Me Made May - Final days and round up!

May = quickest month ever!

Can you believe that's Me Made May over already? And we are nearly halfway through the year?

So, let's start with a quick round up of the final days of MMM.

Day 28 - Named Alexandria Peg Trousers
This is the second time I've worn these and although I'm still feeling ambivalent towards them, I did enjoy wearing them. They are comfy to wear, although I do feel like I have slightly restricted movement in them. My calves are fairly chunky (in relation to the rest of me) and as a result, if I crouch or bend, the fabric sticks over my calves and pulls the waist down a bit. There is no danger of flashing, as they high waisted to start off with, but I am always conscious they need fiddling with. How often do I crouch or bend down? Well, I have a toddler and I cut out fabric (and do a lot of pinning) on the floor. So, quite a bit as it turns out. I'm also still not convinced of how flattering they are but I'm going to keep them a bit longer. It was nice to have a casual trouser that wasn't jeans. Keeper.

Day 29 - Double Gauze Emmeline
Repeat. Keeper.

Additional photo - not instagrammed, but to show that I did wear my Liberty kimono during the month.

Day 30 - Vintage 70's Shirt Dress in Chambray
This was another garment I started off feeling ambivalent about but ended up loving by the end of the day. Partly compliments, partly I just liked wearing it. It's the first time I've worn it with bare legs and clogs and I really like it like that, although between the short length,, the fact that it's a little tight and the gap at the bottom before the bottom button, it does border on indecent when I sit down... But chambray! Keeper.

Day 31 - Block Printed Scout Dress in Chambray
Repeat. Keeper.

In terms of the challenges I set myself, I achieved them. I wore something handmade every day. Not only that, but I managed to wear, or at least try on and discard, everything bar the 1974 dress, which I couldn't wear as I didn't have enough time to repair it. That means I wore 32 of the 33 possible items initially recorded, plus 2 additional items I'd forgotten to include initially - 34 items, all handmade! Of them, 3 items were to be chucked out/used as muslins/refashioned where possible. I have a few items that won't get worn every day, but that's OK as long as I do wear the outside of MMM. I also have a few items which would benefit from being altered a little, so I need to make that a priority.



Final Me Made Me thoughts:
1. I am really bloody proud of my handmade wardrobe.
2. I actually wear most of the garments on a regular basis. I thought I didn't and I expected to get rid of more but really that was more of a seasonal thing, I think. I guess my spring/summer sewing game is stronger than my winter one.
3. My work wardrobe needs more trousers, whether handmade or not, but seeing as I have fabric and patterns, I should probably challenge myself to make them.
4. I don't have a seasonally appropriate jacket for work. I very much doubt I'll get round to making one before it gets colder again, but something to think about.
5. This was the first Me Made May that I didn't panic sew. I guess I felt less need to, but the real reasons were that time was limited and I had to focus on other things (boys t-shirts, dress for a wedding reception). It also meant I didn't revisit anything that needed a fit adjustment or a repair. They are still on my to do list.
6. I get caught up in the agendas of others, and start thinking that I need to make all the things. This happens every year. I don't. My aim is not to sew a 100% handmade wardrobe, it is for handmade and RTW to happily co-exist, but for both to be practical, wearable and of sufficient quality that they last. That said...
7. ... I would like to be able to have more handmade outfit options, as dresses aside, I felt I was always wearing one handmade item with the rest of the outfit being RTW. The people I found inspirational on MMM this year definitely wore more "outfits". And...
8. ...I should think about making more t-shirts. I seem to buy jersey but I don't really sew it, unless it's for the boys. I don't *need* t-shirts, but again, the fabric and patterns are there, so why not?
9. I haven't gone off vintage entirely! Which makes me want to revisit some of my vintage patterns.
10. I have the coolest work toilets/bathroom in the world!!!! :)

How did you get on with Me Made May this year. Any revelations?