2025 May summary

A warm and dry May. The summer clothes are in the easy-access drawers, and most of them, even the short sleeve tees, have been worn at least once. I parted with a few rarely chosen things: the denim skirt, the very thin black fleece, the green short sleeve smock. And eventually found some OK summer shoes which I'm wearing in. I am even more out-of-step with what's available in the shops because of a minor foot problem. 

It's been warm and dry enough to make a start on household care and repair. A coat of paint on the loo room. Replaced cupboard shelf liners. Washed all the cushion covers. Those kind of summer jobs.

The main sewing activity was covering the living room seating, blogged separately. A little knitting on a winter hat, just because it's a good handbag size project. 

I also made a start on the barely-worth-keeping fabric box. An ancient green sheeting trouser toile was hemmed, telling me a 20" hem just on the knee is comfortable, and is a possible underlayer for skirts or trousers, or for sleepwear. The fabric is so pieced and patched, though, that it's not worth putting a decent waistband on. 

More importantly, another round on the Simplicity S6614 started last year. I've added a smidge to the cb seam, reduced the back dart length, and added to the high shoulder point. I might add a little at the biceps, too, but have probably learned all I can from this version

Re-covering the seating

The seating in our living/dining room is varied. A 3-seater sofa, a roller chair and three of our four dining chairs are all ready for a refresh. However, a temporary solution would suit us since we plan to replace carpet and curtains in about three years. 

I managed to reuse the existing sofa throw, a large rectangle of cream upholstery fabric, with a subtle dandelion head decoration. It's draped so the good bits show (back, skirt and arms), hiding the inkstains under the seat cushions. The extension, falling behind the seat back, is only sheeting but doesn't show. The side panels were pieced from remnants hoarded from the same cream fabric as the throw. 

Contrast fabric was cream, grey and brown on a soft green background. The retailer calls it Splash, but it reminds me more of rock. DH dislikes flower prints, and I feel plain shows every mark, so this is a compromise. The cream and brown are good matches for the carpet and fireplace, we have some grey blankets around, and although the green is cooler than our curtains, we're both OK with the colours. I've used almost all of the four yards by 60" found in a charity shop.

I made a single shaped box cover for the sofa seat cushions, to stop stuff falling between them. Three of our four dining chairs now have new seat covers held by the existing screws. Since I don't have a staple gun, the folded corners have been 'assisted' using the hot glue gun and we'll see how it goes. 

At my desk, the roller chair has a new shaped foam box cushion, which works better than the 'ergonomic' seat for my short legs. It's now covered in the contrast fabric. The rectangle cunningly arranged around the seat is similar in colour to the sofa throw, so was reshaped to fit better but not replaced. Years ago, I had made a slipcover for the back, so took a pattern from it, cut it out in the contrast fabric, and just refined the shape slightly.

What did I learn? 

To prototype in fabric not paper, even though furniture doesn't move, at least not much. 

That you need to allow for compression and movement of the foam cushions / padding. 

To recheck the traced and trued pattern before cutting. 

That box cushions take a lot more fabric than you'd think. The bands each took more than a full 58" width. 

That I still don't know how to push curved needles or safety pins into taut fabric. 

To find suitable clamps when stretching to fit.

That the search term for our sofa is T-cushion slipcover, and it will likely be similar in price to a me-made one in new fabric.

That my memory for colours isn't accurate.

Overall, I'm happy that I've managed to visually bring disparate furniture together, so the room feels more coordinated and restful. 

2025 April summary. Repairs, weaving, and sofa cover. .

 This April has been warmer and drier than usual. It feels like an early Me-Made-May, because I've done loads of assessment and care-and-repair. A round of stain treatment on clothes and bedding now there's enough light to see what's what*. A round of the usual minor fixes: restitching popped seams and missing buttons; adjusting waist elastics; adding a dart at shoulder blade height...

* Obviously, spills get dealt with as soon as possible. Spring cleaning round is for the cumulative tiny dots and spots that just make fabric look tired. 

We have two relatively new backpacks. It'd be a big job to add a waist strap to the weekending bag (transfer weight to the hips not shoulders). But I could reuse some reclaimed webbing and clips to add a chest strap (keeps the shoulder straps in place). Looked for some cord and a small cantilever clip to help the day bag straps stay in place, but have temporarily settled for a lanyard with a very sturdy swivel clip. Think an oversized necklace clasp. It's just knotted on for now, but if a success I can use the lanyard tape, the swivel clip, and a small o-ring for a more permanent fix. 

