Me Made May 2021
I’ve participated in Me Made May in the past, usually posting on my Instagram feed sporadically, depending on my life and work schedule. Last year I know I wasn’t the only one that wasn’t in the mood to post daily images of myself while trying to survive a global pandemic, but this year it felt right to give it a real try. I work for myself from home, so my schedule is pretty conducive for daily images, and after spending most of last year in loungewear, the idea of actually getting dressed for real everyday felt good. Somehow I actually managed to post all 31 days of May this year! A record for participation, and a record for the amount of selfies on my Instagram feed ever!
I really don’t love taking images of myself, and I know I’m not alone in that, but I hoped this challenge would break me of that, as well as teach me a few lessons about what I own that is handmade. I am happy to say that I achieved both! I am without a doubt more comfortable posting myself on my feed after this, and I did also learn where I have glaring holes in my me made closet.
Here’s a recap of all I wore, and below that, some thoughts about my future sewing plans!
What I Wore
Top Image:
May 8: Pattern - Simplicity 8505 / 5315; Fabric - rayon designed by April Rhodes
First Row:
May 1: Pattern - Sagebrush Top by Friday Pattern Company; Fabric - cotton designed by Alexia Marcelle Abegg
May 2: Pattern - Wilder Gown by Friday Pattern Company; Fabric - cotton designed by Alexia Marcelle Abegg
May 3: Pattern - Lottie Dress by me; Fabric - unknown black linen
Second Row:
May 4: Pattern - Carlisle Cardigan by Good Night Day; Yarn - Wool & the Gang
May 5: Pattern - Lottie Dress by me; Fabric - cotton designed by Kaffe Fassett
May 6: Pattern - Free Range Slacks by Sew House Seven; Fabric - cotton designed by Carolyn Friedlander
Third Row:
May 7: Pattern - Sol Hoodie by Jamie Christina; Fabric - merino wool by The Fabric Store
May 9: Pattern - Burnside Bibs by Sew House Seven; Fabric - unknown navy linen
May 10: Pattern - Unfolding Jacket by Wiksten; Fabric - linen lining from Purl Soho, cotton outer from B&J Fabrics
Fourth Row:
May 11: Pattern - Toaster Sweater by Sew House Seven; Fabric - knit from Mood Fabrics
May 12: Pattern - Verano Tank View C by me; Fabric - unknown cotton gingham
May 13: Pattern - Lottie Top by me; Fabric - unknown black linen
Fifth Row:
May 14: Patterns - Verano Tank View D by me & Carlisle Cardigan by Good Night Day; Fabric - cotton designed by Alexia Marcelle Abegg; Yarn - Wool & the Gang
May 15: Pattern - Wilder Gown by Friday Pattern Company; Fabric - linen from Purl Soho
May 16: Pattern - Archer Shirt by Grainline Patterns; Fabric - cotton from Robert Kaufman
Sixth Row:
May 17: Pattern - Hemlock Tee by Grainline Patterns; Fabric - unknown linen blend gray knit
May 18: Pattern - Self-drafted kaftan; Fabric - cotton from Mood Fabrics
May 19: Pattern - Lottie Top by me; Fabric - unknown navy cotton ikat
Seventh Row:
May 20: Pattern - Burnside Bibs by Sew House Seven; Fabric - cotton from Robert Kaufman
May 21: Pattern - Emery Dress by me; Fabric - vintage cotton from Etsy
May 22: Pattern - Verano Tank View D by me; Fabric - unknown black linen
Eighth Row:
May 23: Pattern - Lottie Dress by me; Fabric - cotton designed by Kaffe Fassett
May 24: Pattern - Lottie Dress by me; Fabric - cotton designed by Kaffe Fassett
May 25: Pattern - Wilder Gown by Friday Pattern Company; Fabric - cotton from Fancy Tiger Crafts
Ninth Row:
May 26: Pattern - Lottie Dress hack by me; Fabric - rayon designed by Alexia Marcelle Abegg
May 27: Pattern - Elliott Sweater by Helen’s Closet; Fabric - knit blend from Mood Fabrics
May 28: Pattern - Toaster Sweater by Sew House Seven; Fabric - unknown navy knit
Tenth Row:
May 29: Pattern - Sol Hoodie by Jamie Christina; Fabric - merino wool by The Fabric Store
May 30: Patterns - Lottie Dress by me & Unfolding Jacket by Wiksten; Fabric - unknown black linen, cotton flannel lining from Mood Fabrics, & Chore Coat designed by Alexia Marcelle Abegg
May 31: Patterns - Sorrento Hat by Elbe Textiles & Archer Shirt by Grainline Patterns; Fabrics - unknown gingham cotton shirting, green gingham canvas from Field’s Fabrics, & cotton canvas lining from Fancy Tiger Crafts
What I Learned
