Me-Made-May'13 - Sign me up!

It's that time of year again... Spring is (supposed to be) springing, birds are singing and sewists all over the world are frantically panic sewing in the hopes of expanding their "me-made" wardrobes in time for Zoe's annual self-stitched challenge, Me-Made-May.

The idea, if you're not already familiar, is that we pledge to wear at least one handmade or refashioned piece of clothing each day for the month of May. For me, the reasons to take part in these challenges are threefold: 1, it's a specific chance to celebrate and show off what I've made/see where the gaps in my me-made wardrobe are and what I've clearly been avoiding making. 2, with every challenge and indeed item of clothing I make, I am reminded of how little I spend and how little demand I create for new clothes and fast fashion, with the aim to reduce my consumption further. 3, although I could (and mostly do) apply reasons 1 & 2 to my every day life regardless of this challenge, I love the community aspect, and the support and collective inspiration that comes with seeing hundreds of people worldwide get involved. So, my pledge:

'I, Elisalex of By Hand London and Stitch me Softly, sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May '13. I endeavour to wear one item of me-made or refashioned clothing at the very least, each day for the duration of May 2013'

This is the third time I've taken part in Zoe's challenges, and for the last one I rather ambitiously pledged to wear at least two items of me-mades... I did it, but suffice to say that there were many repeats, and I got pretty sick of quite a few items! So I've gone back to pledging just the one! And if I manage more, which shouldn't be hard seeing as I have a significantly more extensive me-made wardrobe another year on, well then that'll just be a bonus.

One thing I did find hard last time was the photographing and documenting my outfits each day and consistently writing it up throughout the month. So, instead, I think I'll just do my best to Instagram daily @elisalex (using the official hashtag #MMMay13) and then do a little round-up post at the end.

So who else is getting involved??

The Refashioners 2013

I could hardly believe my eyes when I got an email from Portia, aka Miss P, a few weeks ago asking if I'd like to be a part of this year's The Refashioners! Sewing blog buffs among you already know exactly what I'm talking about, but for those of you who don't - this year will see the second series of The Refashioners, in which Portia sends mystery (and generally pretty dodgy) thrifted garments out to a handful of bloggers for them to refashion/customise/repurpose/remake altogether into something not just wearable, but desirable.

Not only can I not wait to see what I've been sent to refashion, but I'm also feeling pretty damn proud right about now to have been placed among such prestigious blogging company. The other girls taking part are all huge inspirations and I'm almost more excited to see what they come up with than I am to take part myself! Almost, I said! Just lay your peepers on the line-up -

Karen - Did you make That

Zoe - So Zo...

Dixie - Dixie DIY

Marie - A Stitching Odyssey

Joanne - Stitch and Witter

Lauren - Lladybird

Tasha - By Gum By Golly

Sally - Charity Shop Chic

Liz - Cotton & Curls

and me

There's not much I enjoy more than a good challenge... if it's more than I can chew, I'll take me a big bite! Portia, do your worst!! x

"I am a very stylish girl"

~ Patricia Neal, Breakfast at Tiffany's

image source

While I, among countless others no doubt, could happily dedicate countless posts to all things Breakfast at Tiffany's (in particular, subject matter dealing with the shoplifting of animal masks, the hosting of decadent cocktail parties in one bed apartments, and needless to add - a girl's love of pearls), right now I am simply using Patricia Neal's infamous statement to introduce Stylish Girl... an iPhone app.

Anti-climax???

Not if, like me, you've been looking for a way to create an inventory of all your self-stitched garments, à la Clueless... Then look no further ~

With this app I have photographed and categorised every item of clothing I have made - including tops, skirts, dresses, trousers, jackets, scarves, hats, bags, panties, socks and shoes (shoes that I designed when I used to design shoes - I figure that still counts as me-made, no?).  You then get to see your entire me-made wardrobe in all its mix-n-match rubik's glory!  Thus enabling your now very smug and anally organised self to flick through and create outfits - just like Cher does!!! - also making it easier to spot what's missing and plan for future makes, while ultimately fulfilling a lifelong dream!

