Me-Made-May

It was the final week of the Me-Made-May challenge, and despite some awful and non-Spring-like weather, I have managed to wear 3 me-made items.

Wednesday 29 I wore this to work.  I only made the blouse though.  It is Butterick 5354 meant for knit but I made it with a woven batik.  Really comfortable to wear too.

The neckline has lovely tucks, which I was too lazy to do in a a matching thread, so you can see the white  thread - I'll remember that for next time.

Also, the daffodils are nearly gone but we now have two weeks of bluebells and blossom.  I have blogged about this new make here, which features LOTS of bluebells!

Thursday 30th I wore a dress a made in about 2003.  It is a DKNY Vogue pattern 2683 (now out of print) and the fabric is a linen blend and amazingly it doesn't crease!  I love the colour, but the front split with the underneath triangle piece has exposed me to unwanted attention in the past, I think if I wear it again I will stitch that split together.

Friday 31st, last day of May and last day for this challenge.  When I got home from work I changed into my McCall's 6503 Maxi dress blogged about here.
In the flickr group there is a theme on Fridays, but this is the first time I have joined in on the theme.  Can you guess what it is?
The theme is red and mine's in my glass!














It has been an interesting challenge to document wearing my handmade clothes.  I have enjoyed this month a lot.  The biggest intrusion that the challenge has had on my month was getting all the photos taken in the mornings and then uploading and posting them onto flickr and then onto this blog in the evenings.  I am still in awe of those who did this daily and am relieved that I committed to only 3 per week.

The most rewarding thing about this challenge has been the other members of the flickr group.  So many sewing ladies were very complimentary, helpful and generous with their ideas.  I really value receiving constructive feedback from such knowledgeable women.  And there were so many garments to inspire daily!  I really enjoyed seeing figures similar to my own looking fantastic wearing patterns that I hadn't even thought of trying.

So what have I learned from all these photographs of myself?

• I make a lot of green and blue items.
• Despite wearing a lot of skirts I don't seem to want to make any and I am quite happy with the ones I buy.
• I'd like to make more blouses and tops, oh and I still want to make more dresses!
• I now know how all these blog writers create their photo montages! Picmonkey will be my new time sapper.
• I have a very versatile shoe collection but strangely no black flats.
• I think I will try crochet.

Me-Made-May-Mondays

It is still May and I am still endeavouring to wear three handmade garments per week and to make 3 new things by the end of the month.

Monday 13 I only work a half day so went a bit more casual.  The cardigan is the only item I made.
I can't find the pattern but it was one of those ones that had a man and a woman on the cover in matching cardigans - ahhh - my dream to wear matching jumpers with a love!
This was a long time ago, in my early 20s and I was in love.  So of course I knitted a matching blue one for my then-boyfriend, despite having heard the warning from wise knitter-types "don't knit for a boyfriend as it won't work out."  I was young and hopeful and gladly knitted him one anyway - of course it didn't work out.
But I still love this cardigan! and am happily married to a man whom I've only knitted a scarf for! eek

Has anybody every knitted for a boyfriend who ended up being a keeper I wonder?

Tuesday 14 spent the day in and out the car on errands, so a comfy cardi was called for.  I have blogged about this cardigan, a Debbie Bliss pattern and yarn, here with all the fit issues that I am still planning to resolve some day soon.

Wednesday 15th I wore my newest make to work.  It is Butterick 5523 and is blogged about here.  I wore my orange/tan shoes to go with the dress, as there is a dominant orange stripe in the print, even though it isn't terribly obvious from a distance.



So that is my 3 me-made items for this week. The only things I have left are for sunny weather, so here's hoping we get some warmth, otherwise I'll only be wearing me-made scarves for the next two weeks!

Me-Made-May-Mondays

May is still here, and at last I am seeing some sunshine and feeling some warmth.  We even have the blossoms on our apple trees just starting to arrive.

Monday 20th I wore my Sally shirt dress to work.  The pattern is from Serendipity by Kay Whitt, I have blogged about it in the past.  I don't wear this dress very much at all.  I think it is because the waist and hip section just isn't very flattering.  Possibly the pattern spanning across my width doesn't help either.  But there is also strain on the buttons which creases easily.

So here's another photo - with Mr Bingley hiding the offending button strain.

Tuesday 22nd I spent dying out my grey roots, ironing and mucking out the hen house, so comfort was needed.  This is my version of the free download Sorbetto pattern.   I've blogged about this before, but it isn't very interesting, but I'll include the link anyway.
 Oooo Arty pose!

Thursday 23rd wore my first ever attempt at a stretch knit.  This is McCall's 6713 and it is very comfortable.  I am wearing a thermal long-sleeved t-shirt underneath still as it is still windy and cold here.
And in garden news, check out how much our hedge has come into leaf since I started these photos at the beginning of May!  And we now have blossoms on the apple trees!



