New Year, New Beginnings: 2025 Sewing Projects

2025.   A new year. A new start. A way to get back on track.  Ever since my brain surgery in 2021 I have sort of stepped back from sewing.   To be brutally honest (which I always am), I sort of stepped back from life.  I have been in a severe depression and PTSD on top of that.  My health has taken nosedive after nosedive. Am I any better? In some ways yes, in other ways no.  But its time to move forward and stop being stagnant. After singing my version/lyrics of Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen) on New Years Eve from 11:57pm to 12:05am, very loudly and with colorful lyrics on how much 2024 SUCKED and it could Kiss my Rear and etc. and etc.  I threw up the double birds and sang real loud (at home) as the clock ticked over, on how 2024 is never allowed to come back and 2025 is going to be so much better.  Later that night/morning, thanks to my insomnia, I sat and thought about what I wanted for myself for 2025. Here are a few of the notes I jotted down for my 2025:

• Sleep and wake earlier. Drink 64oz of water EVERYDAY.
• More bible time and mediate more.
• Be outside at least 15 min each day (when warm enough – I live in Siberia here lol WI)
• Enjoy Nature, disconnect from tech, wind down.
• Be more active (this means different things to dif. people. I am bed bound 90% of the day, so I just want to be out of bed some more maybe some gentle yoga, tai chi).
• Declutter, think Minimalist – in physical, digital, and mental sense
• Stop Spending Needlessly! Use what we have.
• Play less video games, less screen/tech time
• keep track of my fabric in/out, usage, makes by category and time again, because I love those monthly and end of year spreadsheet stats.
• Find my Joy – and this is where my sewing comes back into play.

Sewing, embroidery, vinyl, digitizing, creating, painting - all these things bring me joy; they make me feel good, happy even. So I want to get back into my room and start creating again – on the days I’m not too dizzy or sick or completely depleted. I thought, what a better way to do this than to go back to all my sewing plans starting in 2014, and actually MAKE the ones I didn’t complete. I am starting with the FALL/Winter plans.  Funny enough I do still want to make these things and I do have the massive fabric stash waiting for me. (Of course there are many other things that I will probably sidetrack off into and want to make too, but here we go.  This is my “I didn’t get around to making these so I am going to this time around” plans. 2025 Winter Sewing Plans

Some of these have been on my sewing list for a long, LONG, LONG time.  All of my sewing plans of the past can be seen here. Ottobre Cardigan (05/2011 #13) This pattern and fabric have been sitting in a tote under my ironing board for over 10 years….. lol. 2014 Fall Sewing Plans 2016 Winter Sewing Plans 2020 Spring/Summer Plans 2020 Fall/Winter Plans Vogue Top (9109 View B) 2017 Winter Sewing Plans Burda Cape Coat (12/2016 #104) 2017 Winter Sewing Plans Paprika Jasper Hoodie 2020 Fall/Winter Plans Burda Zip Coat (01/2010 #105) 2020 Spring/Summer Plans 2020 Fall/Winter Plans Burda Wrap Top (07/2009 #122) 2019 Fall/Winter Plans 2020 Fall/Winter Plans Jalie Jeans (2908) made these 3 times for me and once for Miss K, but I need new ones that fit 2015 Fall Sewing Plans 2019 Fall/Winter Plans 2020 Spring/Summer Plans Burda Corduroy Flares (02/2014 #143) 2019 Fall/Winter Plans 2020 Spring/Summer Plans 2020 Fall/Winter Plans Ottobre Jeans (02/2013 #20) 2019 Fall/Winter Plans Ottobre Jeans (05/2007 #10) 2018 Spring Sewing Plans 2019 Fall/Winter Plans That is my plan.  I’m excited for it. 