This app has been especially useful as I prepare for Zoe's Me-Made-May'12 challenge, to which I have pledged to wear two items of me-made clothing each day during May.  One item just would have been too easy, but seeing my significant lack of trousers and casual skirts/dresses, I realise now that this is going to be hard.  I will definitely be whipping up some last minute bits in the evenings to come... But I guess that's why they call it a challenge!

Me-Made-May'12 - I'm in!!

I'm sure I'm not the only one a little sad now that OWOP is over... These days I have been enjoying wearing the clothes I have made more than ever.  Partly because my skills have improved, but mostly I think, because I am learning better how to make for myself.

When I first began making my own clothes, I would often get a little carried away with an idea, not really stopping to think (and not really having the experience to judge) how certain fabrics might react to certain shapes, and how the finished piece would actually look on me.  Being a self-taught sewist, trial and error has taught me everything I know.  But I feel I have now reached a point where I am consistently making clothes that I love and want to wear all the time.  I no longer feel like a fraud!

So it is with great excitement that I am signing up for Zoe's 6th Me-Made challenge, Me-Made-May'12 (MMM'12), pledging to wear two items of me-made clothing every day for the duration of May 2012.  This will see me upping my pledge by one item of me-made clothing since the last time I participated in Self-Stitched-Sept'11...

Like last year, I will be compiling a new inventory of my me-made wardrobe (but this time Clueless-style!  Watch this space for the wardrobe inventory to end all wardrobe inventories!!), and spending the last week in April filling in any obvious gaps.

One thing that I did find to be hugely challenging last time though, was the daily outfit photographing.  Any tips/ideas on making this less of a hassle??

OWOP - Days 5, 6 and 7

Second half of my week in One Week, One Pattern outfits, and a couple of lessons learned.

Day 5 (daytime): Still sewing lace in the studio...

I wore: Blue cotton shirting swing top, Del Forte jeans.  This is my least favourite of the swing tops, having never been worn since I made it last summer.  There's obviously a reason Dixie recommends only using a knit fabric for this pattern (armholes a little tight as the woven cotton has no stretch) and although I like the floral binding on the neck and cuffs, the blue striped cotton shirting makes me feel like a nurse (not the hot kind!).  Having said all that, I actually enjoyed wearing it more than I thought I would: it was comfortable enough and I liked the alternative-to-a-shirt feel of it.  I reckon I probably would repeat this make in a woven fabric -remembering to make the armholes a little bigger- to wear as a smart shirt-type top.

~

Day 5 (evening): A night of Motown classics with The Temptations, The Four Tops and The Crystals live at the o2 Arena baby!!

I wore: Possibly the best outfit I could have put together for such a wonderful night of retro soul!  Stripy swing top, Kung Fu Fighting wiggle skirt, Reiss belt, Agent Provocateur red pompom mules.  Favourite OWOP outfit so far.

~

Day 6: Hungover.  SIGNIFICANTLY hungover.  It seems sake, vodka and white rum do not mix well.  Comfort a must today.  

I wore: White viscose jersey swing top with red rose Liberty cotton binding, Uniqlo tartan men's trousers, vintage Budweiser belt, Puma sneakers.  When it comes to dressing down, this is my favourite type of outfit.  Reminds me of being a grungy teenager listening to The Smashing Pumpkins.

~

Day 7: Last day of OWOP!  Just as I started this week with the first swing top I'd made, so I ended with the most recent.

I wore: Dusty pink wool jersey swing top, houndstooth pencil skirt - the first of my McCalls's 5081 collection (I feel like I've been discussing this pattern almost as much as the swing top during this OWOP challenge having worn three versions of it this week... Double OWOP cred for me?), French Sole flats.  This is a look I'm really digging.  Typically a late 1950s maternity style, but I think that the elegance of the pencil skirt, softened by the swing top and worn with a simple pair of flats is just perfectly cute and easy, even for my busy day to day life.

