Me Made May Reflections

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Me Made May, sewing

Well, I’m settled back into the routine from vacation, I finished Me Made May fairly successfully, and it’s about time to reflect on the month. As a little recap, I spent the entire month of May wearing at least one article of handmade clothing every day. Below are some thoughts on the experience, and a few of my favorite days from the month.

Favorite, Day 1. Nani Iro Dress

Was I successful?

I think so. I didn’t push myself to the brink on this challenge–if I wore a handmade dress to work, I didn’t make myself wear something else handmade when I changed at home. So I didn’t fulfill the challenge every hour of the day. But I did try to always wear something “Me Made” if I was going out, and I managed to do that fairly successfully.

Did I enjoy the challenge?

Yes! Mostly. I did get tired of it by the end, and I wished I didn’t have to repeat so many items, but I did enjoy mixing it up and pulling out rarely worn items.

Favorite, Day 8. Summer Stripe Ceylon.

Would I do it again?

I would, but not anytime soon. I think this month gave me a good sense of what I like to wear, when, why, and what my common annoyances in homesewn things are. I’d like to use that to tweak my sewing skills in the future, and make more things I’ll actually wear and love. I don’t think I’ll be ready for another challenge until I’ve built up a bigger homesewn wardrobe! (Plus, can I admit that I’m a little sick of all my Me Made clothes? I need a break from them. I’m wearing my favorite Anthropologie dress today, and am just basking in it.)

Best part?

Well, the bragging rights are pretty nice! Also, I liked pulling out things I don’t normally wear and realizing that I actually loved them. And it was great to have incentive to make the small fixes that some items needed.

Favorite, Day 13. New Liberty Blouse.

Worst part?

Taking pictures every single day. Reason #187 why modeling is not for me–it just takes so much effort to be photogenic, and I couldn’t put that in every day!

Did I learn anything?

• I have a tendency to make blouses too short and too small in the armholes. Uncomfortable.
• I am much better when I use a real pattern instead of making something up myself. As much as I like the creativity, the end result is never something I like as much as when I use a real pattern.
• My refashioned clothing is never super successful for the reason mentioned above. Something to work on.
• I’m a fan of making a lot of cute, casual dresses–the item I have the least opportunity to wear. More work clothes are needed.
• I think I could easily refashion more t-shirts, like my Bird Shirt, and like all those cute shirts you see at J. Crew and Anthropologie. I might need to get some options and experiment!
• There are a few homesewn items that I need to retire. They are not comfortable, not flattering, and I don’t feel good in them. I’ve learned to give myself a break: it’s okay for me to get rid of them!

And that’s it! The end of May and the end of the challenge. Thanks for sticking with me! I did my challenge a month early, but Zoe  is hosting Me Made June ’11, and I am enjoying looking at everyone else’s outfits. If you want more, head over to their Flickr pool and check it out!

Me Made May Finale: Days 29, 30 and 31

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clothes, Me Made May

Oh, my, this update is really late, but I did it! I made it all the way to the end of the month wearing at least one item of handmade clothing! I can’t say I did a fantastic job, but it was a good first try.  We just got back from our crazy trip, so I’ll just wrap up the last few days here, but I’d like to reflect a bit on the Me Made experience later. I’ll also post some more pictures of our trip–we had a great time!

Me Made May: Day 29

We drove from Denver to Grand Junction today, a four hour drive through beautiful Glenwood Canyon. I made Jesse try the Hanging Lake hike, a short, 1.25 mile hike practically straight up the canyon wall. It’s short, steep, and rocky, and with the high altitude we felt like we had to stop every 10 steps. The top? Totally worth it.

I wore my bird shirt again, because it seemed like a good fit for clambering over rocks. Yes, that is the trail in the picture below–the water level was so high it had escaped the river and was hijacking the path!

Me Made May: Day 30

Besides being Jesse’s birthday (happy birthday my love!), today was a bit of a low-key day, just driving from Grand Junction to Moab. I wore my Color Explosion Tank Top, which was pretty comfy for a car trip. This pic is in front of our sweet B&B in Moab, Utah, the Cali Cochitta Inn, a perfect little oasis of good breakfasts and relaxation (hot tub!) in the desert. It was a lovely place to rest our bruised bodies after what we put them through.

Me Made May: Day 31

The end! The grand finale! We went mountain biking today (more on that later), and I have to admit that I didn’t wear anything handmade. It just wasn’t a good fit.

But after we got back and showered, I did wear my Nani Iro Kimono dress to dinner. I thought it was perfect since it was what I wore on Day 1. It began and ended the month for me! I did it!

