2025 was a dumpster fire and also it was filled with beauty and grace and, surprisingly, sewing. I have written in my last few posts about some of the garments I sewed this year. I ended the year with two projects that had been weighing on me, and I am so relieved to have finished: a Looper quilt for my youngest daughter and a Star quilt for my youngest grandson. The Star quilt was conceived when he was born but a broken wrist and graduate school and life intervened, but he will get it next week when I visit and he is still only 4 and I am sure he will love it.

I had wanted to sew a quilt for my youngest child for a long time but couldn’t think of the right pattern for her. The quilt I ended up on was a Looper Quilt sewn with fabric from my stash. It was fun figuring out which fabrics worked together. I backed with what I had left of the OG Cotton and Steel pony fabric, a favorite. I forgot how soft and lovely that substrate is. Between the peppered cotton that I used for the front background and the Cotton and Steel on the back, it washed up very lovely and soft.

All told, I sewed 14 garments (not including underwear) and 4 quilts in 2025 which is surprising given my part time but really almost full-time grad school and my more than full-time work. This is what worked for me:

1. I made several patterns more than once and, in some cases, batch sewed them (such as my husband’s T-shirts)
2. Other than the baby quilt, I sent all my quilts to Mindy at Wild Phil Quilting. She is amazing and that has made all the difference
3. I sewed in chunks, particularly with the scrap quilts. I had the pieces all cut out and I sewed a strip when I had 30 minutes.
4. When I had time, I power-sewed, such as in May when I was off from school and yesterday when I started at 8AM and sewed straight through, no breaks, until 9 PM to get D’s Star quilt done before my trip this week. Sometimes, that is what it takes.
5. I sewed mostly uncomplicated garment patters such as the Flaneur Pants, the Alessie dress and the Chloe Jeans.
6. I started using the Thread Loop app which has helped me focus on finishing WIPs. Can’t say enough good things about it!

On to 2026! I am hoping to sew a Pivot Quilt for my oldest, who will be turning 40! And more garments for me. I am loving the Closet Core Crew subscription and am looking forward to sewing up more of the patterns. They are all bangers.