Me Made May 2016 – week 4 roundup

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We’re nearly there! 28 days of May are finished with only three to go.  There’ve been quite a few repeats this week but due to some particularly speedy sewing I also got to wear two new things which was excellent fun

I’ll be doing a final roundup along with my favourites and what I’ve learnt on Wednesday, but until then we have the following outfits this week:

Day 22 – green skirt (and the reveal of my tripod!)

Day 23 – strawberry print By Hand London Charlie dress

Day 24 – Aztec print Moneta with my Astoria jumper

Day 25 – highly inaccurate tube map By Hand London Kim dress

Day 26 – floral Mortmain and that Astoria again

Day 27 – floral Anna dress

Day 28 – gardening ready with my Sorbetto top

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Green floral dress

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I love this dress, and not just because I get to spin around whilst wearing it…

I initially bought this fabric about a year ago to make a Lilou dress, but it ended up sitting in my stash box, unused and a bit unloved. Then I wanted to make a wearable toile and it seemed a good fabric fit; I wasn’t wrong!

What is it?

A sleeveless shift dress with a pleated skirt

Is it blue?

No

What’s the fabric and where is it from?

A floral midweight cotton. I think I got it in the Fancy Silk Store, but I’ve seen it in a couple of places and multiple colourways.

What’s the pattern?

The Mortmain dress by Gather patterns in the sleeveless variation.

What was good about making this?

I couldn’t get over how quickly this came together, nor how neatly the seams all looked. Not having to make a lining for a dress was a bit of a revelation!

What was bad about making this?

I misjudged the ease so had to lose two inches off the bodice once I’d made it (i.e. drop it a dress size with some seam pinching). Although, from another angle, that just means there’s two inches less of me than I thought!

Would you make it again?

Yes I would, and indeed I have.

Me Made May – week 3 roundup

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Three weeks down! When I set out on Me Made May, I wondered how long I could go without repeats (and I don’t just mean my expression…). Turns out the answer was 20 days (if we ignore the repeated skirt on day 19!) and even then on Saturday I pulled out my sparkly Astoria and had another different item to add to the mix.

This week has also tested my thinking about what I wear. For me, Me Made May was about wearing something handmade every day, but wasn’t necessarily about wearing something different every day for a month. Whilst I’ve still got a couple of items that I’ve not yet worn as part of Me Made May, if I’m honest, I don’t think I will. Some of them is due to their status as “dressing up” items (looking at you unicorn dress and leopard print cape) whilst for others, as I made them when I first started sewing, I’m aware of the fit (or lack thereof!) compared to what I now make and wear regularly.

What this also means is that for the last week (and a bit) of May I’ll be repeating (with the exception of a sneaky new make or two….) but seeing if I can style my outfits differently, rather than continuing to wear “new” items each day.

Here’s hoping I make it to the end!

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Navy mid length skirt

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One of the sewing resolutions that I set myself for this year was to try and build some more me-made plain coloured staples into my wardrobe as a balance for the super fun but not always practical patterned dresses I love. This was one such adventure, into the land of practical workwear (pictured above with my Mimi blouse hack)

What is it?

A just-below-knee-length flared skirt

Is it blue?

Yup!

What’s the fabric and where is it from?

A navy blue crepe bought from a stall in Leicester market – I think run by someone called Stuart?

What’s the pattern?

The Sewaholic Hollyburn skirt in variation A

What was good about making this?

The pockets were a new skill for me, and really straightforward once I got my head around the instructions.

What was bad about making this?

I didn’t really like it once it was finished; there’s just something about the way the fabric joins in almost – but not quite – a reverse pleat in the centre that I cant get on board with. I’ve warmed to it a bit in the two months in between, but it definitely doesn’t get worn as much as some of the other skirts I’ve made (although whether that’s true after Me Made May remains to be seen!)

Would you make it again?

I’m not sure. I might make one of the shorter versions, but I think I probably prefer a gathered skirt to this one.

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Me Made May 2016 – week 2 roundup

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So another week of May has gone by, and with it another seven days of me made clothes.  What’s been interesting this week is that I’ve started to get towards the end of my handmade wardrobe. This has got me feeling slightly panicky; should I make more things to keep on having something new to show everyday? Should I wear some of the things I have that I don’t really want to wear but would mean I could avoid repetition that bit longer? Is repetition even a bad thing? Normally I wear an item two or three times over the course of a fortnight and no one cares, but then, normally I’m. not sharing the outfit I wear every day..

I’m not really looking for answers, but it has been thought provoking. It’s also made me realise I spend a lot of time wearing dresses usually, so my fondness for making them is actually a good thing rather than a total vanity project.

At any rate, this continues to be a fun way to explore my wardrobe, and I’m intrigued to see what weeks three and four will throw up (not least because I may have gone fabric shopping yesterday….).

This week’s me mades are:

Sunday – Aztec print Colette moneta

Monday – contracts bias By Hand London Anna dress

Tuesday – Floral Sewaholic Nicola shirt dress

Wednesady – purple moneta

Thursday – turquoise moneta (I really like that pattern…)

Friday – tiny foxes tshirt (Grainline scout tee)

Saturday – tiny elephants top (modified sorbetto by Colette)

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Gingham Cambie dress

IMG_6152I love gingham. It’s amazing and summery and makes me feel like holidays are just around the corner (almost certainly due to gingham dresses being summer uniform at school). Coupled with the sweetheart neckline loveliness of the Cambie dress pattern, it was a match made in heaven, and to be honest, the main surprise is that it took me so long to make it!

What is it?

A dress with a sweetheart neckline and a gathered skirt

Is it blue?

Nope

What’s the fabric and where is it from?

The fabric is a cotton gingham that I got as part of the stash swap at Sew Brum

What’s the pattern?

The Cambie dress by Sewaholic Patterns in variation B

What was good about making this?

I really enjoyed the simple way that this pattern came together, and had a surprisingly good time trying to pattern match the gingham up. I didn’t have any faith in the description of the way that the skirt would gather up, but actually it was lovely and the pockets are a delight (seriously, who doesn’t love a dress with pockets?

What was bad about making this?

I had a nightmare getting the lining to attach to the bodice at the waist, and in the end I made the decision to leave it unattached except for a small section in the centre. It worked well and is definitely how I’d do this if I made another cambie without a skirt lining.

Would you make it again?

Yes as this was a wearable toile for the unicorn dress….

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Me Made May 2016 – week one roundup

L-R, day 7, top row days 1, 3, 2, bottom row days 5, 4, 6
L-R, day 7, top row days 1, 3, 2, bottom row days 5, 4, 6

This year, for the first time, I’m taking part in Me Made May, an annual challenge organised by Zoe of So Zo. My pledge is to try and wear at least one item of handmade clothing each day during May.

We’re one week in, so I thought I’d share my outfits so far, not least because it’s the first time I’ve shared them on the blog (although posts about all of these will be coming up over the next few weeks). So, in chronological order we have:

Day 1 – Chambray shirt dress with an ace RTW tiger jumper

Day 2 – Heart print Mortmain dress, with a comfy cardi that might not actually be mine…

Day 3 – Bright green skirt with RTW stripey top

Day 4 – Gingham Cambie dress

Day 5 – Floral Mortmain dress

Day 6 – Floral Lilou dress

Day 7 – A freaking space dress made using the By Hand London Anna pattern

I’ve really enjoyed Me Made May so far, and am looking forward to the rest of the month, not least because it’s a great excuse to get on some of my favourite clothes and prompt conversations about dressmaking with people who might not otherwise have thought about it. Whether I actually manage it is an entirely different matter, but here’s hoping I’ll be doing a final round up in 23 days!

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