What a great experience this whole Me-Made-May ride has been! I could have done without the daily photo-taking, but now that I have pictorial evidence of carrying out my mission, I’m pleased with the results. I managed to wear a different me-made garment every day, and I learned some important lessons, the biggest of which I yammered on about yesterday.
But first, here’s another new thing I was able to produce during the month of May: the ubiquitous Wiksten Tank. I’ve had this pattern downloaded and assembled for a good three months and kept forgetting about it. The multi-color one you see above is my muslin version. I cut out the neck bias binding incorrectly (I failed to cut it on the bias), so the neckline juts out, especially at the back. The fabric is a quilting cotton called Gallery Fiori by Karen Tusinski and I’ve had this since the beginning of time…
I don’t normally make muslins, but lately I’ve been wanting to use nicer fabric for myself like my prized double-gauze fabric from Drygoods; its always an excellent idea to make any necessary adjustments before cutting into lovely double-gauze. The medium seemed just right without any alterations with the quilting cotton (maybe a smidgen snug under the arms), but the double-gauze seemed to stretch more so this one is looser all around. Even so, and even with the slightly pucker-y hem, I’m in love with the easy breezy top! Double-gauze is just ultimate comfort.
There’s not a whole lot I can say about the Wiksten pattern that hasn’t been said already. It’s a quick and satisfying sew with good results. These photos were taken yesterday as you’ll see that I was actually wearing different pants on day 31. Speaking of day 31, I wrapped up the final days of Me-Made-May in hues of blue.
Wiksten Double-Gauze Tank
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And whoa, here are all the weeks together for the grand finale:
…that’s a lot of me at once.
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I’ll keep the lessons learned short:
1. I love dresses, but I don’t like skirts. Maybe I need to explore different styles more?
2. I figured out which clothes to eliminate – like the blue floral washi. As much as I adore the fabric, the dress just doesn’t feel like me. And there were quite a few items that are either too badly constructed from earlier days or just don’t fit well anymore for some reason. The Clover pants, for example. They made me look really dumpy.
3. I tend to cuff my jeans because I’ve always had it in my head that doing so elongates my stubby legs, but I see from the photos that in fact, it shortens my legs, depending on the shoes I’m wearing. Along those lines, nude shoes with a little heel will always create the illusion of longer legs.
4. I really, really like the color blue. Maybe even more than grey these days.
5. I should also try more fitted clothing. I’m starting to think I tend to err on the too-large side of things when I sew clothes.
6. I actually like most of the clothes I’ve made! It was simply out of habit that I rarely reached for my handmade items. And bonus: I got so many compliments from people this month, especially when I wore a dress — from random people! I didn’t always tell them I made whatever it was they commented on, but maybe they could tell extra care went into the clothing?
That’s it! None of them are perfectly made, a bunch of stitches are wonky or I’ve had to mend seams that have fallen apart, etc. etc., but it feels kind of magical that all of these tops and bottoms and dresses came from my own two hands. And there are at least 20 things that I didn’t get a chance to wear! I still have so much to learn and can improve tons, but I definitely feel so much more confident about wearing clothes I’ve made myself. I have big plans, friends, big plans…
That’s really impressive! I am amazed at the great variety of items you have made. Great work!
Thanks, Marjie! Feeling a little self-conscious to see myself lined up all together like that…
I’m about to make a double gauze wiksten tank! It will be my first woven “me” sewing so hopefully it goes well. Eek! Perhaps I should muslin it……I’m using NANI IRO. For the first time, no less.
Awesome, double gauze is the BEST! You’ll never want to take it off. And NANI IRO just takes it up to a whole new level! Can’t wait to see it, Tara. 🙂
Congratulations on completing a whole month of homemade clothes! And thank you for listing your insights. It made me realize that a challenge like this can lead to new understandings and appreciation.
I wanted to get back to sewing to use up my fabric stash, but I think that mode of thinking made it a chore. Looking at it as a path to discovery sounds like a worthwhile effort!
Thanks Kay! It’s pretty eye-opening to wear clothes you’ve made yourself on so many levels – I highly recommend it!
What a stylish month! You’ve made a great wardrobe!
Thank you, Megan! I was pleasantly surprised with the variety and versatility of the clothes I made 🙂 Now I’m itching to expand my repertoire!
Congrats! I love the whole month of clothing. Your sensuous, calm, super-styling wardrobe in an inspiration. For me, Me Made May brought me so much confidence…in my own sense of style, in my skills and in following my gut. I’m wearing so much more handmade in June already. I mean, why stop?
Me too, Melissa! I’ve continued wearing handmades in June as well, though I’ve skipped a day or two. I tell you, not having to take daily photos makes wearing the clothes I’ve made all the more enjoyable! 🙂
Congrats on completing your Me-Made month! Your outfits, no surprise, are beautiful and are true to your clean-lined, Japanese-esque approach to dressing. Love the new Wiksten tank, esp. in that lovely fabric. I hope you find it a regular go-to staple in your wardrobe this summer. And just wanted to say I love how you cuff your pants – I think it looks tres chic!
Oh, the double gauze tank has gotten a LOT of wear already, Lucinda. It’s the best! And thanks for the pants-cuffing love – it’s a deeply ingrained habit at this point, so I do it automatically! 🙂
I love the collage of photos. Apart from the gorgeous clothes it makes me want to run out and buy a tripod and remote control and move my furniture around to get a nice blank space like yours. The pictures are superb.
Your clothes look great. I hear you on the imperfections of early sewing, but you’ve made a wonderful wardrobe for yourself.
Haha! The blank space is deceptive, Shelley — my work table (where I have all my illustration gear, camera equipments and laptop, etc.) is literally five inches to the left of me, and I crop out a ton of things for that white wall. Thank you for the kind words! 🙂
I think your MMM2014 was a success! I had trouble taking photos every day, but last year I did it and I also eliminated lots of unflattering clothing from my wardrobe and new where to focus my efforts in future projects. I love the photos and the objects you created. I learned from your me-mades, that I should buy some linen! 🙂
The photo-taking nearly killed me, Adri! I’m really glad I participated in Me- Made-May this year — it really helped me clarify the direction of my sewing I think. Plus it was eye-opening to see my daily outfits, and I also learned every morning when faced with choosing something handmade to wear. It was interesting to see which ones I reached for while avoiding others. And yes, linen rocks!!