Me-Made-May'14: Days 1 - 7

And so the accountability commences...! I'm not going to make lots of comments under each outfit this year. I think it'll make more sense to summarise my findings at the end of the month. Only one week in and I've already figured out lots of things though, the main one being that this year is the hardest I've ever found this challenge. Anyway...

Day 1:

Me-mades:

Breton top

Nautical Palazzo pants

Vest and undies (you'll have to trust me)

Captain jacket when I went out

Second hand cardi, as per my pledge 

Dolores wears: mum-made dribble bib

Day 2:

Me-mades:

Magpie batwing top

School Boy trousers

Vest and undies

Captain jacket when I went out

Second hand cardi, as per my pledge 

The empty cocktail glass (which didn't remain empty for long!) is part of this year's flickr group's Friday photo themes. FYI. 

Day 3:

Me-mades:

Breton top

Denim skirt

Vest and undies

Captain jacket when I went out

Second hand cardi, as per my pledge 

Dolores wears: mum-made dribble bib

Day 4:

Me-mades:

Pussy bow blouse

Nautical Palazzo pants

Vest and undies

Captain jacket when I went out

Day 5:

Me-mades:

Bustier line t-shirt

School Boy trousers

Vest and undies

Captain jacket when it got colder

Second hand cardi, as per my pledge 

Day 6:

Me-mades:

Swallow applique sweatshirt

School Boy trousers

Vest and undies

Captain jacket when I went out

Day 7:

Me-mades:

Bird print jersey top (not interesting enough to blog about)

Nautical Palazzo pants

Vest and undies

Captain jacket when I went out

Second hand cardi, as per my pledge 

Dolores wears: mum-made leopard print trousers

Spring/Summer Sewing Strategies

(image source: Sewionista)

A month or so ago I was emailing with Jen about ideas for posts that might be useful or interesting for Me-Made-May'14 participants to read during the challenge. An awesome idea Jen came up with was writing about creating clothing for the seasons we are coming into as May descends in our corners of the globe. You can read Jen's fascinating take on creating clothing for Autumn/Winter in the Southern Hemisphere here. Which left me thinking about the weather we currently have here in the Northern Hemisphere and how best to fill our wardrobes with suitable clothing...

I swiftly realised that that is just too big a topic to cover! The Mays I enjoyed whilst living in Barcelona for example, are no doubt entirely different to the Mays going on in Canada, for example. So I thought it would be interesting to throw the question out to various points of the Northern Hemisphere's blogosphere: 'How do you approach clothing to make and wear for around this time of the year?'. Just to clarify that despite the title of this post, I'm of course not just talking about sewing, I just can't resist a bit of alliteration. 

(image source: Roobeedoo)

Ruth in Scotland (pictured above):

"Spring (or Summer) in Northern Scotland can sometimes feel more like a Southern English winter. Just the other day (end of April) I was walking along thinking "This feels like a Brixton February morning: frosty, with the sun fighting to get through the fog". As a result, I sew heaps of optimisitic sleeveless or short-sleeved tops in bright cottons... and then have to pile on layers of wool to keep warm. 

Despite an addiction to knitting, I suffer from a severe shortage of work-appropriate handknit cardigans. Every me-made month I come to the same conclusion: I need to knit more full-sized woolies instead of heaps of socks and scarves. So a garment I expect to wear a lot this May is my handknitted Audrey in Unst cardigan. It is made out of locally-spun wool knitted at a fine gauge. It has enough structure to look smart for work, but left unbuttoned it appears quite relaxed. It goes with everything! But that doesn't let me off the hook - I really really need to buckle down to knitting another!"

(image source: Stale Bread into French Toast)

Tasha in USA (pictured above):

"If I had to pick a theme for dressing in May, it would be versatility, which to me means layers. I usually spend a lot of the month traveling around the US, selling my husband’s photography, visiting friends and camping out in various cities and parks, and with my wardrobe limited by what will fit in our truck (read more about our life on the road here). I feel like adding travel just adds another level of unpredictability to what is already a transitional time with a lot of varied weather. My strategy for what to make and wear for all of this is what I learned growing up in the mountain Southwest, where temps vary hugely from day to night: dress in layers. I have several lightweight tops, a couple of sweaters and a soft jacket that I can wear all together under my rain jacket if it’s really cold, or in various other combinations. One of my goals for MMM’14 is to knit a light cardigan to replace one that’s been a staple of my layering for many years! 

