Fourth Blogiversary!

If you have been reading my blog for awhile, you will know that I don't do end-of-year summary posts. Usually, when the end of the year rolls around, I want to hide in the studio and sew, rather than look back and gather statistics. So I do a bit of taking stock on my blogiversary and today, August 25th, is my 4th! (If you are interested, you can see my previous blogiversary posts.)

Table of Contents

• Statistics
• Top 10 Posts
• Year in Summary
• Stylistically Speaking
• What Have I Sewn?
• The Coming Year
• Celebratory Giveaway
• Visible Monday Addendum

Statistics

End of Year	Number of Posts	Number of Followers	Number of Subscribers
1	125	130	Was Google Reader in use?
2	107	341	482 (GR)
3	107	505	739 (GR)
4	92	617	996 when GR was retired on 7/1. 611 in Bloglovin.

It's interesting that my number of posts was a bit down this year!

Top 10 Posts

I cannot access the list of the top 5 or 10 posts of the last year, so here are the top 10 posts of all time, four of which are from this year.

• Self Drafted - Anthropologie Skirt. This continues to be a very popular post with over 61,000 views and is my most popular pin on Pinterest. It appeals to a young, hip demographic, I guess.
• Self Drafted - Tablecloth Skirt
• FBAs in Knits - Advice for the Uber Busty
• Weight Loss and Health
• An Open Letter to Vogue Patterns
• Vogue 8904 - Marcy's Shingle Wiggle Dress
• Koos Loop Infinity Scarf
• Lagenlook
• Vogue 1213 Koos Van Den Akker Linen Coat
• Geisha Faces Duster - Vogue 1356

Year in Summary

The most pivotal event for me this year, other than my eldest going off to college, was attending Design Outside the Lines in Taos in late September. It was a wonderfully creative retreat and inspired me to return to healthy living. I remember the retreat, the people, and the location, very fondly.

I am grateful to both Marcy Tilton and Diane Ericson for a special and immersive creative experience and also that I was able to attend Marcy's very last Taos retreat. I am equally glad that Diane is carrying on the tradition and, next month, is holding DOL in Taos with Nancy Shriber. No one can replace Marcy, but Nancy will be an excellent addition to Diane's team!

I attended Pattern Review Weekend in San Francisco in late April and met up with some sewists I had not seen in awhile, as well as meeting new folks in the flesh. I wish I had more time to interact with people - the day sped by and was jam packed with activities. I particularly enjoyed running to Dharma Trading with Claudine, followed by a chatty dinner.

I very much enjoyed giving a talk to the Designer Details students at Canada college.

Stylistically Speaking

The big change this year was a 40lb weight loss between October and June/July. My bust shrank from an Uber Bust (G) to merely a busty bust (DD). This physical change has had a large impact on my style and I am still figuring it out. For example, I have noticed that I am making fewer knitted tops and am more drawn to woven fabrics. This realization surprised me.

I find myself looking more to mainstream trends for inspiration (hello Pinterest!!!), but I don't want to lose my funky edge, so I continue with my attempts to customize my garments to reflect my love of interesting details. I want my clothing to skim the body and am no longer interested in wearing very loosely fitted or boxy pieces that hide my hard work.

I even wore a couple dresses this year, most particularly Marcy's Shingle dress, which is a fabulous pattern.

I am still puzzling it out.

What Have I Sewn?

In the previous year I had extended bouts of flagging mojo, which is perhaps why my number of blog posts is less this year, overall. In the last few months, that has changed. I have been sewing with zeal and have so many projects planned that I sometimes have trouble deciding what to make next - it's a bounty of riches and a lot of fun.

When I look back over the year, almost everything I sew has been from a Vogue pattern, with a few Style Arc, Kwik Sew, and other independents thrown in, such as Sewing Workshop, Sewaholic, and Grainline Studios.

It was difficult to choose, but here are my top 5 favorite garments I have made this year in terms of what I am loving to wear and wearing a lot (click the pic to take you to the corresponding blog post):

But, to be honest, I shouldn't restrict myself to only 5! (And some of my projects are so recently completed that they haven't had their chance yet, such as my pleated pewter raincoat and my latest Marcy pants.)

The Coming Year

I am not sure what I have planned for the coming year. I am not very good at planning. As soon as I announce that I'm going to do something, I usually end up doing something else. Suffice it to say that I have a long list of projects I'd like to work on, including more coats and jackets. This year both of my daughters will be away, so it's good that I have lots to distract me.

I will say that, now that my weight has stabilized, I want to sew more Style Arc patterns this year!

Celebratory Giveaway

I am very grateful for YOU, my blog readers, and my blogging sisters (many of whom are listed in the sidebar blog roll gadget)! Blogging has been a transformative activity for me and has improved my life in immeasurable ways. To celebrate my blogiversary, I will be hosting a giveaway, but not today. I have purchased a few items for a giveaway, but I'm still mulling it over. Stay tuned!

And, because I love you guys, how about this for some eye candy!

Visible Monday Addendum

It's another Visible Monday!

This has been a mostly-sewing weekend for me, but sometimes I need to get out among people. I work at home, I sew at home... sometimes it's nice to have some human contact! So, today I decided to take a walk to the nearby shopping area, to buy some fresh berries for my kale smoothie and to take in the sights. (I also stopped at a very nice thrift store, but didn't find anything that called my name.)

I am wearing one of my skirts formerly known as the Tablecloth Skirt. Rhonda Buss generously gifted me with this hand dyed African fabric.

I am also wearing a Uniqlo t-shirt. (I wear these all the time!) Over that is a jacket that I bought at a designer discount sale. I made the ball necklace and the lacy, rose gold cuff is purchased (but doesn't show up that well in the pics).

Finally, I am wearing the Trippen boots I bought in Santa Fe last fall. I have been wearing these often, as they are so comfy and I have no trouble walking miles in them, though today it was only one mile. I want to wear these so much that they cost one cent per wearing. ;)