2025 —How did I do?

At the beginning of 2025, I was happy that the shapes and colours in my wardrobe met my needs. I had intended to continue refining patterns for my petite pear shaped frame with forward-tilting hip crests. A woven top and an improved trouser pattern were next on the list. How did I do? 

Sewing

Spent February and March trying Top Down Centre Out (TDCO) trouser fitting starting with New Look 6130. The method uses your waistband as a stable starting point. After some tribulations, largely because I don't have a flat front, the cotton summer pair have been really comfy. I did achieve a better sense of curves around waist and hip, and want to remake the pattern with standard rather than patch pockets in 2026.

Woven top? Three wearable versions of S6614 dress converted to a top were finished. Though not in great fabrics, I'm happy with the pattern, and they will do in summer for a year or two. 

I also made two versions of stretch fabric S6614 cardigan. V1 from old sheeting was supposed to be expendable. It's actually been worn lots over short sleeved tees. I also made V2 from leftover fleece. While I need to either line the next as the pattern intended, or add more of an overlap for buttons, I would definitely like to make more. 

As a bonus fitting project, I  tried a woven cami to explore fit between underbust and high hip. Ancestor pattern was a magazine giveaway dress which seems to be New Look 6369. I've worn this on the few very hot days, and more often as an under layer. 

I haven't managed to make any more plain tees, though I did buy two supposedly cropped ones, hip length on me, and am wearing them with 3" cuffs turned up. Less good, I bought more printed jersey (Oops, I'm more short of plains) and haven't even dug out the last version of the pattern. 

Household. 

The seating in our living/dining room was, shall we say, varied. I loose-covered a 3-seater sofa, a roller chair and our four dining chairs, then wallpapered the assorted storage boxes which happen to fit our shelving. I'm happy that the room feels more coordinated and restful now 

Knitting

Finished an Aran toddler hat. 

The Manx loaghtan hat is permanently lost, I think because it was slightly small in diameter. 

I reknit my teal Talvi jumper from the armscye up, and have been much happier. However I'm not sure my notes are good enough to make another that actually fits. The sewn cardi is likely to be a better starting point in 2026. 

The Finchdale jumper langushed in a cupboard until December, then I couldn't find the ends to unpick beyond the yoke, so, come January, I'm still cobbling together some narrower shoulders.

Small knit community projects were granny squares for the Bear Parade, Christmas chains for the café, more baby hats ... 

Cobbling. 

I have no scruples about altering not-quite-last-legs garments, or about acquiring and altering charity shop finds. I can afford time and a little money for a fail (like the denim skirt that just wasn't right for me)  

 

Removed waistband from wool/silk trousers. Let out every seam and dart, and added an insert to cb waistband.  They're comfier now.

  

Two tank-style tops contrived from shrunk or stretched tees

Lengthened red legwarmers when I found a bit more yarn. 

Care-and-repair: stain treatment, restitching popped seams and missing buttons; adjusting waist elastics; adding a dart at shoulder blade; rebound trousers cuffs; shortened shirts by 3"-4"; trimmed loose threads. Those kinds of jobs. 

A bonus craft project over the Easter break,with a simple table loom. Interesting as an experiment, however I don't imagine scaling up. 

Wardrobe 

So in 2025 I improved several woven patterns, and made some wearable trial garments, though all in poor quality fabrics.  

Footwear has always been difficult for me, and gets increasingly hard as my body ages. It rather limits which skirt/trousers work. I found some OK summer shoes locally. Later in the year, I took a trip to a specialist fitter in Clitheroe, who found me walking boots (chosen often) and some shoes adequate for our informal office. 

Given that there's been another year's wear on the stalwart outfits, I need to get rid of the scruffiest. Then think about how much I can actually buy while RTW is generously fitted enough to be alterable for me. The nice bit will be to outline my preferred makes for the coming months. 

  

2025 December

Mostly had non-crafty fun this month with immediate family and with colleagues.

My making mojo is back a little, now last month's makes are in action. Enjoyed wearing the swaledale hat made last month, and have found the leftovers hat useful. The community project, 'paper chains', looked lovely in the cafe. 

