Anyone Sewing For The Holidays?

=46inished two wallhanging tops, which have to still be sandwiched and quilted. One is for my office. Also finished a pillow top, still need to put on the ruffle and back; in the works right now is a paper pieced table runner. I am also thinking of doing something with kitchen towels, am not sure what yet :)

Just got a vintage Husqvarna Viking 6570 going, it was stuck in reverse (they almost all are) so a few days of working to free that up and now it works great...tested it tonight for free motion quilting, which is one of the things I wanted it for (and mainly as a back up machine for my Husqvrana-Viking 1+ when it's doing embroidery) and perfect on the first try; can't get any better than that.

-Irene

-------------- You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.=20

--Mae West=20

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I am sewing for Halloween still, and will probably be doing that on Wednesday as well. I have made a ghost fo rthe little one (vey simple) in a white slinky fabric with a shiny holographic print on it. Cut out 2 pumkin costumes tonight, one for my 10 yr. old and one for me (because I bought 4 yards too much fabric). Just need batting for that. My 12 year old is working on a design in "something black". I want to make something medevial with the black velour (with a crisscross gold print) and gold fabric as an underskirt or something. We can't quite agree so that one will be last.

Haven't really thought about the holidays too much. But my brother and girlfriend do alot of yoga so I am thinking about yoga pants in a cool print.

Kirsten Sollie

Candide wrote: ...

My big holiday is in about 6 weeks, and I need to compose myself a vision of a contra dance outfit of all the periwinkle prints I've been collecting.

And then there's a Red Hat event for which I will be qualified to wear a purple hat and red outfit, so I have to work on those.

And there's Tuba Christmas (hi Joy!!) right here in town. Gotta have something stunning on for that.

year I used a Hancock freebie fleece sox pattern for theHoustonites (hi Kirsten!). One pair cam out too small, so I'll betrying again this year. (Kate, you making something wonderful for your 50th? Or is the chocolate for that?)

--Karen D. might sound selfish, but I really have no one to sew for

Ooooohhh, sympathetic {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, Cea! I learned last spring when I went in for an evaluation for Lasik for my severe myopia that I have cataracts. The laser surgeon refused to do my eyes, suggested I be evaluated for cataract surgery instead.

Now, I'm under and HMO and Medicare, so I was absolutely sure the HMO would say, "Yeah, sure we'll do you in about five-ten years." To my astonishment, the eye doc took a look, listened to my sad story ("I'm a widow, it's not safe for me to drive at night, I can't see well enough to sew, read, etc., etc."), and scheduled me for interocular lens replacement surgery in December! Yipee! He pretty much guarantees the lenses will give me the equivalent of 20/20 distance vision, although I'll still need glasses for close work, not a problem as I have bifocals now.

I hope you're November appointment is fruitful.

Beverly

Karen, I'm wondering about the "qualified to wear" in your message. Does this mean there are 'levels' that one has to earn in this organization? AK in PA

not Karen, but there are pink hatters and red hatters. Red hatters are the ones that can wear red hats with purple clothing - age 50 and over. Pink hatters wear pink (blech) and lilac/lavender. I think they are usually 30-50, but might have the age range a little off.

Larisa, who only knows this because mother wanted us to join the same group - fortunately, we live in different states!!

I could join my mother now....oh no!! I think I'll let her have her pleasures, on her own. She is after all 30 yrs older than I.

What was that word someone coined? Hemi-centennial? BTDT AK in PA

The surgery is done on a "day-surgery" or outpatient basis. In at 8:00am, out about three hours later. One on my DDs or my sister will be able to take me in, and either wait or come back later to take me back home. The recovery time is almost nil: the doc says I can resume my regular activities within a couple of days, but no heavy lifting for a couple of weeks. Younger DD has offered to take some vacation time to be with me for a couple of days, but the doc doesn't think it's necessary.

They will do one eye in early January, the second three weeks later. I wondered myself about what I'll do in between surgeries, I suppose I'll knock one lens out of my current specs. And yes, I'll either just be able to get store-bought reading glasses, or if it turns out I don't get 20/20 with the IOL transplant, I'll get new prescription glasses with bifocals. But, what a pleasure to be able to get prescription glasses that don't have to deal with my 6.0+ diopter correction! Think REALLY THICK, UGLY edges.

I wore contacts (and reading glasses) for many years, and was always very happy with the correction I got, as well as the vastly better peripheral vision they provide. I'm really looking forward to this!

Beverly

Someone I know just had this done, and he is ecstatic! I have an appointment next week for a checkup, and curiously I find myself hoping my cataract is getting "ripe" -- since I would like to be able to see without glasses, for the first time.