One thing that this challenge has brought to my attention is that I'm clearly really into pencil skirts these days!  I began with my one swing top pattern, which given the amount I've made (six) and the incredible versatility of the pattern, was very easy to wear every day for a week.  But as a result of all this thoughtful outfit planning, I've ended up also wearing three of my four McCall's pencil skirts.  What's surprising about this is how easy they are to wear!  I'd always shunned my wiggle skirts by day thinking them far too impractical, saving them only for stylish evening occasions.  But it turns out that wiggle skirts during the day are actually fine, even for running around after a little boy, working in the studio and general errand-running.  

They just make all those things feel that little bit more glamourous.

Thank you Tilly for organising OWOP!  I for one, really enjoy the solidarity that comes with group challenges like this; now who's looking forward to Me-Made-May-'12??

OWOP - Days 1, 2, 3 and 4 (and a 6th Swing Top)

This last week here in London could not have given us days more beautiful to really make the most out of Tilly's One Week, One Pattern challenge.  My chosen pattern is Dixie DIY's Swing Top, which I have now made a grand total of six times.

Day 1: A super sunny Saturday in a somewhat Seventies outfit, hosting a little garden party to welcome in British Summertime. 

I wore: Stripy jersey swing top (first one ever made), Del Forte jeans, vintage Wonder Woman belt, Swedish Hasbeens clogs, Stella McCartney shades.

~

Day 2: Out and about in London, a deceptively chilly sunny day, so I was glad for my sixth and latest swing top made from a cosy ribbed wool jersey.

I wore: Dusty pink wool jersey swing top, Monkee Genes, Marc Jacobs flats.

~

Day 3: Monday in my studio, sun streaming in through the shutters, surrounded by Chantilly lace, Dupion silk and ivory organza... Hoping to infuse a wedding dress with dreams and ideals of love and companionship, health and happiness.

I wore: White viscose jersey swing top with blue floral cotton binding, Del Forte jeans, belt my Dad made for me, Swedish Hasbeens clogs.

~

Day 4: Early breakfast in Portobello with my StepDad, then back to the studio and the final fitting of the wedding dress with my Bride and her Mum (can you tell how much I'm itching to be able to talk about this in more detail??!).

I wore: Grey marl viscose jersey swing top with red paisley rayon binding, red crepe pencil skirt (made from McCall's 5081, which is fast becoming a contender for the next OWOP challenge...), Marc Jacobs flats.

So far I have been really enjoying this challenge; the swing tops already feature heavily in my day to day dressing, so I can't really call that aspect challenging, but what I have enjoyed most is the outfit planning and styling around one staple item.  This top is genius in its versatility; easy and comfortable enough to be dressed down for everyday running around, yet pretty and polished enough to tuck into one hell of a wiggle skirt and sequin heels for a look that will unite Carrie Bradshaw and Joan Holloway in fashion matrimony... Intrigued?  Stay tuned for OWOP Day 5's evening outfit...

OWOP - Count me in!

Tomorrow marks the official start date of Tilly's latest One Week One Pattern challenge, which will see sewists from around the globe wear the pieces they have made from one single pattern, every day for a week.  In Tilly's own words:

"It's about celebrating those sewing patterns that we love so much we use them again and again. Many of us have a special sewing pattern that is so wearable, practical, versatile, beautiful or for whatever reason it never gets time to gather dust on the shelf before we whip it out again. Personally I'm really interested to find out what other people's favourite patterns are. Plus the exercise may get us to reflect on how much we use the patterns in our stash, or what factors make a well-used pattern.

It's also an exercise in restyling what's essentially one style garment (or it may literally only be one garment that you've made), pushing the boundaries of its versatility by creating seven outfit variations out of it. Who needs more clothes when you can remix the ones you've already got?"

I had been on the fence as to whether or not to take part; I have a handful of patterns I have made 3-4 times, namely this pencil skirt, the Sorbetto tops, this 70s dress... But nothing that I could realistically wear every day for a week that would fit in with my life.  Pencil skirts too fancy (and restrictive!), Sorbetto's too summery, and 70s dresses too impractical.  So I had initially decided to opt out of the challenge... when I suddenly remembered my vast and ever expanding collection of swing tops, all made from Dixie DIY's great (and free!) pattern.  

