As 2017 draws to a close, it’s time for my annual blog series: The Sewing Top 5! It’s a chance to review what worked or didn’t this past year, celebrate the highlights, reflect, and set some goals for next year. I love this series, and I hope you join in the fun too!
I started this tradition back in 2012, and I think it was pretty much the first series, challenge or theme month that I’d ever hosted!
So, how can you take part?
On your Instagram, blog or other social media, post about your top 5 in each of the following categories:
- Top 5 Hits: The 5 most worn or most loved makes from your year!
- Top 5 Misses: Not everything works out, so this is your chance to share the 5 projects that didn’t turn out, never got worn, were accidentally destroyed in the wash, or were otherwise less successful!
- Top 5 Highlights: What else happened in your life besides sewing this year? Trips, accomplishments, sewing meet-ups, great memories, work, family, or whatever else stands out from your year.
- Top 5 Reflections: Looking back, what trends do you see in your sewing? What have you learned about yourself or changed about your attitude?
- Top 5 Goals: What would you like to do in 2018? This could be specific projects, skills, or attitudes you want to begin or continue to develop!
If you post on Instagram, please use the hashtag #sewingtop5 ! If you want to see examples of how you could organise your posts, you can check out mine for last year: hits, misses, highlights, reflections and goals.
The goal is to check in with ourselves about our sewing, and have a bit of fun celebrating how far we’ve come. It’s not a competition with strict rules – join in however it works for you! For example:
- Lots of people combine several topics into one post. No problem!
- Maybe you don’t have 5 in some categories. Ok!
- Does one topic leave you uninspired? Skip it!
- Don’t have a blog, or don’t have time for blog posts? You can participate just on Instagram!
It’s a fun way to meet other sewists, so partway through December I’ll put up a post here where you can link your own Top 5 lists as you post! There is no firm deadline, but I usually start post my own posts in December and finish up in early January.
So, are you in???
Crafting A Rainbow 
I’m in! I have a few patterns that I’ve sewn over and over again, and I’d love to share. Thanks for the opportunity!
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I’m in too Gillian! I’ve been keeping pretty good notes on my sews this year and I always use a hard copy calendar so it shouldn’t be too difficult to reflect back on what worked and didn’t – I think the didn’t exceeds the did 🙂 but I think this is a great learning exercise regardless. Why keep notes and never read them?
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I was just thinking about this series recently, it’s honestly my favorite part of year-end blogging! So I’m definitely in.
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Sounds like a good way to reflect on the year. Thanks – I’ll try it.
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This is my first year sewing, so this is probably a very useful task.
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Yay! I do like a few blogging prompts from time to time, keeps me looking more organised! [And also encourages me to do my yearly roundup and bring my bloglog up to date!]
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This is another great inspiration from you Gillian – i really must do this cos’ i’m appallIng at recording my makes. X
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Yay! This is always such a fun series and a great way to catalog the year. I’ll have to make a video!
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I am so up for this. I do love to read the “Top 5” round-ups on everyone’s blogs. They are really good fun and it is nice to see what everyone has been sewing and what works/doesn’t work for them. Now that I have my sew-jo back I might have made 5 things by the end of the year. Count me in! 🙂 Xx
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I’m in! Took part for the first time last year, and it was really helpful in making me reflect on what was working well and not so well in my sewing. 2017 has been a much more successful sewing year as a result–I’ll be spoilt for choice when picking five hits!
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Yay! I love this opportunity to reflect on how far I’ve come
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This sounds like a really useful and fun reflection process, I’m in!
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I’m in!
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Great idea Gillian!
https://carolinejoynson.blogspot.co.uk/2017/12/cj-made-2017-review.html
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