For the past couple of weeks, I have been noticing the vision in my right eye (the “good” eye) has been worsening. To the point that I need a magnifying glass to read or sew and must have every light in the house on to be able to see. I saw my retina specialist yesterday for my regular injection in my left eye, and guess what? I now have macular degeneration in my right eye too. I won’t lie, this is a huge disappointment.
My doctor is fabulous and he says there is no reason to fear that the right eye won’t respond splendidly to the Eyelea injections, just as the left eye has done. He says we caught this early and I should see an improvement, but of course that will take time. So that is what is happening.
By one means or another, I am determined to keep reading and sewing. Let me tell you about a new sew-along that is scheduled to start on April 20th. Heather from My Sew Quilty Life is hosting it, and it is called 4th of July at Granny’s, featuring red, white and blue fabrics of course. That luscious stack of fabric in the photo at the top of the post is my fabric pull. I have included some very precious red Minick and Simpson reds from my stash, which will make me so happy to put to good use. The blues are from a new Camille Roskelly group called Blueprint.
If you are familiar with Heather’s sew-alongs, you know that she tends to love very large, complex blocks depicting sewing machines, strawberries, jam jars, etc. Complicated piecing. This project isn’t like that at all. You can see the layout above, which will consist of simple star blocks. Each week we will make 4-8 six-inch blocks with red, white, or blue backgrounds and a not-complicated star block. Seven different star block patterns will be used, each duplicated in various color combinations. The setting is on point, which is always interesting. Go check out her description, she explains it better than I am doing.
I love the fabrics, I like the layout, and I think the idea of duplicating a limited number of simple star blocks in different colors is fun. The overall layout of the quilt ultimately resembles a large granny square, hence the name “4th of July at Granny’s”. Also, the sew-along will not drag on forever, but lasts just 7 weeks, I believe.
What do you think? Could this be fun?
37 Responses
I love your fabric pull….funny when you describe some of the fabrics as luscious and precious as I totally get that. My husband and I are moving after 40 years in the same home and I am culling the fabric herd. So hard to do because the fabric is luscious and precious. No worries, the herd isn’t shrinking too much. I’m sending up prayers for your eyes and vision. The not knowing is hard, but I think your doc is right in expecting good results to the treatment. Attitude and determination will help your cause. Good luck and best wishes.
Moving after 40 years in the same house? The idea of that makes my knees go weak. We’ve been here for nearly 15 years and I am overwhelmed with the thought of what we’d need to get rid of! Good luck to you Kim! I have been getting rid of a lot of my fabric stash lately though. Not the newer stuff, but bins I have been adding to for years. I advertised a bit of it on a local Facebook page,and one lady seems to want to buy every single thing I am willing to sell her!
We moved 1 1/2 yrs ago from a house we had lived in for 33 yrs. Going through my sewing stuff was so much work. I did find some other quilters in my neighborhood to let go of some of my fabric. It was still really really hard. On a positive note, I found fabric that I thought was long gone! Yay! Also gave me a chance to reorganize the fabric in the new house.
Sorry to hear it, Nicole! I am quite sure your eye will do as well as the other one—just a nuisance in the time being having to use a magnifying glass. Keep your spirits up and keep sewing. The fabric pull is gorgeous—I love seeing your strawberry blocks with Heather as well. Blessings and prayers from Maine. Xox
Thanks for the encouragement Carol. I am optimistic, but it is frustrating in the extreme. The worst of it is how colors are dulled. My world has gotten grey. I hope while working with those beautiful reds and blues things will come into focus a bit better.
You are having way too much fun at the AQS quilt show! The quilts on exhibit are breathtaking! Thanks for sharing those on your blog.
So sorry about your eye, hoping the treatment is a success. Your fabric pull is perfect for that design. I read about this sew along earlier and was thinking about joining, will give it some more thought. Problem is that I have too much going on right now.
I am optimistic that the treatment will work, but it is hard to wait. I want instant results. My world has gone blurry, but worst of all, things are greyed out. I am not seeing colors properly.
I think that Granny sew along could be fun. I just hope i can keep up with making 4-8 blocks a week. If they are simple, it should be doable.
I’m sorry to hear about your vision changes. Thank goodness there are options for treatment available that weren’t previously. I have vision issues as well and have been fearful of my vision changing and affecting my ability to enjoy my quilting hobby.