The big repair job started was the Finchdale jumper. I've hardly worn it despite all those knitting hours, due to discomfort at the armscyes. Same symptoms as the Talvi had - and since I adjusted that it has hardly been off my back except for laundry. Added height to the sleeve caps. Hmm, better. However sleeve caps and sleeve bodies both need a tad more wearing ease. Before setting them in again, did some experiments on a scrap square with sprang weaving. I was able to improve the sleeves without reknitting the whole lot. Ladder a column of stitches, double twist the rungs pairwise and secure with a crochet chain, and it'll look deliberate while gaining two stitches width, about ⅓". Enough to feel the difference. Not done done yet, I'm considering filling in the bodice lower scye a little, but haven't checked against shirts as opposed to tees underneath. 

And a bonus craft project over the Easter break. I have a small table loom for a few weeks, the kind that uses a notched stick to create a shed. There's been time to make a teapot stand, using up long thin fabric scraps as twine. Interesting as an experiment, but too many weights and qualities of scrap to make decent twine. Plus, in practical terms, the shuttles and shed weren't designed to take this thickness. 

Also a small mat from all those two foot lengths of yarn that we** hoard. Started as an experiment in colour grading from a roughly sorted pile of scraps, ended up a little picture of meadow lake and mountain. I enjoyed doing this as an afternoon workshop kind of project, but not enough to want to store the loom permanently.

** 'We' meaning the author and quite possibly the reader.

Not much knitting. Finished an Aran toddler hat. And started another winter hat. For me! The loaghtan hat is permanently lost, I think because it was slightly small in diameter, despite reknitting. Different yarn to the recommended and didn't grow in use. So I've cast on another using my usual pattern. Start at crown, increase to 22.5", one hand span diameter, in 8 sections. Then increase gradually just a tad more for the brow bone. I can decide on rib/brim later when the fit is confirmed - I did like the horizontal ridges on the old one.

Also started a larger project. I don't want to have our sofa professionally recovered for two or three years - until building works on our estate are finished. But as a stop gap, I've been experimenting with the old throw, with paper templates, and with a length of curtain fabric. The current preferred option is to drape the old throw over back and arms and skirt, and under the seat cushions to keep it in place, and to hide the ink stains. Then make a single temporary cover for the three seat cushions. I'm reluctant to cover tham individually because I constantly lose pens, phone, knitting, etc between them. A few days into May I have a prototype cut, the fitted edges sewn, but only draped at the centre till I see how much excess to leave as an expansion joint to cope with foam compression when we sit.

2025 March bits and bobs

The TDCO trousers and Talvi jumper finished in March are already blogged, but not yet photographed. What else has been happening chez Mouselet? 

Denim Rtw skirt altered. It was a charity shop find bought for a western themed event. I'd already put an extra strip in at front high hip to get it to hang without literally hitting the back of my calves. However I still wasn't choosing it because the front slit was draughty. I've now patched in a fake underskirt, a salvaged 7" square. I like the way it looks and feels now. One last tiny gripe, I'm constantly breaking my brittle fingernails on the stiff fabric. Let's see if it lasts the spring, or whether I undo the alterations and donate it back. 

 

Altered red legwarmers when I found a bit more yarn. Is it "a cobbler's kids are the worst shod" thing, that I use best yarn for other people and make do for myself? 

Repairs done. 

Replace missing toggle on backpack drawstring. 

Let out elastic on smallest pair of new knicks. There's always one in a multipack that's been skimped. 

Used TDCO waistband to add another round of elastic to red fleece joggers. 

New arrivals

Coffee-coloured linen above-ankle skirt - another charity shop find. It's working well practically in this mild Spring weather. However a standard hip curve drapes the fabric away to the side of my body, so I may straighten the side seams for appearance. I'm tempted to take the excess from front only, giving more of a walking skirt silhouette. Maybe safety pin it and see how it hangs? There are more complicated options involving moving darts. 

What's next?

A few handstitched alterations to make permanent next time the sewing machine is out, e.g. take in tartan pjs  at ankles. And a few other things to fix. 

Get on with sofa and chair-seat covers.