This week I also wore a me-made blouse and another me-made dress, but as I have already counted those as part of this challenge, I won't repeat them in photos.
It has been fun logging and recording my handmade garments, but I am so glad not to have the pressure of photographing myself every day like some of the other members of the flickr group!  Everybody is doing so well to keep up the constant photo-calls.

Me-Made-May-Mondays

I have pledged to wear three of my handmade garments per week for the entire month of May, as well as make 3 new items.  This week has been busy with paperwork and car trouble, so I don't have a new make to share, hopefully I will have something new to share next week.  But I have managed to wear 3 of my handmade garments despite the weather.

Wednesday the 8th started out with a fine misty sort of rain so I was hopeful it would brighten up and went to work with bare legs for the first time this year.
I was wrong and it rained all day.
I made only the skirt.  I bought the fabric from a remnants basket of furnishing fabric in Laura Ashley.  I love it!  I didn't have a pattern so I just copied a much loved skirt from my wardrobe.  You know, I own over 40 skirts and this is the only one I still have that I made myself!

And I love skirts!

Saturday 11th I wore my Butterick 5030 wrap dress and my alpaca scarf. I didn't actually take my coat off this morning but I got a quick photo so that you could better see the dress.

Sunday 12th I wore my McCall's 6503 and a blazer, even though I was indoors today, it is still cold and wet. I have blogged about this dress before, but I didn't put any detail photos in, so I took a photo of the lovely neckline and midriff band to share.  This pattern is my favourite and I really want to make a third version of this for the summer - hoping that we get a summer!








So that is another week gone by!  Hopefully have a new garment to share with you this coming week.

Me-Made-May-Mondays

I too have visited So, Zo's blog and pledged to wear lots of my handmade clothes during the month of May, 2013.  Here is my pledge:
'I, Nessa from Nessa's Place, sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May '13. I endeavour to wear me-made garments 3 times a week and to make 3 new garments during May 2013'

As I no longer have any of my pre-2005 clothes, I think three times a week will be both achievable and a challenge for me.  I do hope scarves count?!  I shall only post about this challenge on Mondays.

Wednesday 1st I wore a waistcoat that I knitted.  The peplum is a cabled scarf really, and the rest is basic knit/pearl.  I've never blogged about this as it really was very easy and there isn't much else to say about it.

 

Thursday 2nd I wore this blouse, although it was cold all day so I was actually wearing a red cardigan and a Mac over it.
As part of my Me-Made-May challenge I am going to be making three new items this month, and this is my first newly made item.

It was really quick to sew up and I LOVE it!  It is Butterick 5692, I have blogged about this new make here.

Saturday 4th I am staying at home doing work on the computer, wearing this cosy cardigan I made in 2005.  I looked through my knitting patterns but can't seem to find it anywhere, sorry.  I used an arran tweed-like yarn from Jo Sharp, so possibly the pattern was a Jo Sharp one too.  I remember choosing this pattern because the cables looked easy to do and the cardi was over-sized and would be great to wear thrown over things.

On Sunday 5th the sun was shining (at last!) I wore my Mad Men dress with red cardi and red shoes.  The dress pattern is Butterick 5747 which is blogged about here.

Coincidentally today is also the day Julia Bobbin has revealed all of the lovely Mad Men inspired dresses.  If you have a spare hour, do go over and browse all that sewing talent - it is a feast for the eyes!

Butterick 5692

I LOVE my new blouse!
It was so quick and easy to sew together!  Probably will look better with jeans, but I was wearing a skirt today, and I like it like this too.

Butterick 5692

Pattern Description:

This pattern has trousers and a cardigan as well as the blouse/top that can be made with two choices of sleeve and three length choices, including blouse, tunic and dress.  The instructions in this pattern were very clear and easy to follow.  I think beginners would really like this pattern.  It doesn't tell you when to finish your seams, but I just finished them before sewing the sleeves onto the bodice, and didn't run into any trouble.

Photobombed by Mr Bingley

What I particularly liked about the pattern

I have only made the tunic so far, and I really like how it has turned out.  I can't believe how quickly it sewed up!  The yoke sits so nicely on the top of the shoulder, creating a slight puff on the sleeve which looks really nice.

Fabric Used:

Nylon chiffon that already has crinkles pressed vertically into the fabric.

Pattern alterations and design changes I made:

I chose to do View D which is actually the dress because I love the sleeves, but I cut it short to the tunic length instead - view C.  I also used a plain white cotton as the yoke facing instead of the nylon chiffon to give it a bit more structure.

My current figure is pear shaped, so I made the bust. sleeves and yoke in size 18 then graded the cutting line out to the size 20 at the waist and then out to the 24 at the hips.  This was very straightforward to do and you can't tell at all.  Mind you, seeing these photos, I think I will take this Me Made May challenge as an opportunity to think more about my eating.

Conclusion:

This tunic sewed up VERY quickly and hopefully it will become a staple wardrobe item for work. I will be sewing this blouse again.  I'd like to do it as a dress and maybe make the sleeves a bit shorter for summer.  I love the little bows on the sleeves and am surprised as I don't wear bows on anything.