Apologies for my long absence from the blog, I have recently started a new job which has kept me very very busy! So I have a little less time for blogging, but I’m still making time to sew- there are a few unblogged projects in the queue. And on the bright side, I am I working as a web developer which means I will soon be putting my new skills to use spiffing up the blog!
Anyway, without further ado, here is my Me Made May Roundup! I didn’t quite manage to take a picture every day, but I did stick to the pledge every day, despite the lack of photographic evidence thereof. I’ve left out most of the duplicates as well, since I doubled up a few days.
Dress: Gertie’s Strapless Bombshell Dress mashed up with a By Hand London Elisalex skirt. Blogged here. Necklace: LouLou. Boyfriend: not available online.
Top: Kanerva Button Back Shirt, Named Clothing (sadly unblogged, but coming soon). Skirt: American Apparel. Hat: Asos
Skirt: By Hand London Charlotte Skirt – blogged here. Cardigan: funky cardigan my grandma knit up for my mom back in the ’70s. Shirt: American Apparel.
Dress: Colette Patterns Macaron – blogged here. Hat: Asos. Plant: Lemon Verbena.
Dress: Deer and Doe Belladone in recycled cotton- bloged here. Cardigan: Ann Taylor. Necklace: made from an old chandelier crystal.
Blouse: Named Clothing Fran Tie Front Blouse, blogged here. Jeans: Forever 21. Cardigan: H&M. Friends: Crafty Foxes Sewing Club!
Skirt: Self Drafted foxy pencil skirt. Shirt: American Apparel. Cardigan: stolen from boyfriend. Ice Cream: Cookies and Cream
Dress: Peplum mash up! Charlotte Skirt, Belladone bodice, Macaron sleeves and a half circle peplum. Blogged here. Necklace: Another edition of MacKenzie-hangs-random-things-on-chains. It’s a copper pipe fitting.
Dress: Lady Skater, blogged here. Belt: Anthropologie. Cardigan: Cruelly robbed from boyfriend. Earrings: my mother’s.
Dress: Recycled Cotton Belladone making another appearance. Necklace: Ditto for the chandelier crystal.
Dress: a mash up- modified Belladone skirt, Burda top, self drafted collar and cuffs- blogged here. Shoes: Frye. Crafty foxes making another appearance! Katey, Sarah, and Ping.
Top: Deer and Doe Datura in lovely Liberty – blogged here. Shorts: Thrifted and cut off. Plants: Mahoney’s garden center
Dress: The peplum mash up makes another appearance. Belt: vintage, thrifted. Cardigan: Ann Taylor. Bag: me made, sadly yet to be blogged.
Skirt: Self drafted chiffon maxi. Top: American Apparel. Cardigan: Ann Taylor. Bag: Bag: me made, sadly yet to be blogged.
Collar: Named Clothing Alva Collar– blogged here. Dress: PinkyOtto. Cardigan: Ann Taylor
Top: refashioned peplum top from a thrifted silk blouse (unblogged). Jeans: Topshop. Hat: Asos. Clutch: me made leather clutch. Necklace: me made from a chandelier crystal. 
Bag: me made (and really this thing deserves a blog post since I use it every single day). Dress: from a boutique in Chicago, can’t remember the brand to save my life. Stockings: American Apparel. Cardigan: H&M.
Well, Me Made May has certainly been a learning experience. I have more than enough handmade items to make it through a month, but I (like many other bloggers I’ve been reading) have realized that my handmade items are not always my favorite go tos. I think this can be chalked up to a couple of factors. The first is that I am a bit of an impractical sewer. I have made some things that I just cant wear to work (neon floral leggings, strapless cocktail dress to name a few)…. But that being said, there’s still a place for those things in my wardrobe and I have no intention of cutting back on the party dresses. The second and I think more important factor is that I’m a lazy seamstress. I tend to rush through projects, cut corners, skip steps and settle for sub par fit and craftsmanship. This may mean I get to wear the item the next day, but it often means that it doesn’t get a lot of wear thereafter. I have a lot of ill fitting and uncomfortable items in my wardrobe. There’s a wiggle dress so tight that I can’t stand sitting at my desk in it all day. I’m embarrassed to wear my chiffon maxi because the gathers are so uneven. I love my banksia but it’s so short that I can’t wear it with jeans. None of my skirts are lined, and it drives me crazy to have them stick to my tights all day. So my me made May lesson is to slow down, raise my standards and be a better seamstress moving forward. I’ve also already begun the process of going back to fix the fixable. From now on, I will not rush through the end of a garment at 11 PM- I want to take my time and put really nice finishes on things, not crappy half assed ones. I also plan to pay more attention to fit, because the ill fitting garments just plain do not get worn. And that means it doesn’t matter that I saved time while sewing by not getting the fit right, because if it is unwearable then that is just plain wasted time.
somerealthings 