Unfortunately I'd better pause the fitting project until my foot heals. In the meantime I will have no scruples about altering not-quite-last-legs garments to get me through the summer, or about acquiring and altering charity shop finds. 

    

2025 March. Finish No 2. TDCO trial garment.

The story so far? In January, took measurements using a WIDE paper strip, which led to cutting out a bigger size than usual. Prepped a temporary waistband, just a little narrower than the recommended since I don't have a flat front, anywhere. Snipped seam allowance above most prominent places - I was surely going to need shaping at high hip. Prepped worn-out sheet and pattern, New Look 6130. 

In February, started with the one legged muslin, getting a first approximation to front and back rise, to side seam ease at high and low hip, and to dart length and position. Lots of attempts - I'm new to this - and struggled to get enough sitting ease without too much jodphur effect on the outer thigh. I thought it a case of too tight at high hip rather too loose further down. Partway through adding the second leg (after carefully calculating circumference/s) realised I'd misread the seam allowance on the long seams. Had to restitch wider seams, and rework the rise and the darts.

 

Tried to add a little to the back upper leg extension for sitting room, however that sagged and rubbed when standing and walking, so didn't keep that change. 

Restitched the first leg and joined the two to get a feeling for torso fit. Indeed, there was pressure on the spine and belly, 

And in March? After a lot of what-if-ing, I departed from the method, in order to move fabric towards my centre front, which isn't flat. I angled out the straight bit of the seam, adding a tiny dart each side of the tum to restore size at waist. My swayback needed a similar treatment with tiny darts either side of the spine. 

Learned something from the way the fabric drapes below the tiny darts, it flows away from the body below the points. With this insight I rejigged all the darts, including the sideseam curve which falls on a flattish part of my hip. 

Also clipped the scoop to the full 5/8" seam allowance, which makes a difference. Previously I'd cautiously only clipped 1/2". Surprisingly more sitting room for such a small change. 

Shortening the back dart also helped sitting ease without disturbing the standing fit too much. 

At this point, I was ready to try slightly better fabric. I'd inherited some blue and cream woven cotton(?) with irregularly spaced stripes. The wrong side reads as chambray from a distance. Vertical placement would inform the fit, and I chalked the horizontal balance lines on. They don't show in the photos, but did in a mirror. The waistband in slightly narrower again, 1¼“ finished width. 

Once the legs were stitched, I finessed the darts, and fixed my iffy attempt at lengthening the legs from cropped on a tall person to long on a petite.

 

On a whim, I wondered how much ease I could pin out at side seam, low hip and along the leg length, straightening below the knee. Surprisingly, a scant quarter inch evened out the ease, and was actually easier to sit in than the less-than-fully-clipped scoop yesterday. 

Am I worried about departing from the TDCO method? Yes, although my particular shape with high hip bigger than low hip isn't discussed for this or any method. Justification? I've catered for about an inch at high hip by changing the angle of cf and cb above the scoop, so it's probably valid to lose a total of an inch at crotch height. There are still 2" extra at that height compared to my low hip measurement, to account for overhang from the tum. I'll keep that change.

What else to say? 

Pleased with my waistband finishing, with the bias bound scoop, and with the totally bogus fly. 

I still don't fill the garment at the knees, but don't dare take anything away at upper leg, or much away at calf.  Maybe compare lower leg shapes with other patterns now I have a decent knee line marked, or reluctantly think about stretch fabric another time. 

A bonus. I've already used the temporary waistband to correct the elastic position on last year's joggers

I'm pausing the project now because of a minor health problem, a soft tissue issue in my foot is affecting posture. And because a little weight loss is likely to help my stability. But in the meantime, these thin pants are much comfier than any Rtw I have, and I'm alternating between them and a long skirt while the weather is mild

2025 March, Finish No 1, reknitting Teal jumper

Finished reknitting (yoke and sleeve caps) 

The story so far? Pattern was the Talvi Knits Moss Green sweater, and I had made it up in teal Aran. It had stretched during several winters across the shoulders, and had become uncomfortable. I partly wanted to keep it as an everyday jumper (no longer pristine, but not scruffy housework condition yet) and partly wanted to work out my own shape for future knitwear. The A-line sideseam shaping gave enough clearance for my hip crests, the garter stitch band at low hip de-emphasised my rounded tum. Sleeves are a good length and width. The garter stitch cuffs add an unobtrusive detail. Those sections are worth keeping. 