While there's been some activity in December, the only finish was the knitted baby hat. And since one of my colleagues is expecting, I've started knitting a pair of mittens to go with it.

In the evenings, I've dug out an abandoned jumper, the Finchdale. Still too wide across the shoulders, and too low and wide in the neckline. So yet again it's been unpicked and the yoke reknitted. I'm so fed up that, much as I like the yarn, I've resorted to k2tog as yoke darts. It should be wearable then, but not smart. So I've actually bought, in the post-Christmas sales, an office-suitable cardi which doesn't look too ridiculous with 4" cuffs turned up (because it has a big  collar). 

A few bits of mending - the usual suspects. Popped seams, various buttons replaced, DH's shirt pockets darned...

I've been looking at the refashioning pile. A nice black and white silk square scarf just wanted a worn out fringe removed. 

Also pulled out a gifted silk kimono. The back panel had shredded. However, the front sleeves and bands were different silks and are fine. I've disassembled, and think there will just be enough to make a viking style hood using a grid* 12.5" units plus seam allowances. If just a little short of materials, I might get away with a 10" capelet section. The size-check prototype, pinned but not cut from unrelated leftovers, looked and felt good. 

The jumper, the mittens, and the potential hood are going to carry over into January. 

* Mathematically inclined readers may be pleased to see that the 6 square T-shaped grid, with different seams, would be a possible net for a cube. Grin. 

2025 September/October/November summary

It's been a busy few months with non-crafty activities. The good stuff, concerts and walks and visits to see friends. Not so good, a family member needing support many miles from us. (She is doing much better now) 

Sewing. The big success was v2 of S6614 cardi in red fleece. The bodice fitting tweaks in v1 were fine. This time, though, I didn't leave quite enough centre front facing for the buttons I used. Made neck facings from scraps of poly/silk. Reshaped the sleeve heads, this thicker fabric wouldn't ease enough. This has been worn several times including to the office. I want to make more in better fabrics. 

Knitting. Although I've carried yet another baby hat around with me, it has mostly stayed in my handbag. 

Then, for my birthday, I was given a ball of real Swaledale wool for a hat. 80 St's on 6.5mm needles. Oh, lovely to knit with. I kept it very plain to show the gentle greys, just a few purl stitches on the stand for decoration. (EDIT: unpicked the last few rows to have less fabric over eyebrows/glasses, and short rowed at the back to keep ear lobes and neck warm.)

Hat from leftover wool. Had a failed neck scarf in cream, looked terrible against my silver hair, and a 22st band of brown in similar weight. Contrived a Fibonacci stripe pattern which fitted plausibly with my head measurements, but actually came out a bit shorter than my preference. So today, the last of the month, I've unpicked to the stand and decreased every third row, with the intention of adding an inch. Fingers crossed there'll be enough yarn. (EDIT: just enough yarn to be usable in our mild damp winters , though I don't think it'll be a favourite) 

Community project, knitted 'paper' chains for a Santa themed event. 5sts by 15cm stocking stitch on the small addi.

Alterations

Removed waistband from wool/silk trousers. Either they've shrunk 3" or I've grown. Probably a bit of both. Let out every seam and dart, and they're comfier now. Back waistband needed an insert with a scrap of cotton. This pair still are shorter than when first made, but are good enough with ankle boots. 

Two tank-style tops contrived. Removed worn out turtleneck and sleeves from the light tan old Freya tee, turned and stitched edges. Same method to rescue the first of the duck Freya tees, though I was able to keep the bound neckline on that one. They are in regular rotation now. 

    

2025 July and August - tops and a trial cardi

 

Finally some pics of the S6614 tops. 

V1, not shown, was unwearable (third use fabric tweaked and tweaked since last year) but was certainly useful learning. 

V2 turned out to be wearable as a pj top, but the fabric isn't good enough to be seen in public - the thinnest parts of an old sheet..

