Don't Wait
 

I recently was gifted several thousands of dollars worth of material, rulers, and other quilt supplies from a friend who lost her sight due to macular degeneration. We met and became close friends as a result of meeting via this quilting board. While I certainly delighted with the good fortune, I am very saddened by my friends loss of sight, and how her life will change. Recently someone posted about choosing your last five quilts you would like to make. This is such timely advice! It really hit home. Please don't wait.

Sorry to hear about your friend.

I already have a goal of making at least one quilt for all of the people I love before I go or lose my eyesight

OMG how heartbreaking it would be to not be able to quilt anymore.

Again, I'm sorry to hear your friend is losing her eyesight

I agree, we always think we have forever to do the things we want but tomorrow is never promised. Its one of the reasons I purchased my dreamweaver. I just didn't want to wait anymore for a nice machine I want to enjoy it now while I can. I even just purchased supplies for my babies wedding quilt. She is only five but sometimes you just never know what will happen in life.

Sorry about your friend. Maybe you can make her a special quilt with her fabrics. My BFF had a massive stroke and passed away 5 years later. I "inherited" some of her stash - after her husband spent 2 days burning her fabrics, etc. after she finally died - I have written this story on here several times. So sad. All that I rescued was fabric that he missed in two of her closets that were in boxes and totes. He burned everything that was on bolts in bookcases in her sewing room.

I'm sorry for your friend. Perhaps together you could find a way to make it possible for her to still quilt.
I'm thinking you could cut and match up squares or half square triangles that she could sew by hand, using touch to keep to a straight seam line. If you threaded a set of needles for her and had them layed out in a pin cushion. Or got her the needles that the thread snaps into the eye so she could thread them herself. Not nearly as satisfying as what she used to do but perhaps better than nothing.
Just something to think about.

So true! My sister's dream was to open her own quilt shop when she retired. Well, during her colon cancer treatments, she lost her eye sight, so even though she was not working anymore, she could not quilt either. She lost her battle at age 58.

Please enjoy your friend's gift. I also have AMD and who knows how long I have left to sew. I sew every day because I can right now and I thank God for another day that I can sew. Some days are better than others for sure. I have plans for all of my stash when the time comes for me to quit sewing. I want to give it to other who will use it to brighten the lives of others by charitable work. I am sorry about the entry above where a husband burned fabric. Uncounted losses to be sure in lots of ways.

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourcei...lter%20youtube

I cannot remember where I first saw this quilter.

I work with a lot of women and they are always amazed that I quilt. This group is of the kind that say "When I retire", when I this and when I that. When I ask them what kind of things they do, the answer is always nothing. They either think they have no time or space or could never do"that". It would be an awful way to live for me.

It makes me a little sad that they have never found how to fill their lives with beauty and are just waiting for the right moment to start doing something, which they never will.

The right time is now to do the things you want to do. Live like there is no tomorrow. Fill it with love.
peace

That's terribly sad for your friend, and a good reminder for all of us. I've had a couple of those in the last 6 weeks as TWO people from the school I work in passed away suddenly and unexpectedly. One had a bacterial infection that his body could not fight off, the other was killed when snow from his room fell on him. Enjoy today; you don't know what might be around the corner.

Still, once your friend has adjusted to her new reality, I believe it will give her some joy to know that you are using some of her precious quilting things. Maybe you could make something and donate it to an organization that is special to her.

Thank you for reminding us to work on doing things that we might be putting off.

Im so sorry to hear of your friends loss of sight. Thanks for the reminder that we are not invincible.

Yes I have to agree. I had a health scare a couple of months ago and the first thing I thought was "who will I give my stash to".

When I have the time now I am sewing like crazy.

Best wishes to your lovely friend.

Truly a difficult loss for your friend... I bet she is comforted by your friendship and the fact that you will put her supplies to good use.

A guild member passed away and her husband started burning all her fabric and even the quilt tops she had made. Said he was tired of the mess, no family member wanted any of it. A friend and I happened to drop by to take a card and he was out in the back burning. We were both shocked. My friend started to cry and he said well come get it, but take everything in one trip. I don't want you in and out. The member that died had told us he promised to give the guild her fabric and supplies but there he was burning it all. So mean and he seemed cheerful doing it.

A member of my quilt guild had the same disease with her sight. She had several quilt she would show at every quilt meeting. When this happened, her quilts changed, to different colors and designs. They were still beautiful. Last summer her daughter came to our meeting and showed her last quilts hen she not able to come to the meeting. She passed away a few weeks later. We were all touched by her loss, but will always remember her beautiful quilts. I believe the same as several on the board has mention. We cannot control our future.

