A sewing blog about building a functional, cohesive handmade wardrobe, one garment at a time.

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

Me-Made-May - first half

Me Made May is halfway over, and I'm rounding up my outfits the last fifteen days.  My goal this year, like last year, was to wear handmade every day and to avoid repeating full outfits.  Wearing handmade every day isn't a challenge for me anymore, as most of my clothes are made by me.  But I do tend to wear the same dozen pieces over and over again, so forcing myself to come up with new combinations is definitely an exercise.


I decided to just take crummy bathroom mirror selfies this year.  That way I'd be sure to get a photo in.  While not necessary for the challenge, having all of these photos is helpful to me to see what I like, what works, and what doesn't.  I also just enjoy the fun collage.  While the picture quality is abysmal, I've linked all the blogged items below so you can click over if you want to see more.


Top row, left to right:
Day 1: Rayon jersey Pony Tank and denim Alberta Street Pencil Skirt.
Day 2: Striped v-neck Renfrew t-shirt and denim Tillery Skirt.
Day 3: Modified tank Josephine top and linen/rayon Simplicity 1887 skirt.
Day 4: Rayon jersey Fjara Tank and linen McCall's 7364 pants.
Day 5: Went fabric shopping: Modified Simplicity 1377 top, bamboo jersey Lisbon Cardigan and Ginger jeans, modified to have ankle zippers after I blogged about them.

Middle row:
Day 6: Church: Linen Portfolio Dress.
Day 7: Linen Bonn Shirt and rayon challis Calyer Pants.
Day 8: V-neck Renfrew t-shirt and a ponte knit pencil skirt.
Day 9: Modified Simplicity 1377 top and linen/rayon Simplicity 1887 skirt.
Day 10: Field trip in the city: My Kaffe Fassett modified Josephine top, green Lisbon Cardigan again and my first Ginger jeans.

Bottom row:
Day 11: Twofer since I had to work in the morning.  I wore an unblogged Kirsten Kimono tee and my houndstooth Alberta Street Pencil Skirt.  Then I changed into my black Pony Tank and my Chi-Town Chinos when we took off for a short overnight camping trip.
Day 12: Camping: I wore another modified Kirsten Kimono tee (I have quite a few of these) and my linen McCall's 7364 pants again.
Day 13: Church: my blue checked Bonn shirt and my corduroy Tillery skirt.
Day 14: I wore - surprise - a Kirsten Kimono tee that I never blogged and brand-new Ginger jeans that I hadn't even finished yet (I like to wear my jeans for a day or two before finishing the seams so that I can take them in as the fabric bags out).
Day 15: Another modified Simplicity 1377 top and a repeat appearance of my Calyer Pants.

So in the first half of May, that's 33 (+?) items worn with only three repeats - my green Lisbon cardigan, my linen pants and my Calyer Pants.  There will be a lot more repeats in the second half of the month, particularly in terms of my bottoms, since I've worn most of them already.  I think I can make it without repeating any full outfits, though.

My observations so far: I would like more pants.  Specifically, another pair of linen pants, another pair of  Chi-Town Chinos (in the same color, since these don't fit that well and they bag out to the point of falling off), and another pair of elastic-hem Calyer Pants.  I have also long been planning ivory and chambray button-up shirts, and those would definitely fit well into my wardrobe.  I'm hoping to sew one of them up this month in addition to a pair of black Ginger jeans.  I also want more cardigans in fun colors.

I like most of my clothes, but I did not enjoy wearing the black and white Simplicity 1377 on day 9 - it's very baggy.  I think if I take in the sides a bit I will be happy with it again, but I French-seamed them so I've been putting it off.  The Kirsten Kimono tees I made the last couple of years are a bit tight on me now (ugh).  I should probably make a few more.  Or lose some weight.  But more likely the sewing.

That's all I have for now.  Thanks for reading, and see you next time!

2 comments:

  1. I actually loved your day 9 outfit--that skirt is beautiful and I thought the top looked great. I also liked the Day 14 outfit (plaid shirt with button down burgundy skirt) and day 2 with the nautical-esque outfit.

    I've done a terrible job of photographs this year--I basically just decided not to take them because my schedule has been so tough and also, I feel puffy and bloated and can't stand to document it right now. :/ I do like the clarity that comes from the photographs, though. Perhaps I do photos in June instead. :)

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  2. This is a great recap! This May has had warmer weather than usual at the start of the month so I’ve gotten to wear shorts, skirts, and dresses more than usual. I know I also need more pants but my gap is dressier pants that I can wear to church. I pretty much exclusively wear skirts/dresses to church at this point but often my legs are freezing because I am so sick of wearing tights at this point in the year. I love your Calyer pants and might give that pattern a try eventually!

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Hi! I am so happy you came by. Thanks for your comment!