V3 is good fabric, a Rose & Hubble poplin, but perhaps a little too thick for this purpose. I'm comfortable wearing this on stay-at-home days, but not entirely sure about the colour next to my skin. Do you ever struggle with the blending of colours? Really like all of them close to, but unsure from a distance? I'm also uneasy about the neckline proportions. It's not too wide or too low for summer, even in our microclimate, but it feels a bit blah when I catch sight of myself.

V4 is the pattern variant I'm keeping. Fabric was a cotton remnant from the TDCO trousers. Not perfect, and I learned that I don't yet have the skills to cut one neckline then postfix a lower facing when the shoulder seams are already in. You can see I've distorted the neck. Nevertheless, I'm still wearing this because it's so comfy, and good with for my fair skin and poor temperature-control.

The cardigan was also made from a worn-out sheet, and I didn't expect it to be more than a V1 expendable. I tried a new-to-me technique for fitting the back shoulder/neck area, which was so comfy I then applied it as best I could to the already-finished tops v3 and v4. (Thanks to Jen of J Stearns Designs - even though my own learning style is to prefer diagrams to videos, she demonstrates very clearly.) I've worn this cardi lots over short sleeved tees. There are hooks and eyes at neck and bust level to adjust temperature/sun protection when out and about.

The bonus top, the strappy one, as you might guess is not from the same pattern. To explore fit between underbust and high hip, I came home from our local charity shop (hooray for the Lifeboat shop in Birkdale/Southport) with a magazine giveaway dress pattern, which seems to be New Look 6369. The tissue and instructions were there, but not the envelope. I shortened to high hip level. And simply hemmed instead of lined this time, since the fabric was only the broad stripe remaining from a long-ago duvet cover. I wore this around the flat on the two days in August when temperatures were in the high twenties. And am wearing it today under a long sleeved tee, temperatures here are in the high teens but damp and gloomy.

I'll be happy to make more of either top when I need more wovens - though I have plenty for now. The cardi is on my make-more-soon list.

2025 June summary, living room and S6614 tops

Household. After co-ordinating the chair covers last month, it was time to replace a strip of water-damaged wallpaper in one corner of the room, and touch up paintwork surrounding it. Having failed to find proper storage boxes that fit my various bookcases/storage units, I covered the assortment of shoeboxes, biscuit boxes etc with wallpaper to match each other. The box covers pick out the brown in the upholstery and compensate for the cooler grey. The room feels much more restful now. 

Not much knitting. I prepped the Finchdale jumper by unpicking the top of sleeve caps but haven't touched it since. Only a few more rounds on the winter hat, despite a long train journey. Locally, I've been carrying a green baby hat in my day bag but not really doing much with it. 

Sewing-wise, cleared the decks, before returning to fitting S6614. I sorted out various folders to emphasise T&T patterns. Repairs done: Camo trousers rebound cuff. Tai chi cats tee, shortened by 3"-4". 

Took in yellow skirt elastic again. Trimmed loose threads on grey trainers. Those kinds of jobs. 

Two more versions of S6614 dress converted to a top were finished, both wearable, but not perfect. For example, with V2, reading in bed became uncomfy after 15 mins or so, fabric gathering under left arm, the one that supports the book. I'm OK with that, as this is a minimum ease trial not a pj trial. 

Tweaked v1, the blue gingham, again, before prepping the flat pattern again. V2 is a passable white woven tee, however the old sheeting fabric is thin, so it's for around the flat or under a jumper. I like wearing it, especially enjoying the scalloped neck edge which I hadn't done for ages. 

V3 was a recut chicken print top to test the altered flat pattern, and to try out a more open neckline. I dismantled last year's even though I knew the poplin is a bit stiff for this purpose. And the result? Well, they say a successful test finds a problem, and this test showed my shoulder fit still wasn't correct. Once the neckline was opened, everything moved back and the neck proportions just looked odd. I hacked it around to something better, details in my diary. 

It's odd that you often don't feel comfortable in a garment you have struggled with - even when it was a win in the end. Time often settles those feelings down, hope it will for this fun print. 

Spoiler, in July, I used what I learned on v4, blue and cream leftovers from the TDCO trousers. And then kept learning... 

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.