Overall I really enjoyed my second year of Me Made May. I decided I was going to try and wear only handmade clothes this time (except underwear, shoes and accessories) with no full outfit repeats, and it worked surprisingly well. I also promised myself I was going to make a pair of trousers and a cardigan during the month, which I also did. I've posted the trousers but not the cardigan, as it's a black Coppelia that looks exactly the same as my red one. I'll probably wear it next time I need to blog a skirt or something.
This is what I learned this year:
1. I have a strong preference for a streamlined silhouette.
The conventional wisdom I've always heard is that women with larger hips should wear more voluminous skirts to disguise them, but looking at my photos it's very clear that I don't actually like that. With the exception of my grey Tiramisu (which I thought was going to serve as the starting point and inspiration for a whole new wardrobe, but is turning out to be something I love despite the fact that it doesn't really fit my overall style), everything I wore this/last month is fitted fairly close to my hips and emphasises my natural body shape. This was something I'd started to figure out last year, but I was still making and wearing floof because I thought I liked it under certain circumstances, or because there was such a fuss generally about certain patterns. I'm not saying I'll never make a flouncy skirt again, especially if I do persuade myself to go back to lindy hop, but for day to day wear it needs to fit my hips.
2. My interest in looking vintage has plummeted.
The circle skirts and tea dresses and retro silhouettes I wore last year were nowhere to be found in my outfit choices this time. I wore short skirts, cropped jackets, shorts over tights, interesting wrap maxi dresses, bright colours and neutral prints. There's probably still a few vintage ideas in there (especially with my current hairstyle), but I don't think anyone would look at my month's photos and think, "ooh, she's got a very vintage aesthetic". Similar to above, it might be a well I'll dip into for dance dresses, but they would be costumes and I would be treating them as such. In the future I'll be looking out for patterns and companies with a more modern aesthetic and nice details.
3. I actually like layering and need to think about it a bit more critically.
I have spent the last year or so looking for a completely basic, no closure, cropped cardigan pattern. I've never found one and I actually bought a cardigan last year. I wear it a LOT and one of the things I worried most about doing an entirely-handmade Me Made May was how I'd cope without that cardigan. What I discovered fairly quickly was that I was dressing much better; the cardigan is so black and boring that it takes away from an outfit rather than adding to it. I'm not going to throw it out or anything, but I am going to take the opposite approach and try to find patterns for really interesting layering pieces that are going to make my outfits look more pulled together.
4. My wardrobe and style makes way more sense to me this year.
Don't get me wrong, I wore a lot of nice things during Me Made May last year and I discovered a lot of new outfits I wouldn't otherwise have thought of. But stylistically I was all over the place and by the end of the month I was mostly wearing things I'd panic-sewn because I didn't have enough stuff (I did have enough stuff, I just didn't want to wear most of it). This year I have a clear sense of what my style is, I was making clothes at my normal rate, and though I did start to panic about not having enough stuff two thirds of the way through, it was baseless. Most of the non-occasion-specific stuff in my wardrobe got worn, and making enough outfits for thirty-one days with no complete repeats was much easier than I thought it was going to be.
5. I don't have any style-breaking holes in my handmade wardrobe anymore.
The only thing I really could have used and didn't have during Me Made May was a jacket in another colour. Everything I've made goes with at least one other thing I've made, it was easy to put things together, and I didn't feel like I was missing anything. My wardrobe doesn't feel broken without my black jumper anymore. I mean, I still love that jumper and I still want to make one at some point, but I can easily do without it now. Obviously this will change when my circumstances do, but right now I can stop overthinking about what I "need" and start focusing on things I'd like to try.
6. I can look good even when I don't like the way I look.
My self-esteem is in the pits right now, and it's been difficult to make things, photograph myself wearing them, and put those photos on the internet. This month I've had to do it every day, and sometimes I've hated it. Don't want to be seen, don't want to put make-up on, quantifying my self-worth in Instagram likes stresses me out, etc. But I did it, and now my Instagram has 31 photos of me looking cute and stylish for a whole month straight. I've gone out in bright colours and eye-catching patterns when I just wanted to hide under a blanket, and as the month went on it got easier and easier.
