Polka dotty dungaree skirt

My partner reckons I am getting a bit "Arty" with this mix of clothing. I never till now thought of myself as at all arty. Still maybe all the creativity is finally working 😉

I made this skirt at the same time as my dungarees. Its a very basic pattern. Well not even a whole pattern because I only used the front of section of New Look 6230. I did this before when I made my fluorescent green outfit back in summer 2019.

When these pictures were taken I still needed my crutches. Now I don't.

This skirt is a bit shorter than my green one. I won't be wearing this for work so prefer it a bit shorter. Its a scuba fabric so very warm. I did not have enough scuba for the straps though so they are faux leather. I think it works despite the simplicity.

Or it maybe that simplicity of the design is why it works?

Its worn with my black and cream one shoulder tops. You can read about the one shoulder tops here:

Now my hip is done I want to be me again. No more hiding behind old lady clothes with midi skirts down my calves. I always, all my adult life, like either very, very long skirts ankle length skirts or at least ankle scimming or very, very short skirts. I reckon at 55 I will not wear quite so short a skirt as I did at 20,  but I can still do this sort of short skirt so thats what I am aiming for.

Its got an elastic waist. Not really sure it needed that and perhaps draws the waistline in more than it needs. But I added the bib and braces as an after thought and topstitched round the waist above the elastic. I am not sure that was the best decision but despite this I do like the fact its a dungaree skirt.
 
The braces make it a bit different which is nice. They're a bit creased but I do not like risking ironing faux leather. The bib is really a bit too small I think ( and not quite rectangular!) but it was the very last bit of scuba I had so that was that. I could not even choose to line with different fabric and make it bigger since its made of an offcut which meant its a weird shape and unless I added a seam down the front of the bib there was no other option. In the end I opted with a slightly small bib and self lined it. It does work. I love the scuba fabric for this. It does not crease and is so very warm. And its a fun fabric which I will not wear to work so why not?
Its a bit cold for the time of year wearing this and I am having to wear it with leggings rather than tights which I admit does ruin the look a bit, but I am still so far unable to put my tights on and leggings go on easier. Once I can use my leg properly again I shall more than likely wear it with tights because it would look better. I do not mind really, though must admit having invested in 4 pairs of warm tights it is a bit frustrating.

I am finding recovery from my hip replacement is actually much slower and much harder than I envisaged. Its not that I have a leg that is swollen now because the swelling subsided a while back, but just that I am unable to reach the foot and bend properly despite being signed off by the consultant to do that now. Hence no tights!

In fact I kept getting dressed with a wet foot which is not nice due to not reaching properly to dry myself. You just do not think of these small details when you agree to have an operation. Not that I regret it, because I think the surgeon has fixed me! The pain is mostly gone. Other tha from the op itself anyway. I suspect most of what I am having painwise is from muscular recovery and the bone knitting to the implant.

They say 6 weeks recovery, but when you are actually doing the recovery that is very optimistic. If I had the kind of job where I could work from home I reckon I could do that. Unfortunately I don't!

I think the fact I am much younger than, for example my Grandma who was into her 80s when her hip was done, meant in my own mind that I would recover very easily and its really not so easy as I expected. Despite the consultant signing me off from the "precautions" - bending over 90 degrees etc - I am not actually able to bend that easily. My lower leg is "dead" so I am unable to kneel easily. I am doing physio to sort that though.

I am also still fainting and therefore unable to drive (legally), which I need to be able to do to get to work and really cannot take the risk of killing someone else or myself so its really not worth risking driving but I am still stuck and reliant on others. My BP, which is apparently naturally low anyway is just taking ages to return to normal, so every now and then it drops and I just go out - as in faint - which is embarrassing as well as totally inconvenient. Last time was in front of the entire physio department. I suppose at least I was in the right place! I am now taking iron since a blood test said low haemoglobin levels though my Doctor did not seem worried. I invested in iron anyway and have taken it since.

My operated leg hurts, I do take pain killers but the pain is still there. I am not able to walk as well as I thought I should do and as I said I cannot yet put tights on. I suppose realistically the bone has to grow over the implant and the muscles have to recover. Its very frustrating anyway. I can walk downstairs now but cannot get upstairs. I make daily attempts to walk up and down stairs. Down is not bad at all but upstairs so far is impossible. Physio encouragingly tells me its normal. I simply cannot control my leg very well and it collapses. Thats not too bad on the house stairs because they are carpeted but I would not want to fall flat on my face on a public staircase. Thats going to hurt!

So I have yet to even attempt to sew. Its 8 weeks now, the day I am writing this. Since I still have to lift my operated leg with my hand to get it to where I want it for example when putting shoes on. I can now tho do socks which just a couple of days ago I could not do myself so I am definitely getting better steadily. I would have been better off if this had happened in summer because it would not have been icy in the mornings so reducing the risk of falling which I MUST NOT DO. I could have worn walking sandals with velcro fastings all the time and I could have got back to work more easily I think. Note to self - have the next hip op in summer then!

Anyway, I reckon I may have to wait a couple more weeks yet to be able to operate the sewing machine foot properly. At least now though, I can get in and out of the shower, so thats a real improvement. Our shower is over the bath. I have yet to try to have a bath because I think I may end up stuck.😉

I am hoping in a week or so my physio will pay off and I will start to be able to walk properly again. I actually ditched my crutches for a few days and ended up with terrible pain in the unoperated leg so saw my doctor who told me to go back to using my crutches again. Its hopefully the pressure on the unoperated leg causing pain rather than I need a second operation. Time I suppose will tell with that one. I am sure my hip replacement is actually a great success because it turns out there is only 3mm difference in my leg length which is a relief and means I do not need a built up shoe or in sole to raise it.

Moans over! 

In the meantime my sewing project ideas are growing and I'll be hard put to decide what to make first. I went through some of my stash the other day which was not easy because you need to bend to get access BUT I have some lovely black sequin fabric in my stash so have been going through lots of Burda mags hoping to decide what to do with it. I have owned it at least 3 years so probably should find a way to use it. Also I think sequins work not only with Christmas festivities but also into January with knitwear and as you know, I have been knitting. I will let you know on that one once I decide what I am making. With luck I should be sewing again soon.

And just to finish off another photo of this skirt. 

I am pleased with how this turned out.

Thanks for popping by

Bracken