Happy New Year!

 Hello all of you readers. I am wishing you all an amazing, fruitful, joyful 2026!

In many ways my 2025 was tough, in many ways it was wonderful. Due to many factors, not much sewing was done. I'm hoping to revise that in 2026. 

I'll be 79 in a few weeks, and that has revised a lot of my physical components that I never would have suspected. There are multiple items that affect my sewing due to body changes that were unexpected. I have some arthritis in my hands that makes things difficult frequently, and I was not thrilled to hear from my doctor that I have osteoporosis and had a 9% bone loss from 2024 to 2025. It would have been nice if in the 1980's when I started on thyroid meds they had mentioned (if they even knew) that thyroid meds cause bone loss. I could have done some mitigation throughout the last 45 years, and it would have made a difference. Oh well, hindsight. 

My body has changed pretty dramatically, with my right shoulder lower than the other by almost 1/2", and the left shoulder point has moved forward some. I also have some curvature of my upper back. In addition, since I moved here to Las Cruces and mostly retired, I have lost, depending on the day, 50 pounds. I still have about 50 to lose to get back to my Weight Watchers goal when I was a leader, but it is coming off, albeit slowly. 

So I am setting some intentions for 2026. Not resolutions, because those are easily forgotten. But intentions IMO, help to move things forward.

Once again, I will be working seasonally for Turbotax. I've done the online full service tax preparation with them for the last two years, and in addition to thinking they are the most wonderful company I've worked for in the 52 years I've been working, I enjoy the work, the interactions and connections with the clients, and also it's nice to have some extra income. Beefing up our savings is high on my list. 

And the best good news is that we are going to have a new great grandchild in 2026. They'll be born the 2nd of June, and we have been invited to come visit for a week afterwards. To that end, I have joined an online pilates class that will help me with balance and strength. Adding that to my indoor bicycle, and my healthier eating is going to make a huge difference I believe. The little weight bearing exercises included in the Pilates will also increase bone density. It's gonna be a great year!

My oldest great granddaughter has found Barbies and is enamoured with them. For Christmas I sent her some store bought clothes, and was appalled at the quality. I have since downloaded many Barbie patterns, got some tiny notions, and expect to use up some scraps making Barbie clothes. She'll be 5 in April, and I find her delightful. She's been reading since she was 2, and is a MUCH better texter than I am. She also loves jokes, so I text her jokes, as well as sending frequent missives. I bought a huge box of note cards when I found out she loved getting mail, and try to send her a card at least a couple of times a month. We're going to be thrilled to see her along with her new sibling this summer. 

My recent good news includes the fact that I have found a local person who is an accomplished sewer, designer, and can help me with fitting. She's close to my age, and really understands the issues that arise as we age. She lost 50 pounds last year and is still moving forward with that as she got some alarming news from her physician. Due to a fluke, I found her online. A friend and I had taken a weaving class, that was very enjoyable, and I was thinking I wanted to learn to make jewelery. In reality, I don't think I can with my hands, but I was looking around for a class. 

Jewell came up. She does a bit of everything. She teaches sewing, weaving, spinning, jewlery making, belly dancing, knitting, boot boogie, eastern drumming, a stretch and balance class, and was doing a Sashiko class, as well as a Shibori dying class. Anyway, long story short, I sent her a text asking if she would be interested in helping me to fit a sloper. Got a text back and we made an appointment. She was very surprised to even find someone here who knew what a sloper is, let alone was looking for fitting help with one. I had drafted a top with the Bodice drafting class from In House Patterns, but was having a horrible time with the fitting of the back, shoulders, neck, and upper chest. It just wasn't working for me. 

We had a long, about 2 hour conversation. I like her very much, and found we have a lot in common. She has the Wolf form pattern blocks, and I am using one to make a new torso and sleeve sloper, that we're meeting to get it fitted to my unique and asymmetrical body on the 8th. Once I get the whole upper area of shoulders, back, sleeves, and above the bust fitting, I'll be on my way with my sewing. I anticipate making several garments in 2026. I also have a new Don McCunn draft for my pants, and will be using that to get some new sweat pants and pajama pants sewn up in the next few weeks. 

