It’s over! I made it. I can’t even believe it. I repeated a lot of outfits (shamelessly) and cheated a little with quilting or bags rather than clothes, but I feel like I fulfilled my pledge:

I, Jordan Slice-Metcalfe, sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May ’17. I endeavor to wear, use, or accessorize with at least one thing I’ve made with my own two hands each day for the duration of May 2017.

I’m including the final 3 days in this post but the bulk of what I’m sharing are my reflections – what I learned this month. So keep reading beyond the pictures 😉

Day 29: Tammy’s Tulip Shorts

A repeat from Week 2.

I had plans of making another pair from a Lilly Pulitzer dress I thrifted {you can see it if you swipe to photos 2 & 3 in this post} but tragically I cut the legs the same rather than mirrored. I barely had enough fabric to get those cut so unfortunately those shorts are a bust.

• Pattern: Ladies Tammy’s Tulip Shorts by Sew Caroline {affiliate link}
• Fabric: donated from someone’s attic with self-made bias tape trim.
• Blogged: not yet!

Day 30: a new Parkside Skirt

I made another Parkside Skirt from what was left of the crepe attic stash fabric (although I think I still have leftovers…this fabric haul was awesome. It’s lasted me so long!).

I wanted a “neutral” bottom for work. I don’t have a lot of tops but now I have more flexibility if I want to make some {because this skirt will go with anything!}

• Pattern: Parkside Skirt by Sew Caroline {affiliate link}
• Fabric: black crepe fabric donated to my stash
• Blogged: not this particular version since it’s hot-off-the-sewing-machine, but you can read my thoughts on the pattern in this post!

Day 31: my refashioned Housedress

Another repeat from Week 1 & Week 3.

• Pattern: no pattern – just an old house-dress taken in and hemmed.
• Fabric: cotton
• Blogged: here!

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Me-Made-May/Sewing-related resources I’m lovin’ this week:

1. Christine Haynes’ tips for Perfecting the Travel Wardrobe in the latest Seamwork Mag issue – These are really great tips! The Hubs & I have a roadtrip to Canada planned in a few weeks and I’ve been mentally browsing my patterns trying to prioritize what I need to make for the trip.

• Patterns at the top of my list: San Francisco Swing Dress by Sew Caroline, another pair of Tammy’s Tulip Shorts, Laurelhurst Cardigan by Straight Stitch Designs, and possibly another Date Night Dress
• What are your recommendations for a summer capsule/travel wardrobe?

2. From Becoming Minimalist – 3 Steps to End Closet Chaos – these are actually really great tips regardless of whether you have a handmade wardrobe or a ready-to-wear closet. I have clothes hidden all over my house that I know I should get rid of. I’m thinking of taking the plunge and dumping them all on my bed like the post recommends to force myself to purge.

#mmmay17 posts I’m lovin’ this week

• This Driftless Cardigan by @happylat. I love the pockets! It looks so cozy. I might need to treat myself to this pattern!
• This vintage-sheet-turned-dress is so pretty! I have a few vintage sheets I’ve been debating on whether to turn into dresses.
• I love this dress by Anya – and it looks like it’s a soon-to-be-released pattern {Forsythe Dress by French Navy}
• I like the print and shape of this dress.
• This Tea House dress is lovely!
• This bra is so pretty!

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Week 5 / FINAL Me-Made-May Reflections

This was my first year participating in Me-Made-May and it was quite a challenge! I started the month off worried that I’d run out of clothes to wear (which I quickly did). After a few moments of “oh no…what if I wear the same outfits again?” I realized 1) there was no way possible I wasn’t going to repeat outfits and 2) did it really matter? Clothes are meant to be worn more than once. That’s the point.

My major take-aways:

1. We should be proud to repeat outfits. 

I felt a bit insecure (particularly in the beginning) about the amount of times I repeated my handmade outfits this month. In a perfect world, I would have liked to have worn totally different outfits every.single.day. – but why?

I was worried that my “followers” would get bored if I didn’t share a variety of outfits. Why does that matter? It doesn’t…and shouldn’t. My life is not a TV show. In fact, it’s incredibly un-glamorous. I repeat outfits a lot.

At first I was ashamed, but then I started to reflect more and came around to the realization that repeating outfits is a good thing. It means that I really like the clothes I’ve spent hours making for myself – they make me feel good and I enjoy wearing them.

By the end of the month I felt like I was really being myself – being real. It felt like a badge to repeat my outfits and I was proud – proud that I have clothes I want to wear and proud that I actually wear what I make (vs. making impractical “unworns” or ill-fitting clothes).