All in all, a successful month. Next up: something new! Yay!
Showing posts with label me made may. Show all posts
Showing posts with label me made may. Show all posts
Thursday, 1 June 2017
Saturday, 4 June 2016
Me Made May analysis post: goals, plans, and glorious lists
Here it is YAY I'm so excited even if you're not. I've managed to cull it down from all the ramblings in the world, strange rankings, and speculations on I don't even know what, to a list of five things I learned in the last month and their attendant goals, plus a list of one-line observations for me to bear in mind in the future. I feel I should get credit for this.
What I Learned From Me Made May
Lesson One: If it's not terrifyingly practical, it had better be stunning.
I've learned that the wearable portion of my wardrobe basically splits into two categories: the Super Practical (requires no complicated underwear arrangements, doesn't wrinkle badly, easy to go out or slob around in, doesn't need constant readjusting) or the Certain Level of Impressive (not great for slobbing around in and requires a little more care, but is made of stunning fabric and fits well and people will say nice things about it when I wear it). Very occasionally stuff is both, but that is a very long term goal.
Goal: When planning a project, work out which category it will fit into and pick fabric and pattern accordingly. In the longer term I want to increase the overlap between Practical and Impressive, but I'll write a more detailed post on this during the summer.
Lesson Two: The three things I most wished I had were loungewear, layering, and pullover knit dresses.
Over the course of the month I found the absence of these three categories to be the most limiting. There were several days when I wasn't feeling great, and while I put on me-made stuff to take a photo and go to the shop (to meet the "I have to leave the house in it for it to count" rule that I secretly came up with somewhere along the line), but then came home and took it all off again because I couldn't lie in bed wearing it. Similarly, my Colette knit dresses actually got worn multiple times because I often changed into them in the evening to go dancing. The dancing has taken a back seat over the past year, but now that I'm getting back into it a bit more I do need to prioritise sewing stuff made for movement. The lack of layering pieces was the most restrictive overall because it meant I couldn't wear any of my dresses more than once, and that got seriously annoying by the end of the month.
Goal: Locate three suitable patterns for each category (loungewear: pyjamas, dressing gown, something to wear indoors on hot days; layering: cropped cardigan, cropped jacket, some kind of cardi/scarf hybrid if possible; knit dresses: three variations on short sleeved, fitted bodice, non-fitted skirt without gathers) and make between one and three patterns in each category. Follow progress on this as a project.
Lesson Three: I already know in my gut what works and what doesn't.
I spend a lot of time inside my own head by trying to talk myself out of opinions I hold. When it comes to, say, ethical issues I think this is one of my better qualities, because I will have attempted looking at the question through every viewpoint I can come up with. When it comes to my clothes it's just a waste of energy. Planning is good. Taking a critical eye to my sewing and style is also good. Trying to talk myself into or out of liking something I've made is not good. I have all the information I need when I stand in front of the mirror and my brain goes "ooh!" or "well..." and I need to start paying more attention to that going forward. There were things I already knew I wasn't going to wear when the month started, and they should have already been gone.
Goal: This is the hardest one to come up with a defined, practical goal for, since there's no real way to quantify "I will try to be more honest". I think the best I can do right now is to commit to regular once-per-season checks on my wardrobe for things I don't wear and/or don't feel good in, and to post about projects I've recognised as being unsuccessful.
Lesson Four: I have my default silhouette now, which needs to not become a rut.
Over the course of thirty-one days, I wore a Sew Over It tulip skirt with a short fitted top nine times, which is actually great - because of the "no repeat outfits" rule I now have a ton of combinations that I can just throw on when I want to look pulled together but my brain isn't working. That was exactly what I wanted; getting dressed stresses me out sometimes. However, I don't want to get stuck compulsively making tulip skirts forever. There are other silhouettes in this world and it won't kill me to try them.