The undisputed most-worn garment of my MMM’13 was my purple corduroys. Last year, we had more cool and rainy days in May than usual, and I wore these pants/trousers all the time. I think a good pair of pants is essential for transitional weather, they work for warmer and cooler days (with different tops of course) and even with long johns underneath if it’s cold. I now have a new pair of me-made trousers, which I expect to get a lot of wear this May!"

(image source: Dedal, Aguja E Hilo)

Mari in Northern Spain (pictured above): 

"As soon as you asked me to talk about an essential garment for Spring I didn't thought about a dress or a jacket, I thought in an accessory, a foulard. Weather in Barcelona on May can be unpredictable and a foulard is a good choice, it is an elegant accessory. It warms my neck in the early morning or I cover my shoulders if the air conditioner is too high. I have a good foulard collection but this one is my favourite, it's silk and I painted it ten years ago, I still love it."

(image source: Sewionista)

Julia in Germany (pictured above and at top of post):

"Here in Southern Germany, Bavaria to be exact, May can be kind of unpredictable. Last year was very cold and rainy, this year it will probably be very warm if April is an indicator. In addition, the temperature shifts a lot during the day. Mornings and evenings are still quite cold while it might already be summery during the day. So it is necessary here to wear layers most days that work for walking to work in the morning as well as sitting in the warm office during the day. Since it is often still too cold for bare legs, my usual outfit consists of pants, T-shirt/top and a light jacket or blazer. After the long winter I'm always really sick of dark colours and thus I tend to go for light/pastel colours during this time. I also noticed that I really gravitate towards floral prints once it gets warmer. Pieces I have worn a lot last spring/summer were these floral pants and this white jacket. The colours and print of the pants put me instantly in a good mood and they work well with differents tops. The jacket is made from cotton and unlined, which makes it perfect for spring/summer and in white it fits into every spring/summer outfit. I also really like this type of short jacket/blazer because it can be combined with pants as well as with skirts and dresses. 

When I plan a new wardrobe for a new season, it helps me to create a Polyvore-board of my sewing plan. This prevents me from getting distracted or sidetracked which normally happens a lot with all the great inspiration on the blogosphere. It is important for me that the pieces on my sewing plan complete my already existing wardrobe and can be combined with each other. They also have to fit my life and style, which is mostly casual as I don't have to follow any dress code at work."

(image source: Aventuras de Costuras)

Merche in Southern Spain (pictured above): 

"Where I live, in the South of Spain, Spring is almost non-existent. That means you go from wearing your coat one day and in a week's time you'll be dressed in your summer clothes. That usually happens in the middle of May. Up in the North is a complete different thing: you always, always need a light cardigan or a jacket to have around when the night falls. One garment that I made and find very useful and wearable during this Spring-Summer period is a maxi dress I wore on many occasions. I think that due to the neutral colours and the shape of it, it can easily go from formal with high heels and a shiny bolero as I wore it to a wedding, to more hippy-like style with a denim jacket and flip-flops. It is, quite frankly the most worn item in my summer wardrobe!"

(image source: The Sewing and Life Adventures of Emerald Erin)

Erin in Canada (pictured above):

"My strategy for the springtime is definitely layers! I'm all about layering clothes so you're always prepared to keep up with temperature changes through the day. For me this means it's time to make scarfs in spring colours (crochet or fabric), and it's time to make light jackets and light shirts to go under the jackets. Then, when the really hot weather comes along, you can ditch your scarf and jacket and have a nice light top.

A light jacket that I have been living in recently is my Islander Sewing System denim jacket- I've been wearing it with sweaters and long sleeves right now, but I predict that I will be wearing it constantly with t-shirts and tank tops underneath, and lighter scarves! - http://emeralderin.blogspot.ca/2014/04/my-first-me-made-may-mmmay14.html - and I think this is a really great example of what I will be wearing this May, and it includes my jacket, which I know will be my go-to piece!"

And myself? I agree with the layerettes, it's all about the layers for me. Looking back at previous MMMay's, I have to say it's my Captain Jacket that has proven the most used and the most useful. If I remember correctly it was something of a faff to make, but in terms of the ratio of 'hours to make : hours worn' (yes, that's a thing) it was totally worth it. 

Happy MMMay'14! Participants Giveaway with Sewbox.co.uk

***THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. THANKS FOR ENTERING***

Hurrah!!! It's 1st May and therefore the start of the month-long challenge, Me-Made-May'14! Let's celebrate with a giveaway. In fact every week throughout May there will be a MMMay'14 related giveaway taking place either here or over at Jennifer Lauren Vintage's blog. But let's start with this one...