I also have been having a dilemma with sergers.  I had my Brother 1034D for over 10 years and I LOVED her.  I was not nice to her and put her through so many projects. I rarely oiled her, I didn’t clean her often; she just always ran perfect and was ready for me.  She was a true WORKHORSE!!! Then one sad day she just wasn’t.  She didn’t stitch right anymore and her age was showing.  So I upgraded to the Babylock Celebrate – which was an OK machine, Just OK.  I didn’t love nor hate the celebrate, but she wasn’t my 1034D.  So I upgraded to a Babylock Victory with auto tension….. I DO NOT like auto tension. I cannot get the left needle tight enough in my knits.  It drives me batty! Over the years I stumbled into other sergers here and there – a Bernina 800DL, that one was ok, just ok.  I had an older New Home that was just passing through my room, not to keep, just to try out.  I tried what seems like a million other sergers recently this year - the new brother 3000 airflow. the horrid new Juki MO-3000 (don’t get it! the tension was the worst of any I’ve ever dealt with).  I just wasn’t happy with any of them!  Plus the lights now affect my epilepsy so its hard to find a serger that doesn’t.  When the light is behind the foot, the foot going up and down so fast – makes a flashing type light and I can’t deal with it.  Anyway, I have found an older but not vintage Bernina 1300DC serger from a wonderful person local here.  I got the machine today and I’m over the moon to serge with her.  I’ve watched a ton of videos and she looks perfect for me.  No air threading, but I am ok with that. It just means less things to break.  The Bernina 1300DC has EXCELLENT reviews – most sewists that get her love her.  So I’m hopeful she is the ONE!  She does serge and coverstitch but I don’t do combo machines and I just need her for the serging.  I have my Babylock Coverstitch2 that I adore for coverstitching.  I’ll keep her forever. I had 3 embroidery machines in my room this last month.  (2 machines for 2 years now).  I had and then sold the Ellegante, I sold my beloved Flourish2 because after she was serviced she just wasn’t the same for me.  So I only have my Stellaire right now but she is more than enough.  I have found that with having 2 embroidery machines I was trying to do 2 hoops at a time to save time and found that was exhausting and time consuming to keep switching threads between 2 machines going at once.  It became where I was only able to embroider and it pulled me away from my sewing. In the past with just 1 machine I set up my embroidery and then sew while that machine is working. 

Lots of changes.  New beginnings, some goodbyes to machines.  Hopefully this year will be a year of peace, joy, no surgeries.  Much happiness and creativity.  I will have a little one to sew for also!!! I’ve never had a little to sew for! I started sewing when Miss K was 4. Well, Mr. T and his lovely girlfriend G are making me a grandma!!! I’m too young to be a gma! But I’m happy for them. 

How was your New Years?  Did you make any plans for 2025?

I wish you all much peace, serenity, and happiness as well in this coming year.

  Happy Sewing! Kristin

Summer Tanks! Ellie & Mac and Made for Mermaids

Pattern: Ellie & Mac – Curved Hem Tank (FREE!!!)

Made Previously: aqua floral in July 22 and teal deer in Oct 22

 

Measurements at this time:

• high bust 39 inches
• bust 42 inches
• waist 37 inches
• hip 48.5 inches

Size Sewn: L bust, XL waist, XXL hip  

Adjustments:

• I made 1/2-inch forward shoulder adjustment
• Lowered pocket by an inch
• Widened neck & strap bindings to 1.5” and sewed ½” seam allowance. They were too skinny on original pattern
• Pet Peeve: the Curved hem doesn’t have notches outward so it doesn’t meet the edges at the hem – remember to sew up the sides after hemming (it works better and keeps a cute sharp curve).

 

Date started: sometime in July Date finished: July 12th, 2023  

Fabric: 1 yard cotton lycra birds with ½ yard cranberry cotton lycra for the binding and pocket (I have been slacking on my database of fabrics so I don’t remember where, when, or how much I got these for. I need to do better).

 

Thoughts: I love the pattern, this is tank #3 I have made with it. I like how it covers my thyroid belly; it doesn't make me look huge, it's comfortable to wear. I wanted to try this one in a cotton lycra because my other ones have been DBP. you can tell that it's a little bit stiffer in the drape because of the cotton lycra but I do still like it and it's comfortable to wear. I wish I had made the hem bigger because the hem listed is a half inch and it likes to flip up and every time I wash it I have to iron it back down. I am definitely a very low maintenance person. I don’t want fuss. So this drives me crazy. I need to make that hem an inch or 3/4 inch. Other than that, I absolutely love the tank. It’s a bit wild with all the birds but it's nice to have something to where that's cotton and not polyester. This pattern is definitely one of my favorites and I’ll probably make many more, lol. 

Pattern: Made for Mermaids: Vivienne  

Measurements at the time: bust 39 waist 32 hip 46.S

   

Size sewn: bust indigo, waist green, hip yellow

I sewed the top length view

 

Date started: sometime in July of 2019 Date finished: I picked it back up and finished it February 10^th, 2024

   

Fabric: I used a burgundy wine double brushed Poly for the sides and a teal and pink floral double brush Poly for the main (I have been slacking on my database of fabrics so I don’t remember where, when, or how much I got these for. I need to do better).

Of course a photobomb by Mr. Bennie. “whatcha doin Mom, can I help?”

