Purple loungewear /PJs bottoms for hospital visit

I made these for a hospital visit like my blog title says. These are the first of two pairs I have planned in this fabric and I want a couple of tops too and hopefully some co-ordinating daywear for when the nurses want you to get dressed. That will mean it all matches and so dressing is easy. I have available a total of 6m of this fabric - a 2m piece and a 4m piece which I bought due to loving the first piece. 

A few years ago I had to have a total hip replacement in my right leg. It was very successful - for a while anyway until the left leg started to deteriorate. I could even sit cross legged on the floor with the kids. Then suddenly I had problems again. They fixed my right leg wonderfully. I hope they do as good a job on my left leg because now I am waiting for the op for that leg and it seems every week that passes I get more disabled. Not that I am really disabled because the surgeons will fix me. I have confidence they will, but having a problem does mean it starts to get in the way of what you want to do.

I went on the NHS list last August so hopefully by this August I will get done. For want of a better way to express this!

Last time I made a huge error though. I made two new pairs of PJs for the hospital visit but they were in a woven poly cotton fabric, But when I had had the op my leg swelled so much they wouldn't come off. Well they did eventually but it was difficult and painful. Its ok when you first come back from the op but a few hours later you swell so I could put them on fine but later they were restricting my now swollen leg. 

So this time I am being sensible ( and I know what to expect of course) so I am making stretch jersey PJs instead of woven cotton ones. That should do the job and make me comfy. I also want tops to match and some RP culottes because that way it will all match and be easier to change from bed wear to day wear cos they ( the nurses) like for you to do that. I intend these clothes to also be nice lounge wear for recovery too and since I also need a double partial knee replacement ( both knees!!!!) which is probably due around December I am hoping these will serve me well. Don't ask me why I have such joint issues. I have absolutely  no idea other than I used to be very into sport. They have yet to detect a reason and to be honest I don't really want to get too over analysed because who knows what the doctors might find. All tests have come back negative and so far they found nothing. 

The top I made last year. At halloween,  though it is an every day top not a halloween top despite being a bit spider webby. I wear it a lot and have been considering a second top. 

I lengthened the top of these to give me a looser fit by adding a  yoke. I know my body will swell after all and want comfy trousers for the op. I did this before with this pattern which is the free yoga pants pattern from  if only they would nap.  The yoke is just an elongated wasteband really but it works. This time I made the yoke shorter and perhaps really I do not need it so I may not do this on version 2 of these. I really wish I had more of this fabric because I love it despite its slippery to sew. I made my green tops from this, green dress and grey circle top. Last time I looked they had no new stock of this at Pound Fabrics but I am keeping an eye open so I can buy it if this comes back in. 

As for these ops, well I honestly think it's best to be cheerful about these kind of things. After all once these ops are done I should be able to cycle again. Running is frowned on cos it's high impact and so shortens the joint life but cycling is encouraged. I got given a bike the other day too. 

It's a Muddy Fox. It needs a bit of TLC but will be perfect for recovery so once these loungewear clothes are finished maybe I should consider some cycling gear? 

It's been a while since I made sportswear but I enjoy it and it will give me an incentive to fully recover because I know needing both knees and one hip operating on is going to be challenging for recovery of either because the one is a problem for the other. You need a good hip for knee recovery and pain free knees for hip recovery. I will not have this. But it can be done and really I am still quite young so it's do-able. Or so my consultants in both areas assure me. I believe them. It's probably my own active lifestyle caused the problems anyway so once they fix me I just need to get back on the bicycle and get going. Cycling is the best exercise for both knee and hip recovery so being gifted this bike which is much better than my ancient one is fantastic.

At least once the ops are done I should find life easier. I even find sewing difficult right now because you need control over the joints in knees and hips to do it. I actually sew far less than say 3 years ago due to the fact it hurts. I cannot wait to be able to get back up and sewing how I want to again. 

Hopefully over the next few weeks I should have a few other purple items to co-ordinate with these trousers to show. Thanks for popping by and have a lovely Easter holiday whatever your religion.

Take care

Bracken