2. I learned a lot about my style.

• Separates for weekends, dresses for weekdays – I tried to incorporate some “separates” into my rotation {see Week 2} but quickly realized that those aren’t my favorites. I like wearing separates on the weekends, but for work I really prefer dresses. Now I know to focus on casual pieces if I’m making separates and dresses if I’m in need of work outfits.
• I hate working with thin fabric – I had some really thin rayon spandex knit that I was working with at the end of Week 3 that reminded me of how much I hate thin fabric. That is also the reason I still have not finished my Darling Ranges dress – I was making it in voile and it was making me crazy. I’m not even sure I can tell you that I really enjoy wearing thin fabric (so perhaps it’s really not worth the headache).
• If I like it, I’ll wear it a thousand times – I already admitted this, but it really came to light. I was not successful in “forcing” myself to wear handmade garments that I didn’t truly enjoy wearing. Proof: My sister brought me a bag of clothes I’d made for her (which were mostly first-drafts of patterns I’d later make for myself after adjusting the pattern). Despite my asking her if I could borrow them for “variety,” they never made it out of the bag she sent them in. I knew they didn’t fit me like they should and I would not enjoy wearing them so I didn’t try. Some people care about the variety of clothing they wear. Others like me care only about comfort. I can’t help it 😉
• I really prefer uncomplicated patterns – There were tons of sewists sharing on the hashtag with some really impressive outfits. I realized that most of what I sew is very uncomplicated (which I already knew). I tend to steer clear of closures and patterns with lots of separate pieces requiring lots of additional seams to sew. I like the loose fit of garments without closures, but I also like that they do not take me any longer than they already do! I have limited time for sewing (and I’m very slow). Tackling a more complicated garment means I wouldn’t be able to create as much or as often and would likely become impatient and frustrated. Knowing this allows me to avoid purchasing patterns that may collect dust in my stash.

3. I am surrounded by really supportive people. 

Several people commented on my posts on Instagram, a friend sent me a text, and a few people told me in person how much they were enjoying seeing the posts each day.

Hearing this really made me feel so supported! Posting about myself every single day made me feel very self-absorbed. It was nice to hear at least a few people out there were enjoying them 😉

3. Me-Made-May is the perfect way to discover new patterns.

While browsing the hashtag this month, I found several patterns I’d not heard of. It was also neat to rediscover some I’d heard of, but had not seen “in action.”

4. I would participate again.

I really enjoyed being a part of Me-Made-May and now that I’ve taken the plunge and overcome my fears [mostly of outfit repeats], I’m willing to participate again! I’m excited to see how my handmade wardrobe will change from year-to-year.

This was truly a fun experience. It was very introspective and has given me confidence to love the clothes I’ve made {and not stress about how much I haven’t sewn yet}.

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I hope you’ve enjoyed following along on my Me-Made-May journey! In case you missed them, you can catch up on the previous week’s recaps here: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, and Week 4.

Now we’re really on the downward slide! The month of wearing me-mades is coming to a close.

Catch up on Me-Made-May recaps: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3 – read on to see & hear all about what I wore for Week 4!

Day 22: my peachy Fen Dress

Trailer Stash Fabrics visited one of the Quilt Guild’s I’m a part of {see the adorable trailer here} and it was amazing! I’ve been admiring this mobile fabric shop for a while and was thrilled for the chance to check it out and shop in person.

I picked up The Dress Shirt pattern by Merchant & Mills along with three of the Essex Linen colorways: olive, blue & black. Y’all know from Week 2’s reflections that I’m trying to build more basics into my wardrobe and have been digging the “linen” looks. I can’t wait to give this pattern a try with some of my new fabric!

• Pattern: Fen Dress by Fancy Tiger Crafts {repeat from Week 2}
• Fabric: Cotton + Steel from Finch Knitting + Sewing Studio
• Blogged: here

Day 23: my 1st Tank Dress

Repeat from Week 1.

• Pattern: The Tank Dress by Sew Caroline {affiliate link}
• Fabric: Quilting cotton {Anna Maria Horner – Raindrop Poppies in Amber from the Floral Retrospective Collection}
• Blogged: mentioned in this post & on My most worn garments of 2016 list

Day 24: my 2nd Tank Dress

This is the 3rd time I’ve worn this dress this month – it’s a repeat from Week 1 & Week 3. I shared my feelings about this and my coffee spill in my post on Instagram.

• Pattern: The Tank Dress by Sew Caroline {affiliate link}
• Fabric: Quilting cotton from JoAnn’s
• Blogged: On My most worn garments of 2016 list

Day 25: my 2nd Fen Dress

I’ve completely given in to the three’peats. I love the clothes I’ve made and I want to wear the ones I love most. So, I’m wearing this dress for the 3rd time this month because I love it {worn during Week 1 & Week 3}.