 

Thoughts: when I started sewing this back in 2019 at first I thought it would be cute but then I got half of it sewn up and I thought it looked terrible and made my hips look really big. I felt frumpy and so I didn't want to finish it ss off to the UFO pile it went and got buried. BUT then since 2019 my shape has changed and I grew this thyroid belly and I thought, hey, that shirt might work now because of the way the gathers are in the front. So I finished sewing it and I don't know. I'm still on the fence about it. I think it's OK but from the side I still feel large like a whale. I guess I have a lot of work to do still on my body image and acceptance, but anyway back to the pattern. This one also asks for 1/2 inch hem. I don't know what it is about 1/2 inch hem with designers. I don't like them, they flip up all the time. I need to make it a 1” hem or at least a ¾”. The shirt is growing on me, I like the panels on the sides, it makes for a different look. It's cute, but I don't know. I'm not 100% on it yet. Maybe in dress form or tunic I might like it better. But it's finished now and hanging in my closet, so I guess that's a win because it was just sitting in the UFO pile since 2019.  After staring at the pictures and pattern drawing I realize the issue now.  The pattern gathers and waist are at my fullest part.  I need an empire waist to minimize my belly.  So I need to move the waistline up on this to make it cute but not make me feel huge.

 

I even took the time to switch out my coverstitching to match the panels.

 

Here are the original pictures from 2019, with a much different body shape and I very much didn’t like the top then.

 

Life/Health/Home:

On the Homefront:  I am SLOWLY getting over my shingles. Oh!  I don’t think I even mentioned it in my blog!!  The DAY AFTER my 8 week checkup from the hysterectomy (when I was finally feeling more human) I came down with Shingles!!!! What THE HELL!!! I am only 45! Isn’t Shingles for old people? like 90 year olds! It has been a horrific battle, especially since I had just had the hysterectomy recovery for 8 weeks. These Shingles took me DOWN! I was extremely nauseous and vomiting and I could eat nothing.  I was with fever and omg the itching  and burning and shooting pain. It has been 6 long weeks of agony here. The shingles are on my scalp, forehead, and into my left eye (my good eye of course). The meds are disgusting and ginormous and I am miserable and cranky. I haven’t eaten and I’ve lost 17lbs. I am starting to turn the corner finally I think, just this last week here. But man, what a trip.  I can’t believe how many times I’ve been kicked down this last decade of my life.  I just want to be left alone to sew and embroider and enjoy my life.  I thought about sewing this last week but my weight changed again and I don’t want to sew until I know where it will settle at.  I did start some embroidery and finished this Spring Things project from Sweet Pea Embroidery.

The doctor asked me if I was under a lot of stress. OMG STRESS? NO.  Just like everything is blowing up right now around here.

My Grandpa is on Hospice. My MIL and FIL are not well.  My grandma is not well.  Tayden broke his ankle at work and workman's comp is jerking him around and he can’t pay rent or get food and his girlfriend is pregnant so I’m about to be a grandma! And I’m too young for that!!! That happens to old people! My husband had four interviews for a promotion that he wanted so so bad.  It would have us move and so I had the stress of ohh my gosh are we moving again. this time it would be two hours from here. at the last minute he was one of the last two candidates and they adjusted directors and so the new director chose his friend instead of Troy, which I think is complete crap. so all of that stress. and now Troy is absolutely devastated but ohh they have another position coming open in the next six months or so all the way across the state and up north. I live in Wisconsin. I am five to six hours from Canada. up north means up north. lots of pine trees, bears, moose, elk, Wolverines, wolves,  lots of animals, lots of trees, lots of insanity, on the border of Canada. I don't want to move up north. I am just fine here in the driftless region where we have beautiful Bluffs and changing fall colors and the Mississippi. I don't want to live by Michigan, I'm sorry for any Michigan people here reading, but I just don't want to go over that way. I go to Rochester for my brain tumor stuff frequently, I don't want to have to travel all across the state just to go to my appointments. so there's that stress and then Mr. T's truck broke down and it's the radiator, and the power steering, and the wheel bearings. lots of money for a 20 year old vehicle. so we weren't sure if we were going to get him a new vehicle, but our vehicle lease ends in six months, so we've been looking for vehicles, and if we got him the loan would that affect our lease vehicle. so that's stress. plus the political stress, the market stress, everybody's broke, everybody's stressed, and my baby Kiela starts college in a week now and she's stressed about it which makes me stressed. ohh yeah and our dog had to go in, Cheeto, to get a sedated X-ray and they over sedated him and that was a whole mess of stress. and both dogs have been having gut issues. so things are just absolutely at the Max stress level right now, so when the doctor tells me not to be stressed I just laughed at him. I just laughed. I said all around me is stress, not even beginning with my health stress, or the fact that I can't eat food for the last 12 years and no doctor gives a damn. so yes I have a ton of stress. and he tells me well that's probably why the shingles reared their head and now you have to be careful and I'm like dude this stress ain’t going away. oh thank you for letting me vent that out and now you know.

Happy Sewing Kristin

Pattern Tracing Paper ~ What works best?

I wanted to bring this post over from my old blog because 1. the info is still very relevant and important. and 2. one never knows what Google is up to and when they will suddenly delete something.

