Me Made May round up

And here are the last few days of Me Made May 2016. Plus a few thoughts and what I'm going to sew as a result:

Sunday 29th May
Named Jamie Jeans - still unblogged and still hanging my head in shame!
Autumnal flowers jersey top
Pyjamas
Fleece

Monday 30th May
Black Ultimate trousers
Flower print shirt
Pyjamas
Fleece

Tuesday 31st May
Animal print big shirt - love this! Need to make more of them.
Swimsuit
Pyjamas
Fleece - although to be honest it's getting a bit warm to wear it. Even in our flat!

So, the important bit. What have I learnt:

• Quite a lot of my clothes were sewn quite a long time ago. This has been a big revelation! 
• There are some pieces that I wear every week because I just love wearing them. 
• I haven't taken photos every day and for the most part I'm happy with this. Last year it became a huge chore to do a daily photo.
• There are some things I need to add to my sewing list (see below)
• I still seem to be building up my handmade wardrobe and start each season panic-sewing (eg. trousers). By the end of that season I have enough pairs but then the next season begins and the cycle starts again.
• I need to make sure I blog my makes! Quite a few of my clothes were unblogged. 

What do I need to sew:

• More jeans - I'd like to try a slightly different style as I'm using Named Jamie jeans pattern and it's nice to try something new.
• Sew a swimsuit in a patterned fabric
• Summer pyjamas - I need at least one more pair but I have got some fabric set aside
• Summer trousers - I need some cotton/linen trousers in different styles to get through the next few months  -both for work and for leisure time
• Transition/lighter weight jackets. I just can't seem to find a decent pattern and haven't sewn up any. The situation is DIRE!
• Summer cardigans
• Woven t-shirts would be great for work
• Scarves - my collection is getting quite old now and some of them need to be retired and replaced. I'm wondering if I can sew some up?

Well, did you participate in me Made May this year? What have you learnt and has your sewing list just got much longer too?!

Me Made May 2016 - the last week

I have to say it's been a relief not having to take selfies every day. Good decision! So, here's what  I wore during the final week or so:

Sunday 22nd May
Named Jamie jeans
Nightshirt
Black bamboo pyjama trousers

Monday 23rd May
Chrysanthemum top
Black bamboo pyjama trousers
Nightshirt

Tuesday 24th May
Black t-shirt - unblogged (*hanging head in shame)
Swimsuit
Black bamboo pyjama trousers
Nighthshirt

Wednesday 25th May
Black Ultimate trousers
Spotty jersey top
Nightshirt
Black bamboo pyjama trousers

Thursday 26th May
I did wear at least one item of me-made but I can't for the .life of me remember what it was!
Pyjamas
Fleece

Friday 27th May
Cream top
Black Named Jamie jeans
Burgundy Jalie Cocoon cardigan - a favourite and one I should also make in bamboo, now that would be lovely!
Pyjamas
Fleece

Saturday 28th May
Named Jamie Jeans - unblogged (*hanging head in shame). These are newly sewn this month and this was their first time outside.
Flowers top - surprisingly unblogged (*hanging head in shame) - I made this over a year a go and wore it once. I've been starting to wear it more often this year and really like it. Must get some photos though and write a blog post about it though!
Pyjamas
Fleece

The thing that's really astounding me is that some of these items I've sewn are getting quite old now. It's also nice to see that my style has changed over the last two years or so and I've become more adventurous over styles and colours/patterns. If I hadn't had to add links to each item I've worn each day, I'd never be aware of these two points. Hurray for Me-Made-May!

Chrysanthemum print top

Well...when I say chrysanthemum I probably mean it's quite a stylised version but it was the cerise pink that swung it for me! It's easier to see closer up.

I just had to bring out the cerise somewhere and adding bias binding to the neck seemed the right thing to do. This fabric is fine so I drafted facings for the neckline too and this provides enough 'body' for the rest of the top to hang from. I used Simplicity 1364 again and the fabric was bought from John Lewis, perhaps in their sale but I can't remember. 

