12 Companies Leading the Way in opticians that do home visits near me

Garments can be given individuality by replacing closures (buttons and zippers), with lacing. Lacing may be used on the fronts or backs of garments, as well as on sleeves and pants legs. In addition, lacing techniques may also be used seaming or trimming garments. ™

Home decorating items can be given a unique look by embellishing them with ribbons, rick rack or other trims. Casings on curtains and valances may be eliminated and replaced with grommets and leather laces for a one-of-a-kind window treatment.

Remember those old lace-up sneakers that everyone has? Well, let's change that so that the sneakers you wear stand out. Rather than lacing sneakers with ordinary shoelaces, try using ribbon and lace. Simply use old laces as a guide for the length, cut the ribbon or lace as needed, and finish the ends. With the wide selection of ribbons it is easy to get just the look you want. However, if the perfect lacing cannot be found, it can be made by sewing fabric strips into small tubes and turning them right side out.

More suggestions I can give you include soutache (a narrow braid) as well as embroidery floss, rat-tail braid and narrow lace trim.

We are all aware that we can add a decorative finish to garment edges. Simply make evenly spaced openings or eyelets around the edges of the garment and thread the lacing with whipstitches. But don't forget that lacing can replace traditional seaming by butting the edges of fabric together and stitching them closed with laces.

Try some lacing on pillow overlays and pillowcases for an added decorative touch. Let's face it, we all know that a pillow overlay is simply a fabric sleeve that slips over an existing pillow and is laced in place - this pillow has a whole new, distinctive look now!

Beading is a trim that has eyelets pre-sewn into it for lacing ribbons. Beading laced with your favorite colored ribbons may be stitched to pillowcases and sheets for a customized finish as well.

Just remember that before you can insert lacing into your fabric, it is necessary to make some type of opening in it. Openings in leather or suede may be created by punching holes in the fabric (leather or suede do not fray). Woven fabrics will need additional reinforcement as the fabric may rip and tear when the laces are inserted. These necessities may be purchased at Wal Mart or most fabric stores - just ask the clerk for what you require and you will have success.

Lightweight fabrics may be reinforced using small buttonholes or metal eyelets, while heavier fabrics may require grommets or large buttonholes. Hooks sewn to the edges of the fabric, as well as beading, also work extremely well for lacing.

However, I would like to give you some tips before you do your decorative lacing:

- Always reinforce the back of your fabric before applying buttonholes or grommets.

- If using leather or suede for lacing, be sure to remove it before laundering.

- When using laces and ribbons, be sure they can be laundered in the same method as the fabric before washing.

- Space eyelets, buttonholes, grommets, and hooks evenly for that uniform look.

Romantics believe that the entire soul is revealed by gazing into someone's eyes. Now iridologists have gone one step further. When they look into your eyes, they see your entire health status mapped out before them, and can ascertain whether you are suffering from heart disease, muscular problems or just plain old diarrhea.

Iridology posits that there's more than meets the eye with regards to one's health.

Real doctors believe that only a few diseases can be by looking into your eye, including (not surprisingly) certain eye conditions such as a detached retina. But people who practice iridology, or iris diagnosis, believe that the eye reveals much, much more.

In fact, some iridologists believe they are 99 percent accurate in detecting cancer anywhere in the body, and that they can even tell when someone is about to die - all by looking into the eyes. They make such a claim because they believe that each part of the body is represented by an area in the eye, and when that body part gets sick, the corresponding part of the eye is affected as well.

Many also believe that the markings in the eye, specifically around the iris, tell an iridologist not only about current illnesses and disease, but also about past illnesses - and even ones you are likely to get in future. Iridologists believe that changes in the iris can appear before other physical symptoms develop, so iridology is seen not only as a diagnostic tool, but a preventative one as well.

