Wednesday 5 June 2013

MMM13 Week Five, and in conclusion therefore...

As I mentioned previously, we were away in Kendal for the weekend, and then I was away with work (with no photographer) from Monday to Wednesday. So in this, the final week, you get a suddenly diverse array of backdrops, poses and selfies!

Saturday 25th May

Eyes closed, because this is the only one P took! In full on Mummy mode, carrying a changing bag and a half drunk carton of smoothie.
Blouse: NEW variation of New Look 6351, in blue and white striped linen. Not yet blogged because I only finished it 2 nights previously.
Rest of outfit: RTW
Happy with outfit: 5/5 I really like this new blouse and it was sunny and the first time this year I've worn sandals!
The picture was taken next to Kendal Castle, where we'd gone to see lots of kites like these:
Yes, that is a giant lizard shaped kite. Check out the scuba man, which you can just make out  - it's the lowest one down and is blue. 

Sunday 26th May
Polka dot Violet blouse
Rest of outfit RTW and yes it's the same cardigan as yesterday!
Happy with outfit: 5/5 I think I've mentioned that this was the outfit I lived in last summer. Looks in good stead for another summer ahead!
Backdrop today is the Lake District Visitor Centre, where we spent a good hour throwing stones in the water!

Monday 27th May
Forgot to get P to take a nice photo before he headed off, so you get a bedraggled, tired, caught in the rain 4 times today selfie instead.
Liberty Laurel blouse
Rest of outfit: RTW
Happy with outfit: 3/5 I wasn't feeling it for this outfit today. Think it might have just been the weather (rain!) and the fact I knew I wasn't going to see Small Boy or P for 3 days. I got room service and was antisocial and ate chocolate. It made me feel better.
Backdrop: Room 616 and a wet coat hanging up to dry - oh, and a bin! :)

Tuesday 28th May
2 outfits today!
Day
Polka dot Kelly skirt
Rest of outfit RTW
Happy with outfit? 5/5 This skirt really does look great with everything! One minor flaw in that I forgot to take my half slip with me, so I had clingy skirt syndrome all day.

Night - dinner with my fellow delegates
Spring Mathilde
RTW jeans
Happy with outfit: 5/5. The complements just keep rolling in for this blouse. I practically had a girl trying to take it off my back (and then later trying to persuade me to make her one!). This photo solicited my first "dodgy" comment on Flickr!

Wednesday 29th May
The Bird dress (simplicity 2360)
Happy with outfit: 5/5 Love this dress with these orange/coral accessories. I did have clingy skirt syndrome again though!

Thursday 30th May
Sorbetto blouse
Rest of outfit RTW
Happy with outfit: 3/5 I worked from home today, and was craving one of my comfy jersey RTW breton tops with these jeans. Instead Small Boy chose this blouse for me. It was OK but nothing to write home about (ironic since I am doing just that!).

Friday 31st May

Blouse: New Look 6351
Rest of outftit: RTW
Happy with outfit: 4/5. I was SO over Me Made May by this point. This was the only day I actually considered not doing it. I really, really, really wanted to just wear jeans and a t-shirt. This seemed like a good compromise. I failed with my final Me Made outfit, as I had nothing appropriate to wear for the day (we were at an offsite meeting which was super casual), but I'm not too bothered by that as it was part of my pledge anyway.

And so to my overall Me Made May 13 summary (in conclusion, therefore...)
I really enjoyed MMM13, despite my frustration in the last week. It was an interesting, challenging and inspirational month, but boy, am I glad it's over! Lessons learnt:

1. Most of the items I sew, I wear to work. I really haven't focussed on making any "casual" items. I use the quotation marks here, because I realise my work wardrobe is relatively casual anyway, and that most of my work items work easily in my weekend wardrobe, but if I've been wearing them all week at work, I don't want to wear them at the weekend too! However it has made me realise it wouldn't hurt to have a few more blouses to wear with jeans at the weekend.

2. I started the month, mentally listing all the gaps in my wardrobe as things that I "need" to sew. Half way through the month, I realised I don't "need" to sew anything. I got caught up in other peoples' objectives and pledges and lost sight of my own. I am quite comfortable with buying RTW clothes and will continue to do so. I won't buy something I can easily make, unless there is a really good reason for it, but to buy tees, jeans, trousers, jackets etc is OK. I will continue to push myself and will encourage myself to learn to make these items (jackets and trousers anyway, still not too sure about jeans), so as to expand my skills and develop as a sewer. I will also aim to ensure the items I buy are of quality and known ethical means, or are second hand, but then I'm not a huge Primark shopper anyway. But I am not going to get hung up about it.

3. Panic sewing is stressful! Even the thought of it stresses me out. I pretty much thought about nothing else all May: what would I make next, what were other people making, what fabric, what pattern, when would I find the time to fit it all in!!!!!!!. This was fun for a bit, but since finishing my most recent New Look 6315 variation, which I will blog eventually, I haven't made anything. Mostly this has been because of time, but actually it's probably been good to have the break. Sewing can become a bit all encompassing for me, if I let it. I now need to chill out a bit and be a bit more selective with my projects.

4. Refashioning doesn't really work for me. I bought a couple of charity shop items at the start of the month, with some refashioning plans in mind. They are still both half finished. Not sure if it's lack of vision, the fact that they haven't really turned out as planned, or whether I just prefer sewing from scratch, but I really don't find them to be the quick and easy instant gratification projects that experts like Miss P seem to experience.

5. While the daily photograph documentation was hell, the Flickr group support was amazing and slightly addictive! How nice to have such lovely comments on your outfits most days. My highlight was comments and favourites from Megan Nielsen herself!!!! There are so many lovely, friendly, encouraging and supportive people out there, it reminded me how lucky I am to be part of it. My only regret was that I didn't have the time to look at as many of the photos as I would have liked.

And that's it! Good experience over all, and I would definitely like to do it again next year. Glad the daily photographs are over though! :)

I am now on holiday (woo-hoo!). We leave tomorrow lunchtime to drive down to Suffolk, for a week with my family (mum and dad, brother, sister and her family). I don't expect to blog while I'm away, as I'm not sure what the wifi facilities will be like. And even if I do, it will only be gloating photos of us eating ice creams on the beach, and drinking beer on the green!

We'll be back in a week or so. See you then!

H x
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6 comments

  1. I'm so impressed you did it, and that you've decided that other peoples aims are not your own re RTW. I've also bought something from the charity shop with the aim to refashion it and it just hasn't happened! I think I like the total freedom of starting from scratch too. I've really enjoyed looking through your MMM posts :) fingers crossed I have enough clothes to have a go next year. Have a wonderful holiday! After MMM you deserve it :)

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  2. Have a wonderful, well deserved holiday! Your MMM has definitely been a success!

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  3. Well done for completing MMM and have a great holiday!

    Alison
    x

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  4. well done! i gave you a liebster award if you haven't had it already. check my blog for details!
    http://somanypatternssewlittletime.blogspot.co.uk/

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  5. I love your bird dress! Where did you find the fabric - it's beautiful & despite the clingy tight situation, maybe it will be perfect for summer with bare legs?

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  6. Thanks everyone, for your comments. I did enjoy MMM, but I am so glad to be unrestricted once again in what I can wear!

    Florence, I bought the bird fabric locally, in The Cloth Shop in Edinburgh. A previous commenter on another post mentioned they had it in black, so it is obviously more widely available, but I did buy it last year. And yes, without tights it's a great summer dress!

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