Me Made May - The End!

Here's the last week of Me Made May:

Monday, May 26

A warm at-home day, so I went for stripey shorts made from the Pajama Style pants pattern in the May, 2012 Burdastyle, along with an Alabama Chanin tee. I made the hat too, quite a while ago.

Tuesday, May 27

Tuesday was a work day, I so test-drove my vintage Simplicity wrap skirt along with a top that I made from a Burdastyle pattern so long ago I can't remember which issue it was in. The top is one of their boxy styles and I didn't realize the lack of shape until I'd flat-felled all the seams. I hardly ever wear it but I've never gotten rid of it because I like the fabric so much. I got it at a little fabric store in Healdsburg, which has since gone out of business. Turns out it works OK tucked into something high-waisted, so now I'm glad I hung onto it.

Wednesday, May 28

This dress was my first try at a vintage pattern. It's a Butterick which looks like it might be from the 40's that I tried (pretty unsuccessfully) to grade up a size or two. The fabric is kind of a ho-hum color so I don't wear this often either. Though during the day I thought it was pretty comfortable and I liked it better than I remembered. Looking at this picture though, I'm putting it back in the "meh" category again.

Thursday, May 29

Thursday I test-drove my diner blouse with my denim Burda pajama style pants. I stayed pretty comfy all day, so I think the top will be a winner for the road trip.

Friday, May 30

Friday I pulled out a cowl-neck tee that I made ages ago from a pattern and instructions in a Threads magazine. I'm thinking that I might give this pattern another try if I can find it in my pattern drawer (which I have to moosh down to close). I didn't like it when I first finished it, but I've come to appreciate it and I think I could do a better job with it now that I've got a few more years sewing experience under my belt. The skirt is a double-width of some Kaffe Fasset cotton pleated into a waistband. The great thing about skirts is you can use the colors you love but could never wear near your face.

Saturday, May 31

Saturday I wore my Crazy Pants (the drawstring trousers from May, 2013 Burdastyle) along with the Stylish Sweatshirt from the September, 2012 issue. I made the pants for vacation last year. Drawstring pants are another style I remember from my youth. Now that I've made them again I also remember the style issues; the gathers at the waist give me bulk where I least need it and the drawstring puffs out in front, also not a great look. But I like the fabric too much to send them to a new home quite yet. The top is made from a sweater knit that's a pain to wear, but I do like the style. I'd like to make it again in a nicer fabric. It has french darts and a low-dipping V-neck in the back, so it has a little bit of "hello sailor" to it.

I had a great time with Me Made May. As for so many other sewists, it's shown me where I have a few holes in my wardrobe. I could do with a few more black or khaki tops made from the stylish sweatshirt pattern, for one. It also sent me to the back of the closet to give another look at some older makes. Turns out I like some of them better than I remembered!

Even taking the daily pictures wasn't bad at all. Probably because The Man was so sweet about those early-morning photo shoots. We had a kind of "best out of three" rule - he'd just snap a quick three shots and I'd make do with what we got.

Another little benefit: I've gotten a bit more relaxed about how I look in pictures. The more you see yourself, the easier it gets.