I'm sure there are many more items I want to share, but that's good for now. Have a wonderful 2026 my friends!

Better, but no cigar!

 Well, I decided I really like the aqua check seersucker, so thought I'd make another version from a different pattern that was closer to my body size and shape. I figured out that I purchased about 7 1/2  yards of this fabric from Hancocks Fabric in Vallejo in 2016 as it was going out of business. It's a beautiful fabric. 

I used version 2 (out of 3) of my Kayla Pattern from the In House Patterns Fitting Essentials program. This has a date of March of 2023. I never did get it fit right, got frustrated and moved on. I had something like 28 adjustments made to the pattern, and it still wasn't right. The fit in the neck and shoulders is good. There are several areas I did adjust on this version and more I need to for my current body. 

The bust dart is too high. The back has several issues including flaring out quite a bit at the hem, and I have folds from my right shoulder blade to my hip, as well as "bunching" for lack of a better word at the base of the back armholes. I also reduced the sleeve 1" in diameter at the hemline.

I'm having issues with the back of my bodices, due in part I think to my right shoulder being 1/2" lower than the left. My body seems to be getting more and more asymetrical by the week. Additionally, my weight varies as much as five pounds from week to week. Being old is not for the weak! 😉

Front

Back

Today I am starting the Whole 30 program. I am generally having extreme joint pain, bloating, insomnia, intestinal disturbances, and a few other fun issues. I have been trying to find a way to solve the joint pain, and get off all the large doses of acetaminophen. I dislike taken medications very much, but I do have to function. I'm hoping that as my research indicates, a change in my food choices will help with the arthritis pain. Whole 30 is an elimanation diet, and at the end of 30 days, you start adding back foods that were eliminated and paying very close attention to how specific foods effect your personal physiology. 

As time goes along, I'm still trying to get some sewing done. I have started tracing the Love Notions Metra Blazer with the hopes of some nicer looking warmish "sweat jackets" for winter. We'll see how it goes. 

The first one will be out of a burgundy cotton sweatshirt fleece purchased from Pico Textiles on February 6th, 2023. I'm going to do the shawl collar as I like the look a bit better, and it will look more as a jacket than a sweatshirt when I'm doing my Turbo Tax video calls. People only see the top of my body, so it's just how it looks on video. I'm working starting in December this year, and the predictions are for a very cold winter, and so I'm expecting to have several months of cold weather before it gets to shirt sleeves weather. 

Wish me luck!

Disappointing Outcome

I can't believe it's been so long since I posted. Altough to be fair, at this age, I have quite a few issues that prevent me sewing much. 

I've lost a few pounds and am needing to get moving forward with some additional projects. To that end, and also to meet some local garment sewers, I took a class at a local quilt shop in sewing a shirt. Basic class. Unfortunately, the pattern used was New Look 6197. I had requested a copy of the pattern pre class to alter the size a bit, for my various physical changes, but my request was either forgotten, or they didn't receive the pattern in time. As a result I was in class trying to grade up an unfamiliar to me brand of pattern without sufficient data or the appropriate tools.

I got the pattern to the wearable stage, but am unhappy with the fit, and the look on my body. It's so strange to have something that "looks fine" but feels ungainly and ill fitting after working so long on things. Thankfully, I used an old stash fabric that I'm okay with as a give away. It's an aqua plaid seersucker, and for whatever reasons I bought more than 5 yards. Probably an end cut with that being a sale piece. 

I will use this fabric again for a shirt as I really like the fabric and it's perfect for Las Cruces summer wear. 

We've finally got a good year for monsoons, and we've had a good bit of rain here. Thankfully in our neighborhood not much flooding. We do have some "ponds" in the lower lying parts of our yard, but they have been soaking into the drought parched ground usually fairly quickly. And several towns nearby including Ruidoso, Vado, and near NMSU in southern Las Cruces all had flooding. 