What I love most about this dress is the peek-a-boo vintage floral fabric detail ensuring this dress is the only dress in the world quite like it 😉

• Pattern: Fen Dress by Fancy Tiger Crafts
• Fabric: Robert Kaufman chambray {imagine gnats has some similar fabric here} with vintage floral fabric accents from Thrifted Sisters
• Blogged: here & also on my Most Worn Garments list (of course)

Day 26: a new Fen Dress!

Can you believe I have something new to wear?! I have been working on this dress for a few months. I ordered the woven fabric from Fabric Cadabra last fall in hopes of making a dress to wear to Anna Maria Horner‘s workshop {because this is from her Loominous Yarn Dyed fabric collection & I am nothing short of teacher’s pet – proof}, but that didn’t happen.

Originally I’d planned to make the entire dress from the woven design but I cut the bottom pieces wrong and instead used some leftover crepe from the attic donation {I wish I had a ton more of this fabric because it’s so easy to work with and has great drape. It’s probably my favorite from the attic stash}. I’m happy that little mistake happened because a full dress with the woven design would have been a little too much. I think it worked out 😉

• Pattern: Fen Dress by Fancy Tiger Crafts
• Fabric: top – “Seedlings in Black” from Anna Maria Horner’s Loominous Yarn Dyes collection for Freespirit/Westminster Woven Fabric + bottom – black crepe donated to my stash from someone’s attic.
• Blogged: not this one since it’s fresh-off-the-sewing-machine, but you can read about my other 2 Fen’s here!

Day 27: Hand-quilting

Cheat day! 😉

I made some hand-quilting progress on my Palmetto Modern Quilter’s Guild challenge project {due in June and since I’m the planner of the challenge I better get working!}.

We spend Saturdays visiting our local market and going for a long walk around town. It was a hot day so I wanted to wear some dry-fit shorts – they were RTW and I spent most of the walk reflecting on how much better my handmade shorts fit.. 😀

While quilting, Charlotte & I had the luxuriously air-conditioned view of the Hubs mowing the lawn 😉

• Pattern: <> Quilt from Anna Graham’s Handmade Style book {Side note: This is one of the most-used sewing books I have – I’ve made several of the bags from it and love all of the projects. If you enjoy following Anna’s blog or if you’ve ever tried one of her patterns, you’ll love the book}.
• Fabric: it’s all quilting cotton from my stash so my final quilt will look totally different than the crisp design in the book 😉
• Blogged: not yet!

Day 28: Parkside Shorts

I love the Parkside Shorts because – pockets! I wore them on Sunday as a swimsuit cover-up to the lake with family.

• Pattern: Parkside Shorts by Sew Caroline {affiliate link}
• Fabric: fabric donated from someone’s attic – mostly a lightweight denim.
• Blogged: here!

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Me-Made-May/Sewing-related resources I’m lovin’ this week:

1. Tailor Made Shop is having a 2nd year anniversary sale {details here}! The Watson Bra is still on my sewing list. I have a kit that I picked up from Mercer’s Fabric while visiting Boston last year…but I’m totally considering buying another kit from Tailor Made!

PS: I’ve never purchased from Tailor Made, but I’ve heard great things and really like her blog!

2. This encouraging post about why experienced quilters should encourage and support the newbies. The insight in the article can really apply to any adventure. I posted it on my guild’s Facebook page and it got a lot of traction. Many of the more experienced quilters shared it which made me happy. I always feel so encouraged and supported by the members of both guilds I’m a part of – both of which contain far more experienced sewist than myself. I think it’s so important to encourage others – particularly on adventures in which you may be more experienced with 😉

#mmmay17 posts I’m lovin’ this week

• Dalmatian print fabric – need I say more?!
• A flamingo print Asher top – the more I see of this pattern, the more I wanna make it!
• Trish’s new workout set is what floral dreams are made of.
• The shoulder pleats and drape of the tie at the front of this top are so lovely. I had not seen this pattern before, but it is the Rhapsody Blouse and there’s a sew-along coming in June. (Here’s another version of the blouse and how it looks with the cord tied – so cute!)
• This off-the-shoulder blouse is so pretty! Bernina’s We All Sew blog has a tutorial if you are interested in making your own.
• I really like the style of this dress (and those pretty buttons!).
• I’m really digging this Carson Dress by Jess of Willow & Stitch. The pattern has been in my “favorites” on Etsy for a while. I really love the style.

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Week 4 Reflections

This week has been mostly outfit repeats which has brought up a lot of feelings about clothing. Outfits are not meant to be disposable and there should be no shame in wearing them repeatedly.

