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Thursday 21 December 2017

It's Finished

Yes finally, after twenty-one weeks and blood sweat and tears I finally finished Gypsy Wife earlier today.  But that's not all my news.

Want to see her in all her glory?


Gypsy is everything I envisioned, wild and wonderful, full of colour and makes my heart sing.  Oh at last, I can hardly believe I have a finished top let alone Gypsy Wife.  So, what do you think, was she worth the wait?

That's not all my news.  I am so sorry, I am behind in all my emails, reply, and visiting, I have been so busy this week getting ready for tomorrow.  What's happening tomorrow?  I got a cancellation, I'm having my second cataract removed and hopefully I will be able to see properly again.

It has been such a difficult time, my eyes haven't been working together, glasses help but nothing is sharp, colours have improved but if I use both my eyes everything is still yellow, only now I am aware of it.  It's strange really I chose my Gypsy fabrics when I couldn't see colour properly, I wonder if I would have chose them if my eyes had been normal, I will never know.  What I do know is I am in love with colour and colour combinations, more so than any other time in my life.

The thing is by tomorrow lunchtime UK time my eyes will be fixed but my old glasses won't work.  I will have near perfect (I hope) distance vision but will need a prescription for close work.  My current glasses are an odd prescription, with the first eye I had done the cataract improved my vision and the prescription matched that, with the second eye it made my vision a LOT worse, and that's what my current glasses are like, one eye with only a small magnification, one with a large magnification.  From tomorrow my eyes will be both the same or similar and the glasses will be no use.  So, what do I do?  I have to wait several weeks before I can have them tested and a new prescription issued as it takes my second eye a while to settle.

So, I went shopping for magnifying glasses, I can't wait weeks before I can sew again, could you?  I went to a large chemist chain in the UK, Boots, to look at their magnifying glasses, WHAT!!!  They were a ridiculous price, going on £20, no way was I paying that for glasses that would only last a few weeks, especially as I was guessing the strength based on my recent test on my right eye, which was slightly different to the glasses available.  I tried another chain, I can't remember the name of it but it was one of those that sell all the stuff that you normally get in chemists like shampoos and stuff, although I'm not sure about prescription drugs.  WHAT!!!  they were all £16.50 - £30 and I didn't like any of them in either shop. Too fancy, I'm a girl with plain tastes.  So, where next............Poundland, of course.  Finally I found a pair of glasses, plain, same sort of prescriptions, that seems standard, and the price?  £1  If I guessed wrong I can afford to get a different strength and I don't feel ripped off.  Apparently, according to my brother, glasses are one of the two best selling items in Poundland, after checking out the completion I'm not surprised.

That's all for this week but next week I'm hoping to do a planning post for 2018.  That's if the glasses work of course, or work well enough to type anyhow.  So, next time you look at your fabrics or better still look at your loved ones, just think how you would feel if you couldn't see them clearly, and be thankful of your eyesight, I know I will be.

Until next time,
With smiles from,
Kate x

Linking up with:
Let's Bee Social
Wednesday Wait Loss
Midweek Makers
Can I Have A Whoop Whoop?
Finished or Not Friday




31 comments:

  1. This is gloriously beautiful, Kate! Congratulations and I know you are going to enjoy it so much. I hope your surgery goes smoothly.

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  2. Yvonne has said it perfectly. It's just amazing and really remarkable that you were able to do so much with the cataracts still present and your miserable wait for this day. I'm so happy for you, dear friend.

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  3. Truly magnificent, Kate! It’s the prettiest one I’ve ever seen! Good luck with your surgery!

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  4. wonderful! glad you are getting your last cataract done and right before Xmas - well be thinking of you and hope all goes smoothly! Your quilt is beautiful - Merry Christmas

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  5. Your Gypsy Wife quilt top is amazing - many congratulations!!!
    I also had cataracts removed on both eyes, and to get near perfect vision after the ops is nothing short of amazing. Especially as I was very short sighted and wore glasses for years. I just need reading glasses now for close work, reading of course, and stitching. Also for meals, both eating and preparation, and working on the lap top. Best of luck for your op, I'm sure it will all go smoothly and you will be as good as new.

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  6. I love the vibrant Gypsy Wife, you should be so proud of it .Good luck with the operation. x

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  7. Your Gypsy is GORGEOUS, Kate!! I think you got the contrast up top just perfect, with the streamers of pure saturated colors below in her swirling skirt. You must be so thrilled!

