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 

Pyjama trouser x2, pink top and paper bag trousers.

 I have to go in hospital in about a month's time. Its not a bad thing. Its for a total hip replacement (THR) operation which I need badly, since I now have to use a stick to walk the pretty long distance from where we park to where I work. I am still OK for short distances and inside buildings. According to my doctor and my consultant I should have been using a stick since March so I have done OK.

I decided in the end to use one not only to help me walk but also to stop me wearing out my knee in the good leg because it became so painful I could hardly use it at all and I really do not want to end up with a knee replacement as well and several people I know have had to have that after their THR due to over use of the opposite knee apparently. Note that I have not "officially" been told this by a doctor, but only by friends, so it could be their knee replacements were unrelated to their not using a stick but when several different people who do not know each other all tell you the same thing its probably best to listen, so I am.

Anyway mid October they are doing my op which although I was worried and wondering should I try and wait a bit etc ( due to being young which means I will definitely end up having a second one in 20-25 years time which is currently a huge operation) in the end though, I cannot wait for it to happen. I need to feel normal again and be able to be me and walk and cycle and very importantly be able to walk my dogs again. They are a year old this week and need long walks and I am unable at present to even give them short walks. Had I known this would happen we would never have had them because its not fair to my partner or my dogs. I will not be able to run after the op or at least they advise against it because running is high impact, but you cannot do too much cycling which I love and walking so I reckon time to get fit again as well. The problem with my hip has caused me to be very un-toned and flabby and unfit. I do not actually weigh any more or take a bigger size in clothing but I look un-toned and fat to what I expect myself to look.
 
And I stand weird. I am unable to stand up straight like you are taught in school.



It simply hurts and my leg gives way and I fall over.

I have really noticed this in the photos on this blog.

Not for much longer!

The one small problem with going into hospital though is my lack of PJs.

I do obviously own PJs but they were all bought for me by my Mum for Christmases and tend to have stars and holly and robins etc on them and be made of flannelette since they have to keep you warm in winter.



 I do have some shorts PJs for summer but they are old and worn and October is very variable, so it could be really cold here, so I do not want to only have shorts or Christmas PJs when I have to be in a public ward.

So time to make Pyjamas!

And this makes for a very good blog post I think.



The hospital directions of what to bring with you tell you you need elastic waisted shorts or skirts to wear  apparently when doing physio and generally recovering.

I made these circular culottes/ shorts here for this bit a while back and with a few other pairs that I already own I should have that bit covered.

But the PJs remained a problem till last weekend when I decided time to get to it and make what I am going to need since there's now less than a month to go.

I do not need many PJs since I will wear a gown the first day for the actual op and they send you home on day 3 so 2 pairs should work fine.

This is pattern: See and Sew B5910 and its possibly the easiest pair of trousers I have ever made.

It has no pockets which possibly would make them better and more useful but I am not sure about adding any extras right now since they could impact on the scar and hurt. Right now though I do not know if I will have a side scar or rear scar. It depends on the particular surgeon and I never thought to ask. Maybe I should have put side seam pockets in. Well I may live to regret not doing that but I never did.

 So: elastic waist PJ trousers:

I have had the black dancing skeleton fabric for ages. I love it but it did not seem suitable for wearing as a dress other than on Halloween so I have not yet found a use for it. I did consider a jacket lining but that seemed a bit of a waste, but as pyjama trousers yes, no problem. And very me. I cannot remember what fibre this is but think this one is 100% cotton but it could be polycotton. It probably is polycotton in fact since it does not seem to crease.

Similarly with the polycotton camo fabric. I had this for ages as well and I bought this for a summer dress. This would work as a dress but I need something for now and its cheap to replace so time to use it. I love the colour of this fabric and its very on trend right now so its just perfect to bring a bit of "me" to my life as a hospital patient.

This is also good as a project because its very easy to make PJ trousers, its fast and I really need to wear something that does not make me feel like an old lady.

I do feel like an old lady.

Don't get me wrong. Half the people having this op are over 70 and I am only 55 but having something I like to wear that is more me will definitely help me to feel OK with this I think. Its important not to lose sight of who you are. Though in fact the other 50% of patients having this particular op tend to be my age or mid-50s.


I have also managed to clear 4m of fabric from my stash which is also a good thing. Yey!

That is, ignoring the left over bits, but I may make some cami-tops with them next weekend. Depends on if the pattern I have will fit onto the bits I have left.

I have also made the tea bag trousers using Mood fabrics Primrose Pants free pattern. This is the same fabric I used for the culottes and I have tons of it. Its really a cotton curtain fabric but whatever, it makes a great fabric for trying stuff out or for emergency hospital clothing.

Could even be wearable after, you never know, though really I do not love Tea bags. I wore them as a teen and its not really how I want to look these days but needs must etc and the pattern was free. I intend to donate to charity after the op.

They probably look best with the tops tucked in but to be honest I hate that look.





I am more a tops over them person.














They do have front pockets as well which is good.

































They are meant to have mock back pocket flaps but I am likely to have a scar somewhere there so never put them on because I can do without additional irritation if you know what I mean.

 

 Finally I made the pink top worn with these last week. It was aimed at a work top but I think it will go great with my PJ trousers or my tea bags for the hospital visit so I am including this here.





Its made from Burda 6722. I have made it a few times before and as usual managed to cock up the construction.


It does work but I had to bodge it.

I always misunderstand Burda and I put the stitching for the straps in the wrong place and have to redo it or rather add some stitches to hold it in place where the front and back flaps over. This time I never took it to bits I just added some stitching at front and back neck.

I think you are meant to sew the straps higher that I did so I had to add extra stitches so they only go part way accross the shoulders.  It works OK and when on, no one can see this but its not really how it should be. I should have had a look at my previous versions before making this one. Well you cannot win them all so they say.

I am actually very pleased with all of these items and they should make my being in hospital a bit easier than it may otherwise be. 

I am also quite surprised how much I actually really love my PJ trousers to the extent I may even wear them on a beach in summer as actual trousers. Well who's to know really?

And thats it for this week.

Bracken