I’m working to invest in higher quality fabric and material to better ensure my clothing will last (because clearly I love to wear my clothes a lot). It takes me HOURS that sometimes stretch over the course of a few weeks (..or months) to finish a garment. After all the time I spend making it, I expect to enjoy wearing it for a long time.

Having the skills to make my own clothing in styles and fabrics that I enjoy wearing is a true honor. I have spent A LOT of time building this skill over the years. I did not grow up sewing. This is something that I adopted as an adult. My stepmom showed me the basics of how to operate my initial machine, but after that I relied solely on tutorials I could find online. I’ve since taken a small handful of classes, but the blogosphere is still my go-to.

I say all of this because people tell me all the time “I wish I knew how to sew” or “I wish I had time to sew”…

1. The former is a myth. You CAN sew. You can find a cheap machine (or ask around – I bet you know someone with a machine that’s been gathering dust that they’d be willing to let you have); you can find tutorials and videos online; and you can even reach out to your local fabric shops about classes or contact your local quilt guild to see if there are members who offer private lessons.
2. The latter is so offensive. Please stop acting like because I sew I have WAY more time on my hands than you do. I assure you I do not. The sewing community is full of some incredible people who work incredibly hard. Many of us work full-time jobs away from our sewing machines and squeeze sewing time in on the weekends or evenings. I can’t speak for the parents out there, but there are loads in the sewing community and I know they’re wickedly busy balancing children, a family, and their sewing adventures. The bottom line is: If you love something, you will make time for it. And the fact is: We value different things. I spend my time sewing. And you spend your time doing whatever it is that you find valuable. I don’t judge your choice so please don’t pretend mine is inferior.

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Are you participating in Me-Made-May? What are your reflections as this month comes to an end?

We’re on the home stretch! Week 3 of Me-Made-May has come and passed and now we’re on the downward slope of a month full of sporting me-made garments. I can’t believe I’ve made it this far 🙂

In case you missed it, you can catch up on Week 1’s recap here & Week 2’s recap here. Read on to see what I wore for Week 3!

Day 15: My 1st Out and About Dress

This is the first dress I ever made! The seams are kind of embarrassing. It was before I knew how to use a twin needle so it’s all zig-zag stitch which is fine, but I’m pretty sure I used a larger stitch than I should’ve and the thread is starting to show in spots and I’m always worried it’s going to “bust at the seams” Nonetheless, I still love it.

• Pattern: Out and About Dress by Sew Caroline {affiliate link}
• Fabric: fawn printed jersey knit from Girl Charlee {my colorway appears to be out of stock, but here are 2 similar prints: rose & aqua}
• Blogged: here!

Day 16: My 2nd Out and About Dress

Variety is not a trait I’m known for so repeating patterns on back-to-back days happened a lot 😉

• Pattern: Out and About Dress by Sew Caroline {affiliate link}
• Fabric: a luxuriously soft mint colored knit I picked up at my local JoAnn’s
• Blogged: here!

Day 17: Refashioned Housedress

My first repeat {from Week 1}! I have told y’all many times that this dress is one of my favorites…and it’s true. It’s so comfortable and I really do wear it almost weekly. #NoShame

I’m running out of steam for selfies (especially for repeats) so I shared a picture mostly of my pup Charlotte. She had surgery earlier in the week on her ear and recovery was rough. She’s doing much better now, but for a few days we were all kind of a wreck. The Hubs found her 8 years ago – she was in heat and appeared to have recently had puppies. I could go on and on about her, but I’ll just say: She’s the most amazing dog. ❤

• Pattern: none – it’s a refashion
• Fabric: cotton
• Blogged: here & on my Most Worn Garments list

Day 18: my 1st Fen Dress

Another repeat from Week 1! One of my projects launched this week so work has been a little crazy. It’s nice to be busy and it’s neat seeing something you’ve worked on so hard move out into the world. However, nothing ever goes as smoothly as planned. I needed my favorite outfits for comfort and reassurance which explains the repeats this week 😉

Also needed this week: yoga

• Pattern: the Fen Dress by Fancy Tiger Crafts
• Fabric: Robert Kaufman chambray {imagine gnats has some similar fabric here} with vintage floral fabric accents from Thrifted Sisters
• Blogged: here & also on my Most Worn Garments list.

Day 19: my 2nd Tank Dress

Another repeat from Week 1. It’s one of my favorite dresses. On this 2nd version, I moved the elastic casing on the back up to “petite-ify” it and it makes the fit just so much better!