    I laughed out loud that your store is called Poundland. Here in the states it is Dollar Tree or Dollar General for the el cheapo reading glasses. I have multiple pairs scattered around. They are so inexpensive I don't have to climb the stairs to fetch a pair :)

    The eyeglasses industry is such a racket. There's no need for them to be so expensive. I send my bifocal prescription overseas to have them made. What would be $400 here is less than $80 from Hong Kong, including shipping. People in Asia need perfectly ground lenses, too, and have all the same machines to make them...

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  8. So glad you are getting the surgery done. Hope the bargain glasses satisfactorily fill in the gap before you get the prescription ones. My Dad is a keen photographer and kinda wishing his second cataract would get a little worse so he'll qualify for surgery and then have matching sight in both eyes.

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  9. Absolutely stunning, gorgeous, amazing. I love colour and this quilt is alive with it. It was definitely worth the wait. Congratulations on getting it done while coping with uneven sight. I guess the new year will be a productive one for you considering how much you accomplished under much less than ideal circumstances.

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  10. First off I wish you well with the surgery and hoping you have a very speedy recovery. Your GW quilt is so fun and bright, how fun it will be for you to see it all so bright and clearly one day soon. Happy Holidays!

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  11. Gypsy is magnificent! She bright and beautiful. I do hope your surgery went well and you are able to see the world more clearly when you recover.

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  12. Gypsy wife is beautiful! haha Poundland, guess that's like the Dollar Tree here! Everything for a dollar! Best of luck on the surgery and recovery, it will all be so worth it! Merry Christmas!

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  13. Stunning! So bright and colorful, what a beautiful quilt!

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  14. What a stunning finish. I hope your surgery is successful and you can enjoy its beauty in full. Merry Christmas!

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  15. What a beautiful and bright quilt, lots of work but truly worth it. All the best with the surgery. Merry Christmas. Sandra-Kay.

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  16. Love your Gypsy Wife finish! Congrats on creating such a vibrant and colorful quilt. Good luck with your surgery! Hopefully you'll be back and writing more about beautiful colors before the new year gets here.

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  17. Congratulatons! It's beautiful. Love the colors.

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  18. Now that is a fabulously colorful quilt. It is fantastic!

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  19. I love the colors you used together! Magnificent!

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  20. Hi Kate,
    You should be all finished with your surgery by now. I hope and pray it was very, very successful. When you feast your eyes on Gypsy you will LOVE it. It is glorious and even better than you thought when you picked out all the fabrics. {{Hugs}} One pound for some readers (that's what we call them in the States) sounds about right. You can get them here at any drug store, with cute frames. I hope you find those work well for you. I am looking forward to your next post, just to hear how you are. Merry Christmas to you and your family! ~smile~ Roseanne

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  21. Hi Kate, as someone who had cataract surgery in both eyes, I know you will love the results once the eyes are recovered. Very interesting story about your quest for "readers" as we call them here which is what I needed for just close work/reading. I buy a package of four for only $20 here, all different colors and laying all around the house. As for Gypsy Wife, it is absolutely gorgeous, a gem and congratulations for finishing the top. It really is an accomplishment.

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  22. Your Gypsy Wife is amazing. And yes, your color choices are so bright, and totally effective for this quilt. I can see why you question your color sense in between your two surgeries. Good luck on your second one.

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  23. Great finish! I love this in brights. As for the eyesight, I have reading glasses stashed everywhere-- in the car, the kitchen, by the bed, next to the sewing machine, etc. Better than squinting!

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  24. Wow, what an explosion of color! The perfect celebration for restoring your eyesight! I hope all goes well in your recovery and that you quickly can get back to what you love.

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  25. Oh goodness, what a beautiful quilt top. I do love that pattern. So vivid and colorful. Praying for your eye surgery.

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  26. Wow, what a wonderful quilt top! Congratulations on a beautiful finish. And now, to top everything off you're getting your eyes fixed and your world will be filled with lots of color once again! Your new world will be just like Gypsy Wife--wild and wonderful and carefree, just like you lovely Kate. Have the most wonderful Christmas, and thank you for supporting Wednesday Wait Loss.

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  27. Your quilt is stunning. I too love colour and your version is so vibrant. I hope you are healing well after your surgery.

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  28. I am in love with your GW top! It's been so fun watching it come together. Best wishes with your recovery.

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  29. It's beautiful. The colours are so bright and vibrant. You should be proud of your accomplishment.

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  30. A BEAUTIFUL quilt, Kate!!! I love the bright, fun colours. I do hope your operation went well.

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With smiles from,
Kate