Just like last year, my lovely blog sponsor Susan at Sewbox.co.uk is offering up two awesome prizes to be won by two lucky challenge participants. And what is special about this giveaway is that YOU get to choose what YOU would like to win! Genius! Here are the two options...

Prize Option 1: YOUR CHOICE of sewing pattern from their enormous selection. Sewbox.co.uk have a really wide range of independent sewing pattern companies' products including Colette Patterns, Sewaholic, DIY Couture, By Hand London, Cake patterns, Christina Haynes patterns and MANY MORE. Personally, I'd be tempted by the Mae blouse by Bluegingerdoll (pictured above) or the Sally Dress by Serendipity Studio (pictured below).

Prize Option 2: YOUR CHOICE of 1 metre of fabric from their drool-inducing selection. They have more Liberty prints than you can shake a stick at, so if you are a Liberty-lover, then now's your chance to snaffle a metre of something delicious! (Remember, if you win you can buy extra of your chosen fabric from Sewbox so you have enough to make a more fabric-hungry garment.) Not that anyone's asked me, but I'd go for the John Kaldor Cassandra crepe de chine in Aqua (pictured below).

How to Enter: Apologies to readers of this blog who are not participating this year in Me-Made-May challenge, this giveaway competition is only for MMMay'14 participants.

So, if you are a participant of MMMay'14 and fancy a new sewing pattern or 1 metre of beautiful fabric to indulge your love of making stuff, then visit the Sewbox.co.uk site and decide which item you'd like to be in the running for. Then leave a comment on this blog post saying if you would like to win prize option 1 or 2, PLUS a link to the item you'd like to receive PLUS a way for me to contact you if you are successful (i.e. if I can't find your email address within two clicks of my mouse, leave your email address in the body of the comment). Email addresses will not be used for anything other than contacting you if you win this giveaway.

Make sure you have commented by midnight GMT on Thursday 8th May 2014 to enter. Please choose one prize option only and please only enter the giveaway once. Multiple entries will be discounted, as will any entries that do not tell me which item you'd like to win (honestly, you'd be surprised by how many people will no longer be reading this far down the post...). And just to clarify, if you win your choice of item, there will be no cost to yourself, it will be posted to you for free.

The following day (Friday 9th May) I will use a random number generator to select one winner for a sewing pattern and one winner for 1 metre of fabric and contact them to get their postal addresses to forward on to Sewbox.co.uk so they can send out the prizes. All clear? Good!

Happy MMMay'14!!!

Me-Made-May'14: Your Pledges

Oh my goodness! The pledges for #MMMay14 really are rolling in thick and fast. Plus all of you are clearly thinking carefully about the specifics of your own pledges to make them do-able but still challenging. The carefully thought-out ones are bound to be the most useful and interesting I reckon.

With less than a week to go until 1st May, I'm sure there are still some people who wish to take part in this year's challenge but are yet to sign up. As much as I'd like to highlight all the pledges so far, I'll just pick a few which may inspire those who are still mulling over what to commit to during May.


One garment a day too much?:

If you think that pledging to wear one self-stitched garment a day would be too much of a stretch, how about a different number of garments per week? Krafty Kat aims to wear five me-mades each week during May. If it's nippy, maybe she'll wear her gorgeous recently finished Corrine cardigan (pictured below).

(image source: A Krafty Kat)

Drowning in UFO's?:

If you've run out of steam mid-project and you're sick of them laying around, then why not make part of your pledge to finish them up during May? Mikhaela from Polka Dot Overload aims to use this year's challenge to do just that after having found that many of her previous makes no longer fit or have gone missing. Check out her beautifully colourful array of UFO's pictured below. I can't wait to see some of them completed and her wearing them before 1st June. 

(image source: Polka Dot Overload)

Already wear heaps of self-stitched clothes?:

Repeat-participater Maria, AKA Velosewer from How Good Is That?, has been sewing for a long time and already regularly wears her fabulous creations. However, she has cleverly thought out a pledge that will be both challenging and illuminating for herself: Maria pledges to wear me-made clothes that she hasn't worn more than once since sewn! Seeing as it's a brand new creation, I wonder if her latest black and houndstooth dress (pictured below) will do a turn during May...

(image source: How good it that?)

