Fifth Blogiversary!

Many bloggers do a "year in review" post somewhere around Dec 31st, but I am always too busy sewing over the holiday break. Besides, the end of August (i.e. early Fall) feels more like a new beginning to me.

So, yes, August 25th, 2014 is my 5th blogiversary! Bear with me while I look back over the last year...

(You can also check out my previous blogiversary posts.)

Contents:

• Year in Summary
• What Have I Sewn - Successes
• What Have I Sewn - Failures
• Top 10 Posts
• Statistics
• The Coming Year

Year in Summary

Yowza, when I look at my 4th blogiversary post, I can't believe all of the changes and events of the year!

• I competed in the FabricMart sewing competition. My participation ran from early September until Halloween. It felt like a very long two months, but I had a blast—I really enjoyed challenging myself and using many different techniques within the challenge parameters. Check out all of my competition posts, or click any of the pics below to see the related post. (I'm including the garment for the "mixed print challenge" which occurred the week I was ousted, but I made it anyway. :) )
  
• I changed jobs! What a transition it has been, after 14 years, to leave Java (and Sun/Oracle) behind and join the team at Google. Adding a commute to my life (yuck), working with great people (yay), gaining weight (YUCK), and learning, learning, learning! I also did my version of an April Fool's Prank by making a Noogler hat for an almost-life-sized stuffed Google bison.
• I received a surprise invitation in February to travel to Puyallup to meet with Frank Rizzo (President of McCalls Patterns), Kathy Marrone (Editor in Chief for Vogue Pattern Magazine) and other executives of McCalls. It was a crazy 24-hour trip and I loved every minute of it!
• I led my first workshop! I spent weeks preparing as I wanted to make sure not to let the attendees down, or feel like they didn't get their money's worth.
• Britex invited me to speak at their Launch Party and then asked me to become one of their Britex bloggers. I completed one Britex project, to date!
• I enjoyed spending an afternoon with Sandra Betzina and Ron Collins as they recorded episodes of Power Sewing!
• I normally don't have much opportunity to travel, but this year I enjoyed a quick trip to Maui (a team building event for work where we basked in the January sunshine), and Santa Fe, New Mexico (where I met some great sewists and experienced snow in May).
• Last, but not least, I was invited to participate in the Rambo challenge by Seamstress Erin. That was a fun challenge!

What Have I Sewn - Successes

My productivity was definitely down this year, partly because of the competition last fall, but even more because of the new commute-ful job, which takes a lot of time and saps one's energy. I still managed to make some garments that I have enjoyed wearing. The Burda coat (first pic), in particular, is something I wear all the time, but I wear all of these garments. (OK, I just finished the Tablecloth skirt (last pic), but I will definitely be wearing this!)

All of these pics are clickable and take you to the related post.

What Have I Sewn - Failures

What have I sewn that hasn't been too successful?

I know that you guys love to read about my failures. :D

I found three items that fit this category, though the dress (first pic) was rescued when I turned it into a skirt—it just wasn't my style, as a dress. I love the skirt and wear it a lot.

The chiffon top (second pic) was from the FabricMart competition and was the garment that got me ousted. I really really disliked that fabric. I did my best with it, given my very limited time (I also had a substantial writing project the same weekend as part of the interviewing process for my future job), but the final top was pretty awful. I freely admit that. (Did I mention that I really really disliked the fabric?) It's hard (at least for me) to do something great with a fabric that set my teeth on edge.

The third top is a Vogue pattern and I quite like the pattern, but the fabric (from JoAnns) is awful. After one or two washings, this top looks ready for the rag bag—the quality is atrocious. I plan to make this top again with a better quality fabric.

Clicking a pic takes you to the relevant post.

Top 10 Posts

These are my top 10 posts of all time, only two of which are from this year. (I guess I am losing my touch!)

• Self Drafted - Anthropologie Skirt with over 78,000 views. (Yowza!)
• Self Drafted - Tablecloth Skirt (with Tutorial)
• Weight Loss and Health
• FBAs in Knits - Advice for the Uber Busty
• An Open Letter to Vogue Patterns
• Vogue 8904 - Marcy's Shingle "Wiggle" Dress
• Koos Loop Infinity Scarf
• The Rambo Project - Burda 7018 (this year)
• Lagenlook
• My Meeting with Vogue Patterns (this year)

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.
5	98	695	1136 (Bloglovin)

The Coming Year

What's in store for the coming year?

Mostly, I want to keep pushing the creative envelope—that is what I truly enjoy. I have a long list of projects I want to make that I am very excited about. I have less time to sew (or blog), but I feel committed!

I want to thank each of you, my blog readers and my blogging sisters! It has been a great year and you have all been a big part of that. Thanks for your support, your feedback and comments, and your creativity! I am truly grateful.

I traditionally do a giveaway to celebrate my blogiversary, but I'm not prepared for that right now. (I leave in a couple of days to take my youngest to her first year at university in Minnesota. I'll be seeing some of you soon!) Let me mull it over and maybe I can come up with a good giveaway a bit later this year.