Goal: Make a skirt and top outfit which comprises neither of my TNT patterns. Conversely, source better fabrics for TNT patterns and put more time and effort into their construction and finishing.
Lesson Five: I need to actively work on my tendency to hide away.
This is not completely sewing-related, but extremely relevant nevertheless. For most of my life I've tried to be as invisible as possible because if people don't know you're there they can't be unpleasant to you. It's something I became aware of several years ago, but awareness isn't the cure for the problem. More than once this month I put red lipstick on to make my daily photo look better then took it off before going outside because red lipstick is visible. When I don't feel great I try to attract as little attention as possible, and it works the other way round too. During my first major purge I got rid of something I can only think of as my Anonymity Top, because it was what I wore when I wanted to look absolutely unremarkable. I knew that even when I was wearing it regularly, and so every time I put it on I was painfully aware of my own shitty self-esteem for the whole day. Towards the end of the month I stopped taking the lipstick off and I felt better for it, but the need to fade away is something I need to actively and deliberately work against if I'm going to start feeling better.
Goal: Wear red lipstick a lot. Wear colour. Wear crazy earrings. Try shit that I'm not sure is going to work. Keep posting pictures (maybe not every day, but multiple times a week), because it helps. Dress in vintage drag occasionally. Make some clothes for Amber Moon. Be pretty, if it helps, or strange, if that helps more, whatever I need to do to be comfortable with being visible.
Some shorter observations
1. Streamlined vaguely vintage feminine = yes, flouncy feminine = no
2. Neutral pattern + bright solid colour is a thing worth exploring further
3. I like feeling put together and should focus on this
4. I am lacking accessories because I am so picky about them
5. Really thin jerseys end up making me sad even when they're pretty
6. Accentuating my actual body shape is better for both my style and my self-esteem
7. There doesn't always have to be number seven.
(Also, this didn't really belong in any of the other sections, but when I look back on my month's worth of photos, how much I like any given picture appears to be dependent upon how well my fringe is behaving. It's genuinely all I can see in some photos. My Cambie was the third most popular thing I posted all month, and I sat there watching it get liked going, "but why? My fringe is INSANE in this picture!" as though that's what people are looking at. Tiny extra goal: pay special attention to fringe.)
What I Learned From Me Made May
Lesson One: If it's not terrifyingly practical, it had better be stunning.
I've learned that the wearable portion of my wardrobe basically splits into two categories: the Super Practical (requires no complicated underwear arrangements, doesn't wrinkle badly, easy to go out or slob around in, doesn't need constant readjusting) or the Certain Level of Impressive (not great for slobbing around in and requires a little more care, but is made of stunning fabric and fits well and people will say nice things about it when I wear it). Very occasionally stuff is both, but that is a very long term goal.
Goal: When planning a project, work out which category it will fit into and pick fabric and pattern accordingly. In the longer term I want to increase the overlap between Practical and Impressive, but I'll write a more detailed post on this during the summer.
Lesson Two: The three things I most wished I had were loungewear, layering, and pullover knit dresses.
Over the course of the month I found the absence of these three categories to be the most limiting. There were several days when I wasn't feeling great, and while I put on me-made stuff to take a photo and go to the shop (to meet the "I have to leave the house in it for it to count" rule that I secretly came up with somewhere along the line), but then came home and took it all off again because I couldn't lie in bed wearing it. Similarly, my Colette knit dresses actually got worn multiple times because I often changed into them in the evening to go dancing. The dancing has taken a back seat over the past year, but now that I'm getting back into it a bit more I do need to prioritise sewing stuff made for movement. The lack of layering pieces was the most restrictive overall because it meant I couldn't wear any of my dresses more than once, and that got seriously annoying by the end of the month.
Goal: Locate three suitable patterns for each category (loungewear: pyjamas, dressing gown, something to wear indoors on hot days; layering: cropped cardigan, cropped jacket, some kind of cardi/scarf hybrid if possible; knit dresses: three variations on short sleeved, fitted bodice, non-fitted skirt without gathers) and make between one and three patterns in each category. Follow progress on this as a project.
