Welcome 2024!

Hello my friends! I’m so glad you’re here checking out my first blog post of 2024!

It has been ages since I wrote but it was the holidays and I unofficially decided I needed a break apparently lol! I also wasn’t really sewing very much other than 3 Minky blankets, and how much can I say about that lol! They’re awesome of course, especially the bottom one which I made for my husband using the new incredible Shannon Fabrics Bunny Luxe Minky in Charcoal paired with Platinum Smooth! He is obsessed with it and it’s completely understandable lol!

Most of the projects I worked on in December were Cricut projects, which included 8 shirts and several shadow boxes, which was so much fun! And it seems like once I get started with that Cricut, I end up coming up with more and more things to use it for lol! Let’s just say I’ve started a list of all the projects I’d like to make throughout the year!

Hmmm…I was thinking I was kind of unproductive in December but maybe not lol!

So, speaking of productivity, that’s the topic of this Blog….a summary of my productivity of 2023!

So a quick recap, 2 years ago I started using that fun little sheet that I printed off to keep track of each days productivity:

That was quick and easy and fun, but I wanted to be able to include more information so in January 2023, I upgraded to my “Sewing Journal Binder”:

So the year has come to an end and it’s time to let you know how the binder system went! Did I keep it up for the whole year? If so, was it worth it? And also if so, would I do it again?

The answer to all those questions is the same….YES!!!!!! I loved it! I would start a new Project Page when I was starting something, that way I could jot down any notes as I was doing the project, things I would change, things I loved, things I didn’t understand….just anything at all! When I was done, it became part of my routine to include a little scrap of fabric and the I would finish it off with “things I’d do differently next time” or even just “things I loved about this project” and let me tell you, those little notes have proven themselves invaluable! I’ve been able to refer back to them on several occasions, even when I wasn’t remaking the exact pattern but was doing a similar technique! Here’s a little example of one of the patten pages:

See, nothing formal….I knew I wasn’t being graded on spelling/punctuation lol so I just wrote whatever jibber jabber I wanted too, just hoping that I’d understand it later lol!

So yes, I kept it up just as thorough all throughout the year, including numbering the projects so I knew how many I did throughout the year! So, my final total for 2023 was 42 sewn projects eeekkk!!! I was very proud of that number, as a person that works a full-time job, I think 42 projects was pretty good! Also to note, if I started but didn’t finish a project, it didn’t get a number so that darn Sewing Machine Tote Bag that I have yet to complete is not included in that number lol! Gotta keep things legit lol!

And finally yes, a resounding YES that I will continue it in 2024 with a couple of tweaks!

1. A Cricut Project Section! I don’t think it will be quite as in-depth as my sewing projects, but I’d like to keep track of those projects too. Cricut Design Space allows you to do this right in that program so that’s where I’ll put all the detailed information but I’d like to see the tally on paper!
2. Journal pages! So last year I started a personal journal, which I loved and am also continuing this year, but I found that I was kind of doing journal entries twice, and who has time for that lol! So I’d be in my sewing room and I’d be jotting down my notes and keep track of what kind of activity I did that day (i.e. sewing or puzzle or serger) and then I’d go upstairs and write in my journal and sometimes it was kind of the same thing, “I sewed today, I was working on …………” etc. In my personal journal, I was also keeping track of activities I did that day, i.e. sewing, etc., so again, doubling up! So it came to me that I should just combine them! I fully realize I could journal on my phone but when it comes to that kind of stuff, I’m a paper and pen kinda girl. I like to actually write it out, I find it therapeutic!

When I started the binder journal, I purchased a “Sewing Journal File” off of Etsy and it came with almost a billion pages lol, most I don’t use but it does include weekly journal ones that I will use to combine my 2 journals! I’ve also gone through the binder and gotten rid of a couple of sections that I started but then stopped so obviously those weren’t what I needed!

I’m so excited for my updated system! I love to be organized, it makes my mind a calmer, much more pleasant place so I’m glad this has helped with that! I used to just have random notes all over the place and then good luck trying to find the exact one I wanted lol, at least now all that gibberish is combined and I know exactly where to look!

Are you a journal user too? Do you do just personal or both, or a combination? I’d love to hear all about your journal experiences too, what works and doesn’t work for you!

Wishing you all a wonderful 2024 and looking forward to sharing many sewing adventures with you throughout the year! Cheers!

Shawna