Also, fun fact: My sister bought me this necklace when we were in high school. She got it from one of our favorite local shops that personalized everything which was all the rage in the suburbs where we grew up. I love it and still wear it almost every day. It’s so special and makes me think of her (and the sweet way she calls me “Jord“) every time I put it on.

• Pattern: The Tank Dress by Sew Caroline {affiliate link}
• Fabric: quilting cotton from my local JoAnn’s {I actually really love this pattern in quilting cotton}
• Blogged: Not a stand-alone post, but it is a part of My most worn garments of 2016 list

Day 20: my navy blue Parkside Shorts

My friend Shanika just became a certified cycling instructor so I attended one of her spin classes with my friend Addie on Friday. I’ve forgotten how intense cycling is and I thought I would pass out several times (ha), but I loved it so much! I loved that my friend’s passion for this sweaty torture was contagious and that I had my other friend to my right willing to tell me stories about sewing and her latest research projects (and my new friend Jernell to my left who was singing along with every song which was pretty appropriate considering her latest podcast). They’re the coolest.

After class Shanika surprised me with a Lepidolite stone. It’s a great stone for anxiety and depression – something she knows I struggle with. My heart felt so happy that she thought of me and wanted to share her stone-love with me (and it’s really pretty!). She’s been talking all about stones on her podcast lately which I’ve been really enjoying – you can listen here!

• Pattern: Parkside Shorts by Sew Caroline {affiliate link}
• Fabric: some mystery fabric donated from someone’s attic. I don’t even know what to guess for it (I really need to learn more about substrates).
• Blogged: not this specific version, but you can read my thoughts on the pattern in this post!

Day 21: sewing a Montlake Tee

Full disclosure: I spent the entire day indoors sewing {that’s what happens when the Hubs goes out of town} and did not wear anything cute or me-made. However, I did start sewing another Montlake Tee from some really thin, soft, super stretchy fabric that was kind of a nightmare to sew. My friend Addie reminded me about putting tissue paper under the fabric which helped some. I made it to the bottom hem before I ripped a hole in the shirt after it got stuck in my feed dogs. Then I chopped the hem off and it’s raw now (which I should’ve just gone with from the beginning to save myself the headache). I threw the shirt in time-out so I didn’t even try it on to see, but I’m afraid it may be a crop top now 😦

• Pattern: Montlake Tee by Straight Stitch Designs
• Fabric: Rayon Spandex Jersey Knit in mauve from Fabric.com {similar fabric}
• Blogged: no, but you can see my first Montlake Tee in Week 2

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Me-Made-May/Sewing-related resources I’m lovin’ this week:

1. Fat shaming is never okay & we can all stand to be a little (LOT) more supportive of each other

“This Woman Was Shamed for Wearing Shorts and She’s Speaking Out” was shared in a sewing group I’m a part of as a post of gratitude because the group has been and is so supportive of all shapes & sizes.

In fact, I have found the sewing community at-large to be one of the most supportive groups I’ve run across. Particularly garment sewists – perhaps because we see our proportions as measurements for a pattern rather than size labels from big-box-shops?

Whether you sew or not, the post is worth a read. We could all stand to be a little more supportive. I find the outfit in question very flattering for this curvy chick. Personally, I think she looks amazing.

#mmmay17 posts I’m lovin’ this week

• Loving this sleeveless Aster! I think I might be adding the Aster blouse to my “to sew” list as soon as I finish the Darling Ranges dress… #FearOfButtons
• Wild about this watermelon print bikini! How perfect is that for summer?!
• Digging this Euler Bralette! Just realized that you can buy kits from the pattern designer. My poor wallet…
• Trish is always amazing me. I am smitten with her “coffee and sewing” shirt {my 2 faves!} See her wearing it here.
• The drape on this blouse is so perfect!
• Kiwi print fabric exists!
• This vintage-looking version of the Seamwork Addison top is beautiful–the bow is the perfect addition!
• These Lola panties are the most lovely shade of pink – aren’t they so pretty?!

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Week 3 Reflections

This week the Hubs said “I like seeing you in clothes you make. You seem so much happier wearing those.” (I can’t guarantee those were his exact words because I have the memory of a peanut so I’m paraphrasing 😉 ).

There are so many benefits to sewing your own clothes: 1) you can customize the fit – well-fitting clothing will naturally make you feel much better, 2) you can customize the fabric/design – aka: you can make a dress with peaches on it or any other print that tickles your fancy/makes you smile, 3) wearing something you made with your own two hands is a serious confidence booster.

So, he’s right.

Wearing clothes I’ve made makes me feel more like ME. They are a true creative expression. I’m looking forward to growing my handmade wardrobe and exploring where it takes me!