Lesson Three: I already know in my gut what works and what doesn't.
I spend a lot of time inside my own head by trying to talk myself out of opinions I hold. When it comes to, say, ethical issues I think this is one of my better qualities, because I will have attempted looking at the question through every viewpoint I can come up with. When it comes to my clothes it's just a waste of energy. Planning is good. Taking a critical eye to my sewing and style is also good. Trying to talk myself into or out of liking something I've made is not good. I have all the information I need when I stand in front of the mirror and my brain goes "ooh!" or "well..." and I need to start paying more attention to that going forward. There were things I already knew I wasn't going to wear when the month started, and they should have already been gone.
Goal: This is the hardest one to come up with a defined, practical goal for, since there's no real way to quantify "I will try to be more honest". I think the best I can do right now is to commit to regular once-per-season checks on my wardrobe for things I don't wear and/or don't feel good in, and to post about projects I've recognised as being unsuccessful.
Lesson Four: I have my default silhouette now, which needs to not become a rut.
Over the course of thirty-one days, I wore a Sew Over It tulip skirt with a short fitted top nine times, which is actually great - because of the "no repeat outfits" rule I now have a ton of combinations that I can just throw on when I want to look pulled together but my brain isn't working. That was exactly what I wanted; getting dressed stresses me out sometimes. However, I don't want to get stuck compulsively making tulip skirts forever. There are other silhouettes in this world and it won't kill me to try them.
Goal: Make a skirt and top outfit which comprises neither of my TNT patterns. Conversely, source better fabrics for TNT patterns and put more time and effort into their construction and finishing.
Lesson Five: I need to actively work on my tendency to hide away.
This is not completely sewing-related, but extremely relevant nevertheless. For most of my life I've tried to be as invisible as possible because if people don't know you're there they can't be unpleasant to you. It's something I became aware of several years ago, but awareness isn't the cure for the problem. More than once this month I put red lipstick on to make my daily photo look better then took it off before going outside because red lipstick is visible. When I don't feel great I try to attract as little attention as possible, and it works the other way round too. During my first major purge I got rid of something I can only think of as my Anonymity Top, because it was what I wore when I wanted to look absolutely unremarkable. I knew that even when I was wearing it regularly, and so every time I put it on I was painfully aware of my own shitty self-esteem for the whole day. Towards the end of the month I stopped taking the lipstick off and I felt better for it, but the need to fade away is something I need to actively and deliberately work against if I'm going to start feeling better.
Goal: Wear red lipstick a lot. Wear colour. Wear crazy earrings. Try shit that I'm not sure is going to work. Keep posting pictures (maybe not every day, but multiple times a week), because it helps. Dress in vintage drag occasionally. Make some clothes for Amber Moon. Be pretty, if it helps, or strange, if that helps more, whatever I need to do to be comfortable with being visible.
Some shorter observations
1. Streamlined vaguely vintage feminine = yes, flouncy feminine = no
2. Neutral pattern + bright solid colour is a thing worth exploring further
3. I like feeling put together and should focus on this
4. I am lacking accessories because I am so picky about them
5. Really thin jerseys end up making me sad even when they're pretty
6. Accentuating my actual body shape is better for both my style and my self-esteem
7. There doesn't always have to be number seven.
(Also, this didn't really belong in any of the other sections, but when I look back on my month's worth of photos, how much I like any given picture appears to be dependent upon how well my fringe is behaving. It's genuinely all I can see in some photos. My Cambie was the third most popular thing I posted all month, and I sat there watching it get liked going, "but why? My fringe is INSANE in this picture!" as though that's what people are looking at. Tiny extra goal: pay special attention to fringe.)
Thursday, 2 June 2016
Me Made May week four
Final collage!
