Runner-up for Queen of the UFO's

First things first, these are the Closet Core Carolyn Pyjamas sewn up in a beautiful buffalo check linen from my trusty favourite The Fabric Store. I've had this fabric stashed away and earmarked for these very pyjamas even longer than my unplanned blogging hiatus. I've previously made the short version in another linen fabric which you can take a look at here. I clearly wasn't thinking about making the long leg/sleeve version when I ordered the fabric for these as I only JUST managed to squeeze these out of the 2.5m I had. Even with a bit of pattern tetris I managed to get the check to just about match across the side seams and centre front, which I'm pretty pleased about! I love how I've ended up with a thin stripe of cream down the centre front.

I didn't have enough fabric to pattern match the breast pocket so decided to cut in on the bias as a fun detail. I would have liked to make the version with the piped cuffs on the sleeves and hems but didn't have enough fabric. I cut a size 10 with no adjustments and they've got a lovely comfy, roomy fit. Just what you need in pyjamas.

This linen is a gorgeous mid-weight and I can tell is going to soften up beautifully with washing and wearing. I love the warm tone of the cream. I ended up swapping the colour of my thread at different points as sometimes the black topstitching on cream looked too harsh and sometimes the cream thread looked too harsh on the black. Linen is so lovely to work with, this was a great project to get the ball rolling this year.

I have of course still been sewing over the last few years, but more quietly in the background. It felt like the online sewing community moved away from blogs onto Instagram/Tiktok and therefore became more short form and fast paced. I see finished project after finished project instead in depth content about the process and details. Even reels about the making of a garment make it look quick and easy when condensed into 20 seconds. Bish bash bosh and we’re done.

There's absolutely a place for that and it's a great way to connect with other sewists. But I was giving it a whirl and never really got into the swing of it. It turns out that’s just not my vibe; I’m much more into long form content and the geeky ins and outs of construction. The quick simple projects don't bring me as much joy (and taking lots of photos and videos of myself definitely doesn't!). Sometimes the finished garment isn't what it's all about for me; I love the process and the planning! I find the unending scroll of social media kind of exhausting and whilst inspiring, also overwhelming. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy interacting with everyone on Insta and will definitely still be sharing on there, but I'm returning to my first love; the blog.

I think I drifted out of the habit of sharing my sewing as it started to feel like a relentless cycle of needing to share something new. I felt some weird sort of pressure to post consistently or not at all (completely self inflicted! Anyone else put unrealistic expectations on themselves?). Whilst I loved being given fabric and patterns etc in return for posting, the obligation to keep up with that was actually kind of stressful and took some of the fun out of the hobby. This blog started as a place for me to document my sewing and connect with other people who love sewing. I'm excited to get back to that.

On a more personal note a lot has happened in the past five years that has left me feeling a bit lost in terms of creativity and personal style/who I am. If I can get uncomfortably honest for a moment I've found myself wanting to retreat a little from the world. Some of you will know I lost my mum in 2021 and I’ve felt (and still do feel) unanchored and slightly adrift without her. I lost a bit of me with her and my creative spark was dwindling.

We relocated so a beautiful 16th century cottage in Somerset a couple of years ago too. As expected, it's been a big adjustment in terms of lifestyle and balancing work. There's also been a lot of time consuming work to do on the house which hasn't always been straightforward! The big excitement is that there's a building in the garden which is going to become my sewing studio, and we're very nearly done. I can't wait for the creative boost having that space is going to give me. I've never had a dedicated place to sew before that hasn't been the corner of a room and I feel so lucky!

Work has also taken over more than I would have liked it to. I'm now Sewing Producer for The Great British Sewing Bee, and also worked on the first two series of M&S: Dress the Nation while attempting to juggle other projects. I love my work, but it’s really full on and sometimes doing so much sewing related work takes the shine off of doing it for fun. It takes me a while to get my sewjo back at the end of each shoot.

All of that, combined with what's going on in the world taking a mental toll, has left not much energy, time or headspace for sewing. And when I do I feel slightly like I'm racing through. I put together a reel at the end of last year with photos of everything I'd made in 2025 - and seeing it all together it was a lot more than I realised! I made a lot of things out of practical need, quite a few straightforward sews and patterns I've made before - comfort sews! Last year was all about sewing things on a whim to get those creative juices flowing again but this year I want to be more intentional, get stuck into big juicy technical sews and try some new skills. I’m seeing a lot about slow sewing and that’s really resonating with me.

All this to say I’m hoping you’ll see more of me in these parts this year. It might be sporadic and I’m not promising anything but hoping it just flows! I've got plenty to share from last year's sewing but there might be some slightly different posts as I slow down, take the pressure off and focus on the details. I've got lots of plans and I can't wait to get started.