This is a repost from a blog post I made Wednesday, April 10, 2013. I have updated slightly to bring it to 2024.   Unless you are a rebel when it comes to sewing (cutting those patterns out, gasp!), most likely you have used some sort of material to trace your sewing patterns.  If you are like me, you want to find one that works well and is economical to boot.  So which pattern tracing paper works best? Continue reading for a list of pros and cons of the top 3 tracing paper types most sewists use.

 

From Left to Right: Freezer Paper, Swedish Tracing Paper, Medical Exam Table Paper   Let's weigh out the pros and cons. Here is a lineup of all three in a completed traced and cut pattern.

 

From Left to Right: Freezer Paper, Medical Exam Table Paper, Swedish Tracing Paper  

First up: Freezer Paper

Pros:

• Mid expensive $27.99 for the box which is 100 yards x 18 inches wide or about $0.28 a yard
• Can write on it easily
• Pencil erases on it
• Thicker paper - not likely to tear easy
• Can iron it on to slippery fabric to cut it out easier as it sticks right on; once cut you can just peel it off the fabric or even sew with it still attached and remove after.
• Great for Quilting and Applique because of the above stick and cut

Cons:

• Can not iron out the fold lines from storage - ironing will melt it to whatever it touches
• It's thicker fabric so it may dull scissors
• It is harder to see through to trace patterns as shown below (there is a pattern under there).

Next up: Swedish Tracing Paper Pros:

• Can write on it fairly easy with a dull # 2 pencil.  A sharp one tears at the paper
• Can iron out the creases from storage
• Doesn't wrinkle easy
• Very quiet as it is more like fabric than paper
• Thin like interfacing - not likely to tear easy
• Holds nicely to fabrics when you are trying to cut them out 
• Since it is more fabric-y you can baste the pattern together to use as a mock-up or muslin before cutting your fabric (Thanks Gail for this tip!)
• Easy to see through to trace patterns (see below)

 

Cons:

• Mid Expensive $25.99 for the roll which is 10 yards x 29 inches wide or about $0.26 a yard
• Pencil does NOT erase on it
• Bulky to store, not as easy to fold.

 

Adding to the Swedish Tracing Paper is a Pellon Interfacing much like it.

Pellon 45" Easy 830 Pattern Non Woven Tracing Material

I will sometimes use this for tried and true patterns that I use a lot.

Why? Because I like that it is thicker than the medical table paper, it sticks sort of to the fabric when you lay it on top (it doesn’t shift).

You can get it at JoAnns for $$45.50 for 25 yds making it $1.82 yd. (yes this is very expensive and that is why I only use it rarely on those patterns I bring out time and time again.

You can also hit it up on sale sometimes making it half price.

I feel this is an option I must mention because its easy to get and behaves the same as the Swedish Tracing paper

 

Lastly: Medical Exam Paper

Medline Exam Table Paper 12 rolls

Therapist's Choice Exam Table Paper, 1 Roll

Pros:

• Very Inexpensive - Box of 12 rolls totals 900 yards of 21" wide for $49.09 or less than $0.05/yard!

• If you only want one roll it can be found for 75 yards of 18” wide for $18.99 or $0.25/yard (link above)

• Can write on easily

• Pencil erases easy

• Can iron out the creases from storage (low setting)

• Easy to pin to fabric when cutting out

• very easy to store. not bulky at all.

• I will generally pin together these traced pattern pieces to test the fit of a pattern before cutting fabric. It works, but not as smooth as the Swedish Tracing paper.

• Easy to see through to trace patterns (see below)

Cons:

• Wrinkles very easy – but also irons out easy

• Noisy (it is just like the stuff you sit on at the doctor's office) crinkle, crinkle

• Very thin, both a pro and a con - possible to tear easier however I have not had issue with this yet

And there you have it!  For me the clear winner is  

Medline Exam Table Paper 

Why?

• Because you CANNOT beat that price!  5c/yard? come on!! That is amazing.

• Plus it is perfectly see-through and works well for my needs.  I no longer struggle to see those awful pink lines on Burda patterns!

• I have a box of 12 rolls/900 yards that will probably last me a lifetime! 

• They fold and store away super easy.

• The wrinkles iron out super fast

• I can do all my alterations and changes and not worry about wasting paper and money because its only 5c/yard!

I just cannot justify the cost of always using Swedish Tracing Paper anymore.  Plus, I won't run out now in the middle of a project! The medical table paper is slightly more thick than the Big 4 pattern tissue paper to give you an idea of what it is like.

*note: it is so easy to trace Burda and Ottobre patterns onto the medical paper.  It is nice and easy to see the colored pattern lines through the paper.

So what are your thoughts?  What do you use to trace your patterns?

  Happy Sewing! Kristin