(I am wearing, left to right and top to bottom: Colette Wren skirt; Liberty jersey mash-up top; Gertie cropped sweater and Sew Over It tulip skirt; Cake Patterns Tiramisu dress; self-drafted (ish) silk T-shirt and Sew Over It tulip skirt; By Hand London Anna dress; silk T-shirt and slightly different Sew Over It London tulip skirt; Gertie cropped sweater and patternless miniskirt; Jennifer Lauren Vintage Bronte top and Sew Over It tulip skirt)
Me Made May is finally over, and I'm actually quite sad about it. Much as trying to find something to wear and make myself look presentable enough for a photo stressed me out some days, I found it a super useful and enjoyable exercise and I'm going to miss doing it. I think I'm going to attempt to keep Instagramming makes/outfits a few times a week so I don't forget how to put myself together, and also because I have actual Instagram followers now and I'd like to keep sharing with them.
Week four observations:
1. A large proportion of things I wore here were made in the past two weeks.
2. I suddenly skewed massively vintage - and also massively blue - and I'm not quite sure why.
3. More dresses would have been really helpful.
4. I got way more ruthless and threw several things away before I'd finished making them.
5. Running out of garments meant a LOT more mixing and matching.
6. At the beginning of the month I apportioned some clothes as my "back-up" items and I have worn exactly none of them.
7. I'm genuinely not sure how I'll get dressed now that the challenge restrictions have been lifted.
There is YET ANOTHER post to come with all my long-winded analysis and planning in it, because I'm not ready to let go yet. Hooray for Me Made May, and I hope I'm able to do more challenge things like this.
(I am wearing, left to right and top to bottom: Colette Wren skirt; Liberty jersey mash-up top; Gertie cropped sweater and Sew Over It tulip skirt; Cake Patterns Tiramisu dress; self-drafted (ish) silk T-shirt and Sew Over It tulip skirt; By Hand London Anna dress; silk T-shirt and slightly different Sew Over It London tulip skirt; Gertie cropped sweater and patternless miniskirt; Jennifer Lauren Vintage Bronte top and Sew Over It tulip skirt)
Me Made May is finally over, and I'm actually quite sad about it. Much as trying to find something to wear and make myself look presentable enough for a photo stressed me out some days, I found it a super useful and enjoyable exercise and I'm going to miss doing it. I think I'm going to attempt to keep Instagramming makes/outfits a few times a week so I don't forget how to put myself together, and also because I have actual Instagram followers now and I'd like to keep sharing with them.
Week four observations:
1. A large proportion of things I wore here were made in the past two weeks.
2. I suddenly skewed massively vintage - and also massively blue - and I'm not quite sure why.
3. More dresses would have been really helpful.
4. I got way more ruthless and threw several things away before I'd finished making them.
5. Running out of garments meant a LOT more mixing and matching.
6. At the beginning of the month I apportioned some clothes as my "back-up" items and I have worn exactly none of them.
7. I'm genuinely not sure how I'll get dressed now that the challenge restrictions have been lifted.
There is YET ANOTHER post to come with all my long-winded analysis and planning in it, because I'm not ready to let go yet. Hooray for Me Made May, and I hope I'm able to do more challenge things like this.
Monday, 23 May 2016
Me Made May week three
Week three collage:
(I am wearing, top to bottom and left to right: Sew Over It circle skirt; Sewaholic Cambie dress; Sewaholic Cordova jacket (plus barely seen Gertie Sews Vintage Casual cropped sweater underneath); three-pattern mish-mash Liberty top and Sew Over It tulip skirt; By Hand London Elisalex and Butterick 4443 mash-up dress; BONUS Closet Case Files Sallie jumpsuit; Colette Wren dress; Sew Over It wrap dress)
This was the most difficult week so far, and it made me worry about the final week (which is also nine days long, so yay). By mid-week I found myself thinking "oh God, I NEED to make more stuff" even though I had more than enough stuff left, which probably means I need to do some thinking about the other things in my wardrobe. The photo of the black and white Liberty jersey top was taken literally seconds after I finished making it in a rush of relief at having come up with an outfit, which probably isn't a great sign.
