You probably know of “Me Made May” started by Zoe of the well known “So, Zo…’ blog. The idea is you promise the world that you will wear more of your handmade clothes. I have been put off before by the idea of daily photographs, but of course they are optional. And also a worry that it might be a bit purist (for some, who make their own underwear and even shoes). And up to now May is the end of SWAP and the mad process that involves taking photographs of the eleven garments, combined into outfits.
But it is actually a flexible idea to think about where our own clothes fit into our wardrobe. I very rarely think about what I have made myself and the need to wear it specifically. But when I know I am meeting a fellow seamstress, like Linde, or someone who is interested in my dressmaking (like my Mum) I often pick out a “me-made”. Last week, when I had a cup of tea with Pia, she asked me if I had made what I was wearing – jeans, T shirts, trainers, coat. No! Not one item! I could have. I could have made the coat and the jeans. But I didn’t! She, on the other hand, was dressed head to toe in her elegant personally designed and made wardrobe. I need to claify that she was not wearing the hat with flaps on the day. Or the mittens. But she had on this lovely mohair jacket.
So here is my pledge.
I intend to wear something home made everyday, but (as usual for me) to mix my hand made clothes in with RTW and charity shop buys. I will post a daily outfit photograph on my Instagram using the #MMMay16 hashtag. At the end of May I will post the month’s outfits and provide some reflections on the blog. I don’t know how it is going to go, but it might be interesting. If the weather is fine I might include some of my unfinished 2016 SWAP clothes.
Anyone else doing it this year?
BMGM
I wear something me-made every day in May. I even sometimes post pictures.
The first year, it was hard because I used to sew/knit without thinking about how items would fit into my wardrobe and lifestyle. MMM trained me to think more before sewing. Now, wearing something me-made every day is much less of a challenge.
fabrickated
Thanks for the feedback. I expect I will learn something too.
thedementedfairy
I wear something me-made every weekday now, I don’t think I own enough RTW stuff to be decent! I’ve thought about participating, but couldn’t be bothered to record my boring everyday work gear [and at weekends, I tend not to get dressed at all unless leaving the house, it’s jammies all the way. I don’t make my jammies]
A whole week of May is bank holiday, and again…jammies. It hardly seems worth the effort. I am making a new wardrobe for the missus though, so I think I’ll stick to being Shirty McShirtface.
Perhaps I can do me-made-for-her-May?
fabrickated
I guess I am troubled by the same thought. But yesterday I put on my sweet pea blouse (SWAP garment) which was a bit dressy for work and “making an effort” can be nice sometimes. I think trying and failing will tell me something if I end up in PJs (I too change into nightwear fairly early in the evening). Making a MMM for someone else is a nice thought, and fairly novel I think.
Kerry
I think it’s the intention that’s important. Could you do a form of me-made-May-maybe? I’m guessing there wil be times when you won’t have time/energy to choose an outfit? Anyway I look forward to seeing your efforts on Instagram!
jay
Most of my clothes are made by me. I did attempt to join in MMM one year, but the photography requirement was too onerous. From what I’ve seen of your sewing on this blog, I think you have a lot of nice MM clothes to pick from, and having participated in SWAP will be an advantage.
Rowena
I’m doing it, with the goal not so much of wearing just things I’ve made, but of wearing EACH thing I’ve made. That’s easy for me right now since I’m abroad with a limited wardrobe. I have the same goals as above – trying to figure out how to guide future makes based on what I actually enjoy, and to look for the chance to break out of a rut through some self-imposed rules.
Lisa
Yay! I’ll look for you as I’m participating in Me-Made-May this year! This will be my third year, and each year my goals have changed as my sewing skills have progressed. There’s more handmade in my wardrobe now and it’s nice to look back and sort of see where I was…. vs. where I am. The daily photography is optional, but one that I do try to do and I’ve found it’s been huge to sort of burst my photography skills forward. Most, if not all my photos are self-taken using a tripod.
btw, change of subject…… is the SWAP deadline end of May or end of April? If it’s May, there’s hope for me yet! Thanks!
Maggie
Most of my RTW is being retired due to the wear of old age, so I do mostly wear my handmade stuff now. I don’t know if I can get over the photography hurdle though. I am dreading taking my SWAP photos. It occurred to me last night that I could just enjoy my new clothes and not enter them in SWAP and that is totally because I so dread the photos!
Stephanie
Maggie, I loved your photos last year and still remember them – thought you looked great – if that helps at all. I don’t really like having photos taken either.
Kim Hood
I failed big time on photographing the daily outfits when I tried so I will be there in spirit only this year.
felicia
I was going to enter this year, I really was. But it seems I’m not. It’s the logistics. I’m horrible at logistics. I have only a few RTW clothes left in my closet so mostly I wear hand made. But I change clothes two or three times a day. What to pledge??? And then there’s instagram, which I haven’t yet signed up to. I do hope you have an enjoyable experience.
Terezq
I have thought about doing mmm but it seemed too much. I like you realistic version and using Instagram. I may try that way this year.
SJ Kurtz
I am almost always wearing MeMade (certainly always MeAltered), but I despair on the photo front (requires moving furniture for readable photo). I am going to try on Instagram (@erniekdesigns) but I think it’s going to be by laying the clothes out on the floor (which is pretty straightforward and better lit). Worst case, I will follow and like the dickins out of folks’ makes.
It’s the photos of me in the clothes that are the hard part of this whole internet sewing blog thing.
Stephanie
That’s such a lovely photo of you, Kate, in your amazing suit!!
I don’t want to be negative, but for some reason I feel resistant to MMM. It might be my resistance to instagram (has shades of FB for me, which I loathe…just seems like such a senseless time suck, or maybe my friends just spend too much time posting bad photos of their pets, breakfasts and latest haircuts! (oh and martinis)). I don’t know…maybe I’m attracted only to “deep” rather than broad. That said, It’s kind of funny that I wouldn’t want to participate as nearly all of my jumpers and cardigans are me made and so it’s easy as pie to wear something me made every day. Today I wore both top and bottom me made! I’ll also be in Italy for a good chunk of May and will take mostly me made and there are certainly lots of photo ops..hmm…
Su
I “did” MMM for a few years but I too found the phototaking and daily blog posting onerous. I’m not on Instagram or other photosharing sites. The majority of my clothes are made by me and I tend to wear them for several years so a lot of my May outfits stayed the same from year to year. Once I did my own All About April as that month (and October) are such tricky wardrobe times where I live because of the changing seasons and wildly fluctuating temperatures throughout the day and from day to day. It helped me figure out my wardrobe gaps that I’m still trying to fill.
Thesewingmiserablist
Sorry, late to this post, just thought I’d say I’m joining in MMM this year, mainly to find wardrobe “holes” since I’m very guilty of one-at-a-time sewing. The changing season is usually quite tricky so I’m interested in whether my clothes work for me, British weather being what it is. Whether I finish it is another thing, ha! I’m planning on posting once a week but am slightly worried about those days when I don’t leave the house and haven’t got out of pj’s/jogging bottoms too, but am not trying to get too hung up about it all, after all, it’s mostly for my benefit.
Annieloveslinen
You look fab In that outfit.
MMM isn’t for me either mainly because of the photo taking etc, too much faff. I wear leisure clothes when I’m home all day too and they’re all rtw. It would be useful to record what I wear for a month though as I generally dress in the same things most weeks which suggests that I have too much stuff I like that I don’t actually wear. I should practice making for the life I lead and not for the one in my head.
Gail
Pia’s mohair suit is simply stunning…but perhaps minus the hat!