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Me-Made-May: Join Us!

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So, do you actually wear the clothes you spend time creating? Personally, I often find it too easy to find fault in my newly completed creations and at times used to shove them in a drawer and allow myself to be quickly distracted by the next project. But thankfully eventually, the ratio of drawer-fillers to wearable items began to shift. I also learnt to forgive some of their imperfections as enjoying the thrill of wearing something that I made myself overpowered the self-conscious flaw-obsessing. Gradually, I found that an increasing number of the clothes I relied upon day to day were actually fruits of my own sewing machine.

It was the desire to celebrate and solidify that shift, and further develop the relationship I have with my handmade clothing (not to mention a healthy dose of hero-worship inspired by Natalie and her Makeshift project) that led me to conceive of and realise my Me-Made-March project. For the whole month I wore only clothing I made myself, excluding bras, socks, tights and shoes, and documented each day on my blog. It was a very interesting experience, if at time a little cold, repetitive or frustrating!

What excited me most were the supportive and lovely comments that I received, particularly the ones that informed me I had inspired them to sew, and of course wear, more of their own clothing. However, when I looked at the ‘documentation’ of that month, I felt that often I wasn’t really reflecting much of myself (or at least a facet of myself) in my appearance. In short, I could do better. So I have decided to do it again, only this time bigger, brighter, more colourful and more fun; enter the Me-Made-May challenge!

The other difference between this new challenge and March’s version is that I am sending out the call to anyone who wishes to participate along with me. Over thirty creative people have already signed up to take on the challenge. Some plan to apply the same ‘rules’ as I will, some will be following Me-Made-May-Lite by wearing one item of handmade clothing each day and others will complete a different, gentler, version of the challenge, such as wearing one handmade item each day for a week or only at the weekends. If you feel like a challenge that will encourage you to reach for the handmade rather than shop bought more often, why don’t you join us?

What type of challenge you wish to undertake may depend on how long you have been sewing and/or how many handmade garments you already own, or whether you wish to include refashioned items or even handmade jewellery. However you may personally wish to interpret it, it would be great to have you come on board!

Zoe Edwards

Comments

Laura

April 13, 2010 #

This is so timely for me. I brought out my box of summer clothes, and a big portion of them is cotton dresses I made that I have rarely worn, due to wonky fits, the patterns being louder than they seemed in the fabric store, etc. Maybe I will join you on your crusade!

Tasia

April 13, 2010 #

Count me in! I’ve already mentioned on my blog, so I have to do it now :)
http://sewaholic.net/up-for-the-challenge-me-made-may/
Honestly though, I’m really excited to show off my handmade garments and consciously choose them to wear in the morning, instead of reaching for jeans over and over again.
Thanks for leading the challenge and inviting the online world to participate!

jenn

April 13, 2010 #

I would love to join us, but I’ll take on the ultra-lite version. I am new to sewing, and sew far I’ve made myself a skirt and a bracelet. I’ve made my daughter a couple skirts and have almost completed a dress. I’ll wear what I can, but don’t think I can wear the same skirt for a whole month.

debbie

April 15, 2010 #

Maybe you could count your daughter’s clothes too – have a one-member-of-family-wearing-me-made-clothes each weekend version?

Zoe

April 15, 2010 #

That’s an awesome idea! I love it!

ikkwow

April 19, 2010 #

Maybe I will join you on your crusade!

http://www.dhlinks.com

April 19, 2010 #

I have been ramping up my home sewn goods in anticipation since last week.

Mikhaela

April 13, 2010 #

Oh I love it! I can’t commit, though–I only got back into sewing a few months ago, and while I wear at least one garment I’ve made at least 4 days out of 7, I’m not quite there yet, even for the lite version.

But, coincidentally, I am wearing both a top and skirt I made today, I was so pleased with myself when I left the house this morning.

jaime

April 15, 2010 #

So excited to do this!! I have been ramping up my home sewn goods in anticipation since last week.

Nicole

April 15, 2010 #

I wish I had enough me-made clothes to join in, but I fear that’s not the case for me yet! I tend to make loud crazy things and then pair them with more understated store bought things to tone them down. If I wore entirely me-made stuff I might end up looking pretty loud!

Annie

April 19, 2010 #

I’m planning to play along. I’ll wear one item that I have made every day in May. I’m very excited and think this will inspire me to sew up all of the stores of fabric I have, too!

Susan

April 21, 2010 #

Just to inspire you: for me, it’s an unusual event when I am wearing nothing I made. It does happen on rare occasions. For me, when I sometimes try things on at an actual store, I am very dismayed at how poorly things fit. Even my not so good stuff is better. Just keep sewing and eventually you won’t need RTW.

Vanessa

April 25, 2010 #

Yes! I’ve been doing the “Lite” version for a month now. Maybe I’ll go for wearing two or more items in May?

gucci handbags blog

March 2, 2011 #

Hey there, thanks for the blog post! I have been following your weblog for a short time now and i am definitely having fun with it. I actually had a couple of questions concerning your blog though. Do you consider it will be possible for me to contact you further to debate it? Possibly setup a chat on e-mail or an instant messanging program? In any other case, many thanks anyhow and I will continue to read and comment.

Pamela

March 2, 2012 #

Can this include items like Me Made jewelry too?? While I think I have enough, I would like to spiff it up w/ things I have made in all areas of my work,,,,maybe this is only for sewing??
Is knitting included too?

thanks~Pamela

Pamela

March 2, 2012 #

Besides if I do this, it will get those little things ( like hems) DONE! lol!

Erick Mikolajczyk

March 12, 2012 #

Whats up, I want to ask you some thing. Is this site a wordpress website? We are pondering switching our web page from Blogger to wordpress, ya think that is doable? Additionally did you create this specific template by yourself some how? Cheers for your help!