So far I have made five of these tops, and I already wear them all the time.  This pattern is an absolute breeze to make up, and the resulting top is comfortable, flattering and versatile.  Which I think is really the aim of this exercise: identifying and celebrating the patterns which produce clothes that not only complement our lifestyles but make us want to make and wear them over and over again. 

In preparation for this challenge, and in anticipation of Britain's famously unpredictable climate, I am now going to quickly whip up a sixth swing top, this time in a dusty pink ribbed wool jersey.  Just in case it gets a bit chilly.

10 Days In The Life Of Herman

10 days ago my neighbour gave me a little tupperware containing "Herman" - a sourdough cake mix that has been fermenting, growing, being divided and passed on since I really don't know when.  Apparently these things can keep going for years.  As long as the batter is kept "alive" - at room temperature, stirred every day, added to on days 4 & 9, then divided into 4 equal parts, 3 of which are then passed on to friends and the remaining quarter kept, added to a little more and baked.  It's basically a batter consisting of flour, sugar and milk.  The milk ferments and that's what makes it bubble, what gives it that stench (which I've actually come to quite like now), and what essentially makes it a sourdough batter.

So I did my bit, loving the process - I always love to prolong any project with a process - waking each morning to see how my little Herman was bubbling and expanding, talking it up at the school gates to get some potential takers for Herman's next foster home.  And so, yesterday, three quarters of the litre of Herman I ended up with went on their way to three loving mothers, and this morning I completed the final stage of my task...

Adding yet more flour, sugar, eggs, oil, apples, sultanas, cinnamon, etc Herman was transformed from a putrid, bubbling slurp to a mouth watering, appropriately Autumnal, apple sourdough cake!

But what I want to know is, where did he get the name Herman??

Chain Cake

Maybe it's because All Hallow's Eve is upon us, but bizarre things are going over here...

In the early hours of this morning, my neighbour popped over and handed me, rather frantically, a tupperware holding a smelly, putrid "cake-mix" called Herman.  Yes, apparently this cake-mix is alive and male.

She explained that this was a chain cake: same idea as a chain email - pass it on to 10 friends or you get nothing but bad sex for the rest of your life - but with a chain cake someone makes the original mix, divides it into four (keeps one 1/4 and passes the other three on), the recipients add to the mix and stir it for a handful of days, divide it and pass it on... I have no idea how long ago the mother-mix was conceived, and judging by the bubbles my little Herman is producing, this cake-mix is most definitely alive; and going by the stink...  undoubtedly male.

These are my instructions:

Happy Halloween!

SSS'11: Days 28 & 29

With the uncharacteristically glorious weather we've been having here in London Town, it would've been a crime not to break out the last of the summer frocks.  A welcome change too from spending the vast majority of this me-made-month in jeans and swing/sorbetto tops... (I guess that's one thing I've learned from having participated in Zoe's Self-Stitched-Sept - I wear jeans way too often).

day 28

Day 28: me-made 70s jersey empire waist dress made from this pattern when I was pregnant.

day 29

Day 29: me-made circle skirt, made from a 1950s pattern using two layers of cotton shirting.

They say the weather will even finer tomorrow, so I am determined to end this challenge on a high...

SSS'11: Days 17 & 18

It's no secret that I'm running out of daily outfit photographing steam... This is all I have to show for the last  five days in self-stitched-style ~

day 17 evening

Day 17 (my brother's birthday dinner): me-made silk Sorbetto top and houndstooth pencil skirt.

day 18

Day 18: me-made jersey Swing top, knitted snood and crochet basket.

So from now on, I am still sticking to my pledge to wear at least one item of me-made clothing every day of September, but will only be posting photos of the blog-worthy outfits.

SSS'11: Days 14 & 15

Making the most of the September sun...

day 14 daytime

Day 14 (day): me-made jersey empire-line dress, made from a 1970s nightie pattern.

Day 14 (evening): me-made swing top and circle skirt, made from a 1950s pattern.

day 14 evening

day 15

Day 15: me-made striped swing top.

