Now that the calendar page has turned from May to June, I'm doing a brief assessment of my participation in the Me Made May Challenge 2019. [#MeMadeMay]
 |
| Patchwork jacket with yarn-dyed textured wovens from Diamond Textiles. |
High on the list of accomplishments in May was making and wearing this patchwork jacket—my new favorite jacket—and also a piece on my MakeNine list. Started in 2018, this one took the longest to complete and, as with most jackets, it had many hand finishing details: button loops, buttons, burying thread tails and hand sewing hems, facings and bias bindings. It also has an inside pocket that was hand sewn into place. But it was worth all the effort! I'm extremely pleased with how it turned out.
This jacket was completed in time to wear in the Diamond Textiles booth at Spring Quilt Market. Yarn-dyed textured wovens are all the rage lately, so it was fun and appropriate to show and wear this jacket. A well-attended schoolhouse session with Linda Lee about using textured wovens for garments, as well as in quilts, reinforced the versatility of these beautiful fabrics.
Knit Tops
I make and wear a lot of cotton knit tops, both long sleeve and short. They are all made from cotton knit fabric from Art Gallery Fabrics. Art Gallery has at least a gazillion different knits—different designs, colors and also solids. You could make a different one for every day of the year!
The fabric is 95% cotton jersey and 5% spandex, so it washes and sews easily while maintaining shape and stability. My knit tops are soft, comfy, easy-care garments that are great for travel.
 |
| Short sleeve knit top. Fabric from Art Gallery Fabrics. |
 |
| Short sleeve knit top (front) coordinates with a Primitive Stars jacket. |
Here is one of my long sleeve knit tops that I worn with a MeMade knit vest in early May, when the weather was still cool. The Lolita vest is another of my MakeNine projects.
 |
| Lolita knit vest paired with a cotton long sleeve knit top. |
Woven Tops
 |
| Siena Shirt #1. Fabrics from M&S Textiles Australia. |
I have worn each of my Siena Shirts a few times throughout May. Pictured here are various versions using several fabrics.
- Siena Shirt #1 (above): cotton fabrics from M&S Textiles Australia.
- Siena Shirt #4 (below left) is made with an Australian aboriginal print M&S Textiles Australia paired with a yarn-dyed woven called Tweed Thicket from Diamond Textiles.
- Siena Shirt #2 (below right) uses more Australian aboriginal fabrics from M&S Textiles.
 |
| Left: Australian aboriginal print from M&S Textiles and Tweed Thicket from Diamond Textiles. Right: Two complimentary prints from M&S Textiles. |
Siena Shirt #3 is made with Stonehenge fabrics from Northcott. More details on the hand stitching embellishments can be found in this blog post.
 |
| Siena Shirt #3 made with Stonehenge fabrics from Northcott. |
Another Sewing Workshop pattern I like is the Nine Lives Vest. I wore this top at Quilt Market and it's made with a pintuck fabric from Diamond Textiles.
 |
| Nine Lives Vest from The Sewing Workshop. Pintuck fabric from Diamond Textiles. |
Other MeMadeMay tops were:
- Wiksten Top (left): uses Tweed Thicket from Diamond Textiles.
- Collins Top from In the Folds: uses Nikko Geo 4708 from Diamond Textiles.
 |
| Wiksten Top (left) made in Tweed Thicket from Diamond Textiles. Collins Top from In the Folds in Nikko Geo 4708 from Diamond Textiles. |
Jackets
This is another well-loved jacket that I made in 2017. I wore it a few times for MeMadeMay and at Quilt Market. Fabrics are from Diamond Textiles.
- Primitive Stars yarn-dyed woven.
- Ikat
- miscellaneous cotton prints for patches on the back.
 |
| Primitive Stars jacket. |
This jacket is made from the same Raggy Jacket pattern as the patchwork jacket above [Raggy Jacket from Four Corners Designs]. This version has kantha hand stitching on the back. Details about the hand stitching can be found in this blog post.
 |
| Kantha stitching and applique patches on jacket back. See more details in this blog post. |
My Me-Made Wardrobe Assessment
You may have heard the latest terminology for the go-to basics you continually reach for from your closet: "core wardrobe" and "uniform" pieces. In reflecting on this month of "Me Made May," I've concluded I'm all about comfort, versatility and functional garments, and my wardrobe and garment sewing endeavors reflect that.
- The cotton fabrics—knits and wovens—are easy care, breathable and easy to sew/stitch.
- I re-use my patterns. Once the garment patterns are fitted to my body, style and comfort, the garment construction process gets easier and quicker with each make. There is minimal learning curve with "familiar" patterns.
- Layering and versatility of individual pieces is important to me. It's imperative for my travel job.
- Infusing creativity. Even though I use the same pattern multiple times, the choice of fabric, color, threads, embellishments and details will make each garment interesting—to make and to wear.
Did you participate in Me Made May 2019? What did you learn about your wardrobe of your sewing practices? Leave a comment and share what you discovered.
