It has now become a tradition to reflect on my Me-Made-May adventures a week late, right when I have recovered from the exhaustion of choosing outfits from a relatively small selection of clothing. 😉
Last year I pledged to wear me-mades head-to-toe, and I managed to do it for 27 days out of the 31 with no repeats. This year my pledge was to wear me-mades from head-to-to every day, including bras, and to do something sewing related daily (kind of failed at this, but I did sew a lot in May).
During the first few days I was feeling a bit lost and uninspired, but as soon as I took the burden of photographing outfits daily off my shoulders (by taking all the photos over the weekends), I ended up totally loving it, just like in previous years.
This year I was sharing my outfits daily on Instagram, which made Me-Made-May so much more fun, since not only did I get a massive amount of positive feedback, I also was really inspired by all the fantastic sewists I discovered, as well as by those I have already been following.
Having lovely sewing friends/bloggers who read this blog and who always found the time to say something encouraging also helped make this month extra special for me. So I would like to say a big THANK YOU, because sewing is a lot of fun on it’s own, but being part of this community is what it makes it way more than a hobby to me.
So without further ado, here is here is a look at what I wore and how my me-made wardrobe changed in a year.
I wore 31 me-made garments during the month, and while I missed posting daily outfit photos on Instagram a few times, I did manage to keep up with the challenge every single day of May. In total I wore:
- 8 dresses;
- 3 skirts;
- 4 trousers;
- 9 tops;
- 5 pieces of lingerie and swimwear;
- and 2 jackets.
Dresses
In 2016: I concluded that I needed casual & comfortable dresses that I can wear in all (London) weather conditions.
Since 2016: I have made 7 new dresses and wore all of them except for the Vogue dress. I am really happy with how comfortable they are, but most of them are not exactly suitable for work due to the tiny spaghetti straps or the lack of coverage at the back. I do make them work anyway. 😉
I need: Nothing really, but a Little Black Dress is due to be made for the #makenine challenge, so if I find inspiration, then it’s going to happen. I am also turning 30 in July, so I feel like I should make something special like the Birthday Dress, to get more excited about the otherwise rather small celebration.
Skirts
In 2016 I wrote: “I really enjoyed wearing the lime green A-line skirt this year, and I would like to make a few similar ones of lighter materials for summer.”
Since 2016: I have made two wool skirts that are perfect for work.
I need: Again, I don’t need anything else, but I would love to have a light, button-down midi skirt in a solid colour for the summer, and an A-line denim skirt, maybe with some embroidery.
Trousers
In 2016 I wrote: “ I need more trousers!!! I am taking a pattern cutting course at Morley College again, now learning about the trousers block, so hopefully I will be able to improve on this soon. ”
Since 2016: The pattern cutting class definitely made me more confident in making trousers, and so two new pairs were born. The Delpozo inspired bright blue one felt like a failure at first, as it turned out very tight and I thought it was too fancy for everyday wear. Me-Made-May however, made me see how versatile it really is, and I love that it’s impossible to feel underdressed wearing them.
The other pair I made, the navy culottes, was love at first sight. It’s practical, comfy and seems to go with absolutely everything. 😀
I need: Finally I don’t feel desperate for new trousers. I would love to tackle sewing jeans, but I am not a huge fan anyway, so this project can wait.
Tops
In 2016: “I need more tops! I probably need to go back to the Wardrobe Architect project and finish it before I start making things that don’t work with the rest of the wardrobe. I have a few ideas already though, and after the trials and tribulations of making my second shirt, I think I enjoyed the process just as much as I enjoy wearing it, so I’m up for making more!”
Since 2016: I made two super simple tops that quickly became favourites. Since finishing the challenge, I also finished a white linen shirt, which I suspect will also be a staple.
I need: I bought some fabric with making tops in mind (meaning= I didn’t want to spend much money, so I only bought half a meter each 🙂 ), I just haven’t figured out what kinds of tops they should be…
Lingerie
For the first time this year, I was also wearing me-made bras and swimwear too. When I started making bras I didn’t think I’ll ever stop making them, but somehow I managed to end the obsession after bra number 2. Even though we made a pair of knickers during my lingerie making course at Morley, and I found it way easier than I remembered, I am still not confident enough to give that a go.
I need: To finish the toile for the self drafted bra that I’ve started a long time ago. Other than that, I think I am okay in this department.
Whew! That’s a wrap. 🙂
The Secret Costumier 