New year, same me… and I kicked off the first livestream of 2026 by forgetting my microphone. Once I got it together, I jumped into what I *have* to start now if I’m going to keep my promise: a quilted jacket for QuiltCon (which is coming up fast). I’m working with advice from Matt Harcraft Goods, and the plan is simple in theory—make one long, skinny “mini quilt” first, then cut all my jacket pattern pieces out of that so the stripes stay consistent. In this stream I start building the jacket fabric using Patrick Lose Glisten and a bold vertical stripe layout: four white strips, then rainbow in ROY G. BIV order, and repeat. I’m sewing strip sets, talking through why I pre-washed the fabric (because shrinkage is real and I don’t want a jacket that suddenly fits like a sausage casing), and I also chat about batting options and prep—cotton/poly, fleece, and even misting batting to pre-shrink. Along the way we troubleshoot the very real “why are my strips different lengths?” problem, and I learn (from y’all) to sew from opposite ends to help prevent that curve/caddywampus situation. Basically: jacket prep, real-time problem solving, and plenty of chaos—exactly how we start the year around here.