I’m now in the fifth day of basking in the glory of wearing whatever I want to wear, and not needing to take a picture of it. Ah, yes, this is nice. But honestly, I loved doing this challenge, and I feel so great that I pulled it off. Celebrations are in order! Until next time!

Me Made May: Days 26-28

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Me Made May

Hello from Moab, Utah! We’ve spent the last few days in Denver and just got to Moab tonight.  We’re having a great time– there’s something about vacation that’s just always so wonderful. All the time in the day is ours!

And yes, I’m still managing to wear handmade clothes!

Me Made May: Day 26

I went to work for most of the day, then we flew out of Portland in the evening. I wore my Liberty blouse again, since it’s jut so comfortable. It was perfect for the flight, with a cardigan.

Me Made May: Day 27

I woke up to more sunshine than I’ve seen in 7 months, it seems! Ah, Colorado. We spent the day wandering around downtown, eating brunch, and getting some sun. I wore a (brand new) skirt! It’s a rayon skirt with birds, attached to a yellow jersey waistband, so it’s really comfortable. I love it already.

We saw the Capitol Building, ate brunch, laughed at statues, tried the amazing Great Divide Brewery, and more.

I think my favorite was the Denver Pale Ale. Jesse’s favorite was….all of them.

Me Made May: Day 28
Today was my nostalgia trip. We drove to my old neighborhood, past my old house, school, church… it was all weirdly the same…. but different. There are a lot of strange feelings when you see things you remember from so long ago.
I wore a re-fashioned tank top, with a braided neckline I made awhile ago. It’s a little too fitted (tight), but I like the style.

We went to my favorite local park, which for this reason we called the Mushroom Park:

We saw my old high school, my old streets, the grocery store we went to.. it was big on reminiscing.

And this was the secret bridge path on the walk to school:

I have a few more days to update, but it’ll have to wait due to spotty internet. I’m going to try to finish the month out strong tomorrow with Day 31. Thanks for sticking with me!

More to come…

Me Made May: Days 24 & 25

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Me Made May, sewing

The end is near! I’m getting a little tired of taking a photo of myself every single day, to be honest. But I’m so close!

Me Made May: Day 24

Another successful showing of the Monday Blues Skirt. After the last time I wore it, and I got sick of all the fraying mess inside and gave it a little love. Now it’s clean and pretty, and the little shot of my favorite fabric makes me happy when I pull it on.

Me Made May: Day 25

It turned really gloomy today, so I needed a happy dress to brighten my workday. This really makes me feel like I’m at a circus, or should be carrying a baguette for a picnic…not answering phones.

But tomorrow after work Jesse and I will head to the airport and fly off to Denver for a nice vacation! We’ll be visiting friends in Denver, grandparents in Grand Junction, CO, and then hiking/biking in Moab, Utah.  I grew up in Denver until I was 16, and almost every year we took a trip out to visit the grandparents, and another trip out to Utah for camping and hiking, so this vacation is truly a nostalgic visit for me. I’ve already warned Jesse that he’ll have to put up with a lot of “I remember…” stories. He’s a good man.

It’s a busy vacation, so I’ll try to post a few times in the midst of soaking up the sun and revisiting my childhood, but I can’t guarantee anything regular. I will be finishing out the month of May wearing me made things, though, I promise! I’ll take pictures to prove it!

Happy Wednesday to everyone–until next time!

Me Made May: Days 21, 22, & 23

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Me Made May, sewing

What a busy weekend it was! We had a lovely time, and it all started on Friday night when we went out dancing. Thus, I’m adding one more outfit to Me Made May: Day 20.

Excuse the horrible picture–can we say I’m just trying to channel the club feeling? This skirt is made from an Ikat pillowcase from Turkey (via my coworker, via eBay). I wanted kind of a paper-bag-waist feel to it. I think it works okay, though it’s short for me and I get self-conscious. But I figure dancing is the one place where it’s okay to go a little bit shorter–especially when a fellow dancer was wearing red leather underthings and nothing else.

Me Made May: Day 21

The impending apocalypse didn’t phase our plans at all today. Next week is Jesse’s birthday, and we began the festivities early by going out to lunch with his family at his favorite pizza place. Despite the weather being a bit gloomy, I brightened it up with my Cabo San Sundress. Love this dress! It has pockets!

Me Made May: Day 22

Another (very) lazy day, in which I didn’t get properly dressed until we went out for dinner. We celebrated two-birthdays-in-one this time, and went to Marrakesh for some pillow-sitting, belly-dancing, eating-with-our-hands, stuffing-ourselves-full good times. I wore my kimono dress, with a bright red belt.

