A couple of recent emails have lead me to the conclusion that I should reiterate my plans for the Me-Made/Self-Stitched challenges for this year. I announced at the end of Self-Stitched-September 2011 that I planned to only organise one of the challanges during 2012, and that is still firmly my intention. In short: there is no Me-Made-March 2012 this year, stand down troops!!!
The next Me-Made challenge that I will be organising will be Me-Made-May 2012. This is for several reasons. On a personal level, unlike the previous two years, I feel I have too much on my plate this year to commit myself fully to organising more than one. If you're going to do something, you may as well do it properly and a challenge organised by a harried, sleepless seamstress may not be the fully positive experience it is meant to be.
More broadly, I also feel that having just one month-long Me-Made/Self-Stitched challenge in a year will be to the benefit of the challenge itself. It will be more special and I think it will therefore be more fun to be part of. Lots of people in the past have left comments and emails to the effect of 'I'll take part next time', or 'I'll see how much I have to wear for the next one'. That makes it sound a little like a regular bus service that you might get round to using someday! Lots of regular MM/SS challenges could become blog-land background noise, if they haven't already. Not that that really matters. But I think it'll be more exciting for those of us who are interested in taking part if it is more of an event, plus less annoying for those who take no interest in the challenges (whoever the hell they are!!) if they only have to screen their blogroll for one month only! So, early to mid April, expect me to be whipping up another global challenge, complete with pledge, logo, blog-widget/button, flickr group and whatever else gets dreamt up to celebrate 2012's crop of awesome, intrepid challenge participants pushing the boundaries of handmade wardrobes with a sense of daring rarely witnessed outside of the Antartic.
But if you were looking forward to a March of challenge-y goodness, fear not. Tilly (pictured above in her stunning new skirt) has conjured up a wonderful new group challenge, the One week, One pattern project. Full details are pending, but the thread (pun intended) of the idea is that sewers with a serious pattern crush can celebrate it by wearing the fruits of that pattern each day for a single week. Unless I have mis-interpreted it, this project sounds as much of a styling challenge as a sewing one, which is totally brilliant because I think normal, busy women would often like a reason to figure out some new, more interesting clothing combinations than the tried-and-tested ones we all tend to reach for each morning. Dates and details are to be set, but March has been the month floated for this exciting project.
The other pictures above are the three skirts I have made myself from one of my major pattern-crushes, Simplicity 2451 (pictured above). This is currently my strongest contender when I take part in the One week, One pattern challenge. What pattern do you think you would/will choose?
19 comments:
I love you, Zoe! I can't believe how you've turned such an unprepossessing pattern into such inspiring makes. May is going to be an extremely busy month for me, but now you have my brain ticking over. You very naughty girl!
I am so happy you are doing one in May. It's a perfect time of year. I have been working on my clothing for the last month for Me-Made May, last year I signed up for June and I didn't have enough clothing, so I was making stuff on the fly. Thanks for doing this Zoe.
The community has so much fun doing this.
I think May sounds great :) - just enough time for me to whip up enough tops to last me a month of wearing (I reckon I should be able to commit to wearing 1-me-made-top per day).
I'll all sorts of excited. I love these challenges.
I love simplicity 3451 to bits. But it may be nice to give another pattern some love.
Spring is appearing to be full of fun challenges here and elsewhere. One month of me made is enough for me, as long as we all have other ways to connect (and we do!). I think you have done a marvelous job!!
Yeah, May!
Claudine (couturearts.wordpress.com)
I've seen heaps of people make up that skirt but I only bought the pattern after seeing your blue and white floral version. There's way too much cool stuff out there for me to make any pattern more than once (at the mo anyway) but if I did do repeats I'd probably do another one of these .
Also, OpenID is a being a bit useless so you might want to install Disqus or something similar so your non-blogger fans can leave comments...
Clever! I LOVE LOVE LOVE that rose fabric so much, and it is such an inspired combo making it into a skirt. :)
Sounds like an excellent plan and makes it an event to truly look forward to and cherish! I'm going to do my best to get involved this year! Also, I love your skirts...can't wait to see how you style them during Tilly's challenge!
I better start planning for May then - my first Me-Made challenge. I like the idea of the One Week, One Pattern challenge as I have two skirts already in a pattern I designed myself that I love (although I'll need to take one in as I've lost some weight since I made it).
So looking forward to Me Made May! I participated in MMJ last year and got a lot out of it. I understand your decision to only do it once a year too, definitely makes it more of an 'event' and gives us all time to make more stuff - plus less organising required too. Thanks for initiating the Me Made Months - such a great idea.
May is a perfect choice! Looking forward to it! I love your versions of 2451. That's a go-to pattern of mine too. I've made 3 already so that would definitely be my pattern of choice for Tilly's challenge.
Aha, so this is the explanation for the sudden spurt of comments hitting my inbox. Thanks for spreading the word, my dear!
These skirts are beauuuuuutiful. Really looking forward to seeing you style them during OWOP xxx
Me Made May sounds great - hope you were not feeling/being pressured into doing more. I am planning on one-pattern / one week too... just have to get sewing now! As I want something new not just what I aready have!
definitely up for taking pat in Me Made May. Better crack on with sewing. I'm currently working on the same skirt featured in your post.
I'm so jazzed for Me-Made May!! Yippee! Making it a yearly event will def ramp up the anticipation factor. And be good for your sanity :)
Hi Zoe! I love the skirts! I have an idea based on your Me Made May Challenge that I think would be fun. I cant find youe email tab so could you please e mail me at justine@sewcountrychick.com so we can chat? Thanks!
I was so relieved to read this. I love the me-made challenges, and I love taking part, but it really is too much photo taking for me to do multiple times a year :) I am glad you chose May - hopefully the weather will allow for pretty summer dresses.
I've been waiting so long to hear if you were doing another MMM! I finally have enough wearable me-made garments to participate, as long as it is during a somewhat warm month. I'm so very excited!!!
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