I have added some width to the back pattern piece and I think I need to review how I've done that. In fact, I'm thinking I should start from scratch with how this pattern fits me and how I go about making fit adjustments. Basically, I'm discovering that with swimming I've developed back muscles (and arm muscles too) and clothing often feels tight across the upper back. I added width (2cm?) to the back pattern piece and I think that was perhaps too much. You can see the too-wide shoulder seams in this photo. 

Good pattern matching though! There is a zip in the back seam, just for info! The pattern is one I've made so many times before. The fabric is a 100% polyester, probably John Kaldor and is good quality. Do I love this top? Not really. Why not? I don't know...I will wear it but I know it won't be the first thing I reach for in the wardrobe. But there you go, some you win, some you lose in a way! 

Me Made May 2016 - week 3

Getting into the swing of this now!

Sunday 15th May
Named Jamie jeans
Tropical floral jersey top
Pyjamas
Fleece

Monday 16th May
Animal print hi-lo hem shirt - obviously time for its weekly outing!
Pyjamas
Fleece

Tuesday 17th May

Floral jersey top
Black Ultimate trousers
Swimsuit
Pyjamas
Fleece

Wednesday 18th May
Coral and cobalt blue shirt
Black denim jeans - these are definitely my favourite jeans and being black I can wear them to work. Result!
Pyjamas
Fleece

Thursday 19th May
Neon flowery shirt
Night-shirt - last year's Vintage Pattern Pledge
Black bamboo pyjama trousers
Fleece

Friday 20th May
Cream bamboo self-drafted top
Nightshirt
Black bamboo pyjama trousers

I love slobbing around in my bamboo trousers and nightshirt! I would love to make another 'set'. Still need another swimsuit in an interesting fabric too. I also think I could do with some more pairs of me-made jeans. Working on that!

Me Made May 2016 - week 2

So, on we go through week 2 of Me Made May 2016. What did I wear and what did I learn this week?

Sunday 8th May
Floral jersey top - this is now getting quite old!
Navy fleece
Pyjamas

Monday 9th May
Coral and cobalt blue shirt
Black Ultimate trousers - still unblogged! (and *still hanging my head in shame*)
Navy fleece
Pyjamas

Tuesday 10th May
Animal print hi-lo hem shirt - a favourite of mine and I note that I also wore it last week!
Jamie black denim jeans - I publicly shamed myself into blogging these
Swimsuit - at my swimming lesson
Navy fleece
Pyjamas

Wednesday 11th May
Floral shirt
Navy fleece
Pyjamas

Thursday 12th May
Floral jersey top
Navy fleece
Pyjamas

Friday 13th May
Teal jersey top - I haven't worn this top this year so a good Me Made May prompt to get it out of the drawer.
Pyjamas
Black fleece

Saturday 14th May
Named Jamie jeans - the first pair of jeans I made...the first of many, hurray!
Pyjamas
Black fleece

Me Made May is making me reach for my less frequently worn garments each morning and I'm liking that! I'm still astounded by how long ago I made my clothes. I have it in my head that 'Oh I made those Jamie jeans about two months ago' but actually looking at the blog post it was in the middle of December. How did that happen! As I'm scrolling though the 'Wardrobe' page I'm also noticing some pieces that I haven't work yet...and we all know Me Made May is good for getting you thinking and doing something about that! What have you learnt so far in Me Made May?

A refashion, a pair of Ultimate trousers and a pair of Jamie jeans

Well, I've been shamed into writing this post by my weekly Me Made may postings. Having to write 'unblogged' too many times! So lets get down to reporting on the backlog. I don't often sew refashions but here's something I have had in my wardrobe for years and haven't worn. The price tag is still attached to it, for heaven's sake! But I liked the fabric so I wanted to make a new top with it, something that would actually get worn...

