My Lessons From Me-Made-May

Me-Made-May has been fun. I have learned so much, and this is the whole point of the challenge so I am pretty pleased I stuck with it. Over the month I have worn most of my handmade items a few times each, I simply haven't sewn enough clothes to wear something different every day at the moment. These are my lessons from this past month:

1. Sewing basics is good, but I need to make more if I want to wear it every day
I have always had in my mind, well since I started sewing clothes, that I didn't just want to make a few fancy dresses and stick them at the back of the wardrobe to be only worn once. I have made an effort to sew clothes that I would wear on a day to day basis. This has been a good choice. I have had plenty of items to wear for my day-to-day having made several tops, skirts and a few casual dresses. I need to keep at it though if I want to wear handmade all the time though because I am now a little bored of wearing the same top 4 times in one month!

2. Find patterns that are both casual and flattering
I much prefer to wear the clothes the have a fitted waistband, they suit me more. I think I didn't really realise this at first though and quite a few of my tops are not so fitted, or bottoms that have too much fabric and make me look too heavy on my hips. They are ok for every day 'mum' outfits but I'd really like to wear something that is both casual and flattering at the same time. This is something to work towards.

3. I hate ironing!
I don't normally iron my clothes, unless I am dressing up for an important occasion any way. Sure I press seams when I need to but that'd totally different. I hate ironing clothes. The trouble is lots of the clothes I have made so far require ironing. Not just when I want to go the extra mile but they need ironing every time I wear them. I need to look into finding fabrics that require less ironing.

4. I need to figure out my preferred colour palette.
Some of my clothes that I have made I love and I wear them regularly regardless of whether its May or not. For example my chambray Elisalex, I love this dress to pieces, its both casual(ish) and flattering and so easy to change the outfit but wearing it with a multitude of different accessories. Others however I am not so keen on. My picnic blanket skirt just doesn't really go with any of my other clothes so I want to work out a colour palette to start sewing with.

5. Taking daily outfit photos is hard!
I really wanted to take outfit photos every day. Not so much so I could share it all but more so I could have a record of what I wore every day. Trouble is I am a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to photos these days. So taking photos of my outfit every day, therefore a photo of myself every day, was terribly tricky. I gave up halfway through the month because I was just repeating the things I was wearing any way. This is something to work on for next year.

6. I need to make something sparkly
I have done really well making things for every day, but I haven't really made anything for looking fancy in. I need to get on it quick and make myself a party dress.

7. It feels good to wear handmade
There is something to be said for going out wearing something that you have made myself. I feel really proud of myself that I have done this for a whole month. Eventually I want to be able to wear all (or at least mostly) handmade clothes. What could be better than knowing you didn't buy the clothes you wear but you actually made them with your own two hands? Well to me thats a pretty good feeling.

I am looking forward to May next year already. Don't forget to add your suggestions for sewing school. Thanks. Zoe xx

Me-Made-May So Far

Here a few snaps of some of my outfits choices for Me-Made-May this year. You might remember my earlier post where I pledged (along with other sewing bloggers all over the place) to wear one item of hand made each day during May. These are some of my favourites from so far. They are in no particular order and I haven't shown you every day but you get the idea. From top to bottom the hand made items are:

1. Half Circle Skirt
2. Gingham Peplum top
3. Peter Pan Collar Sorbetto
4. Vintage Floral Elisalex
5. Chambray Elisalex

I've also worn my DIY infinity scarf, my spotty pencil skirt, my green sleeves sorbetto, my button back top and my polly top. Also my daughter wore her refashioned top that I made last year:

I have almost run out of items to wear already so I will be sewing a few more but also wearing repeats for most of the rest of the month. Maybe next year I will manage something different every day. I am learning lots though and at the end of the month I will share my lessons from my challenge. Zoe xx

Me Made May 2014

Have you heard of Me-Made-May? Well I expect many of you haven't so I will let you in on the secret (well not a secret really). Me-Made-May is one month each each in May (obviously) when sewers and bloggers get together to challenge themselves to wear more of their homemade clothes. You can read more about it over at So Zo… What Do You Know? But each person pledges their own personal challenge of what they plan to do during May to wear more of their handmade clothes.

My Pledge is as follows: I Zoe sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May '14. I endeavour to wear one item of handmade each day for the duration of May 2014.

For those of you who have been reading along with Tadpegs over the last year you will know that I don't own enough handmade clothes to wear something new every day, so I will probably repeat some items and I am also going to include handmade accessories, because well I can. I will post a few times during may to show you what I have worn so far and then again at the end of the month to let you know what I thought of the whole thing. If you want to follow along more closely then you should follow me on instagram, I plan to do daily outfit photos. Or if you want to follow along with Me-Made-May in general you should head over to flickr and follow the group.

In the mean time I have a few other items I have sewn together to add to my wardrobe that I will share with you soon. Plus a few other DIYs from me and recipes from Cassie, Zoe. xx