in the cab, I couldn’t have done the journey without him or negotiating the hospital either. I was booked into the day hospital and taken to a room, i needed assistance to go to the loo and as I was in there the nurse undressed me so I could wear the hospital gown. It was very humbling being in a position to having to rely on others for help, I had worn a dress and blouse the day before and I opted to sleep in them and go to the hospital with the same clothes on. My right arm was not going through the sleeve and I agreed to have the sleeve cut open, thankfully on the dress I had 3/4 length sleeves with elastic in the hem and that was taken off in tact. The nurses came in to take all personal details and my earrings had to be taken out ready for the operation.

    I texted people I knew to pray for me and especially a fashion Christian group that I belong to, my lively hood is in the balance and I wanted them to lift me up in prayer, because alot of peeps in the group are also makers and would understand the full aspect of what had happened, plus I needed the comfort from my community. Twenty minutes before the operation I spent personal time in prayer and I became so relaxed and peaceful that I knew I was ready. They wheeled me into the operating theatre and then I realised I wanted to go to the loo, the anesthetist was so kind and organised for me to go. I went back onto the table and somehow had to shuffle along. A needle was put into a vein on the left hand and I closed my eyes, they asked me what my job was and I said a style consultant before my position was made redundant through Covid, then I explained what I did while the woman was putting the pads on me to monitor my heart. The mask was put on for me to breath into and I said ‘I am still awake’….. The next thing I knew I was woken up in recovery and then again back in the room. Every thirty minutes they came to get me awake and then something to eat and drink, I had gluten free bread with butter it was the best meal I ever had and a few days after that’s all I wanted to eat. The operation was a success, all I now need to do is rest and heal.