I also made the jumpsuit this week. I haven't actually worn it outside yet, but I finished it on Friday evening and was so excited that I had to post it immediately. Blog post coming soon!
Week three observations:
1. This week looked a lot more subdued and although I love my greys and navys and blacks, I'm not sure that's the direction I want to go in.
2. I could really do with some more comfy things, both for loungewear and general wear.
3. Much as I joke about having all the tulip skirts in the world, I've found that I really like wearing skirts and tops and I actually don't have enough of either.
4. I seem to have decided that three items of shop-bought clothing per week is my limit.
5. The handmade stuff that's simple and versatile will get a decent amount of wear even if I'm not really in love with it.
6. I like either "super practical and comfortable" or "I feel pretty fancy dressed like this" and I've not got much time for anything in between.
7. If I knew right from the beginning of the month that I wasn't even going to consider wearing certain things I've made, why do I still have them?
I'm going to do my final nine-item collage on Thursday next week rather than having a stupid little extra one with two pictures, and hopefully won't just consist of pictures of me looking panicked and wearing tops I don't like on my head. This is not entirely outside the realms of possibility.
(I am wearing, top to bottom and left to right: Sew Over It circle skirt; Sewaholic Cambie dress; Sewaholic Cordova jacket (plus barely seen Gertie Sews Vintage Casual cropped sweater underneath); three-pattern mish-mash Liberty top and Sew Over It tulip skirt; By Hand London Elisalex and Butterick 4443 mash-up dress; BONUS Closet Case Files Sallie jumpsuit; Colette Wren dress; Sew Over It wrap dress)
This was the most difficult week so far, and it made me worry about the final week (which is also nine days long, so yay). By mid-week I found myself thinking "oh God, I NEED to make more stuff" even though I had more than enough stuff left, which probably means I need to do some thinking about the other things in my wardrobe. The photo of the black and white Liberty jersey top was taken literally seconds after I finished making it in a rush of relief at having come up with an outfit, which probably isn't a great sign.
I also made the jumpsuit this week. I haven't actually worn it outside yet, but I finished it on Friday evening and was so excited that I had to post it immediately. Blog post coming soon!
Week three observations:
1. This week looked a lot more subdued and although I love my greys and navys and blacks, I'm not sure that's the direction I want to go in.
2. I could really do with some more comfy things, both for loungewear and general wear.
3. Much as I joke about having all the tulip skirts in the world, I've found that I really like wearing skirts and tops and I actually don't have enough of either.
4. I seem to have decided that three items of shop-bought clothing per week is my limit.
5. The handmade stuff that's simple and versatile will get a decent amount of wear even if I'm not really in love with it.
6. I like either "super practical and comfortable" or "I feel pretty fancy dressed like this" and I've not got much time for anything in between.
7. If I knew right from the beginning of the month that I wasn't even going to consider wearing certain things I've made, why do I still have them?
I'm going to do my final nine-item collage on Thursday next week rather than having a stupid little extra one with two pictures, and hopefully won't just consist of pictures of me looking panicked and wearing tops I don't like on my head. This is not entirely outside the realms of possibility.
Monday, 16 May 2016
Me Made May week two
Week two collage:
(Left to right and top to bottom I am wearing: By Hand London Anna dress; Gertie Sews Vintage Casual cropped sweater and Sew Over It kimono jacket; Colette Moneta dress; Sew Over It Doris dress; Sew Over It tulip skirt; Sew Over It 1940s tea dress; Gertie Sews Vintage Casual cropped sweater with extended sleeves and Sew Over It tulip skirt)
I feel like "collage" isn't the right word. I need some kind of portmanteau or pun which indicates that this is both a collage AND complete crap.
Yesterday I repeated a garment for the first time. I basically made myself wear that skirt again so that I didn't get it into my head that I couldn't do that, though I'm still determined not to repeat an entire look this month. I had a couple of days when I couldn't decide what to wear because a) I wanted to wear an outfit I'd already worn or b) I was worried about "using up" a particular dress too soon, and I'm not sure whether this means I don't have enough stuff or I'm just being a bit silly.
