Journal

Hi Jane, and thank you for this, I find it very timely and rather inspirational.
I love making things, not just clothes, but most often with a sewing machine. Sadly, I’m not a competent knitter.
Loved the story of your single pattern, the deliberateness of your choice and your work, the outcomes — all gorgeous and each reflecting some aspect of you.
I’ve long been a lover of textiles but that interest has played out largely in the background to work, parenting, daily life. After watching this and having just returned home from a year travelling to a near-empty house (my stuff was packed in the loft where, I suspect, much of it will remain) I’m looking for my own ways to take up space, or leave it empty, to be fully intentional about what I surround myself with, and to give myself permission to take up space (perhaps using my now empty spare bedroom) to begin making again.
I’ll no doubt start with quilts (I’ve made many, and I love them - the colour, the warmth, the history).
I might also try making textile sculpture (word used here very loosely).
Thank you for your inspiration and clear sighted generosity.

I love those sunshine colours Jane! I realised a while ago that I am disappearing, shrinking. Partly because, like you, I have hermit tendencies, partly because life has changed and I have lost various roles I used to have. I looked at my wardrobe and it is jeans and variations on T shirts. I knitted 2 jumpers which didn't really fit and gave them to charity shops. I am on a mission to find / make more interesting clothes and dress better. I shall watch your progress with interest and be cheering you on as well as watching carefully for ideas and inspiration. I am a different shape to you with smaller boobs but have you come across Natalie in Stitches, another lady with a more curvy figure, who designs knitwear which is intended to allow the shape to be customised with 'darts' knitted into them. If you ever want another pattern she might be a source.

yes, Yes, YES!!!! I've been thinking that I want to be my own costume designer. That I am dressing my various "characters" each day and to have whatever that character/mood/energy is best for at hand. So it's looking eclectic, eccentric and down right FUN...and I've just been at this since joining the Threaded group around Yule 2025!! Today I've taking a found ralph lauren navy brushed cotton, oversized for me, jeans style jacket and I'm going to cut out stars and spirals from sunflower yellow linen (a thrifted romper) and pistachio synthetic silk and machine embroider them on the back...and then let myself embroider whatever words, quotes, whatever as sort of "inspirational thread tattoos" on the garment! SOOOOOOOO grateful for You Jane, this forum, this amazing international community...there is no word in English....Indebted to infinity, Catz

I look forward to every Friday to see your cheerful face and lovely colors and inspiring thoughts! Since I work in a nursery I wear regulation fleecy and jeans or t-shirt and shorts every day, I realized I feel bad about having fancy clothes I only wear out on Sundays, and having clothes that just hang in the closet. I'm going to rethink my work clothes to make them more ME and shrink down the Sunday bits. I just got the Japanese pattern for Tove Jansson's smock and I think that might be my pattern to work from, thanks for sharing that!

What a lovely and inspirational video! Thank you!
Last night I had a text conversation with my daughter. She wanted to know if she was the sort of person who could wear a certain fragrance of cologne. My response to her was: Do you like it and want to wear it? If so, then you are the sort of person who could wear this fragrance. After watching this video, I know I need to ask myself these sort of questions when it comes to my choices. It is so easy to default to what a woman of a certain age “should” wear or to go on the cheap and only buy sale items I don’t really like.
Right now a favorite item is a cardigan I just finished knitting—stripes of natural dyed wool (lots of yellows! and very, very soft.

I love this video as, like for many others, it chimes with where I am just now. I learnt to make my own clothes in my teens after seeing a dress in a shop window that I coveted but could never afford. My Mum was a gifted seamstress and artist and told me to look at the shapes of the dress, and then helped me recreate it (out of the softest old cotton bedspread in beautiful pale greens). I was so pleased with it that I made a dozen more over the years with variations as to sleeves (cuffs / loose medieval style / gathered etc) even becoming skilled enough to piece different patterns together in various shapes before making up the skirt and sleeves. Now, forty plus years later, thinking about what you said in your video, I realised that I still wear much the same style of fitted bodice (but now in more forgiving jersey!) with a long full skirt, often shaped (old Out of Xile styles), still with big boots and neat flowy jackets. These are the clothes, the styles, and the shades I feel my best and favourite self in and I have lots of versions of them, to the point that everything else is largely under the bed and should be released back into the wild! I haven't been making my own clothes for some time, however, I do modify and alter pieces to fit me better or say something about me in a (hopefully) subtle way. I think your video has highlighted that it's time to let the rest go.