Origin of Iridology

Iridology began, so the story goes, with one Dr Ignatz von Peczely, a Hungarian who had the childhood misfortune of accidentally home visit opticians breaking the leg of an owl in his back garden when he was just 11 years of age ( he was trying to free it from shrubbery, a twisted vine or a tree - the exact place is unclear). Young Ignatz was traumatized by the incident, so much that he looked into the owl's eyes. It was then he noticed that a dark stripe was developing in the owl's iris.

Conscientious Ignatz nursed the owl back to health, as one does, and let it fly free. Of course the bird stuck around, and later Iggy noticed that the bird's iris had changed once it had healed. When he grew up and became a doctor (Ignatz, not the owl), he developed the world's first iridology chart. This chart, crafted more than 150 years ago, is considered the birth of iridology, as we know it.

What an Iridologist Does

A session with an iridologist usually begins by the brandishing of the instruments of the trade, which can include a magnifying glass, flashlight, cameras, microscopes and eye gouging knives and scalpels (just kidding). Their examination of a patient's eye involves looking for changes in the eye tissue, as well as looking for irregular coloring and patterns.

These patterns, or markings, correspond to an iridology chart, which maps out the iris into special delineated zones, which correspond to the parts of the body. So if there is a marking in your iris which corresponds to the prostate on the chart, that means you could have - or could develop - a problem with your prostate (assuming you're male, that is).

While iridologist are quick to point out that they cannot pinpoint a specific diseases - although in truth some say they can - what they do claim is that they can tell you the state of every organ in your body, and which inherited or acquired tendencies you will have toward a specific ailment, condition or disease.

They can also extrapolate - a problem in the iris that corresponds to the pancreas means you might be diabetic - but most iridologists will then suggest you see a medical doctor for a qualified opinion.

Some iridologists also believe that the color of your iris makes you more prone to certain conditions. Women with blue eyes, for example, are more prone to having bouts of unpleasant vaginal discharge than women with brown eyes, while people whose irises are a combination of brown and blue are more prone to flatulence.

Pet Iridology

Iridology for pets is the same as iridology for humans: the eye is used to determine the state of Fido's, Fluffy's or Rover's health. Iridologists claim that by studying the markings of an animal's eye - whether it be a dog, cat, horse or even rabbit - they can detect health issues future, past and present. Other benefits of seeing an iridologst before you see a vet, according to trained pet iridologists, include:

Pinpointing the actual problem. Often pet owners are worried about a certain animal, but are unable to figure out what exactly is wrong due to their pet's lack of speech and inability to communicate fully. Iridologists claim they can intervene and spot the health issue for animals who can't speak up for themselves.

Alerting owners to past problems. Pets who are brought from shelters or pounds often have no accompanying medical history. Pet iridologists claim they can let the owners know about their animal's past, and therefore manage potential illnesses better.

Getting a better breed. Assessing the iris of an animal's eye is something a trained pet iridologist claims is beneficial in determining an animal's weaknesses and strengths, which are vital when deciding whether to breed or not.

Maintaining your animal's health. Iridology can help both when a problem occurs, they claim, and as a regular preventative check-up to keep your pet healthy and happy.

Keeping behavior in check. Often pet owners are flummoxed when an animal's behavior changes for seemingly no apparent reason. Iridologists claim they can help to find the root of the problem.

If you feel that you - or your pet - could benefit from iridology, there is no shortage of people out there willing to take your money in exchange for a quick look at your eyeball. But most scientists as well as people in the medical profession classify iridology as a pseudoscience, saying that it has no real basis whatsoever.

In fact, in scientific tests the father of modern-day iridology - Bernard Jensen - failed to pinpoint which patients had kidney impairments, when asked to diagnose the eyeballs of 143 different people. Other iridologists worldwide scored equally poorly when asked to distinguish which patients had health problems such as gallbladder disease, ulcerative colitis and heart disease - by examining their irises.

While iridology can be a bit of fun, the risk is that some people will take it seriously and become unnecessarily frightened by a bogus diagnosis. If you have a problem with a particular part of your body, you'd be better off having that part of your body examined by a medical professional, rather than having an iridologist stare at your eyes. It just doesn't make sense - scientific or otherwise.