Me-Made Clear Out: Round Two

This post is the second part of my cathartic clear out of much-and-not-so-much-loved me-made garments. I really appreciate the supportive comments that the first instalment received. I know that it's not the most fascinating topic for not only one but TWO blog posts, and I am grateful to everyone for letting me get this out of my system!

A couple of commenters asked me about what I did with dead garments. I took them to a TRAID (my former employers) textiles bank. I roughly explained the process of what happens to items that are donated into the banks in this blog post (with pictures!). But in short, if textile items aren't appropriate for resale in their current state (and I'd been hella surprised if mine are considered as such!), they are sorted into ENORMOUS piles that get sold on to a recycling processing plant. This recoiling plant will then shred up the old textiles to create fibres that will be used in a variety of purposes, from creating polar fleece to stuffing sofas. And the charity then makes a bit of cash even, if the garment can't directly be sold in their shops. This is why I always bag up my left over scraps from sewing projects and chuck those into textiles recycling banks rather than the bin because I know it'll do more good going in there than heading to the landfill.

So, on with the cull....

It really pains me to part with this ruffle front jumper. It absolutely saved my life during the first ever Me-Made-March, which I undertook as a solo effort before thinking perhaps others might like to join me and give it a go (hence the birth of the Me-Made-May and Self-Stitched-September challenges). Why oh why can you wash a garment a squillion times, then one time you wash it again on exactly the same setting you always use and it shrinks beyond wearability?! Riddle me THAT!

This was the Port Elizabeth T-shirt pattern that was available for free via Burdastyle a couple of years ago (though kindly designed and uploaded by a member, not Burdastyle itself I am quick to add), but good luck finding free stuff on that site anymore! I made it because I was intrigued by the silhouette, wondering if it would suit me. Plus it looked like a super-quick project to make (it was) and I was just about to start a new job that required black clothing of which I had none. Turns out it suited neither my sense of style nor my body shape, although I still have a fondness for it!

How I loved these cheeky Ruby shorts! I spent my 30th birthday party in them and many other happy times. I would never have approached making or wearing such revealing clothing before living in Barcelona. But I guess a combination of suddenly living somewhere where everybody is showing far more flesh for a big part of the year than I was previously used to, plus it being just way too hot for wearing my usual jeans, I had to get used to exposing my own limbs!

Ah, the school boy trousers. These are still as comfortable as pyjama bottoms, but I've come to realise they aren't particularly flattering (saggy bum by the end of the day!) and not really the kind of silhouette I want to wear these days, although a 20 year old me would have lived and died in them. Does anyone else have an attachment to a garment because they know a younger version of themselves would have adored it?! Anyways, I also got some bloody latex glue split on them at my part-time hat-making job, which really hammered the final nail in the coffin. That said, I'm still going to wear them to that job, seeing as any newly made nicer trousers would be at risk of the same fate. 

I love this use of two unwanted mens shirts to create this cute blouse, however mine was always a good size too big for me. I'd rather make another than try and fanny around with this one trying to achieve a better fit. 

Oh my poor darling Ship Shape blouse! I virtually lived in this when I lived in Spain. It was made from the softest navy cotton sateen, and was a joy to wear as well as neatly reflecting my personal style whilst simultaneously being work-appropriate when I went to the posher of my English-teaching clients at that time. So many trips round the washing machine meant the detail on the buttons wore clean away and the collar had started to fray, along with other terminal signs of over-use. 

What can I say? My machining machine hates me.

Ok, I had to finally admit I made this refashioned sweatshirt top too short. This has found a new loving home with my friend Kirstin though, so this one has a happy ending.

I must admit I had very low expectations of the lifespan of this stripey T-shirt. When Breton and stripey jersey tops came into Vogue again a few years ago, I fell in love and yearned for my own. However, the selection available in the fabric stores I frequented in Barcelona was pretty limited at that time. This jersey was some of that fairly nasty, papery feeling stuff that gets super stiff when it dries after washing. The weave was also really wonky, so cutting out the pieces was a real challenge, and trying to get properly horizontal stripes resulted in twisty annoying sleeve seams. I really expected this top to last perhaps twenty wears, however several years of near constant wear and washing and it's only just given up the ghost. RIP, stripey T-shirt. I have already made a kind of replacement, and there will be more stripey jersey tops made this year, of that I am sure.

Thanks for your indulgence, dear readers!