In January, I unpicked the top 8-10", and washed the yarn to get some of the crinkles out. In February the yoke was offset a couple of stitches towards the front (3 would have been even better), decreasing above shoulder blades to account for my curvature, and to give correct narrow shoulders for me. I also sloped the shoulders more by decreasing in three sections rather than the original two. 

This month proved to be trickier. I'd interpreted the pattern as needing more rows than stated at the back. Then found the front too short, and had to add four more rows. Of course, this was discovered after picking up and knitting the neckline. Wish I had also lowered the scoop two rows, but the yarn was getting tired, as was I. 

The real fun began when setting in the sleeves. Apart from one short row to compensate for forward sloping shoulders, they were knitted and measured to match the scyes. But once attached and all the ends sewn in - lots of ends with reused yarn of course - the caps weren't high enough, and the shoulder seams were dragged downwards at yoke edges. 

I'm still not sure whether the issue was those extra rows at back and front. Or whether because I measured obliquely along the slope and then attached rows pairwise at the selvedge. Whichever, I needed another half inch height. Since I had to carefully cut and unpick the stitching at top of the sleeve caps, and then the cast-off edge, I took the chance to round off the caps. The extra rows were added on the decrease every two rows section, narrowing the cast off edge by 4 stitches. Then, because I could see how the cap wasn't quite filling the gap, I chose to do one more decrease row. That's more Me-shaped. 

The all-day wear test has been a success. 

I might at some stage add a label or a button to help getting dressed, since the neckline is warm and high, I have to think about which is the front. 

2025 Jan Feb, progress but nothing completely done

2025 January February summary.

For 2025, I'd told myself that I'd try to do a few stitches on something every day. The prompt is 'you enjoy it once you start'. And apart from one day when there really was a higher priority, I have moved forward a little on one or other project, and enjoyed it. 

Not exactly the projects as I'd sketched them out, and not much is finish-finished, but lots of learning. 

The woven top S6614 did get the shoulder point moved in, then got put away because I need trousers sooner than a summer top. It's a useful delay, because the trousers' photos have give me an insight onto how far towards the waist my sloping shoulders propagate. A three quarter view from the back is instructive. There's sometimes extra soft tissue in the area between bra band and natural waist, depending on where my arms are. (Tucking tee into bra band to photograph back waist really emphasises above waist area.)

The TDCO trial is teaching me a lot. The summary is that, once the rise is adjusted for me, and standing, I can use a much more conventional shape than I imagined. Cut a bigger size than my low hip suggests, straighten the hip area below the crest, and shorten the back dart. The process has fixed the twist below knee I find in RTW and my previous me-mades. Sitting, the pressure is on the spine curve and belly button area. I haven't done the final tweaks on the two legged toile yet, but this is already much better than RTW and I think better than last year's linen pair. 

Reknitting my teal Talvi jumper from the armscye up. Well, apart from the yarn remaining quite curly after skeining and washing, it seems to be going well. Back is done, front needs one more shoulder, sleeve caps are paused an inch from the top in case back needs to be longer than the front. Hope to finish in March. 

And the granny squares. Hmm. Got diverted by a puzzle about Fibonnaci numbers into making squares with sides 1, 2, 3, 5, 8...blocks, with the intention of joining them into a golden spiral 18" square (which would have been fine for the community project) Only when joining did I realise that A) it needs to be mattress stitched to emulate the interlocked rounds B) you have two spaces at the end of each side, so they were actually proportioned 1.5, 2.5, 3.5 etc to each other. Never going to work. Then our knitting group was asked to contribute squares to the Southport Bear Parade. Most of mine were sent to cover bears at our favourite cafe. However I resized a few up or down to 6" and they may still get to the Art Gallery next month. I'm coming to the conclusion anyway that my crochet tension is wrong for Granny Squares bigger than this. They get baggy above 9" or so. That's also useful learning. 

So, where are we for March?

Finish Talvi jumper. If OK, do the same ish refit to Finchdale jumper which has had fewer wears and is in a better condition. 

Continue with TDCO fitting. Transfer high leg and spine changes to flat pattern. Can I improve undertum area? Investigate preferred fit for both wide-ish ankle/foot  and for narrow ankle/foot. 

I must get on with the sofa/chair covers, the plain cream is looking scruffy even when newly washed, other coverings are too disparate.