SSS'11: Days 10, 11 & 13

A quick run down of the weekend in Self-Stitched outfits...

day 10

Day 10: Short Sorbetto Top & Fuchsia Silk Tulip Skirt (made from a self drafted pattern in 2004ish).

day 11

Day 11 (my sister's birthday): Pleated Maxi Skirt on me (left), Cotton Shirting Sundress on my sis (made from a self drafted pattern in 2007ish).

day 13

Day 13: Cotton Shirting Layered Big Pleats Skirt (made from a self drafted pattern in 2004ish).

What happened to Day 12...?  Well... After a weekend of fabulous birthday parties and a family sleepover at my Mum's, Monday 12th was pretty much spent in PJs.  

I'll take this moment to add that, while I am doing my best to be me-made every day, my lack of homemade comfort clothes is making it hard to dress for daily life with a toddler.  But maybe that's made up for by the fact that every evening, just like any other evening, we all cosy up on the sofa in our Monster Granny Square Blanket and, more often than not, handknit socks.

SSS'11: Days 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8

Things have been quite uneventful here on the Self-Stitched-Styling front these last few days... Having spent most of my time spring cleaning, at the local recycling/landfill site and picking fruit and veg at a Pick-Your-Own Farm, my silk wiggle skirts and 50s tea dresses have not really been in such high demand.  Instead, determined to stick to my pledge of wearing at least one item of me-made clothing a day, this week I have been mostly wearing Swing Tops and jeans (days 4 & 5). With a few exceptions...

day 6

Day 6: Jersey Circle Skirt. Nothing exciting here, a pretty standard Autumnal outfit, but I was compelled to photograph it simply because this is the first skirt I ever made. And I love it. The seamless viscose jersey drape, I guess what can only be described as a fireworks print, and just the sentimentality of it being my first.

day 7

Day 7: Trudging through a field of sweetcorn in me-made skirt, Bucket Hat and garter stitch snood.

day 8

Day 8: Again, Swing top... But I was cold so I threw on my Pickles cardi.

Luckily for my fancier frocks waiting their turn, I have some exciting plans in store for them this weekend...

SSS'11: Day 3 (and a new pair of trousers...)

The main thing lacking from my homemade wardrobe is trousers.  In fact, I've never made a pair of trousers for myself.  And the ones I've made for other people have been basic PJ style pants.  When it comes to trousers, I usually just have a favourite pair of jeans that get worn until threadbare and then get replaced with something pretty much identical.  Booooring.  So, having stumbled upon over 4 metres of deep purple corduroy on ebay which I won for little more than £3, I figured now would be the perfect time to have a little experimentation...

I started off very cautiously, terrified of screwing them up and wasting so much great fabric.  This was one of those projects that, as I looked at all the pieces cut and skim read the instructions, really filled me with fear and self-doubt.  I wasn't sure if my sewing skills were up to the challenge.  I even got that slightly deflated feeling as I began to think that maybe I'd been a bit too ambitious.

the original waistband before it got unpicked

But au contraire, my friend!  I am now feeling very smug and suitably grooooovy in my new, purple, corduroy, high-waisted, wide-legged, smokin' hot trousers.  

sept 3rd

And the best part?  The common problem associated with high-waisted pants such as these...?  No camel toe...!

amended waistband

Self-Stitched: Swing Top, High-Waisted Pants 

I'd just like to add that I felt very Self-Stitched this morning too, as I made a start on my Herringbone Cowl, wearing my Sorbetto nightie and a cardi hand knit by my Great-Grandmother...

sept 3rd am

SSS'11: Days 1 and 2

Over the course of September, I will be participating in Zoe's sewing challenge: to wear at least one item of my homemade clothing for each day of September and documenting this with daily outfit updates.  So far...

sept 1st

Self-Stitched: Sorbetto Top

sept 2nd

Self-Stitched: Pleated Maxi Skirt

With a significant lack in casual/everyday items in my self-stitched wardrobe, yesterday I made this pleated maxi skirt, something I've been wanting for a while.  It was beyond easy to make, just 2 metres of pleated jersey seamed up the back and gathered around an elastic hipster waistline.  Super comfortable and easy to wear, I think this will be a new wardrobe staple.  And with an early birthday present on it's way, I'll soon have the perfect jumper too...

