Yes, I like it. I suppose he could just... get better. I mean, no disease has a 100% mortality rate, and even things that tend to work faster than TB occasionally just randomly go into remission. Maybe he just needs a lot of Vitamin C. :D

There's a saying in English, "propping up the wall" that's similar enough the idea gets across easily. I kind of like the tapestry image better- it paints a vivid picture of all those bright dresses against the wall. "Four pins" is a little odder, but then, it might not have been when people regularly used pins to hold their outfits together.