Knowing that all of us who sew and love to do so, often have so many interruptions in our lives that keep us from our fabric and thread, our patterns and plans, I have always hestitated to whine too much about that usurped time. After all, none of us is immune from laundry, cooking, housekeeping, vacations, births, deaths of family and friends, the flu, a broken sewing machine, holidays, weddings, trips, family illness – the list goes on and on. But one thing I never expected has made its way into my life here in Autumn, my favorite of all the seasons.
I have broken my left hand. A terrible fall, outside here at my home on Sunday, October 9th, caused injury to four of my fingers – and a broken rib, too. One of the fingers was severely dislocated, one was chipped at the center joint, and two were broken and required surgery to repair the breaks.
I’m incredibly grateful that this did not happen to my dominant hand! I’m also so grateful for excellent medical care, a talented, caring surgeon, and family and friends who are attentive and so helpful. I have so much for which to be thankful.
However, of course, there is much I am unable to do while I recover, including sewing. All the projects and plans in my queue are now put on hold. But only on hold. . . so please do not give up on me! I’ll be back at my fashion sewing and writing about it on Fifty Dresses just as soon as I am able. In the meantime, I am missing both. Wishing all of you, my readers, a crisp, colorful and creative Fall!
fiftydresses 
Ouch! Wishing you a speedy and full recovery. 🙂
oh, dear! i sure hope you have a speedy recovery! & hopefully some relaxation… (wondering how difficult it was for you to type all you did!) many hugs 🙂
Even if you can’t sew right now you can still dream up some projects for when your hand heals! Get someone to get your patterns out for you and have a browse, make some notes, and you will be ready for action. Take care and get well soon! Always love your column and seeing what new wonderful things you have made. I also am a big fan of 1950’s ladylike styles.
Best wishes to you! You will absolutely be missed. Hope you are with us again very soon!
So sorry to hear about your accident and wish you a speedy recovery. I love your column and envy you your sewing skills. Hope you will soon be back at your sewing machine. Best wishes.
I can only imagine how you must feel but I know it is only a matter of time before you will be able to start sewing again. When I read your news I felt so badly for you. However, I read some of the comments from other lovers of your Fifty Dresses and I agree with them, I know you will have time at least to sit and look at all your future projects and plan. I enjoy your postings more than any of the others, so keep up the good work. Take care of yourself and get well soon.
Sorry to hear that!
I’m so sorry to hear that. I wish you a speedy recovery.
Having only just discovered your blog, and being new to sewing, may I just say what a wonderful resource it is. I hope you get back to your machine and your plans very soon.
So sorry to hear about your accident! It sounds horribly painful. Even typing a post must be difficult under these circumstances! I hope you’ve got a nice pile of sewing books and magazines waiting to be read. Best wishes for a speedy recovery!
For all things there is a season. Recovery until Christmas. Well before then it won’t hurt too much to rest hand on dh’s shoulder & waltz a little. Do your flowers match your pink-persimmon coat? Tho in other years you might not do so perhaps you can celebrate this season by wearing it as a robe/ hostess coat before its final cleaning. After rest finding new ways to get enough physical and mental activity…yes, it’s definitely a different season. If you receive notes throughout recovery please don’t feel obliged to reply. Will avoid trying to make you laugh (ribs).
Oh, dear Karen. I am sooooo sorry about your injury. Having something happen to my hands is one of my biggest fears. But I have no doubt that you’ll be back — soon! In the meantime, you can dream and plan and we can look forward to all the ways that you will inspire us when you’re able. Take care of yourself.
What a terrible story. I’m sure you are frustrated at not being able to do something you love. Take care of yourself and I hope for a speedy recovery. All your readers will patiently wait until you are back to sewing.
Take care and return when you are able to sew comfortably. Sending peaceful thoughts.
Oh Karen, as bad as this is, I was relieved because my imagination was going overtime! I hurt just thinking of your rib; as we say up north, UFDA! Get well, and mind your therapist! :>)
That sounds painful! Take care of it and you, Maybe a planning time! Or learning?
Oh no what a terrible thing to happen to a seamstress! Take care of yourself! Get well soon! And “give us a ring” when you are back to sewing and blogging… we will be here!
