Happy Blogaversary

I started my little blog a year ago this weekend!

As I look back I'm a bit bummed at how little sewing I've done.

But on the other hand, maybe it's not so bad. My DBF has been calling me "The Incredible Shrinking Nancy," due to the weight loss journey I've been on since May. I'm down 27 pounds (!) and have only 3 pounds left before reaching my goal weight of 125. I know, I know, sew as you lose weight. But let me assure you, I wasn't going around in clown suits or naked thanks to TJ Maxx and Ross Dress for Less. I'm getting really psyched about gearing up with sewing again--it's much easier to fit garments when your measurements are closer to the pattern envelope (voice of experience here). Hopefully, I'm not belaboring the point, but I'd like to share a resource that's really worked for me, Calorie Count. It's a free site with lots of tools to help figure out how to lose weight in a healty way. I have mixed feelings about the Community feature because posts like "I ate a carrot, is this healthy?" drive me nuts. But overall the site is great.

But back to sewing. There has actually been a lot of sewing-related activity during 2007:

• I've done a lot of purchasing, so I have lots of fabrics and patterns to work from!
• I bought a new serger, a Babylock Evolve. Love it! Although I haven't posted every single pair of pj pants that I've made this year, I've made many, and the new serger is a joy to sew on. I've also hemmed a bunch of skirts using the coverstitch feature. Even though alterations are not a favorite activity, I have to admit that it was almost enjoyable with the serger.
• I attempted to sew a SWAP. Even though I didn't complete it, I got a lot out of the experience. I'm applying many of the SWAP techniques to garments I've been buying. I have some half-finished garments to complete as a result of the SWAP, and I still plan on posting them.
• I entered a sewing contest, The Sewing Workshop's "Reinvent the Inventor."
• I went to a sewing getaway in San Francisco hosted by The Sewing Workshop. It was great to sew with a group of fellow fanatics and learned a bunch.
• I've enjoyed sharing the love of sewing with others on the blogosphere. I feel like I've made new friends in cyberspace and have picked up lots of tips and tricks from you.

So what's next? I'm hoping to have a lot more sewing projects to post about in the upcoming year. I'm also starting to look at relocating to the other side of town, so you may see some posts about that. More recipes. And my 50th is in 2008 (!), so I'm sure there will be posts on that milestone.

Thanks everybody, for visiting SewWest, and please keep visiting and commenting! Mwah!