The fabric is 100% polyester but it behaved itself very well. Here's the 'before' top accessorised with its price tag:

Perfectly nice top. So I used the legendary New Look 6217 . How I love that pattern! Pattern placement is the thing with this fabric. After unpicking the side seams and chopping off the shoulders, v-neck and sleeves there was enough to get the pattern pieces cut out. But there was not enough for the sleeves so I traced a front sleeve and back sleeve pattern piece. Here's a challenge for you, let's play 'spot the sleeve seam' in this photo (I did absolutely no pattern matching for these sleeves):

Nope? I'll point it out for you:

I liked the border print along the hem so I didn't cut the curved pattern hem. I also added side seam slits:

And here's the back, showing the centred pattern placement:

I had a think about how to finish the neck as the pattern uses bias binding. That would be too bulky for this fine fabric so I drafted back and front neck facings to give good support to the neck area. I used soft dark grey iron-on interfacing and the facings have worked a treat. I used the overlocker throughout, except where I couldn't avoid it - topstitching the side seam slits.

So, all in all, I'm really pleased with my new top and happy I've done something with an unworn top that's been hanging in my wardrobe for literally years! Now onto the trousers and here's my play on words for you! I've actually sewn a pair of Ultimate trousers in stretch black suiting and another pair in stretch grey suiting:

I used fabric bought from John lewis and used the overlocker to run them up. Honestly they didn't take much time and they've been washed and worn a lot! Don't you just need some good solid basics? There's not much more to say about these, pretty unremarkable but I really like them.

Now onto the Named Jamie jeans. Again, I've made two pairs, one in stretch black denim and another from stretch black fine needlecord, both fabrics bought from John Lewis. These are also pretty unremarkable too as I've got my adjustments fairly well sorted out. I do have to confess though, that the black needlecord ones will be heading to the charity shop as I mucked up the waistband and made it too small. They've also shrunk slightly in the wash and are now (in my mind) just slightly too short in the legs. I pre-washed my fabrics before cutting out so this was more shrinking going on. Some you win, some you lose! 

Me Made May - Week 1

I wasn't sure how to document what I wear each day during Me Made May 2016. Taking photos last year became such a chore and I don't think it was useful for me. This year, my pledge is to wear at least one me-made every day. I'm interested to see how much of my sewn clothes I actually wear each day and to find out if there are gaps in my wardrobe. So, I'm going to post a weekly catch-up and include links to everything me-made that I wore. Here goes!

Sunday May 1st
Flowery jersey top - I haven't worn this much, probably because it's a 100% polyester jersey and I made it at the middle of winter
Black Fleece - I need to sew replacements for my two zip fleeces
Pyjamas

Monday 2nd May
Flowery jersey top - not the same as yesterdays!
Black trousers - unblogged *hangs head in shame*
Pyjamas
Black fleece

Tuesday 3rd May -
I decided to throw in the odd photo along the way too just to relieve the monotony of too much text and also to prove I'm wearing it today. And because I enjoy changing my rules as I go along!

Hi-lo hem shirt
Swimsuit
Pyjamas
Black fleece

Wednesday 4th May
Floral shirt - love this shirt just for the neon acid yellow in the flower print
Black denim jeans - unblogged *hangs head in shame* (again!)
Pyjamas
Black Fleece

Thursday 5th May
Coral and cobalt blue shirt - reminds me of our trip to London last November, I love a fabric souvenir!
Green wool jacket
Pyjamas
Black fleece

Friday 6th May
Flowery spring shirt
Burgundy cocoon cardigan love this cardigan for its lovely fabric and the colour of it!
Green wool jacket - really need to sew another button and button hole to support the right side overlap
Pyjamas
Navy fleece

Saturday 7th May
Flowery jersey top
Pyjamas
Navy fleece

So what have I learnt in the first week? That I love flowery fabrics would be one thing! The other thing that I need to take on board is that some of these garments are now getting quite old. That's a surprise! It was only going back to add the links that made me realise this, which is interesting. There are also 'work-horse' garments that I wear every day, things like the fleece tops and pyjamas. They're getting quite a lot of wear. And I need to get a grip and blog the unblogged things I'm wearing even if the photos are rubbish because the weather is dull when I'm at home and sunny when I'm at work! What have you learnt? Anything that's a surprise?