Me-made-May 2024: Week Two

Me-made-May is in full swing and as the weather is getting colder, I’m realising there might be quite a few of my favourites that won’t even get their chance. Some other things I’m learning:

• I don’t particularly like having to take a photo of what I’m wearing every day. Although I do like the process of recording which me-made item I wore.
• I will need to up my game for colder weather clothes
• There are days when I enjoy planning out my outfit and executing it, and others where I can’t be bothered and it feels like a bit of a chore to think of what to wear.

Overall though, it’s a fun exercise and certainly making me rethink how I wear some of my pieces and also encouraging me to pull out some of the oldies from the back of the closet.

Day 6: Pietra pants in plaid

Like: I love this pattern…which is fairly obvious since I made three pairs! I love that it has no closures, the pockets are great and the lines are flattering.

Don’t Like: I don’t like this poly blend fabric. It looks ok but doesn’t feel great and makes me regret choosing a cheapo synthetic. This version’s waist is also not quite tight enough but it works for a quick throw on.

Day 7: The Elizabeth Skirt

Like: I like that I created this pattern myself and the two contrasting Shwe Shwe prints in green make me happy.

Don’t like: The uneven hem length was a design choice and although I do like it, I think it’s the reason I don’t wear this skirt as often as I could.

Day 8: Grey Pencil skirt

Like: The tease of ‘corporate in the front and cheeky red zip and red Shwe Shwe pleat at the back’.

Don’t like: It’s not a bad skirt but maybe not the most comfortable.

Day 9: My first Renfrew

Like: One of my all time favourites. Very comfortable and wearable… especially before an icy ocean plunge

Don’t like: It’s just getting a bit old.

Day 10: Renfrew in beige

Like: warm, comfortable, a good staple in the cupboard.

Don’t Like: It’s a bit of a boring colour, but sometimes we need that.

Day 11 outfit 1: Mom’s favourite summer top

Like: I wear this top a lot. The fabric is great, the design is good – I copied a top my mom has and wears all the time.

Don’t like: The neckline is fraying a bit – I don’t think I sewed that part very well.

Day 11 outfit 2: Sirrocco jumpsuit in gold

Like: Oh how I enjoyed making and wearing this! It came out much better than I expected and I had a blast wearing it.

Don’t like: I can’t wear it every day!

Day 12: The forgiving floral shirt aka Mother’s Day shirt

Like: A classic oldie pattern, great floral cotton that feels great.

Don’t like: If I made it again, I wouldn’t have a different fabric under the collar and the buttons aren’t my favourite.

Me-Made-May 2024: Week one

Me-Made-May is off to a good start and already I’m learning lots, not only about the pieces I’ve made, but also things like: May in the southern hemisphere can be a cold time to commit to wearing self-made items when I prefer making summer things!

Day 2: Summery shift dress

Like: I love the cotton fabric and how it feels. The print is fun and happy. I like the shape the princess darts create.

Don’t like: There isn’t much I don’t like about this dress. The slit at the back is a bit high but still workable.

Day 3: Fancy Hawaiian shirt

I realise that I didn’t ever blog about this one. It was made while on holiday in Maui many many years ago. The fabric is a beautiful floral print from Liberty…I think.

Like: I love the soft cotton in the bright floral print. It makes me smile. The two shaping darts in the front are very flattering and the shape of the collar works quite well.

Don’t like: When I completed this shirt as per the exact instructions, I was very irritated to realise that I was told to make the button holes horizontal, not vertical, and too far away from the edge. This just annoys me and taught me the lesson that sometimes my judgement is better than the pattern instructions. Although I thought I’d like the simplicity of the collar that is part of the shirt front pieces and no button stand, I think I actually prefer separate pieces for those elements.

Day 3 outfit 2: Open back beaded dress

I made this one for a New Year’s Eve party years ago and while it’s a fun outfit to wear, it seldom gets its time in the limelight. An impromptu ‘Fancy Family Friday night dinner’ was a great opportunity to pull it out.

Like: It’s a fun style with a very dramatic back. The beads are a great element that are perfect for shaking on the dance floor.

Don’t like: I don’t love the base fabric and for some reason I made the lining way too short so it rides up. It’s not a dress you can sit down for long in because of the beads and choosing the right underwear makes it a difficult dress to wear regularly.

Day 4: Ziggi Jacket

Like: I LOVE ZIGGI!

Day 4 outfit 2: Sirrocco jumpsuit in green

This one is hot off the sewing table so I haven’t blogged about it and the fun and games in the making thereof. That will come. For now I’ll just speak to the wearing part.

Like: I love the colour and the soft comfortable feel of the cotton knit. The shape is great and I feel good wearing it. I like that it has no closures.

Don’t like: Given that there are no closures, I have to be very careful I don’t damage the waist seams when I put it on and take it off. Otherwise no real complaints from wearing it.

Day 5: Pink longsleeve t-shirt

Like: It’s comfortable. A great Sunday-around-the-house top. Bright pink is fun.

Don’t like: I made it pre-overlocker days so it’s not particularly well made and is falling apart in places. The neckline finishing was an experiment and I waver between loving it and hating it.

Me-Made-May 2024: Let’s Begin

I discovered Me-Made-May, a fantastic sewist challenge created by Zoe from ‘So Zo, What do you know?’ years ago and it’s been a whole decade since that first, and only, attempt. I loved the challenge of wearing something I’ve hand crafted for each day of the month but what with life, three children, moving country, four different demanding jobs and just all the admin of adulting, I haven’t had the foresight or mental bandwidth to do it again …until now. So here goes!

I, Mary of DodgyZebra.wordpress.com, pledge to wear at least one me-made garment every day for the month of May 2024.

I love making clothes and I love wearing the clothes that I make. But there are definitely winners and losers and as I endeavour to be more thoughtful about the clothes I make, I hope this challenge helps me better understand and articulate what it is about each piece that I like and don’t like. And in doing so, I hope to create more of the clothes I love to wear and fewer of the pieces that frustrate me and get shoved into back-of-the-closet-purgatory,

Day 1: Bat wing top:

What I like: Love the vibrant colours and the combination of woven in the front and knit in the back. I like the general shape and the simplicity. I like the wide binding / narrow facing of the woven fabric – it’s a clever way of dealing with finishing off a neckline for a knit fabric.

What I don’t like: I don’t like the way the hem curls up in the front centre. I really don’t like the synthetic, clingy feel of the polyester woven front fabric (despite the great print) and I don’t like the way I am constantly adjusting the neckline to stop choking me.

This is starting off very critical, but I think it’s good. If I’m challenged to wear a wider variety of the clothes I make, I need to know why I don’t wear them more often.

And so Me-Made-May 2024 begins. Here’s to a month of wearing and sharing.