                          

Inventory

As I gear up for Self-Stitched-September '11 (SSS'11), I thought it would be useful to compile an inventory of my 'self-stitched' wardrobe and organise it on a rail separate from the rest of my clothes, not only to make self-stitched dressing in September (and hopefully thereafter) more accessible, but mainly to identify what garments I'm lacking so I can start filling in the gaps.

16 skirts

5 dresses

3 tops (all Sorbetto's)

2 snoods

2 pairs of socks

1 pair of slippers

1 cardi

1 nightdress

1 altered pair of Capri pants

various pairs of shoes from my label Nina Dolcetti

4 bags

Points to Consider ~

• So the first thing that's pretty clear is that I need to make more trousers.  The pair I have aren't even made from scratch, just a pair that I altered.  I think two more pairs would do me just fine.  I have some great purple needlecord that I found on eBay (over 4 metres for £3!) that would make a mega hot pair of 70s high waisted flares, and some delicious beige and cream houndstooth wool for a pair of smart 60s straight leg 7/8 type trousers.
• The other thing that screams out at me as I look at my rail is that I could really do with more day wear...  It's just always so much more exciting to make a cocktail dress or an amazing silk tulip skirt for example than practical stuff you'd wear on a daily basis.  So to rectify this, I will have to make some more exciting evening plans in order to get the most out of my existing smarter clothes, and make some more casual bits to work with my everyday life.
• More tops would come in very useful, and a chance to do some more sewing with stretchy knits.  

In the interest of sticking to my pledge (to wear at least one item of clothing I have made/repurposed myself, and to make more clothes for my son and my husband, for the duration of September '11) I have also compiled a list of wearable things I have made for the boys in my life.

For the Boy:
2 hats
1 snood
1 pair of mittens
1 pair of cotton checked trousers (they look like chef pants, and he doesn't really like them...!)
1 pair of slippers
1 quilt (does that count if he sleeps with it every night?!)

For the Man:
2 pairs of Thai fishermen type trousers
1 pair of gloves
1 pair of socks
1 pair of slippers

Well, it's raining today... a perfect opportunity to make a start on the purple cord trousers and get some things ready for a top or two.  Got a nice idea for an autumnal day dress too.  And let's not forget about my Preparing for Autumn list...

Challenge: Self-Stitched-September 2011

When I started this blog not long ago in May, I had a long term goal in mind.  I planned to work towards challenging myself to wear only clothes I had made myself (with a few exceptions...) for a year, and to blogument the process.  A bit ambitious perhaps, but definitely do-able if I allowed myself a set time to prepare by assessing my already existing homemade wardrobe, and then spending the time to make more to fill in the gaps.  But then I kept thinking how much I'd miss all my other clothes...

Then in June I stumbled upon the blog of Brighton based Zoe who sets herself "Me-Made" challenges lasting a month whereby she aims to wear mostly clothes she has made or refashioned herself, documents her month in outfits on her blog, and the genius part is that she calls for other bloggers to take part by pledging to wear at least one item of me-made clothing for the duration of that month.  When I found Zoe's blog, it was bang in the middle of "Me-Made-June 2011" so I was gutted not to be able to take part, but I loved seeing her process, and it opened up a world of amazing creative bloggers also taking part that I probably would never have come across if it weren't for this inspired idea of a blogging community sharing a challenge together.

So you can imagine how delighted I was the other day when Zoe announced the up-coming challenge - Self-Stitched-September 2011 (SSS)!  I have already pledged to take part by wearing at least one item of me-made clothing for the duration of September, and I will also be endeavouring to make more clothing for my husband and our almost 3 year old son.

Over the following weeks leading up to September I will be gathering together all my existing me-made clothes and accessories, establishing what is lacking and hopefully making up a few more bits to fill in the gaps and make everyday me-made dressing more approachable.  SO  EXCITED!