Good luck. It's hard to wait, but the time will pass and you will have your vision!!! This is truly exciting.

Not all opthalmologist are of the same opinion as far as "ripening" of the cataract. Mine wasn't, and removed both cataracts within a month of each other. I thought I could see until AFTER the surgery......what a difference! Now I wear K mart glasses to read really fine print and none at all for the other stuff, except good wrap around sunglasses. It s wonderful to be able to read, sew and play the piano again. Good luck, it's a "no brainer". Dot in Tenessee

Yeah, I'm really looking forward to taking a shower and being able to *SEE* what I'm doing. And not having to search for my glasses first thing in the morning. And (as with contacts) opening the oven door or dishwasher and not being immediately blinded by steamed glasses. And walking in the rain. And......

Joanne, I hope your doctor is as accommodating as mine was. I was truly expecting to be told I would have to wait until they were much worse, and I was worried, because the best correction they have been able to give me with glasses the last couple of times was just awful! I wasn't exaggerating when I told him I was worried about driving, especially at night. Hint, hint... ;-)

Beverly

It's just so reassuring to hear of such good results! I *miss* not seeing well! I would not mind at all having to wear Costco reading glasses, I did for several years while I was still wearing contacts.

Beverly

I had both eyes done one summer a few years back; it does make a difference although I still need trifocals. I do see much better than before, but be warned, driving at night may be a problem as the plastic lenses often give quite a glare from bright lights. DH no longer drives at night because of this. The glare I het is not as bad so if there is night driving here I do it. Yes, we both got our lenses replaced a few years back. Easy procedure, short recovery time.

Good luck with yours, Jean

Thanks for the hint! When I called for the appointment for a routine check, the office told me the wait was three months. I was pleasant to the clerk, and soon she asked me to wait while she checked....and came back with the November appointment. Then the doctor's nurse called and I mentioned that last time (3+ years ago) he had said I was starting a cataract, and she said to bring *all* my insurance information with me. So, maybe.... The only thing is that he is not my favorite opthalmologist - the one I really like has taken time off to be with her daughters before they start school.

But, since I have never had good sight, starting out young with amblyopia (sp?) and in glasses early in elementary school, the notion of good sight is so appealing. I wore contacts for 30 years, and only gave them up when forced into "gas permeable" lenses, which itched me like crazy! That was nearly 20 years ago now. The new glasses are wonderful, with light-weight plastic lenses and I even found I can wear titanium frames. Most metals raise water blisters. As a youngster, my glasses had that "coke-bottle bottom" look, and the weight caused pain to nose and ears.

At this age, I am losing so much physical ability, it would be a treat to have one thing that actually improved. ;-)

I wore contacts for over 40 years, and the "halo" around lights at night and glare from oncoming car headlights was a problem with them, too. Although after several years I guess my brain 'compensated' for it, because I wasn't nearly as *aware* of the problem the last many years.

Thanks much! Frankly, no matter what the outcome, it couldn't be much worse then my vision is right now.

Beverly

You're welcome, hope it helps!

In my opinion, there is just no excuse for insurance companies/Medicare/HMOs to deliberately postpone such a vital improvement to one's quality of life. I mean, come on! They know they are going to have to do it sooner or later...what are they hoping for, that we'll *die* first???

For your own peace of mind, it would probably be worth waiting for her to return, unless she's going to be off for several years.

I first had to have corrective glasses in 6th grade, and they got progressively stronger and thicker over the years. I finally gave up on glass lenses because of the weight and went to plastic, but I hate that they scratch so easily. And they are still butt-ugly! I wore hard plastic lenses for the first 20 years, until about 20 years ago, and then converted to gas-permeable, I loved them! But as I continued to age (dang!), my tear production decreased and the last few years contacts just were not comfortable. I bought a new pair for DD's wedding which had both myopia and presbyopia correction in them, but I only wore them that one day. My old eyes just won't tolerate contacts anymore.

One thing you might want to discuss with your eye doctor is the new cataract implant lens which can correct for presbyopia:

doctor mentioned them to me as a possibility, I'm still doing research. I would have to pay additional $$$ (over and above the co-pay) for those lenses, but I'm thinking seriously about it.> At this age, I am losing so much physical ability, it> would be a treat to have one thing that actually> improved. ;-)

Oh, I hear ya', sister! Good luck,

Beverly

A friend had that done recently and she thinks it's great. However, the insurance would not cover the full cost - only the basic cataract surgery. She had to pay the extra for the corrective lens.

Mike