This is only the second year since I moved here in 2017 that we have had the "normal monsoon season." The national weather service notes the official monsoon season runs June 15 to September 30. When Dale got here, he was told they generally start on the 4th of July ruining barbecue party plans and running through the summer. Since 2000, Las Cruces has experienced significant drought conditions. It's nice that the atmosphere is feeding our soil again this year. 

I am working through Alexandra Morgan's Basic Bodice class. I purchased it in 2021, and never got around to working through it. With the changes of a 78 1/2 year old body, it's time to get it set so I can actually make garments that fit again. Due to medications and age, I am having some bone loss and now have the beginnings of a dowagers hump in addition to the narrow, forward, sloping shoulders and large arms. In addition, I'm SLOWLY losing weight so I want to get closer to a good fit and know what I need to do for my personal fitting. The front looks close, but the back measurements were not accurate, so I have remeasured and am in the process of muslin #2 with hopefully more accurate measurements. We'll see today how that goes. 

The intention for today is to get the muslin pressed, with pictures taken and have a good look at fit. I do think there are still some issues with the back, but that's going to have to be a point by point alteration. We'll see.

Hope your sewing is satisfying! More later. 

Second of three & New Project

Here's the next tee. Same Pamela's Perfect tee pattern with 3/4 sleeves, TNT pattern, slightly smaller. 

Fabric is from Sew Much Fabric, marked as Scarlet/Sand/Sky Blue Abstract Viscose Jersey Knit. Purchased 8/8/23, so relatively new. Another just wonderful fabric that will go with pretty much everything I own. 

Started 10/30/24 with distractions completed 11/25/24. I've gone back to my dated (20 year old?) Pfaff as it does what I want when I want it to.

Due to an unexpected upcoming nust attend Christmas Party, next up is a jacket from Butterick #5719. I have made it before and think the fit is okay. I'll use the long sleeves, shorter version, probably without pockets. 

Fabric is from Stash. Purchased on sale from Vogue Fabrics 6/30/20. Still relatively new. I have 2 1/2 yards at 56" wide. 

Description: Undulating hues of indigo and winter white create the visual texture in this fantastic cotton suiting. It has a silver thread lurex woven through for a little sparkle. I think I have royal blue bemberg somewhere I can use for lining.

Wish me luck!

PSA Beware!

Be aware--If you are still naive enough to use PayPal they will allow scammers with your email and address to steal money from you.

All of my information was in a data breach by AT&T in March of this year. It included my full Name, SSN, date of birth, address, email, password, etc. I have been dealing with fraud since them on multiple fronts, including them stealing from my savings account, false charges, changing log ins, passwords, and recovery information on multiple accounts, and most distressing, changing the auto deposit on my social security check.
There were six charges in one day on my PayPal account amounting to almost $610. I have never made that many charges in one day in over 20 years of using PayPal. I disputed the charges and their response was that since I had used that email and address on other charges they were valid. Duh! Required information for PayPal.
After that, I disputed with Citicard which was my default payment method as I thought that protected me from fraud. Wrong. Citicard bought their bullshit and I got a charge for something called Mint Mobile.
Both accounts are now closed. Don't take a chance.
One of the charges at least came from someone at Sewing Parts Online in Dickenson, Tennessee, because the woman who tried a recurring monthly charge to my account used a delivery tracking number from them.
Be aware. Elder abuse and theft is being aided and abetted by PayPal and Citibank!

The US election this week was the cherry on top!😡

Some fun tees

Pallet cleanser after the jeans trauma! A quick TNT tee shirt for fall-winter. It’s my ever present much modified and used Pamela’s Perfect Tee shirt with the crew neck and ¾ sleeves. No new modifications. Machine stitched, then serged all seams, bound the neck. Machine sewn hems. 

Fabric is a lovely Organic Cotton Jersey in royal blue with yellow, gray, white and black named “Midnight in Paris” purchased in May 2023 from Gorgeous Fabrics. It did roll like crazy and even heavy starch didn’t help. It feels wonderful, irons like a dream, and looks gorgeous in my opinion.

 I think it’s going to get a lot of usage!

The trauma has eased enough for me to recount the jeans journey!