Your RW & B fabrics are glorious and will be another perfect addition to your summer quilt collection! 🇺🇸 Take Care!
I am really disappointed with the diagnosis, but you are right, thank God there are treatments available that work. My Grandma Agnes had macular degeneration in the 80’s and there was nothing that could be done. She was nearly bliind when she passed away. Then, my dad got it during Covid, and even though there was a delay getting him to see a specialist, his treatment resulted in an improvement for him as well. Of all the things my family has passed on to me, this is one thing I could have done without.
Those much loved and cherished fabrics are sometimes the hardest to cut into! I took a look at the sew along and your fabrics are going to a good “home”!! You’ve had great success with your left eye and your right eye will be the same!! Have a wonderful day!!
I know what you mean about how hard it is to cut into certain fabrics! I have some I have been hoarding for too long. Minick and Simpson in particular because there won’t be any more from them.
I’m sorry to hear about your right eye, but I think your doctor is correct — predicting success with the injections just like your left eye has been! Prayers and positive thoughts sent your way.
Your fabrics are indeed luscious and will make a beautiful quilt top. I’m off to go see her original sew-along description and post.
Thank goodness for insurance too! These injections are incredibly expensive, something like $2000 per dose. Can you even believe that? I’d never be able to afford $4000 a month for this medication that is saving my eyesight. Thanks for the good wishes.
It’s good to hear that your doctor expects a good outcome for your right eye!
Sending you positive thoughts for your vision to improve.
The new quilt sounds beautiful and I can’t wait to see it in progress and complete.
I am amazed at how many beautiful quilts you have completed!
And there are so many that I haven’t! lol. This one looks quite doable and I am looking forward to starting (and finishing) it. Thanks for the good thoughts Susan.
Your doctor said exactly what I was thinking…you knew the symptoms & caught the second eye quickly. I’m not surprised as the same thing happened with my husband’s macular degeneration. Early detection is critical. I’ll be surprised if you don’t see improvement within months! The fabrics you’ve chosen for the Granny quilt look pretty great together! ❤️🤍💙
I am so relieved right now that it is treatable. It had started out as “dry” macular degeneration, which is not treatable, but somehow morphed into the “wet” variety that responds to the injections. Some silver lining to that cloud.
That you said you had disappointing news is such an understatement! Yikes! I would have been screaming, crying, praying, eating too much chocolate, and doing other behaviors in extreme. Thank goodness there are therapies for you! I am sorry your world is temporarily grey. I am rejoicing in my colorful spring after having gotten rid of my horrible cataracts. Even the surgeon was surprised by how bad they were. So we are on different sides. I’m on the up and you are on the treatment side. I just used lots of Minick and Simpson–I just finished the 56th and final block of a 2017 BOM. I’m counting that for my 2025 USA quilt for the year. Best of all successful treatments for you!!
My husband still can’t stop talking about his cataract surgery that he had a few months ago. I’m happy for him, but sometimes I wish he would stop telling me how great he can see now!
When I got the news yesterday, I was so close to crying, but I thought if I did, the pain meds might be diluted, so I pulled myself together. Lol. You do not want to feel a shot in your eyeball.
Prayers that your “good” eye will respond to treatment. I lost the vision in my right eye in 2022 due to inflammation from rheumatoid arthritis (didn’t know I had RA) attacking the optic nerve, so have some sense of what you are going through. Take care.
How terrible for you! I am so sorry to hear that. I had no idea RA could cause vision issues.
Given I too live with very serious vision issues I can relate to the initial terror when you are told that things have gotten worse. It does take a beat to come to grips with it. It took all my willpower not to snap at anyone that compared their cataract surgery to my corneal transplant. Since I’ve had both the comparison is cataract surgery is a walk in the park whereas corneal transplant is like climbing Mt. Everest. I kept reminding myself that they meant well and were offering encouragement that it will get better and then I let it go. To be polite I nodded my head, gave a small smile and said understood and changed the subject.
I do have a suggestion that you might look into. I purchased a magnifier that I can attach to my Babylock sewing machine. Maybe there’s something like that available for your machine. I believe there are third party ones available as well.
Btw, I love the colors you have chosen for the granny square quilt. It will be beautiful!
