2018 - The Year in Review

This is the first in a series of posts regarding my sewing this year.  Having two major social media accounts: this blog and an IG account, they present an interesting contrast in what's "popular" on both sites.

First Instagram ~

Best 9 of 2018 from Instagram

I used a "Best of" App to determine what nine pictures had the most likes for 2018. These were the Top 9.

Interesting fact - a successful Instagram pic has 37 likes for every 1000 followers. So if you have 300 followers, a well-liked picture on IG has 111 likes. In my case a successful picture has 315 likes. In the grid, all of the pictures have over 500+ likes.

So thank you to everyone who follows my IG account and stops to like a picture and/or leave a comment.

Another thing making the rounds on IG is the "Favorite Colors used in Your IG Feed."  Mine is pictured below...

Which is a shock to me. Since in my mind I've sewn so much blue and denim and thought they would be featured more prominently. Guess not! LOL!

Onto what's been most popular on the blog...

The Blog ~

There's a difference between the two with a little overlap.  Probably because the blog is more interactive or at least it seems that way to me.  To determine what would be the most popular blog posts, I used a benchmark of over 3000 views...not comments. I also chose to feature the Top 9 blogs similar to the Top 9 IG posts.  

Anyway, the posts linked below all have more than 3000 views and they are posted with the most views first:

1. Myosotis in Velvet: 

This is my fourth version of this Deer & Doe pattern and my second maxi. It also appears on my Best 9 on IG grid.

2. This is America: 

One of my few political posts this year. My goal this year in not posting political posts was NOT TO KNOW how many people supported the policies of this present administration.  But I just couldn't not say anything about this continuing atrocity. 

3. Do you ever feel like you don't sew enough?: 

This is a Question of the Day post from February. It came about when I was on a sewing binge and felt like no matter how much I made, I just didn't sew enough.

4. An Orange Isaac Mizrahi Shirt: 

Shirt number 6 from the April Shirt Month series.

5. The Embellished Shirtdress - A Denim Vogue 2090:  

This is the second shirtdress in the series. 

6.  The Year of Sewing from the Collection:

A post about my plans to sew from the collection. I'm not sure I was successful with this. I did, however, sew 8 garments that used 18 yards of fabric from deep within the shelves of the collection.

7.  Are you a Big4 or Indie Sewist:

This is another Question of the Day which was posted in August. It occurred because I used only Indie Patterns that month to sew garments.

8.  Shirt Inspiration: 

The kick-off post to April's Shirt Month.

9.  What's Going On: 

An update on things in my world in early March.

As you can see the posts are from different parts of the year.  Some are garment posts, some are Question of the Day posts and there's even a political post in the mix. I also seemed to sew in series/collections this year which I believe was driven more by the fabric than the patterns/silhouettes.

The difference between what was popular on the two social medias is interesting. Probably because Instagram is based upon pictures and whether it grabs your attention. And my blog is based upon in-depth conversations, knowledge, pictures AND offering the reader the opportunity to comment without the comment needing to be based upon liking a garment.

As I said above, this is just the first in a series of posts about my sewing this year.  I have the Top 5 Hits and Misses coming up and a review of my most sewn item. Then there is the last day of the year post which I end every year with so that I know where I'm going in the new year.

I hope you will follow along on this retrospective. If retrospections aren't your thing, then wait for January when garment posts will resurface because I am sewing during the Holiday break. As I stated on Instagram, "I have a list that I may or may not sew from...a room full of fabric...a stash of patterns and thread in every color."

...as always more later!