Me-Made May Week 5 and reflections

mmmweek5

The home stretch, and back to work with a bump. If what you wear shows your mood, I sure am grey and blue this week. I’m so tired after Ecuador and a tough week of work that I had to cancel all plans for this weekend and have a rest at home instead, boo. I was also slightly running out of both clean clothes and ideas by this point, hence the rather dull and repetitive outfits… here are my last few days of #MMM14:

Me-MadeMay

May 27th
Me-made: Wool jersey raglan
Other: Gap jeans, eBay boots, Datter necklace
Comments: Sad sleepyface. Back to work in the rain with a commute out of town to face first thing definitely called for a faithful cosy top.

Me-MadeMay

May 28th
Me-made: Tulip Scout
Other: Forever21 jeans, Madewell cardigan, ASOS shoes, Ecuador necklace
Comments: If in doubt, wear a Scout! Not much to say about this, easy and comfortable.

Me-Made May

May 29th
Me-made: Rose jeans, Julia cardigan
Other: Gap tee, Next loafers, Ecuador necklace
Comments: Another grey-tee-and-jeans day, and I’ve worn this entire outfit already. Definitely running out of options…

Me-Made May

May 30th
Me-made: Plantain tee
Other: American Apparel skirt, ASOS shoes, Datter necklace
Comments: I so nearly wore jeans-and-a-tee again so decided to mix it up with a very old jersey skirt. Wearing this reminded me how much I like the Plantain pattern; must make more. It also reminded me that I should wear/make more skirts as it immediately looks like you’ve made more of an effort than jeans.

Me-Made May

May 31st
Me-made: True Bias Hudson pants
Other: New Look tee
Comments: These are a brand-new make that I squeezed in during the evenings this week – I’m testing out Kelli‘s soon-to-be-released pattern. Spoiler: I love them! Perfect for a much-needed lazy day at home and wander round Stoke Newington.

mmmall

Just for fun, there’s my whole month of outfits! (Less two where I was travelling: I did wear me-mades but I’ll spare the jetlag-face photos.) I’m so glad and proud that I completed my pledge to wear at least one me-made every day. It really demonstrated what I aim for in my sewing: to replace my everyday RTW clothes with high-quality unique handmade versions made to my exact spec. I’m especially pleased at the cohesion I’ve slowly managed to achieve, blending my me-mades with my favourite RTW pieces to make my favourite colour combos and silhouettes. On a whole the month made me confident that I should continue to invest in quality fabrics and construction methods, because those makes are the ones that I feel extra-good wearing.

Of course it also identified plenty of gaps that I need to work on: more knit tops, plain non-jean trousers, a casual light coat/jacket and possibly a casual skirt or two are some additions that spring to mind immediately. I’ve amassed a load of lovely fabrics in my stash recently to make these happen: just need some time to sew!

Finally I must say thank you for your comments as I went along, they were really encouraging and it’s nice to see that the way I feel I dress is reflected on the outside too. The community aspect of MMM has been really great to follow along with. Vive le sewing!

OK, now let’s get back to normal, and I’ll share some of the new finished garments I’ve been wearing but haven’t blogged yet. Might need a quick break from the selfies for a while first though…

17 thoughts on “Me-Made May Week 5 and reflections

  1. Michelle

    Ah well done, I’m going to take part next year – you’ve inspired me! My favourite outfit is the cloth house wool jersey cardigan and rose jeans :-)

  2. Caroline Joynson

    Well done! Your MMM 2014 wardrobe definitely looks very cohesive and your palette and silhouettes are shining through. I created an end-of-the-month image of my me-mades too – its actually a really helpful exercise in assessing whether your me-makes are working for you in the flesh
    I have never seen so many photos of myself all at the same time before – it takes a bit of getting used to! I’m with you and will be happy to go through the next month or so without having to document every outfit.
    I had great fun for my first MMM and look forward to next year. It will be interesting to see if I have managed to address my wardrobe gaps.
    Those Hudson pants look super-comfy! I think I need some of those in my life.

  3. Helen

    I’m relatively new to your blog, but feel like MMM has been an excellent way to get to know you. I’ve really enjoyed all your posts – you have introduced me to some new patterns – look forward to seeing what you make next.

    1. Katie Post author

      Ah, that’s a nice way to see it – crash course in What Katie Sews ;) off to look at your blog too…

  4. Cirque Du Bebe

    Loved seeing all your makes in action. I think I mentioned before but i’m so inspired by how wearable your closet is for the every day. You obviously know what you like and what suits you and I get the feeling you’re a practical girl at heart. And it all looks so very well thought out! Not to mention, comfy.

    1. Katie Post author

      I guess I am – well, I hate to sew things that won’t get worn so that’s always forefront in my mind! MMM was a great way to check that’s working.

  5. Marilla

    Well done for getting through it, especially with the travel. Definitely agree that there’s a cohesiveness to your clothes and I really like those new Hudson pants.

  6. Sarah

    You’ve had a very stylish month indeed. You’ve inspired me to get over my fear of the fly and conquer some pleated trousers……..it has to be done!

  7. Melanie

    I’ve really enjoyed your MMM posts…I love your style, it looks really practical, comfortable but also so stylish. I think I’m keen to give the Julia cardigan a go…you’ve totally sold me on it.

  8. lisa g.

    i love your MMM! i’m much the same, trying my best to replace all my RTW, and doing it with “everyday wearable” pieces. also: super jealous of your hudson pants… can’t wait to try that pattern!

  9. Camilla

    I think you’ve nailed it in terms of having a cohesive hand made wardrobe. Your personal style comes through and your home sewn garments combine well with RTW. I envy your collection of knit tops.

  10. Scruffy badger

    I know I’ve already commented somewhere ….maybe Instagram, but I’ve really enjoyed seeing your me mades and you have caused serious temptation -! But fulfilment as well – I’m so glad to have been made aware of the Julia cardi, and now…it’s those hudsons!! Looking forward to the big reveal :-)
    You’ve had a great month by the look of it!

  11. emily marie

    Your handmade wardrobe is so great! All the pieces go well with your RTW stuff and are super mix/match-able, which is something I try to be conscious of when sewing as well. My favorite is that zebra stripe dress you wore a couple times… I would have worn it every week!

  12. Sophielovessewing

    I have just found your blog Katie and I am totally inspired! I have recently got back into dressmaking after completing my degree in Fashion Design in 2006. I had never really made many garments for myself, other than a couple of prom dresses (yuck!) and one dress last year that barely got worn. I’ve started off small, making some cute additions to my wardrobe with some lovely fabric finds (i’ve always love fabric shopping). The aim is to have as much of my wardrobe made by me by next year. Your passion for knits is great as it is something I have not approached outside of my degree – I think I need to invest in an overlocker, is that what you use?

    I will keep following your sewing adventures!

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