Back in February 2012, I finished making my very first swimsuit. It looked great, and fit pretty well, except for one problem. The lining was less stretchy than the outside floral, resulting in a less than comfortable item of clothing. It worked all right, though, and I wore it in the pool several times that year.
Tonight, I brought it back to the pool for the first time in months. A lot of things have happened since then. My shoulder injury is much better, and so I've been able to keep up an upper-body weight program for the first time in my life. (Many thanks to my husband who has taught me so much about fitness!) I don't do anything hard-core, mind you. I actually love the 10 minute FitSugar Workouts on YouTube. They are simple and easy. But, I have gained considerable muscle mass in my traps and especially in my lats. The tendonitis in my knees has not been quite as chronic, and so I've been able to maintain a greater level of strength even when I have to wait out the pain by resting.
When I slipped on my suit and got in the pool, I noticed that not only was the suit tight up and down, but it was tight in the shoulders and around the leg holes. So, basically, this suit doesn't fit anywhere and it's time to make a bigger one. ....And I feel like celebrating because for the first time in 3 years, I can see that my injuries are not taking over my life. I might have to bear them a bit, and sometimes it is frustrating, but I can work around them and do what I can to strengthen my body against future injury.
And it feels good. Oh, so good.