Crafting Body Appreciation

I think it is pretty widely understood that the first few months of 2026 have been an absolute horror show in Minneapolis, and not great for many other places. These atrocities against fellow human beings make creative outlets to channel energy both more important and woefully inadequate.

Personally, my energy levels and ability to concentrate on any given day have been on a rollercoaster. I have been making, but I haven’t been sharing much.

Today, I would love to share my last sewing project, completed way back in December, before the temperatures got too chilly for my unheated basement sewing space to be hospitable.

I finished Love Notions Barrington Boxy Tee. I have worn it on multiple occasions since and really love the boxy shape that is loose around my widest part – my waist. If memory serves, I blended sizes, moving from 2X at the shoulders to 3X at the waist and hips.

This is the first T-shirt I have ever made. I still have a little bit of a hang-up thinking that knit fabric is hard to work with (I am working on that limiting belief, and this tee was a great confidence booster). I made this shirt out of a thrifted jersey sheet in a gray and black stripe. I decided it would be fun to make the stripes vertical, instead of the more expected horizontal, and I am into it. Plus, way less concerns about pattern matching with a vertical stripe!

My split hem was not the cleanest thing I have ever sewn, so if you see me in this tee, avert your eyes from my side seams. I also found it challenging to do the split hem on the skirt I made last year – all those quick corners, I suppose. But I love a split hem, so here is hoping practice makes better in the future.

Going into my third year of sewing and garment making, I have also found my yearly rhythm. It is just too darn cold in my space to sew much over the winter months (March is looking promising for a few shorter sessions), so I find myself shifting to knitting. I was fortunate to come into an incredible stash of yarn from an unbelievably generous soul who was ready to clear her crafting space. I am currently working on a So Faded sweater in a beautiful yellow/orange ombre from that stash.  

More on the sweater and my slower take on crafting coming soon.

Signing off with love from Minneapolis,

XO