The first half of the year has been an unusual one for us
all. When lockdown finally happened I had
already witnessed my partner, Nicky, trying to plan for the oncoming storm for at
least 4 weeks; I had read the stories of the overwhelmed hospitals in Northern
Italy; my brother was locked down in Southern Spain; it was clear it was going
to be bad.
Many of you will know that Nicky works in Cardiology and
specifically Echocardiology (ultrasounds of the heart). The procedure is a 40 minute, intimate scan
that is on a par to cuddling the patient. In the run up to lockdown she told tales of
scanning coughing patients dressed only in a plastic apron and gloves because
although they were symptomatic they were undiagnosed because the test results were
taking 6 days to come back; at that point the hospital would not let staff wear
masks unless there was a confirmed diagnosis.
The guidelines on PPE kept changing and it was a constant battle for her
and her team. She was fitted for the
special masks that were for use on the Intensive Treatment Unit (ITU) and began
to talk about 12 hour shifts working around the clock. The hospital was adding extra beds to ITU and
converting operating theatres to additional ITU wards; work started on the
Nightingale Hospital at the NEC. I know
it was tough on her kitting up (they call it donning and doffing) and going
onto the wards dressed in the full gear; she stopped talking about what she
saw.
And what was I doing?
I was working from home (and then furloughed) for the sewing machine
distributors of Pfaff and Husqvarna Viking that I provide technical support for. My three days a week at Hereford College of
Art went onto zoom tutorials and seminars trying to reassure students that it
was all going to be okay. Whilst this
was really important, it was not the life and death experience that Nicky was
going through.
It was scary. I felt impotent.
It was scary. I felt impotent.
I am a quilter; so I made a quilt
I found myself chanting the message ‘Stay Safe’ whenever she
or I went out. On the back of the earlier
Recovery Quilts it seemed a logical step to make a Covid Quilt saying that. I wanted to sew something that was as positive
and joyous as possible and hang it in as public a place.
The first quilt was made very quickly and I taped it into
the front window so people walking past could see it. Technically its unfinished as its still a
quilt top only. I will admit that it was
actually sellotaped in place. The second,
more considered version is quilted and hangs in my sister’s front window on the
busy street in Hove she lives on.
Annoyingly her quilt is much better than mine.
