Me-Made-March '11: Days 7, 8 & 9

Ok, there's no time to lose! There's a lot to get through today. Day 7:

• me-made denim sailor trousers
• me-made Saint Cardigan
• me-made black 1/2 sleeve T-shirt
• me -made vest and pants
• me-made coat and bag

No, I didn't make the lovely neck scarf, it was lovingly hand-crafted by the wonderful Jessica. Go and check her blog out, say hi from me! I might change the specifics of my challenge to be 'all me-made clothing, refashioned knitwear and items hand made by other MMMar '11 particpants!' I can't tell you how much I love this neck scarf. When I wear it with my Navy wool coat and knitted beret, I look like a member of the French Resistance!

Day 8:

• me-made dark grey wool dress (some pattern from an old Burda magazine that I no longer have)
• me-made black 1/2 sleeve T-shirt
• refashioned cardigan
• me-made vest and pants
• me-made coat and bag

If it was a normal day (i.e. not a day when I would photograph my outfit and put it up on the internets), I would probably have slung on the same outfit as yesterday. I have you witnesses to thank for making me dress with a little more variety! I haven't worn this particular garment combo before, but the layering meant I was toasty-warm all day, even with half my arms exposed!

Day 9:

• me-made ruffle front jumper
• me-made denim sailor trousers
• me-made vest and pants
• me-made coat and bag

Not much to tell you about this outfit (other than I just split vegetable chilli all down the front of the ruffles), both main components are tried and trusted friends on which I can rely. So, instead I would like to take the opportunity to thank the incredibly talented and ultra sweet Cecili from Sewing and so on for giving me a Stylish Blogger Award. The fact that it came from one of the very most stylish ladies I've e-met (the term I now use for describing internet friends and acquaintances) makes me even more grateful! One of the 'rules' attached to accepting this award means I must now tell you seven facts about myself. I loved reading Cecili's answers, as it gave us a chance to know this very interesting lady a little better. If you do not wish to know more about me, look away now! If you are, here are seven sewing-specific facts about me (I found trying to come up with seven general facts a bit daunting, where to start?!):

1. I sew from 9am -5pm every week day for my job, plus I usually work on my own sewing projects during my lunch break and sometimes in the evenings and at weekends.
2. At work, the flat lock sewing machine I use is on the work bench so I sew standing up! This freaked me out at first, and I used to kind of perch on the edge of a high stall, but I've got used to it now.
3. My domestic sewing machine I have a home was given to me about ten years ago. It was sitting unused in the garage of an old lady that my dad gardens for. He asked her if I could have it (I was studying fashion at the time) and it's been with me ever since, having survived moving house a million times during my twenties, plus being shipped to Spain and back.
4. I bought my overlocker (serger) secondhand for about £40. I totally abuse it: never oil it, never get it serviced, never clear the dust out, never even change the needles between thick and thin fabric, yet it's way better behaved and reliable than the industrial overlocker I use at work (touch wood!).
5. My current sewing projects I'm working on are some shoulder bags made from African wax fabric to sell at Craftaganza and a squillion metres of bunting to decorate the aforementioned crafting event.
6. At work, I probably make on average 4 garments a day, starting with a pile of fabric and a pattern to finished garments with labels ready to be collected to be taken to the shop. If using jersey, knit or sweat, I usually average more, but I don't tend to use that much these days. I've learnt quite a few shortcuts and tricks to be able achieve this level of output, sometimes I don't like being forced to make these shortcuts, but sometimes it really does make me question why I've been going the long way round for so long! I've kind of found myself in a niche these days of making the woven garments for our clothing line, which I'm fine with me, except putting in six zips in a row sometimes pushes the limits of my patience!
7. I started making little fabric handbags which I sold through local shops when I was in my third year of my fashion degree. It was a nice break from my university projects to focus on something else, something that was more immediate. Making that first sale (to someone I didn't know) was the biggest rush I've ever experienced!