Repeated items: I absolutely assumed that I’d be repeating items a lot, but I was impressed that I ended up only repeated three things. Those that were repeated were the Sol Hoodie, the black linen Lottie Dress, and the Carlisle Cardigan. It’s not a surprise at all that I would want to wear my black linen Lottie again and again, as it’s just a good basic. But this is a note to me that I might want to make a couple more solid Lottie Dresses for my closet. I wear the long version of this pattern a LOT and love it, so the more the merrier! The Carlisle Cardigan is the only sweater I’ve knitted so far, and I have been knitting another cardigan for a long time now, so hand knits will have to be added in their sweet time since I am a very slow and sporadic knitter. As for the hoodie, I only own one hoodie, and it’s this one. Now that I’m spending a lot more time in the yard gardening, I could absolutely use a second hoodie, this time made in something a bit more summer-friendly, like a cotton spandex knit. So that will absolutely go on my to-sew list! I enjoyed making this pattern, but perhaps a different pattern next time just to mix things up.
Unworn items: To my surprise, I have a LOT of handmade I didn’t wear! I really didn’t think I owned that much to be honest. So I have a lot more handmade in my closet than I thought I did! But, what I didn’t wear, I also didn’t feel like wearing (or it wasn’t weather appropriate). For the items that I didn’t want to wear, that tells me that those items are about ready to move on. I also put on weight during Covid, so some items just don’t fit like they used to, and that’s okay. I need to check to see which are worth saving and which are beyond hope of ever fitting me again. I am not at all precious about my handmade items and for the most part have no issues with donating what I no longer want to wear. If the fabric is especially precious, I might cut out what I can save and use for a quilt or a small project, but otherwise, I let it go. If I saved everything I’ve ever made in the last 40 years of sewing, I’d need a warehouse! So I’d much rather it go to a new home to be worn and loved.
Ready to wear items: Without a doubt the most RTW items worn were pants and tees. Now, pants are tricky to fit and sew, so that’s not a surprise that I have few handmade pants. The ones I do own are all of a similar silhouette, so if I am going to make some pants, I need to think about making some like the pants I buy. But for tees, there is really no excuse for not making those! I wear my Hemlock Tee all the time, so why do I only have one in my dresser? So yeah, put tees on the list immediately! Also, not pictured is my ready to wear robe that I wear all the time. It’s far too heavy for hot summer days, so I’m thinking a handmade summer robe needs to go on my list too.
Handmade items I wore: Thinking about the items I did wear, I wanted to consider which I like enough to make more of. I love my Burnside Bibs, and already have two fabrics purchased and washed for two more of those. I also think a shorts version could be really fun! In addition to more Lottie Dresses, I also love my Lottie Tops and could use a few more of those in my closet for a quick pulled-together look. I also love the Lottie Dress hack I wore with the gathered skirt, but it’s a lot shorter than I wear these days, so a longer version is definitely in order. I also have some fabric set aside for more Emery Dresses. I really didn’t enjoy this silhouette while living in New York, but here, in a slightly roomy size, it’s a great flop around the yard cotton dress to wear. And of course, as mentioned above, I clearly need to make more Hemlock Tees because I love the one I have.
Fabric Choices: I have been making an active effort to make sure I branch out from my favorite navy, black, and gray fabrics, and based on the above grid, I’d say I’ve done a pretty damn good job! There is a lot more color and pattern than I would have guessed. So I say making a healthy mix of dark solids, colors, and prints moving forward is totally fine! I was really steering clear of black etc, but I don’t think I need to anymore!
What to make: Based on all of this intel above, there are some clear items to sew. Here’s the list:
More Lottie Dresses in solids
More Lottie Tops
A few Lottie Dress hacks in a longer length
Tees, tees, & more tees! (with various sleeve lengths)
Cotton & spandex summer hoodie
Pants & jeans!
Summer robe
Now the fun part can begin! Time to find patterns to make, shop my fabric stash, and get to making some fun things for myself! Thanks to all of you that followed along on this journey with me!