A slight setback

This has, for the most part, been a rather productive week, with the wedding card and sampler both finished and just needing to be mounted and framed respectively. However, I have developed De Quervain's Tenosynovitis, a repetitive strain injury affecting my right thumb tendon. It is every bit as painful as it sounds, and has slowed me down considerably. I now have to rest my right hand for a week and apply regular ice packs to reduce the swelling in my wrist. I am not amused.

Now that the wedding card and sampler are finished, I have decided to embark upon something a bit different (once my hand is back in working order, of course!). While in town earlier in the week, I picked up issue 70 of "Stitch", inside which was a corsage project and a four-page article about Claire Muir who is a milliner specialising in fascinators and the like. I have been so very inspired by this that I not only want to make the corsage (a kind of practise run), but also design and make my own corsages and fascinators et cetera. Other inspirations drawn from the project and article include butterflies as well as lots of different flower shapes, and also some abstract shapes. I hope to be able to make an all black corsage for my baby sister's prom next month, but we will have to see how that goes.

I have already couched the petal wires to the double layer of organza and overstitched four of them, but have found it too painful to continue. Jay is being every bit the strict doctor, saying that I am not to do any more crafting for the next week so that I can properly rest my thumb. I fear, however, that the damage has been done and that we must look for alternate treatments (such as injecting anaesthetic into the joint or blood into the affected area - ouch!). Either way, the corsage is on hold for the time being, and I am left with very little to pass the time.

This afternoon I will get the sewing machine out and see if I can decipher it with the help of Jane Bolsover's book, "Sewing Machine Basics", which does appear to cover the kind of bobbin casing on my machine. If I manage to stay completely pain-free in my hand while using the machine (if I manage to work it out of course!), then I have a huge backlog of projects waiting to be sewn up, so that should keep me busy for a week or so. If not, and I have to stop, then I really don't know what I can do. I may well go out of my mind with a ban on crafts across the board!

What has inspired you this week? Are you experiencing any difficulties with crafting? Do you have any limitations that you wish you could overcome? I'd love to hear any of your stories, so please do share!