Thank you so much Dorothy, for the suggestion of the magnifier. At the moment, sewing is impossible. I know the situation is temporary, but even when my vision does come back to a degree, I will still need aids when sewing. I need considerable light to see what I am doing as well and am thinking of getting another standing Ott light. I have one over my cutting table, one over my sewing machine, but want one over my ironing station too. A magnifier would be a great addition.
so disappointing. thank goodness for doctors and medical advancements. I love the fabric pull….I’ll go look and see what that blog is up to.
it’s important to keep your spirits up as best you can. I have to tell myself that every day.
If only I could see to sew! My eyes just won’t work for any type of close work. I can read, but with a big magnifying glass. That is cumbersome for machine sewing. I know things will get better and I will be back at the machine at some point.
Glad your eye is treatable but the cost without insurance would be awful! Makes you think twice about the stash and get through as much as you can. We just never know when something like this sneaks up on us!
The new sew along looks interesting – just finished the Maison Bleu blocks. Have to say I did enjoy and another lady at my quilting group went onto Etsy, cut up the pieces and took hers on retreat. You started something there!
Can you imagine paying out of pocket? I know I am not alone, there are so many medications that are completely unaffordable.
Maison Bleu is such a good pattern. So happy others are enjoying it too.
I am very sorry to hear about your diagnosis. Thank goodness for those injections! I take a lady to her appt about for bilateral injections. She is doing very well -now for almost 2 years.
We are in our home for 54 years. Honestly, I have it whittled down to very little that I wouldn’t mind throwing out. I know there is stuff no one else will want, but that’s thier problem. I hope.
That lady taking your fabric is a very lucky woman!
That reminds me, I need to email her. She has texted me asking for “spring” fabrics. I have a bin labeled “happy fabrics” that might be just what she would love to have.
Nicole,
Like everyone who commented above, I am so sorry to hear about your eye condition. It sounds like you really like your doctor and you had great success with your left eye. So the same with the right eye, I am just sorry you have to go through it again.
Your red, white and blue fabrics are gorgeous. My friend and I are actually going to start the Quilt Room pattern by Heather Briggs. She is doing it in Heather Brigg’s fabrics and I am using Fig Tree’s Summer’s End fabrics.
The Quilt Room is such an ambitious project! It will be a real keepsake when you finish it. It should be gorgeous in your fabric choice. I think I would prefer it in those brighter fabrics you have selected.
Thanks for your kind wishes about my eye. It is a real let down, but I am grateful it is treatable.
Good luck with your eye. I start having my cataracts done in May. So many appointments involved but I like that they are on top of it! I am SO tempted to do this BOM. I could check my stash and see what’s there; I would not buy for this one. I will miss the first week as we leave for Florence in 2 days and will be gone 9 days. I will decide by the time we get back if I can make time to do this one.
The trip we took to Italy was probably our all time best vacation. I hope you love it as much as we did.
You will be so happy once your cataract surgery has been done. Everyone raves about how much better they can see. My husband won’t shut up about it.
Nicole- I continue to be in awe of your energy re: starting projects so many projects and the level of enthusiasm. So sorry to hear about your right eye but happy to hear your retina specialist is optimistic re: care and outcome. Dealing with the same issue- my dry AMD has recently converted to wet and I have a lovely young doc who is making sure we both stay on top of it for the best outcome
Having a doctor who you trust has your care at heart is such a blessing, isn’t it? My right eye was considered the “dry” variety as well. I didn’t understand that it could suddenly revert to “wet”. When I realized my vision was getting worse in that eye I despaired that it couldn’t be treated. I am relieved now of course, but still disappointed that I will have lost some clarity in that eye as well. Thank goodness for medical advances and being able to afford the insurance to pay for it.
Playing catch-up –
So sorry for the new diagnosis of macular degeneration in your right eye, too, but am glad you’re assured that you can expect good results in the right eye that you’ve had in your left eye! Whew!
Love the fabrics you’ve chosen for this new sew-along. What fun that will be, made easier with magnifiers to make seeing easier.
Hugs!
Yes, I. had a hunch it was happening due to the blurriness, but it was still disappointing news. At the moment I can barely see anything close up. I know it will improve, but I have things to do and it frustrates me not to be able to see.