I decided a few days ago that I wanted to look for some creative challenges to take part in throughout 2016 that are sewing and crafting related. I came across a bunch, and in order to help me keep track of them I figured I would go ahead and post them here. I will update this page if I find more.
Updated January 28th: New challenge added under Sewing Challenges.
Sewing Challenges:
- Karly at Paisley Roots is hosting a monthly link up where you are encouraged to sew up the things you had planned to make last year. Hashtags: #resewlutions2016 or #resewlution
- Hungarian Housekeeping has the Sew ’16 Challenge. You need to complete 16 of the 20 challenges. She has an explanation for each prompt in her post. Hashtag: #sew16in2016
- The Dreamstress is hosting the Historical Sew Monthly 2016. This one is so different and would be a real challenge for me. The goal is to create something as historically accurate as you can and based on something from before 1938. There are monthly themes which you can see by clicking through the image below. Lots more info in the post to help you.
- Sewing with a Plan 2016 (or SWAP 2016) is on Artisan’s Square. I believe you have to be a member of Artisan’s Square to take part, not really sure. The goal is to create basically a capsule wardrobe. Deadline is in April. This one is my ultimate goal, I don’t think I’ll be doing it this year but hopefully by next year I’ll be better at fitting myself.
- Sew Your (Pattern) Stash is an ongoing challenge to sew up some of the patterns you’ve purchased in the past. It was started last year by Bethany of Sew Not Perfect but this year it’s being headed by Jaime of Made by Jaime and Meriel of Create 3.5. Check it out in the Facebook group. This year they’re going to do themes/challenges and for January the challenge is to sew your oldest pattern. (But of course you’re welcome to sew any patterns you’ve previously purchased). Hashtag: #sewyourpatternstash
- Project Run and Play: Season 11. This runs during February, and the themes were just posted. I’ll try to work them into the other sewing I’ll be doing.
- Here’s a fun one! Sewing Bingo 🙂 Sew through your stash following the prompts on the cards and reward yourself when you get 5 in a row. She’ll even send you the word files so you can modify the boards. This definitely works with any of the other challenges.
- The talented Celina of Petit a Petit + Family is doing a year long challenge called Project Sew It. Read all the details in her post, basically there are no rules, just challenge yourself to do some sewing! Hashtag: #projectsewit
- Vintage Pledge: Take the pledge to sew up one or more vintage patterns. Reproduction patterns are ok too. You can adapt the pledge to your sewing needs. My pledge will be to sew up one of the vintage reproduction patterns I own. Hashtag: #VintagePledge
- Also over at Petit a Petit + Family, contributor Mie will be posting a monthly linkup where you can link up things you’ve made using Japanese patterns. See the first post here. Hashtags: #sewjapan and #projectsewit
Crafting Challenges:
- Stephanie of Swoodson Says and Rebecca of Hugs are Fun are co-hosting Try Something New Every Month for 2016. It was started last year by Stephanie, and every month she would try a craft or sewing technique that was new to her. This year Rebecca is co-hosting and they decided to do monthly themes. Some of them are more sewing related and others not, but you are also free to come up with your own project each month as long as you are challenging yourself with something new. They have a Facebook group. You can join in anytime. Hashtag: #TSNEM
Quilting Challenges:
- There are a whole lot of Block of the Months happening in 2016 that Seams to Be Sew has linked up here.
- Persimon Dreams is hosting Project Quilting Season 7 and the first weekly challenge is up! Prizes to be won. There’s also a Facebook group. Hashtag: #pq7
- In Our Garden Blog Hop hosted by Sew Incredibly Crazy. Eleven different bloggers will be posting two quilt blocks which will be free for the month. Prizes. There is also a Facebook group.
Photo ChallengeS:
- Lu & Ed has a daily photo prompt. Not necessarily sewing related. Hashtag: #creativedaily
- Sew Kiddy is having a weekly sewing related photo challenge on Instagram. She posts the prompt on Monday and you have the rest of the week to post your photo. Hashtag: #sewprompted2016
I’m going to try to catch up and do Lu & Ed’s daily challenge, but for sure I’ll be doing the weekly one.
Other hashtags that could be added to photo challenges: #photoprompts #weeklyphoto #dailyphotochallenge #photo #photos #pic #pics #picture #pictures #snapshot #instagood #picoftheday #photooftheday #composition #focus #capture #moment #photoaday #photochallenge
The best thing about all these challenges is that many of them can work together. The theme for Try Something New Every Month in January is Quilting. Why not combine that with one of Project Quilting’s weekly challenges? And maybe work your photo challenges around it too!
Hashtags that could be added to other posts: #craft #creativelifehappylife #makersgonnamake
Edited to add this section:
Charity Sewing Projects:
- Sew Powerful: Sew up some purses for girls in Africa to carry their feminine hygiene products so that they can easily attend school. Free pattern for the purse on their blog. Next deadline to mail in the purse(s) you sew is February 1st, 2016, after that it’s October 1st, 2016.
- Little Dresses for Africa: Sew (pillowcase style) dresses or sanitary napkins for girls, or shorts for boys. Free patterns on the blog. Or use your own simple patterns for the dresses or shorts (although no buttons or zippers).
- Dress a Girl Around the World: Similar to above, sew a pillowcase style dress for girls. They send dresses to countries all over the world. Directions to sew
- One Million Pillowcase Challenge: You can donate to one of the listed charities or find a place locally! Multiple free patterns on the blog. Ryan’s Case for Smiles (formerly Conkerr Cancer) even has a few Canadian chapters that donate to hospitals but none in Quebec so I may check with my local children’s hospital to see if they accept pillowcase donations.
- The Preemie Project: They accept sewing, knit or crochet items. Check their Updates or Urgent Needs list as they will update it with what they need most. (For example they are not accepting fabric hearts currently, however, they do provide a list of other places accepting the hearts).
Check out this list at Craftsy that has a few other project ideas.