I have been fortunate during the first fourteen months of the pandemic as I am retired with a reasonable pension in my own home in rural Wiltshire. Many women have however, had to cope with being single parents, in crowded accommodation, with no income and no leisure space. Women have always had to deal with the chaos of social disruptions such as war, famine and pandemics. Having worked extensively in Africa, and as a volunteer in the operating theatres in Sarajevo during the civil war I have observed how women still take time to make themselves feel good. For instance in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the lipstick factory remained open and women always looked amazing. With a nod to Edvard Munch’s ‘Scream’ and Roy Lichtenstein, for which apologies, women try to look good for their own self-esteem despite the chaos inside. I kept all my ends of threads throughout the first year of the pandemic and have incorporated them in this work as I spent the year happily sewing. Lesley Fudge is a retired nurse and currently a student with the Royal School of Needlework. She has a Bachelor’s degree in art and philosophy and a Master’s in Biomedical Ethics.