This is the second dress I ever made myself, and it’s actually falling apart. The shoulder has a hole in it, the fabric is splitting at the seams, and the inside is a complete fraying mess. I’ve adjusted the fit about five times (no joke). But I actually love wearing it–it’s so comfortable, I love the color, and it looks great with a belt cinched around my waist. I’ve been debating whether or not to retire it, or try to mend the holes and keep it around.

Me Made May: Day 23

And, back to work again. The last work week in the month! I can do this. Today was my paisley ruffle shirt again. Tomorrow… who knows.

Me Made May: Days 19 & 20

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Me Made May, sewing

I amped up and pulled through these last two days, so maybe I’m over the hump?

Me Made May: Day 19

This is an entire outfit repeat, but I love the combination of loose sleeves and high-waisted skirt so much that I did it again. Plus, it’s comfortable. I just love that. I rode my bike to work in this, then Jesse and I went to a cute little French place for happy hour. Olives, Pommes Frites, and goat cheese. Yum.

 

Me Made May: Day 20

Happy Friday! It’s always a bit more casual here on Fridays, as you can see. This is the Jennifer shirt from Day 15, comfy and cute. I keep telling myself that I should make another one of these shirts because I like it so much. Hasn’t happened yet, so I’ll just keep wearing this one.

 

 

I’m looking forward to a casual weekend to get some sewing done and celebrate some birthdays! Have a wonderful weekend, and I’ll be back on Monday with another post! That is, unless the Judgement Day occurs, you know. In that case, you’ll have bigger concerns than what I wore.

Me Made May: Days 17 & 18

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Me Made May, sewing

First, thank you so much for all the kind words about my quilt! I really do like it. Sometimes I worry that this blog gives off a veneer of perfection or something close to it. I intentionally keep it upbeat and positive, and I don’t talk about the bum parts of life other than sick days and dreary weather, though we all know that life has a way of throwing much more at us. Blogging, by nature, is kind of show-offy, and I’ve found it’s sometimes hard to strike a good balance.

So, thanks for letting me show off.  I manage to muddle my way through these projects, and when you look at them from far away on tiny pictures they might look amazing–in real life I promise that they’re slightly less so. Pretty average, really, when you take into account my uneven seams and pieces that don’t match up. I’m not trying to be annoyingly humble, I just want to be real. And honestly, if I can sew, you can too, I promise.

Okay, I just had to get that off my chest. Thanks. Back to the clothes.

Me Made May: Day 17

Today, it happened. Tuesday morning I woke up, and immediately dreaded getting dressed because I knew I had nothing, and I was tired of this. Who’s dumb idea was this? I felt uninspired. My other, cuter clothes stared longingly at me from their hangers. Sigh. How much longer? 2 more weeks you say? Another sigh. I ended up re-wearing my pink blouse, which looked fine, even though I felt like I’d just worn it a few days ago. I didn’t even take a picture.

When I got home, I changed to this:

Bad lighting and goofy face: my apologies

This is a shirt that got too small for Jesse, and I thought I could easily make it fit me so I hacked away. Now it doesn’t button (of course!). But it looks fine if I leave the top buttons open, so I’ll just ignore that little failure. Must. Learn. To. Measure.

Me Made May: Day 18

I pulled out the big guns today and went fancy, in this purple chiffon dress. It’s a little too fluffy and short for work, but I know I won’t have another chance to wear it this month so I’m just going for it. I feel like I’m on a date at work! It’ll look really great when I go to Costco tonight, too.

I think I’m going to have to buckle down and get serious here–actually find some new combinations and be inventive. It’s the only way I’ll make it through! I’m calling this the hump, and I’m determined to get through it, because it’s all downhill from here. The last 5 days of May I’ll be on vacation in Colorado, so anything I wear is 10 times better automatically, because I’m on vacation. I can do this.

Two weeks left!

Me Made May: Days 14, 15 & 16

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Me Made May

I’m halfway there! And still going strong! First, I have to apologize because I promised a non-Me-Made post this weekend but the time totally escaped me. I’ll post that tomorrow! Sorry! Now we’ll jump right in.

Me Made May: Day 14

Saturday we went for a hike in Forest Park while the sky threatened to rain. It was a bit chilly out, but warmed up with a brisk pace. I love going to Forest Park, because you’re smack in the middle of the city, but all around you are mossy trees, a creek, and singing birds. And this witch-fairy-unicorn house, of course.

This dress was inspired by a Modcloth dress that I didn’t want to pay $50 for. I took the Anda pattern from Burda and added some doilies from Etsy to the shoulders. I love the effect, but I always tend to get chilly and put on a jacket, and without the doilies it’s just a weird-colored sack dress. I’m kind of on the fence about it, but I still wear it pretty often.