Observations Week Two:
1. This week gives a better overall impression of my style than last week.
2. I don't see the unexpected level of traditional femininity here this time.
3. Holy crap, I have a LOT of Sew Over It stuff.
4. Leaving my camera set up on the tripod pointing at a clean corner of my room made the picture taking way easier.
5. More than once I REALLY wished I had some loungewear - a handmade pair of PJs or a dressing gown.
6. I am close to a point where I could wear different combinations of cropped sweaters and tulip skirts for a whole month and never wear the same outfit twice.
7. At the halfway point I have still not exhausted all my "better made" things, which is encouraging.
So far so good. Still enjoying it, still Instagramming, still excited for all the tedious analysis at the end.
(Left to right and top to bottom I am wearing: By Hand London Anna dress; Gertie Sews Vintage Casual cropped sweater and Sew Over It kimono jacket; Colette Moneta dress; Sew Over It Doris dress; Sew Over It tulip skirt; Sew Over It 1940s tea dress; Gertie Sews Vintage Casual cropped sweater with extended sleeves and Sew Over It tulip skirt)
I feel like "collage" isn't the right word. I need some kind of portmanteau or pun which indicates that this is both a collage AND complete crap.
Yesterday I repeated a garment for the first time. I basically made myself wear that skirt again so that I didn't get it into my head that I couldn't do that, though I'm still determined not to repeat an entire look this month. I had a couple of days when I couldn't decide what to wear because a) I wanted to wear an outfit I'd already worn or b) I was worried about "using up" a particular dress too soon, and I'm not sure whether this means I don't have enough stuff or I'm just being a bit silly.
Observations Week Two:
1. This week gives a better overall impression of my style than last week.
2. I don't see the unexpected level of traditional femininity here this time.
3. Holy crap, I have a LOT of Sew Over It stuff.
4. Leaving my camera set up on the tripod pointing at a clean corner of my room made the picture taking way easier.
5. More than once I REALLY wished I had some loungewear - a handmade pair of PJs or a dressing gown.
6. I am close to a point where I could wear different combinations of cropped sweaters and tulip skirts for a whole month and never wear the same outfit twice.
7. At the halfway point I have still not exhausted all my "better made" things, which is encouraging.
So far so good. Still enjoying it, still Instagramming, still excited for all the tedious analysis at the end.
Monday, 9 May 2016
Me Made May week one
Here is an extremely cobbled-together collage of what I wore on days 1-8 of Me Made May:
(For reference, reading left to right and top to bottom I am wearing: Cake Patterns Tiramisu dress; Gertie Sews Vintage Casual cropped sweater and Sew Over It tulip skirt; Cashmerette Appleton dress; Sew Over It 1940s tea dress (blog post on this coming on Thursday); Sew Over It circle skirt; Sew Over It tulip skirt; Butterick #4443 dress; Sew Over It cowl neck top)
I got a bunch of different assumptions and restrictions into my head this first week, such as:
- I should try not to wear anything shop-bought at all
- I should never repeat a full outfit
- I should never wear the same thing twice in any context
- I should not wear a shop-bought piece that becomes the focal point of the outfit
Trying not to repeat a full outfit is probably a good additional restriction. I have a few default combinations but it would be nice to come up with some more, and this seems to be as good a time as any to experiment. The others are all active hindrances to what I'm trying to achieve with this and I need to get rid of them.
Week One observations:
1. London weather was oddly sunny and pleasant and this confused me.
2. I don't really own any spring clothes. All my clothes are either "summer" or "Britain", and when it came to choosing things to wear for sunny but not especially hot days I was a bit stumped.
3. Having to pose for a selfie every day is actually really annoying, but also useful as it counteracts my tendency towards scrattiness.