This shall evermore be "the saga of the cursed jeans" in my mind. Over the years, I've made several pair of jeans and despite all of the topstitching, don't find them difficult to make. Time consuming, yes. Difficult, no.

That is all in the past, however. I started on the Carlisle jeans by taping my pattern together just before the first of June, and got my muslin cut out, then left for California for a granddaughter's wedding for about 10 days. I foolishly thought I'd just hand baste the muslin together and get it fit before our return. That didn't happen at all.

We did have a glorious time in the LA area, with lots of good food, visits with family, and a little bit of sightseeing. Not nearly what I wanted to see, but driving was difficult at our ages, and my little dog decided if I was sitting, it was so she could be in my lap. She loves road trips, but does get a little bit clingy~

I had forgotten how bad my allergies are in California, and since we stayed at Venice Beach, the dampness really got my arthritis going wild. By the time we got back, I wasn't in much shape to sew. It took about a week and I got going. The muslin was good. Some minor alterations were made, but overall the best fit I've had out of the "envelope" in a long time. 

BUT...my expensive Bernina machine did not like the denim, and gave me fits. In addition, I had purchased Gutterman topstitching thread, and it just wasn't going to cooperate. I had three spools, and it shredded so much, probably an entire spool went into the trash in small pieces. That was despite trying jeans needles, and even microtex needles. I took the Bernina in for service and it didn't help at all just left me without the main machine for 2 weeks. 

I continued to bungle through. Tore out topstitching multiple times and this pattern calls for a LOT of topstitching. Finally got to the waistband, and the Bernina would not sew it. After the third time of having giant thread nests on the waistband, finally went back to my 20 year old +/- Pfaff and got it sewn on. In a fit of insanity, I thought the Bernina would do a better job on the buttonhole. NOT! First try I got about 3/8 inch along before the thread nests appeared. Long story short, the first waistband went on three times, and was removed three times. It was so bad the waistband got stuck in the feed dogs and by the time I got it loose, I realized that a major hole had developed. I recut the waistband, and sewed it on with the Pfaff, and made the buttonhole with that machine also. It did a better job on the denim. 

Meanwhile, without thinking about things, I had joined a local chapter of TOPS or "take off pounds sensibly." My goal is to drop all my excess baggage over the next year. Having the group support and the accountability works for me much better than being out here by myself. I know what to do, but doing it on my own, I get bored, and with no accountability, after a week or a month, just forget about it. However, I do need to be healthy enough to walk and enjoy the rest of my life. The weight was really starting to become an issue with my knees and ankles. I'm very happy to report it is doing what I need it to do and I'm enjoying making new friends and having a place to go once a week to socialize with ladies I'm becoming friends with. 

And back to the jeans. I finally had them where they needed to be. Not perfect, but good enough. I put them on to take pictures and they slid right down my body and puddled at my feet! Good news, bad news. The jeans were done, but I had lost enough weight they no longer were anywhere near fitting. And there is no way I was going to take them apart to alter them. I had a lightbulb moment! (Admittedly a dim lightbulb, but a lightbulb!) I washed them in hot water and a hot dryer thinking they might shrink up enough to fit. Well, they did shrink, but only in length, not width. 

They have now been relegated to the thrift store pile. I have my muslin and after a few palette cleansing tees, I think I'll get back to it and try again. I do have plenty of fabric to work with! 

They look like jeans, so hopefully someone who needs a pair finds them and loves them for a long time!

More later!

Style Arc Carlisle Jeans for Pattern Review June Jeans contest.

On June 1, I was looking at Pattern Review for the first time in a very long time, and saw  they are having a June Jeans contest. I've been wanting to make a pair of jeans for a very long time, and figured this was the encouragement I needed.  

Got on the internet and started looking for a woven jeans pattern, non-stretch, with a waistband at my actual waist. Finally found the Style Arc Carlisle jeans (thanks to the extensive list on the PR inspiration post,) which is exactly what I want. Pulled out some denim from stash, purchased from Mood in 2019, and figured I'd give it a go despite being away for the wedding for 10 days from the 4th to 14th. 

