A New Year, A Season of Growth
There’s something about the start of a new year that always feels like a deep breath.
Not a sudden reset or a list of impossible resolutions — just a quiet moment to look ahead and ask: What would it look like to grow this year?
As we head into the new year, I’ve been reflecting a lot on my own sewing journey. In 2025, I tackled projects that genuinely intimidated me — including my first real pair of pants with a zipper fly. It wasn’t perfect. It took time. A lot of time. I had to use my seam ripper more than once. But the sense of accomplishment I felt when I finished? It stayed with me.
That feeling is the heart of what I want to carry forward — and it’s what inspired our first community sew-along of the year.
Introducing: Season of Growth | A Sew Along
Starting January 1st and running through the end of March, we’re inviting you to join us for Season of Growth | A SAL.
This sew-along isn’t about sewing a specific garment, following a single pattern, or mastering a technique perfectly. Instead, it’s about choosing a project that stretches you — whatever that looks like right now.
Maybe that means:
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- sewing your first pair of pants
- working with a fabric you’ve been avoiding
- trying a new construction method
- tackling fit adjustments
- or simply trusting yourself more than you have before
Any garment. Any pattern. Any skill level.
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The goal isn’t perfection — it’s growth through the process of making.
How to Participate
Participation is intentionally flexible so you can show up in the way that works best for you.
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- Choose a project that feels like a stretch
- Work on it at your own pace between January 1st and March 31st
- Share your progress, questions, wins, and frustrations along the way
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We’d love for you to start conversations:
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- in our Facebook group
- on social media
- or right here in the blog comments
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You’re also encouraged to share your finished project proudly — especially if it felt hard. Doing something challenging deserves to be celebrated!
Sharing & Tagging
One of the most meaningful parts of a sew-along is seeing how everyone approaches their projects — especially when you’re tackling something that feels like a stretch.
If you’re sharing your Season of Growth project on social media, we’d love for you to:
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- Use #SeasonofGrowthSAL as the main, evergreen hashtag
- Add #SeasonofGrowthSAL2026 if you’d like to mark this first year (depending on your feedback and participation, we may make this an annual SAL)
- Tag @surgefabricshop so we don’t miss your posts
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Sharing is never required, but it’s strongly encouraged. It helps build community, supports the shop, and — most importantly — gives you a chance to celebrate what you’ve made and how far you’ve come.
Even if your project isn’t “perfect,” it’s worth sharing. Growth rarely is.
Prizes & Entries
To make things a little extra fun, projects made using fabrics from Surge Fabric Shop will be eligible for prizes.
We’ll be using a Google form to collect entries so that:
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- everyone can participate regardless of social media platform
- all entries live in one organized place
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You can submit your project entries directly through the form here: Submit Your Entry
Sharing on social media is strongly encouraged — it helps support the shop and it helps inspire others — but it won’t be the only way to enter.
A Little Tease for What’s Coming Next
Alongside Season of Growth, I’ll also be starting a new weekly video series in the new year — a space for conversations about fabric, projects, and the learning process that comes with both.
The sew-along will be part of that conversation early on, but it’s just the beginning. There’s more coming, and I can’t wait to share it with you.
Let’s Talk About It
Before we kick things off on January 1st, I’d love to hear from you.
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- What kind of project feels like a stretch for you right now?
- What makes you nervous — or excited — about choosing something hard?
- Do you have any questions about Season of Growth | A SAL?
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Leave a comment below — I’ll be gathering your questions and addressing them in the first video episode.
Here’s to a new year, new projects, and a season of choosing growth — together.
🤍 Kayla
I’m hoping into Jeanuary with my first pair of memade jeans. This is the push I needed to get started. I’m starting with Pamela’s Patterns jeans pattern.