Want to see if you're on the right track?:

If you've already been thinking a fair bit about what garments you make and why, Me-Made-May'14 could be a great opportunity to test those theories. For example, in addition to pledging to wear at least one handmade garment and one handmade accessory every day, Becky from Sew and So is also using this challenge to test out some of the conclusions she's come to while working through the Wardrobe Architect series hosted by Colette Patterns. Thankfully she's already figured out her A-MAZING new tea dress fits the bill!


Make things for other people?:

This challenge doesn't have to be all about you (but of course it can be!). If you regularly make things for your loved ones, you could take inspiration from Maider of Masustak Eguzkitan who has not only upped her ante this year to wearing five garments per week herself, but once a week a friend or member of her family will also wear something made by her. I did something similar for my pledge for Me-Made-May'12. I found the logistics for documentary photography were challenging (which I chose to do but of course you do not have to), but the extra layer of participation was so much fun it was totally worth it.


I could go on and on... Each and every pledge that has been submitted so far is an inspiration, because it means that someone is taking an active step to improve their relationship with their wardrobe and their love of making clothes.

Me-Made-May'14: My Pledge

It hopefully hasn't escaped your attention that Me-Made-May'14 is firmly on the horizon. If you wish to participate in the challenge this year but have yet to sign up, fear not, you have until 30th April to throw your metaphorical hat into the ring.

I've been thinking for a while about the specifics of my own challenge pledge this year. Even though I've been wearing almost exclusively me-mades for a few years now, I haven't had to think too hard about how to amp up my challenge, life has done that for me. I was pregnant during MMM'13, which meant that my altering shape kept me on my toes. The range of garments that fit me at the beginning of the month slowly dwindled towards the end of the month, and I had to make new items to keep me in sufficient clothing options as I got larger.

(I should have realised that the waist of these trousers had stretched when I wore them well into the 2nd trimester of my pregnancy!) 

This year my wardrobe needs are different still. At the moment I only wear clothes that are comfortable and quick to combine, as the time I have each morning to consider my appearance is very limited. I am also currently breast feeding my 6 month old daughter, so 'access' is very much an issue. But I am looking forward to MMMay'14 to giving me a push towards dressing in a way that makes me feel more 'me' again. Whoever 'me' is these days! So....

 'I, Zoe of 'So, Zo...' blog, sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May '14. I endeavour to wear only me-made clothing (excluding bras and knitwear) each day for the duration of May 2014'


In addition to the above, I intend to...

• Dress Dolores in something made by me as many days as possible (laundry permitting). I'm not pledging to do this daily as she has been given so many hand-me-downs recently that she currently has sufficient clothing. Plus, it would be a waste of sewing time and fabric to make a whole load of things for the sake of the challenge, when anything I make her would only fit her for a couple of months. 
• Wear every item of knitwear that I own at least once throughout the month. All my knitwear items are secondhand but wardrobe space is at a premium so if any aren't getting used I need to figure out if they need to be reworked, made in to baby wear or donated back to a charity shop. 
• Highlight any me-mades that need to be reworked (like my mustard trousers, pictured above, that have stretched out at the waist) or mended (like my school boy trousers, pictured below, that have a few holes appearing at the seams). 
• Take inspiration from the Big Spring Contest WINNER Miriam (!!!!!) and generally be mindful about using what I own. I read somewhere once that women tend to wear 20% of their clothes 80% of the time, and 80% of their clothes 20% of the time and I'd say that's about right! I'm not about to chuck out everything that hasn't been worn since the last MMM'13, but I would like to push my ratio of regularly worn clothes towards 50% of what I own. 

(Ah! The red door! That was three addresses ago now)

Perfect Pattern Parcel #2: Girl's Wear for a Good Cause

Have you heard of Perfect Pattern Parcels? Well I must admit that I hadn't until a couple of months ago, and it is a very cool thing indeed. The organisers put together a package of PDF sewing patterns along a theme which have been created by indie designers. You can then purchase the pattern parcel for a price of your choice for a limited time only, and then ALL the profits go to supporting a charity called Donors Choose which funds and supports educational projects in the US.

The current pattern parcel (#2) comprises of patterns for little girl's clothing (pictured above) and there's some real beauts in there. I chose to make the September dress/tunic pattern (the turquoise garment on the left), designed by Too Sweets Patterns. I wanted to make a simple, unfussy interpretation that clearly showed the bones of the design. However, I think this pattern would also make a very good canvas for all sorts of interpretations (applied pockets, bib or ruffle details, contrast yokes, omit the sleeve sections, braid or ribbon applied in various ways etc. etc.). It's also a pretty simple make, therefore a nice project for a beginner, or a pleasingly quick make if you are a fairly experienced seamster. Either way, it's a perfect project if you are making this as a fun gift or for your own little handful.

