The long last part of MMM14

Me Made May 14 was a great experience for me. I reached the two goals I had set at the beginning, plus a third that turns out to feel at least as important. The first of my goals was to wear my me-made clothes out and about, so that I could decide whether they would work in my real life. This worked well: some, maybe most, of my makes are staying, some are going, and a few are in limbo, i.e., to be decided at another time.

Next, I wanted to get more comfortable with taking and posting photos of myself. Yeah, I found the photo-taking part hard and got tired of it but just kept doing it anyway, which is exactly what I needed. Now it feels more like: It's not that big a deal! Take a ton of photos, knowing that somewhere in the batch there is likely to be a decent one, and then move on with the day.

Most important, I so much enjoyed seeing and commenting on what other people were doing (I did this on the Flickr page). So many different people, each with their own style, in Japan, Europe, Australia, and beyond—and all of us enjoy the art and craft of sewing. I was blown away by how supportive and encouraging everyone was.

I have to admit that my involvement in MMM, ironically, took away from my sewing time. The only project I finished this month was a very simple one, Simplicity 4020, a kimono top in a jersey knit. This pattern was very popular in its day, which was a few years ago.

So, here's a run-through of the last couple of weeks of MMM14. (Here I note to myself that I should learn how to make composite photos to economize on space.)

The first sweater I made. It's loose and baggy, maybe not the most flattering, but I am sentimentally attached and will never get rid of it. Oddly, this is my husband's favorite of all the sweaters I've made.

Total success story, as far as I'm concerned. I love this tank top, and even though the hemp fabric of the skirt (from the book Shape Shape) is fairly heavy, I love it, too.

A Manequim pattern that I spent a fair amount of time on. It's okay but somehow not quite right—I don't think I'll ever wear it a lot.

I had fun making this By Hand London Victoria blazer, and it can look good when I'm standing in the right position, but the lapels and the lining try to do funny things when I'm not paying attention. Still thinking about it . . .

The Simplicity pattern mentioned above. It's comfortable, I feel it came together nicely, but it is more form-fitting than most things I wear when I'm out in public.

I love both of these patterns: the Vogue 2900 dress and a Burda jacket from a couple of years ago.

Vogue 2900 again, in close-up to show off this fun Liberty of London fabric.

The Jasmine top by Colette patterns and a Vogue double-layer skirt. The top came out well, just feels a little girly for my station in life.

Yet another version of Vogue 2900, in brilliant purple. This dress is very, very comfortable and has a beautifully executed invisible zipper, if I may say so.

Both pieces are from the Japanese pattern book Shape Shape. I saved these for the end of the month because they feel most like me, of all the things I've made.


To all who participated in MMM and those who did not: Happy sewing!