Do get well soon. I hope it all heals well and swiftly. We will miss your wonderful blog. Wishing you all the best!💐
I’m so sorry to hear about your fall. Hopefully it won’t be too long before you’re back at it. Speedy recovery. 😊
Dear Karen, I’m so sorry to hear about your injury! Having a positive mindset like yours will definitely help to speed up your recovery!
Thinking of you!
So sorry to hear about your injuries. I am all too familiar with the change in one’s mobility status due to an injury, so I wish you the very best recovery. May it be quick, but thorough. Time to dream, if not to execute.
Very sorry to hear this. Sending you all positive thoughts for a healthy, speedy recovery!
I am so sorry to hear this. I hope you will be back to sewing very soon. I wish you a speedy recovery.
Oh my! I’m so sorry to hear this. I hope you have a speedy recovery. Best of luck.
Oh my goodness! I am sooooo sorry. That was some fall! You always seem to be planning and visualizing new projects, so i know you’re thinking of many new plans and will be ready to go full steam ahead when the time comes. During my 5 foot and ankle surgeries, my resourceful daughter
made an alphabetized notebook on all the restaurants near us in Pittsburgh
that my husband could order and pick up takeout. On the front, she put a picture of my disastrously messy kitchen!If you have a drawer full of takeout menus, that might help! Take care. Mary Lynn
It’s amazing how much we use that nondominate (left) hand. If only you’d known this was to be a season of recovery, then you could’ve made a fall DvF as a toile. You could tie it on with your teeth and one hand – handier than that button at the top of jeans zipper. Ahh, we humans. Wishing you comfort & peace & joy
I am so sorry that this happened to you. this is always my grestest fear, that something might happen to my hands or eyes. wiching you all the best and hopefully you will soon be able to sew more faboulus garments.
Oy, that is a complete bummer. Healing can seem so very slow when there are so many projects percolating in our minds and ready to sew.
But there is always Imagisewing. Not as satisfying by a long shot, but a useful skill to have. You’ll be back in action before long, brimming with new ideas, gleaned from your long Imagisewing sessions. Hope you are feeling better soon.
Healing thoughts are sent your way. So sorry you had this happen, glad you have good people to be of service just now. I know you will have more sewing thoughts and photos to come, but do take the necessary time to properly let things heal the very best they can.
Oh, I’m so sorry! It sounds positively dreadful. Try to make the most of this unplanned R&R. I trust you’ll be back to sewing after a sufficient rest for your poor fingers (and rib). Sending you thoughts of smooth and complete healing.
That is too bad. Hope you’re already a bit better.
Oh no! I’m so sorry but thankful you didn’t injure your dominant hand! Praying you heal quickly and enjoy the planning for future projects in the downtime.
I have just discovered your blog today. Sorry to hear of your accident and the resultant rest from sewing. I will read your previous posts while you are recovering. Get well soon.
So sorry to hear this news! I will be thinking of you often and wishing you well. Thank God for those surgeons and the good care you received. You’ll be back sewing soon. In the meantime rest and plan and read!
So very sorry to hear this! We will miss your posts. Wishing you a very speedy & healthy recovery.
Today is the birthday of Margaret Mitchell, a journalist until ankle pain kept her home. So she wrote Gone With The Wind…on her sewing table. A bit more about how shy she was about it is the last section of today’s Garrison Keillor’s Writers’ Almanac.
Oh, Mery, your comment was like a sweet gift across the winds to me. I immediately looked up the Writer’s Almanac to read about Margaret Mitchell. How inspiring to know that book was written on her sewing table! Kind of makes one dream, doesn’t it?!
I’m very glad it struck a pleasing note. Sometimes it’s just time to dream.
It wouldn’t surprise me to learn you’re already a successful novelist with a nom de plume because you have that winning factor of writing from the heart.
Hi Karen, Just checking on you as you have been so missed here in the sewing world. Hope your hand is healing and that you’ll be back at it soon. Wishing you a happy Thanksgiving. Cissie
Thank you, Cissie! How perfectly lovely to hear from you. I have finally made some tentative new beginnings in my sewing room, which have lifted my spirits. I still have weeks of “hand therapy” ahead of me, but I am making progress. I am actually hoping to put a new post up on my blog sometime soon – as soon as I have anything worthwhile to say!
Happy Thanksgiving to you, and thank you so much for thinking of me.