This pattern ranges in sizes from 12 months to 10/12 years. I made the size for 2 years and will be keeping it safe for the next year and a half for a certain little missy. I made it in some lovely, good quality striped shirting that's been lurking in my stash for a couple of years. I used the stripes in different directions as the only real design addition of my own. This was also a great project to give me the kick up the bum I needed to figure out how to make buttonholes on my new (to me) sewing machine. I used 6 greyish mother of pearl buttons as the fastening up the back.

I'd definitely recommend making this pattern, such a fast and fun project. Plus I'll be making some of the other patterns for sure. If you wish to see what the other styles look like made up, check out Shawnta Sew's version of the Hosh trousers and Hanami blouse, plus she helpfully links to a whole load of the other sewing bloggers who have been making their own versions of the various patterns.

I'm totally behind this project for a number of reasons. I love that it supports and promotes independent sewing pattern designers: that is allows them an interesting, imaginative and unusual platform for us sewers to discover and use their products. The charitable element is also fantastic and I wish the whole endeavour lots of success going forwards. Remember that there is a very limited window of opportunity to purchase these super cute patterns, so if you are interested, don't delay!

Big Spring Contest: Vote for Miriam!!!

So you remember the Big Spring Contest that I was a judge for? And you remember how Miriam was chosen to make her 'Everyday Awesome' entry using some gorgeous organic hand-block printed cotton? AND you remember how lovely and thought-provoking her thoughts on what 'Everyday Awesome' means to her were? Well, it's time to get voting people....

What you are seeing here is the result of Miriam's mad sewing skills, how she turned the delightful fabric into a stunningly cute dress to help make her day and everyone else's who sees her in it that bit more awesome. But aside from creating a beautiful, wearable garment (Check out the fit! Check out the pattern panel matching!), I feel that Miriam deserves to win the heap of prizes that are up for grabs because she has put real heart and spirit in to her entry (check out the blog post here for her full write up plus construction details):

"When I read Zoe’s theme – everyday awesome – I loved it. What better thought to carry around in your heart than: there are ways as creative people to make everyday awesome. We are given this day, others were not. Some people’s days are taken from them by death, by force, by poverty, by slavery, by chance. We are given this day. This is a day to celebrate. As a mama I have well known the pyjama filled days, those days of distaste at the stretch marks that have turned my tummy into something that resembles a deflating balloon. But I also know that getting up and dressing up for the day, choosing that favourite dress, those shoes that make you feel indestructible, those earrings given to you by someone who thinks you are wonderful – those days are better days. Sometimes by being everyday awesome and wearing something special instead of saving it for a ‘proper’ occasion, we make someone smile. 

And so I was so thrilled to be chosen to make a dress from Offset Warehouse’s collection. Because I believe creativity is important and I am excited to see people helping us to do that in better ways – ethically, sustainably, leaving a gentle footprint. I am trying to make choices that reflect my respect for this great human family and for this wonderful earth we are charged to steward. 

For the last 3 years I have journeyed through 10,000s of earthquakes in Christchurch, as the earth has destroyed grandma’s china, houses, sewer lines and lives it has also built communities that are knit together, it has made empty spaces that creative people have filled and it has taught us that what matters and what remains unshakeable are relationships. It has taught me that joy and love and shared laughter are my gifts to the world and I will give them with all the generosity and in every creative way I can think of. It has taught me that I can, and should, use and enjoy my special things everyday or I can save them, only to find they are destroyed anyway. The value is not in the things themselves, it is in the use and pleasure we derive from them. It has taught me to use, wear, enjoy, and share today. I’m not waiting for a special occasion. Today is awesome. Every day is awesome. I am not the youngest, oldest, wisest, strongest, prettiest, cleverest, slimmest woman in the world and so I owe it to myself, to other women, to my children and to others to declare (often with how I dress,) to say I’m not waiting for a special occasion, a better body, a better day. I am taking hold of today and I am declaring it to be awesome."

Amen to that! So PLEASE go to the Offset Warehouse's Facebook page and vote for Miriam (D) so she can win the lovely prizes I feel she so deserves. You know that she will treasure and use the prizes, and anything she doesn't I have no doubt she will not allow to sit around her home gathering dust, she'll pass them on so others can derive pleasure from them. Go on, please vote for Miriam!!!!!