it's a wrap ! me made may 2015 round up days 25-30 & reflections

All good things come to an end, and Me Made May has come and gone!

To recap, here are Days 1-6, 7-12, 13-18, 19-24 and ...

Days 25-30 :

day 25 : patchwork tee + banner days everyday skirt + noro scarf
day 26 : (unblogged) anna maria horner woven hemlock tee + noro scarf
day 27 : scout tee + arroway shawl
day 28 : day of the dead sorbetto tank + denim everyday skirt
day 29 : day of the dead wiksten tank + denim everyday skirt + charlotte's web shawl
day 30 : t twist tee + charlotte web shawl

Last, but not least, I ended with Day 31 :

... a sewing machine scout tee & a noro scarf :

I first came across Me Made May a few years ago and felt very inspired by all of the great outfits that I saw ... when I began sewing for myself more last summer, I decided to take on the MMM challenge this year.  I'm so glad I did!

What I learned while playing along this month ...

--> that Instagram really is fun!  I've been on IG for years but have never quite felt like I had the time to engage on any level there.  My participation in MMM this month was a game-changer for me ... and I think I'll make the move to have more of an IG presence now.  I came across so many inspiring outfits and ideas -- this was really fun!  I even posted a "flipagram" of the entire month's outfits on instagram.

--> that despite the fact that I have made many many handknit items -- I only wear a small portion of them!  It's probably time to sort them out and let them go.

--> Speaking of handknit scarves ... I have found that there is a specific kind that I LOVE to wear.  Namely, large, comfy scarves in fingering weight yarns.  My favorites were my Charlotte's Web shawl (which I wasn't even slightly surprised about), and my Stephen West shawls (which I was actually quite surprised at!).   But, I really need to make more shawls in this variety in the future.

--> I have definite items I need to add to my handmade wardrobe ... mostly just basic items in the black, white and denim variety.  But, I am also inspired to make even more fun, colorful items, as I just love wearing them!  I'm currently curating a list of items that I hope to have made by MMM 2016.

So, I was quite pleased with myself that in the midst of one of the busiest times of the year for me (for both family and professional reasons) I managed to pull off the MMM challenge!

me made may 2015 round up days 19-24

We're nearing the end of Me Made May 2015, and I'll be both relieved to finish, and sad to see it come to an end!

So, before I finish off the month, let me recap days 19-24 for you ...

Day 19 : tea leaves cardigan + (favorite) charlotte's web shawl 
Day 20 : catnap bess tunic + sharktooth shawl 
Day 21 : hourglass sweater + radiant orchid streak cowl 
Day 22 : hand-dyed, handknit socks (+ mystery scarf that day)
Day 23 : flannel hemlock tee + scrollwork hat + wintertime bandit scarf
Day 24 : sheep hemlock tee + clapotis scarf

I'll be updating those hemlock tees soon ... ;)

My next MMM check-in will be the last of this month, and I'll have a lot to say at the end of this experience of all handmade wearables in the month of May!  See you then --

Staple Dress #1 : bikes !

I finished a dress in Me Made May -- a Staple Dress, in fact!

I am so excited to add this dress to my repertoire. I bought the pattern ages ago ... like, at least a year ago, but maybe two?? ... and it was one of the motivations that I had to start making my own things.  I am embarrassed that it took this long to make the dress -- because it's quick, and awesome!  I can see why there are so many of them out there in the blogosphere.

I used an inexpensive quilting cotton to try this pattern out.  I'm glad I did, though I don't think I'll make many serious changes next time I made this.  I do think that I'd like to try the hi-low hem in a different fabric, but I'm also pretty happy with the straight hem in a quilting cotton.  I see the possibilities ahead of me ...

This is the dress equivalent of the scout tee, or the everyday skirt ... which means I'll end up making somewhere between three and a dozen of them.   Expect more to appear here!

Notes:
Pattern: Staple Dress in cheapo quilting cotton
Mods: none! Next time I'll do more rows of shirring, and lower down