MeMadeMay 2024: Plans and Objectives!

 

MeMadeMay 2024 is upon us! I don't know quite how May got here so quickly but I'm ready for it again this year. In 2023, I pledged to wear more of my makes together, and to mend/refashion/repurpose as many as I can. I really liked that approach so I'm taking much the same one this year! 

Zoe, the founder of MMM, stresses that this isn't a photo challenge, or a making challenge -- it's supposed to be a chance to examine your wardrobe and sewing habits and figure out what's working, and help you create more sustainably. 

So my pledge, inspired by last year's successful month, is to:

• Mend the items in my mending pile, which only keeps growing
• Wear as many different me-mades as possible this month so that I can evaluate what I like wearing, and figure out how to alter, refashion or re-home the things that I'm not wearing. 
• Use all this info to help determine my sewing queue and wardrobe plans for the rest of the year 

And of course, this is a month to be really inspired by all the outfits under the hashtag! 

Skirt Repair for Continued Wear

Happy Vyshyvanka Day! 
Mine worn with my re-hemmed red skirt

I've had a number of skirts sitting in my mending pile for a while now. This MeMadeMay I decided that I'd focus on looking at my wardrobe, seeing what I enjoy wearing, and also fix some of those pieces that are patiently waiting to be worn again! 

The skirts I've worked on all had minor issues - needing to be rehemmed, bottoms of zips fixed, etc. Nothing hugely construction heavy. And yet they were all languishing. So I grabbed a few of the easy ones and got to work! 

First was this grey skirt from the famed Vogue 1247. The fabric around the zip was weakening slightly, and it wasn't very invisible to begin with - it's an early make. So I simply restitched it closer to the zipper tape to make it more invisible and to reinforce that pulled fabric. It worked just great. 

Before

After

Then I shortened a red knit skirt that I made last year - it's just the wrong length, both too long and too short to be either effectively! So I cut off the current hem and just folded it up again so that it sits at the knee rather than under it. I like this much better. 

Too long and too short and the same time!

Cutting off an inch

I haven't worn this black and white skirt, Simplicity 4236, much since making it in 2014. I put a pocket into one side but it never sits properly. Even though I am staunchly behind adding pockets to everything, this one just doesn't work, so I gritted my teeth and removed this one! It does lie much more smoothly across the hip now, and I think I may wear it again! 

Original

Depocketed!

I still have to shorten and narrow this blue skirt slightly (also a Vogue 1247) 

and make the walking slit in this magenta skirt much longer (and add a modesty panel at the same time - I saw a recent tutorial on adding a Dior pleat to a skirt, and I'll be adapting that here.)

But those are a little more involved so will take a bit longer -- still planning on having them done by the end of MeMadeMay though! 

MeMadeMay 2023

 

I wasn't really thinking about joining MeMadeMay this year. I already have tons of me-mades, and wear something I've made myself just about every day. But then I saw some pledges out there that inspired me. 

Zoe, the founder of MMM, stresses that this isn't a photo challenge, or a making challenge -- it's supposed to be a chance to examine your wardrobe and sewing habits and figure out what's working, and help you create more sustainably. 

So my pledge, inspired by a number of people on IG, is to:

• Mend the items in my mending pile, which only keeps growing
• Wear as many different me-mades as possible this month so that I can evaluate what I like wearing, and figure out how to alter or refashion the things that I'm not wearing. 
• Evaluate my fabric stash to see if there are items there that I won't likely be using in future, and find new homes for those pieces. 

I think this pledge fits in with my focus in recent months, and I feel comfortable with it. If I do share some daily outfit photos on IG, it will be the ones that I have time for, and the ones that I find I really love wearing. And of course I'll keep watching the hashtag because it's great fun to see what everyone else is wearing this month!