Hello fellow sewists and friends!
If you may have noticed, I’ve been absent from the sewing blogosphere for a little while. I’ve been dealing with my degenerative eye disease (keratoconus) which put me in a bit of sewing funk. After three doctors, many appointments and six months of waiting — I CAN NOW SEE!!!!! I got my new “eyes” (scleral lenses) a little over two weeks ago and after my last appointment early this week, I don’t have to go back again for six months! Let me tell you how WONDERFUL it has been with my clear sight. It is like a whole new world and I can now see with definition and clarity. Before, it was like looking through a fogged up, dirty windshield and now that windshield is clean and clear and I see things the way they are meant to be seen. I have been enjoying my sight as it has been a while since I have seen the world this well (and at 20/20!). My eye disease also gives me photo-sensitivity, halos and double vision and those eye issues are about 80% gone for me now with my lenses in. It is SO WONDERFUL. Words cannot express my gratitude to my optometrist, Dr. Barnett, at UC Davis for giving me my sight back. I feel very blessed and very fortunate. 🙂
If you are wondering — this is what I look like with my scleral lenses in. They are large lenses that cover my eye to the sclera (white part of the eye) and act like an ocular prostheses while they vault over my cornea and mask my eye irregularities. I really can tell how they are aiding me with photo-sensitivity as I don’t have to squint and close my eyes so much when light hits them. EYES WIDE OPEN!!
I can see you!!
I also wanted to share this photo I took during one of my eye appointments.
Alien eyes!
Creepy, huh? They put a yellow dye in my lenses to see how they are fitting (my lenses are filled with sterile saline) and it makes my hazel eyes look like this!
Anyway….. I was holding off sewing until I got my new “eyes”. Honestly, although I really do love sewing, it has been a chore to sew for the last several months. I got by by squinting and concentrating a lot which led to a lot of headaches (which I do not have now). I found it hard to do many things that others do easily like reading pattern instructions and seeing where my thread was going whilst sewing. It was hard, but when you love something, you figure out a way to do it with limited vision. Now, everything is a breeze! I have been enjoying little things in life like seeing the TV clearly and driving myself around. Yep, you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone….
I started sewing again last week and I’ve made two dresses (pictures soon!) and a couple of skirts! One dress I finished in one day! 🙂 My little helpers by my side every step of the way!
Rollie
Doc
Well…. sometimes sleeping away!
So….. I’m getting back in the groove with the Monthly Stitch’s “Miss Bossy Patterns.”
You guys get to choose what I’m going to make next month! These are all patterns that I haven’t made yet and fabrics that have been sitting on my sewing list waiting to be made. You choose which one and tell me what to make!
Pattern #1 Simplicity wrap dress with “Degas Dancing Ladies” viscose challis (short sleeved version — first drawing on bottom)
Pattern #1
Pattern #2 Vogue Tracy Reese v-neck dress with J Crew silk/cotton voile
Pattern #2
Pattern #3 Vogue v-neck dress with pink cotton sateen and Anna Sui black lace overlay (short sleeved version)
Pattern #3
Pick one and save them from my stash! lol 🙂
And yes, they are all dresses. You would be hard pressed to find me not wearing a dress. I wear dresses daily in every kind of weather. Ironically though, I am sitting here typing this wearing leggings and a Chicago Bears jersey….. hahaha 🙂 Yeah, so maybe not every day.
Thanks for choosing and I’ll look forward to being back here more often!
PS I think I’ll end the poll voting on 3/6/14. 🙂
Happy Sewing!
Yes, I’m clearly behind (as I always am) 🙂 but I just wanted to chime in with my congrats. I can’t imagine what it must have been like before you got your “new eyes” and vision has always been the sense that I’m most terrified to lose. So happy for you!
Hi Susan! Yes, losing your eyesight is probably the worst of all! I’m very glad to see again! 🙂
I’m so, so happy that you can see again!! My vote is for the Tracy Reese dress, but you seriously can’t go wrong with any of them!
Thank you!!!! I love all of them and will eventually be making all!
Wrap dress? Vegas dancing ladies? How is it possible to say ‘no’? Not sure if you’ve voted, but my poll is up here: http://gjeometry.com/2014/02/13/help-me-obi-wan-kenobi/
PS, happy to hear that you eye treatments are working out. Good luck with it all!
Thanks! I’m pretty sure I voted on yours, but I will go back and check! 🙂
So happy for you that your eye treatments has gone well for you and the world is a lot clearer place. You make great garments with a fuzzy view so just imagine what you are going to do with clarity. Lovely choice of patterns and fabric 🙂
Thanks, Sandra! Sewing certainly goes faster with clearereyesight!
Numer one! Wrap dresses are so much fun, espiacially with that swinging skirt.
Herzliche Grüße,
rebecca
They certainly are, aren’t they?
Great news! Can’t wait to see what you have been making again!
As soon as it stops raining, I will get some photos up! 🙂
Yay for 20/20 vision 🙂 I voted for the simplicity dress simply because I also have that pattern and have yet to make it so want to see how yours turns out (if it wins!)
Thanks! It’s a cute pattern!
Congrats on the new eyes! Sounds like it will make a huge difference to you.
I vote for the wrap dress – I’m totally mad about them. I pulled together all my reviews and tips etc on my blog – would love to hear if this pattern if worth trying as well!
http://cashmerette.blogspot.com/p/wrap-dress-central.html
Thanks! I love wrap dresses and hope this one will turn out to be a good one!
I will be looking out for it!
Also – hope you don’t mind, but I nominated you for a Liebster award as one of my fav small curvy sewing blogs! Details are here: http://cashmerette.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/if-its-worth-doing-once.html
Awe,thanks Jenny!!!
Welcome back! Im glad you come with healthy tidings! My vote is number 3, three vogue! Take care!
Dani e
Thanks, Dani! 🙂
Great to hear you have your eyesight back (how scary!) and I hope your sewjo comes back 20/20 too 🙂 I voted #2 because that fabric is gorgeous and I want some in my stash too xx
Thanks! That fabric feels so good, too!
Lovely choices! Welcome back! 😉
Thank you!!! 🙂
I voted for the wrap dress. I love the fabric. Look forward to seeing your finished dress.
Thanks! That’s one of my fave fabrics!
Do you know how tough this was… I love the dancing lady print adn that lace over the pink is delicious looking. But the Tracy Reese pattern is a beautiful cut and I had to choose it! … I am so happy to see you are back and better than ever!! I can imagine how tough it must have been to thread a needle!
Thanks, Laurie! Threading a needle was indeed hard! Especially on my serger!
I’m so happy for you the doctors found a solution for you. Sight is such a wonderful gift we take for granted.
That first fabric is too fun, but I had to vote for #2. Love the pattern and fabric combo.
Have fun!
Ramona
Thanks! I actually bought that fabric to go with another pattern, but liked the combo when I was looking through my patterns.
Wonderful to see you back, Lovely! Was worried & have been thinking about you. I’ll vote for #1, because I love me some challis, and the print is so cute!
del xxx
Awe, thank you! I love the challis, too! It’s been in my stash for a while.
I’m so glad you can see again! I know what it I like to have one’s body turn against itself. I hope your vision stays without ny other threats. I am also glad that you ars back to something that you love.
It feels like a blessing and a new lease on life!