My first Me Made May – a brief recap

I know there are mixed feelings out there about Me Made May, but I was kind of excited to participate in it for the first time this year, because this is the first year I’ve felt like I actually have enough self made garments to make it plausible.

That said, I knew I wasn’t going to be able to do daily photos, but since the point of MMM is not necessarily to share your daily outfits, but to challenge yourself and learn something, I did want to find a way to make it worthwhile. So I decided to keep a journal, noting what I wore, and what (if any) lessons I learned along the way.

The lessons I learned were interesting. Early on I realized I wasn’t going to be able to put together an interesting variety of cute outfits like many bloggers do. I simply don’t make certain aspects of my wardrobe. Like t-shirts. I wear them all the time, with everything, but I don’t make them. Why? It begged the question: is having self-made items the important part for me?

The honest answer is that I didn’t get into sewing because making is the important part. I got into sewing because first and foremost, I was tired of never being able to feel good in my clothes. I could never find anything that fit me properly, in fabrics and styles that felt like me. I also make for the joy of learning, and I’ve found myself being stuck in a bit of a planning rut at times, following a list I made instead of making what feels right. I’ve begun to change that, and follow my instincts instead, which is working out quite well 🙂

Ultimately, knowing it’s handmade is a bonus for me, not the main goal, so if areas of my wardrobe are not covered, it’s not a big deal (ie: tees, workout wear, lounge wear, bras & undies). That said, with thought and attention, I’m beginning to notice where these “missing” areas could use improvement, i.e.: the length in my pj pants (which, like trousers, in RTW, are always at least 3″ too short LOL)

I had pledged to wear at least one self made item per day. Except for two days in the beginning, I was able to achieve this. That said, there were a LOT of repeats. I mean, a LOT. As in, if it wasn’t for those PJ’s I made, I would have only made it about half the time. The rest of the time saw me choosing comfortable, easy basics and separates most of the time. Other than my PJ’s I wore my Alexandria trousers to death (I even inspired a woman at the fabric store to make a similar pair!! LOL)

Inspired for my obvious need for easy-to-wear basics, I also managed to sew a couple new things while I was over-wearing my favourites LOL. I made a pair of black linen trousers (unblogged), a white acetate cami (self drafted, shown below) and another Mission Maxi from some delicious bamboo knit (my beloved black one needs a break after being over-worn every summer for the past three years LOL.)

Mission Maxi in stripy bamboo jersey

stripe matching (almost) win! Not so easy in jersey 😛

self-drafted cami in white acetate

getting better at the narrow hem!

So I feel like it was worth my while to participate in Me Made May. It challenged me to put some extra thought into why I make things, and what I should focus my attention (and precious time) on, going forward. I have also learned to let go of my very rigid and structured way of planning things, and allow myself to make what I FEEL like making, because ultimately, those are the things I enjoy both making AND wearing… and really, in the end, if it’s not enjoyable, what’s the point? 🙂