Don't know if I'll actually finish, but even if I go beyond June, having a well fitting pair of jeans will be awesome!  Pattern has been put together, quick initial muslin made, pattern alteratons done to back, and going to do one more muslin to be sure. We'll see! I also washed and dried the fabric on hot three times to eliminate future shrinkage. Hint from a former sewing guru. 

Taping pattern together

Muslin 1 front-Not bad, but too short.

Sorry about the writing on back thigh. Initial adjustments: I took out 1/4" at top of back yoke tapering to zero at seamline. Thenext adjustment was a knock knee adjustment to eliminate folds from hip downward. That consisted of a wedge adding about 5/8" to inseam at inner thigh, removing from outer seam. The method was found on line at Half Moon Atlier from a post in February of 2021 at https://www.halfmoonatelier.com/blogs/news/halfmoon-101-jeans-knock-knee-adjustments

#2 adjustment was to add a wedge about an inch above the back crotch seam at the center back tapering to zero at hip to give additional back length. This is an adjustment I picked up somewhere on correcting back crotch curves. I also added about 1 1/2" back in leg length because my initial length estimate was too short for me. 

I have the second muslin cut out but with temps over 105, my energy is minimal so I may wait to put it together in the morning, and do as residents of hot climates do elsewhere. That's nap!

More soon!

As Time Goes By--Long post!

 Can't believe times is speeding by at the rate it seems to be. While I haven't been blogging, I have been sewing. 

Firstly, I got not one, but two of the Pamela's Cap Sleeve shells done. First was in a chalk stripe from Blackbird Fabrics. It's still awaiting a decision whether to keep or revise. LOVE the fabric. This was my initial garment. I had shortened front and back at both the above the bust line, as well as below the bust. However, I didn't get the initial shortening above the bust just right, and wound up taking off the original sleeve binding and adding a "yoke" both front and back to remove an additional full inch. I used the neck facings on this one. Then I decided I wanted cuffs instead of the binding, and that's what I'm not sure about. I may remove them and go back to the sleeve binding. Not quite sure just yet. 

Second Pamela's is out of a lovely navy polka dot cotton. It's from stash, purchased 2/2/14 from what was originally Michael Levine, website https://lowpricefabric.com/ whose link now takes you to Fashon Fabrics Club.com. On this one, I got the above the bust shorten right, and bound the neck and armholes. I've worn it a few times already, and am thinking I need to tweak the neckline fit just a bit. Not positive just yet. I do like it very much and it fits into my blue capsule quite nicely. 

Then on to the wedding "dress." As per prior post, the Lekala dress was a no go. I must have initially ordered it in the covid weight loss period when I was about 15 pounds lighter than I am right now. Instead of trying to enlarge the body and reduce neck/shoulders, I moved on to the Simplicity Amazing Fit #2174.

I had thought to use View C with the sweetheart neckline and short sleeves. The muslin showed the shoulders so wide they were almost falling off my admittedly very narrow shoulders. When I narrowed the neck/shoulders to fit my body, the sweetheart neckline pretty much disappeared into a strange kind of dip at center front. So I switched it out to a square neckline. I made up a "wearable muslin" in a pretty geometric rayon challis from Minerva I'd purchased back in July of 2022. I altered the pattern to eliminate the waist seam and just be a dress that flares from the waistline to hem. Front doesn't look too bad, but I had a lot of work to get the back to fit properly. It's awaiting further adjustments at this time. Note to self: Pay attention to back width across upper back!

Wish I'd noticed the back width in the muslin. But I think this will make a great summer dress when I get that back adjusted! 

I was getting frustrated at this point, and thought I'd go with my typical skirt and blouse so I'd actually be able to finish something before the weding! I used the already fitted In House Patterns Lila blouse and the 6 gore skirt (free pattern!) from Lekala patterns. I switched out the sleeve to make a flutter sleeve, which worked great! Love the skirt, although I did get it a little large in the waist. Measuring 6 gores seems to be a problem for me. I'll need to go back and reduce each gore by about 1/8" to get it perfect. But that is on the back burner for now. It is definitely wearable as is. 

Hope your sewing is moving along nicely! More later,