Me Made May: Day 15

Sunday turned rainy and cold. No fun! We went out to coffee, and snapped this picture while we were there. I love that art deco design on my hot chocolate! This shirt is the Jennifer pattern from Burda (I know, I get about 80% of my from there). It was meant to be a test of the pattern, but then I ended up loving the fabric anyway. The shirt is a little constricting, comfort-wise, but other than that I love it, and wear it a lot. This day it was worn with an old knit vest, and a special hand-knitted cowl made just for me.

This is the halfway point! Will it get harder or easier from here?

Me Made May: Day 16

Another Monday. Today’s outfit is one of my favorites, because it turned out surprinsingly well when I made it. This is another copy of a Modcloth dress I didn’t want to buy, using a Burda style pattern (Madison). I feel so very Mad Men-esque in this dress. I haven’t worn it in a few months because the interfacing in the collar got a bit messed up, and I’ve been meaning to fix it. Of course I haven’t. I’m wearing it today anyway, and it still looks fine.

I’m worried that after this outfit I don’t have any more new work clothes to wear, and I’m going to have to start repeating everything. I’ll have to get really inventive so I don’t feel like “I just wore this last week…” I still have quite a few casual things, so I’m not worried about that, but the workweek might be a stretch to accomodate! Must make more nice clothes…

Stop back tomorrow (I promise) for a finished product post!

Me Made May: Days 12 & 13

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Me Made May, sewing

Yesterday, as I said, I had Jury Duty, and I did in fact feel healthy enough to go in for my civil service. I showed up, but my name was never called. Whew. Though after the inspiring video they showed us I was all revved up to sit in a courtroom and pass my judgement! I feel robbed!  I mentioned last time that I was trying to find something to wear that said I was mature–turns out everyone wears jeans to jury duty. Everyone.

But at least I still looked good. I should point out that this is the first repeated item of the month–there’ll be more! In the below photo I am demonstrating what I did the entire time I was at the courthouse. It was a thrilling day.

I got let out a little early, which gave me time to finish today’s outfit! That’s right–a brand new shirt’s debut!

Me Made May: Day 13

I’m hoping this shirt makes Friday the 13th a little luckier for me. It’s the lovely Liberty of London fabric that I got for Christmas, made into the Amanda blouse from Burda. You’ve seen this pattern before on Day 3 (my pink blouse), but this time I lengthened it, used elastic thread around the waist to give it some stretch, and did the same for the neckline at the shoulders. I love it. It’s so comfortable, which is usually my biggest problem with self-made shirts! And of course, the fabric is lovely. It’s a Me Made Keeper! (Which might explain my weird overly excited expression in this photo…) 

And the back…

At last, a shirt I’m not complaining about! Check back this weekend for a Me Made interlude about another project I finished. I’m on a roll!

Me Made May: Illness Version

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Me Made May, sewing

I have to call today kind of a bust since I got sick and stayed home. I am still wearing something I made, though! I just don’t feel very attractive or fashionable in it.

Yesterday, Me Made May: Day 10, I did go to work, but I didn’t get a picture, because taking a photo of myself is the last thing on my mind when I feel like crap. I wore my Paisley Ruffle shirt, which I like. It’s not my favorite–the arms are a little tight, the neck feels a little wide, but I still like it on the whole. (This picture was taken a few months ago.)

Me Made May: Day 11. I almost gave up this morning due to aches, chills and a slight fever. But then Jesse convinced me to still wear a self-made thing, even if I’m sitting on the couch all day. So I pulled on this tank top that I sewed scraps to awhile ago, and managed to snap this lovely picture for you. I’ll try to get a much better, less chest-centric, picture when I wear it again later this month.

But let’s forget about feeling gross, and being lazy. We have some new neighborhood friends down the street who I like to visit on our walks, bringing plenty of dandelions for them to munch on:

So cute and furry! Their noses and little butts move in the most adorable ways. This house also has a small chicken run next door, which is a dream of mine someday. Any excuse I can find to walk down the street and visit these guys, I take. I feel like a 5-year old when I pick dandelions and throw them in for the bunnies, but hey, it’s the small joys in life.

Luckily I have my own furry friend, a bit closer.

The perfect thing for a sickly day. I’m hoping to feel a lot better since tomorrow I have Jury Duty, for the first time in my life. I feel like such an adult! (I realize the irony of this sentence coming shortly after my 5-yr old confession.) I’m trying to think of the perfect self-made item to say “I’m mature and I support democracy, but I don’t really want to sit on your jury right now.” Should I try to pull a Liz Lemon?

Well, I’m off to go gargle some more salt-water and take a nap. Here’s hoping for better health and fashion tomorrow!