Before I share all the fun I recently had, I want to give you a little back story.

Around 6 or 7 years ago a group of friends and I would get together to sew. We'd meet once a month and head to one hostess' house. Sometimes there would be 3, 4 or even 5 of us. We'd eat, snack, and sew for a few hours while chatting about our lives. You learn a lot about someone if you sew together, because all you do is talk.

Those days and nights were cherished. I would take a pattern I had cut out so I could do some actual sewing. Or, I'd take a pattern to lay on the floor for cutting/ tracing. Ahh, those were the days. Well, over time, one of the friends moved and those sewing nights ended. No reason in particular, but life shifted as it does from time to time. 

Fast forward a couple of years.
Another friend of mine who sews, but lives one state over found a group of sewists. She told me about this sewing social she attended last year. She met wonderful people, discovered new pattern companies and fabric shops that were local to her. It sounded like an overall great time and I knew I wanted to go to the next one! 

I patiently waited for the year to go by and once she shared the event info, I bought my ticket.
It was go time! Or, sew time! ;)
For the sewcial you can bring 1-2 unused patterns and a cut of fabric that measures 1/2 yard or more. I had a pattern and fabric and set them aside for the swap. Such a fun idea!! 

I even sewed up a new dress (blog post coming soon) to wear for the evening. I packed my bag and everything I needed for a quick mini vacation. No kids. No husband. Just me.
I enjoyed the drive and listened to my own music and podcasts. It was glorious!! 

2020 is here and in full swing! Can you believe January is almost over? Me neither. Sigh.

I got to thinking about all the things I planned on making last year that didn't happen. Boo! This year, I need to have a plan of attack! I decided that I need a deadline to kick my rear into gear. So, why not join a sewing challenge or 2, or 3... 

There are tons of great sewing challenges happening this year in our community. You may have heard of some, and some might be completely new to you. 

I've linked to a few I know about below:

• Sew the Precious- it's a challenge on Instagram hosted by The Sewcialists. You are supposed to make something with that precious fabric you are scared to cut into. Sounds fun, right? Count me in! I signed up, you should to.  :) Be sure to use #sewtheprecious when you post your pic.
• Next up is the Make Nine challenge hosted by Rochelle over at Home Row Fiber. You plan on 9 items to make for the year. This is right up my alley because I know I need to make a new purse. As I'm typing this up this post, I'm planning my makes for this year. Again, use the hashtag #makenine2020 on Instagram. 
• Me Made May- I have a post about doing this last year. It's hosted by Zoe at So, Zo..what do you know? You wear something everyday that was made by you/me. I usually .wear something I've made everyday of the year. So, this wasn't as challenging, although I did learn a few things from it. But, you'll have to wait for that post  as we get closer to May. ;) This can be as simple as a pair of earrings you made to a formal dress. 
• There's a #sewover50 challenge on Instagram. Go follow Judith @sewover50 for more info. Sounds fun!
• #dresslikeyourgrandma challenge. I've just recently heard of this and it sounds fabulous! I love vintage style and clothes, so I'll have to check this one out. 
• There's also a #sewyourstash challenge. It's where you only sew things from your fabric stash. You're not allowed to buy new fabric. I have been doing this one, sorta. I have tons of fabric and honestly don't need to buy anymore until I sew through my own stash!
• #memadeeverday is just what it says. You post pics on Instagram of what you made and are wearing, everyday. It's a take on Me Made May but a yearlong challenge. I like this one because it is easy and doesn't take much thought. 
• #Sewfrosting is another challenge. You make something that is positively fabulous just for you. It's supposed to be more fun than utilitarian. This is right up my alley!

Are you going to partake in any of these challenges? I know there are quite a few more that I didn't list. If you know of any, share in the comments below. I'm doing the make 9 and #sewtheprecious. I think these will be fun and a challenge for me. 

Happy Sewing!
​Annette

Who's ready for the new year? Not me. Not yet, anyway. I still need to eat turkey and put up the tree. But, I'm enjoying the calm before the holiday storm right now.
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I subscribe to a sewing magazine, Sew News and at the end of December's issue, they included a sewing goal chart to fill out. It gave me an idea to ask you if your sewing dreams were fulfilled for 2019. Did you complete projects, use up some stash fabric, or maybe you learned something new? Did you have a sewing fail or two?