MMMay'14 Vintage Pattern Giveaway with The Polished Button

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

The weekly #MMMay14 celebration giveaway continue.... Like last week's giveaway, this one is open to everyone, not just participants of the challenge.

So we are half way through MMMay'14 now, have you discovered some holes in your self-stitched wardrobe that could be filled with the help of a lovely vintage sewing pattern? Even if you're not taking part in the challenge this year, which pattern would help you make something special that perhaps you'd like to show off during MMMay'15? ;-)

The Prize:

Your choice of vintage sewing pattern from the amazing inventory at The Polished Button. What's not to like about that?!

How to Enter:

Go to the Patterns section of The Polished Button's website and find a pattern you'd like to own. Leave a comment on this post including the link to the pattern you've chosen, why you've chosen it (because I'm nosey!) plus your email address if I can't find it within a couple of mouse clicks. Email addresses will only be used to contact you if you are the lucky winner of this giveaway. Leave your comment before midnight GMT on Thursday 22nd May. The following day I'll pick a winner by random number generator and contact the lucky individual who will receive their pattern completely free of charge.

Me-Made-May'14: Days 8 - 13

So we're half way through MMMay'14 now. If you're taking part, how's your challenge going? Are you finding illuminating? Surprising? Too easy? A struggle? If you are finding that your personal challenge is the latter (actually even if you're not), you should check out this awesome, thoughtful and timely post by Jen of Jennifer Lauren Vintage on how to make the most of your handmade wardrobe.

In the meantime, here's some more pics of me with no makeup, just what you've been waiting for...

Day 8:

Me-mades:

Breton top

School Boy trousers

Vest and undies

Captain jacket when I went out

Second hand cardi, as per my pledge 

Dolores wears: mum-made dribble bib

Day 9:

Me-mades:

Breton top

Skirtain

Vest and undies

Captain jacket when I went out

Second hand cardi, as per my pledge 

Dolores wears: mum-made leopard print trousers

Day 10:

Me-mades:

Ceylon dress

Vest and undies

Captain jacket when I went out

Second hand cardi, as per my pledge 

Dolores wears: mum-made dribble bib

Day 11, hanging with the legend that is Miss Demeanour:

Me-mades:

Leopard print batwing top

School Boy trousers

Vest and undies

Captain jacket (not in shot)

Day 12:

Me-mades:

Mariner T-shirt

School Boy trousers

Vest and undies

Captain jacket when I went out

Second hand cardi, as per my pledge 

Day 13:

Me-mades:

Breton top

Nautical palazzo pants

Vest and undies

Captain jacket (not in shot)

Second hand cardi, as per my pledge 

Dolores wears: mum-made dribble bib

Leopard Print Baby Trousers

I'm not going to write a blog post every time I make Dolores a pair of trousers or leggings, but I thought that these turned out pretty special so I wanted to share them. Behold the awesomeness!!!

I used the same reworked pattern that produced these trousers and some leopard print jersey that had been 'a lingering too long in the old stash. The blue leopard print was actually left overs from a skirt I made myself in my first year of university back in 1999! 

Two of the four pairs are actually for Dolores's friend Ezrah. You can see them hanging out together in the picture above, Ez rocking his trews. Ezrah's mum and dad were very kind in letting Pat, Dolores and myself stay over night at theirs, and it was generally agreed that limited-edition leopard baby trousers make a better gift for your host than a bunch of flowers or box of chocs!

MMMay'14 Sewing Pattern Giveaway with Indie Stitches

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

I am very excited to announce the second weekly giveaway celebrating Me-Made-May'14! This week's giveaway is open to everyone, not just #MMMay'14 participants, and you can win a sewing pattern of your choice from Indie Stitches. The giveaway is hosted here on Jen's blog so head over there for full details.

Oh and I know you were just about to ask me, 'Zoe, what independent sewing pattern company's pattern would you choose, if you were allowed to enter?'. On a self-less tip, I'd go for the Jedediah Pants by Thread Theory to make for Mr So, Zo (AKA Pat). He's recently got into creating himself a new look and has even set himself up a Pinterest board to help him harvest ideas (!), and I think this pattern would fit the bill.

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!!!