4. I definitely prioritised the things that were better made, which I don't normally do.
5. I wore a LOT more prints and traditionally feminine stuff than I ordinarily would, but I'm not sure how much of that is related to point 4.
6. I am going to struggle to get to the end of the month without a pair of self-made trousers, but also I really don't want to make trousers right now.
7. I would really like to be dressing like the bottom left picture more than I do.
So far this has been a pretty good experiment, and I look forward to seeing what I've learned at the end of the month. I can guarantee you that I'll be entirely sick of the daily selfies by then, though.
(For reference, reading left to right and top to bottom I am wearing: Cake Patterns Tiramisu dress; Gertie Sews Vintage Casual cropped sweater and Sew Over It tulip skirt; Cashmerette Appleton dress; Sew Over It 1940s tea dress (blog post on this coming on Thursday); Sew Over It circle skirt; Sew Over It tulip skirt; Butterick #4443 dress; Sew Over It cowl neck top)
I got a bunch of different assumptions and restrictions into my head this first week, such as:
- I should try not to wear anything shop-bought at all
- I should never repeat a full outfit
- I should never wear the same thing twice in any context
- I should not wear a shop-bought piece that becomes the focal point of the outfit
Trying not to repeat a full outfit is probably a good additional restriction. I have a few default combinations but it would be nice to come up with some more, and this seems to be as good a time as any to experiment. The others are all active hindrances to what I'm trying to achieve with this and I need to get rid of them.
Week One observations:
1. London weather was oddly sunny and pleasant and this confused me.
2. I don't really own any spring clothes. All my clothes are either "summer" or "Britain", and when it came to choosing things to wear for sunny but not especially hot days I was a bit stumped.
3. Having to pose for a selfie every day is actually really annoying, but also useful as it counteracts my tendency towards scrattiness.
4. I definitely prioritised the things that were better made, which I don't normally do.
5. I wore a LOT more prints and traditionally feminine stuff than I ordinarily would, but I'm not sure how much of that is related to point 4.
6. I am going to struggle to get to the end of the month without a pair of self-made trousers, but also I really don't want to make trousers right now.
7. I would really like to be dressing like the bottom left picture more than I do.
So far this has been a pretty good experiment, and I look forward to seeing what I've learned at the end of the month. I can guarantee you that I'll be entirely sick of the daily selfies by then, though.
Saturday, 23 April 2016
Me Made May
Through reading basically all the sewing blogs ever, I have been made aware that Me Made May is a thing. This will be the first one I've ever been able to do, and I'm going to do it. So I got Instagram, because that's where it happens and where all the sewing people are in general (follow me @the_slapdash should you be so inclined).
I intend for this to serve three purposes:
1. The obvious intended purpose of getting me to wear stuff I made every day
2. Building the habit of taking photos every day
3. Providing a record at the end which I can look back over and see what I wear most and how
I did the pledge thing, which is as follows:
"I, Jen of Sewing and Slapdashery and @the_slapdash, sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May '16. I endeavour to wear at least one item of handmade clothing each day for the duration of May 2016."
I'm planning to post my photos on Instagram daily and in consolidated weekly posts here, and also write a whole bunch of dreary analysis on style and wardrobe gaps because you know I like that.
I hope this will be good. Clothes, analysis, and the opportunity to indulge in a little shallow narcissism? I have high hopes.
I intend for this to serve three purposes:
1. The obvious intended purpose of getting me to wear stuff I made every day
2. Building the habit of taking photos every day
3. Providing a record at the end which I can look back over and see what I wear most and how
I did the pledge thing, which is as follows:
"I, Jen of Sewing and Slapdashery and @the_slapdash, sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May '16. I endeavour to wear at least one item of handmade clothing each day for the duration of May 2016."
I'm planning to post my photos on Instagram daily and in consolidated weekly posts here, and also write a whole bunch of dreary analysis on style and wardrobe gaps because you know I like that.
I hope this will be good. Clothes, analysis, and the opportunity to indulge in a little shallow narcissism? I have high hopes.
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