My quilting friend told her DD that everything in her quilting room would be hers. The DD promptly said well if it is mine to deal with I'm burning it. My friend laughed but I thought I believe she would do that. I have it in my Living Trust that any and all sewing related items in my procession will be given to the local guild to sell after my DDs have taken what they wanted. My goal of course is to be elderly and not have anything left but a quilt to keep me warm. :)

I am currently in the same boat with macular degeneration. My vision in the right eye is practically useless and to read a newspaper I need an Ott light and often a magnifier as well. I can still read with my Kindle because I can enlarge the print and it's backlit. My daughter is working on getting all my quilt tops quilted for me. I still hope to make a quilt or two but I will have to use large pieces and I have an automatic needle threader on both of my good machines. I cannot see if the needle has an eye so that is necessary. I also have a little spot light that I installed on my machine and I can head it right to the sewing area and that is very helpful. so I haven't given up yet, but it has sure slowed me down. I also discovered that the Superior Thread co. makes topstitch needles with eyes that are twice as large as ordinary and they are titanium coated so you don't need to change them as often. Just got two packs yesterday in the mail. I'm coping The plan is to do all I can, while I can, with what I have. Then we'll move to plan B.

Well said. Recently, someone was looking at my wall hangings. I told her it is my therapy and I love sewing and how much it did for my psyche? She remarked some people have nothing to do with their time. I had to think abt that.....but yes, so true and sad....they are missing out.

Thanks for sharing. Gives us a lot to think about and to grateful for.

A friend of mine recently told me the same thing, I think I better take all of this to heart and finish all my unfinished special quilts and look for homes to finish the others. My Grand daughter has informed my that all my sewing things are hers when I "expire" however I do have more than one grand daughter. Thank you for reminding me of my priorities.

I've been trying just to get motivated and I did that just yesterday after having learned a friend passed away. Sadly that friend and his wife had become a ward of ACS (Adult Care Services) in an emergency. Both children live out of state. His son is trying to get custodial care of his wife so the state can't confiscate property. It's a mess. Priorities have become much more forefronted.

and maybe she can help you tie some quilts!

Sorry to heart that about your friend, I too have done quilts for my siblings, grand & great grand kids ,daughter,son, DIL, SIL , nieces and nephews . Plan to do a re run on family before I can't do it anymore. Enjoy your gift.

I often thought about this. But I think I could use my accuquilt cutter by just feeling the fabric.

Don't wait can and should apply to many things. Don't wait to go visit or call people you love. Don't wait to move to a better area. Don't wait to take that trip you have always dreamed of taking. I know sometimes jobs and finances prevent us from doing what we dream of doing but do it if you can.

I have many regrets of things I was going to do in the future that will now never happen.

In two years time four of my friends have passed away, all of them in their late 50's and early 60's. So I adopted the "use it, wear it" mentality since then. My goal is to not purchase any more fabric or sewing stuff unless I really need it. My husband and I have a living trust and trusts set up for our grandkids. In it I have stated who gets my sewing stuff and my husband put down who gets his woodworking shop. We have given a copy of those pages to the people involved so they know to contact the surviving spouse and pick up the stuff.

I told my DH when I die or something happens to me that I cant sew any more, that I will all my fabrics and any thing that has to do with sewing or crafting will go to my friend in church who has been teaching any one that was interested in quilting. A I introduced him to her so they both know, I know she will share and be fair. I just wanted to be sure that it did not ended up wasted

Thanks for this bit of true inspiration.

I agree. I totally finish one quilt and start another. I sew in the evenings after work and on weekends between doing laundry and housework. I make about 10 or 12 quilts a year.
I am able to sew now but, no one knows what the future may hold. I bought my vast amount of fabric for me to use and that is what I am trying to do.

Thank You for this quiltmouse.

Thank you for all your posts. My friend is a heavy smoker, and I have been washing all the material, and I have been ironing and ironing, and will be doing so for many days. I loved the video on the blind quilter. I will show it to my friend, and see what she thinks. Maybe she will be open to the idea. I plan to donate some of the material to a church group that does some charity quilts after I research them I think. I needed to remove the smoke smell first.

I also make doll clothes for American Girl size dolls, so I thought that I would use some of the smaller pieces to make doll clothes for fund raisers that always seem to be advertised for cancer benefits etc. They seem to be good money makers at those. I am not a good enough quilter to make quilts that would be auctioned off, but maybe some day.

Again, thank you.