Guys, I can’t believe it– Me-Made-May is over!  It went by so quickly!  Let me just show you my last few outfits– super boring, as you’ve seen them all already…

Day 28:

dress: The Mello Yello dress (truthfully, tried to wear this for Man Friend’s birthday party, but it was just TOO FREAKIN’ HOT… I think I changed clothes twice because I could. not. stop. sweating.)

Day 29:

“Guys, seriously, I don’t have any other me-made items!”

top: Pink Nightmare PJ top (which you’ve already seen about 50 times)

shorts: American Eagle

Day 30:

top: Brooklyn Industries

skirt: Baby’s First Ginger

Day 31:

Yes, I know I look crazy… you would be excited, too, if you got to be where the magic happens… the Etsy labs!

top: Strawberry Sorbetto (I tried DESPERATELY to finish a new top in time for the last day, but… it ended up being a totally loco day, so no dice).

location: a natural dye workshop at the Etsy labs in Brooklyn (more on that later!).  That’s the Manhattan Bridge you’re seeing out the window.

I really loved Me-Made-May.  I’ve sat on the sidelines and watched more experienced makers have fun with these months before, but I was so glad I could finally participate!  It was nice to have the impetus to ACTUALLY WEAR what I make on a regular basis!  That said, I just really don’t have enough me-made items to sustain the experiment, even though I only committed to three days a week.  There were a couple of me-made items that didn’t see the light of day this month (because they were for cooler weather or were too fancy for everyday wear), but I did manage to drag out a couple of things that I haven’t really worn much.

Like many of you, I found some big ol’ whopping holes in my wardrobe– casual separates and dresses.  I’m a jeans and t-shirt kind of gal, but I don’t find myself making casual items very often.  I’m going to make an effort to include that sort of thing in my to-do queue.  I think I’m often an aspirational sewist– I sew for an imaginary me that’s a lot more ladylike and glamorous than I really am (this trait shouldn’t surprise me too much– after cleaning out my pantry the other day, I realized how much of an aspirational food shopper I am… I’m always vowing to “turn over a new leaf” and so I’ll buy things like spelt because “I’m totally gonna eat SOOOOOO healthy from now until forever!”).  So yeah– I’m changing up my sewing plans a little to orient them more around Actual Me instead of Fancy Pretend Me.

How about you guys?  Any fun MMM revelations?  I’ve had so much fun reading your blogs this month and seeing your MMM posts!  Thank you so much to Zoe for organizing!  🙂  I know we’ll have so much fun next year!

Oh, one quick thing– I was really surprised and excited to find out that my blog was selected for a “Best of the Web” style round up this week at Become.com!  I tried to select a super professional-looking photo for them, but I look a bit dead-eyed in it.  Whoops!

Hi, guys!  Happy weekend to you (and happy long weekend to American readers)!  Hope you’re all enjoying the last stretch of MMM!

Day 23:

top: free tank from Moosejaw

skirt: me-made cotton candy Ginger skirt

necklace: Rare Bird on Etsy

number of days Man Friend’s laundry has been sitting: 11, counting today

This week has been a little challenging as the weather’s been pretty lousy.  It’s really hard to dress up and look cute when it’s rainy and gross out!

Day 24:

Ugh, post-rainstorm hair!!

top: American Eagle

cardigan: J. Crew

skirt: me-made Ginger skirt

necklace: Rare Bird on Etsy

bag: made by Ugandan women in the Sewing Hope program (really cool– you should check it out!)

location: Metro Textiles

I wore this outfit traipsing around the Garment District in the pouring rain during my first-ever meetup with a sewing blogger, the lovely Mika of Savory Stitches.  It was so fun to shop for fabric with another person– sewing can be kind of a solitary activity sometimes (although the company of sewing bloggers is a decent substitute for real-life interaction), but it was super-duper fun to be able to hang out with a smart, fashionable blogger in real life!  We had so much fun at Paron’s, Steinlauf & Stoller, Daytona Trimmings, Metro Textiles, and B & J Fabrics (where I really misbehaved and bought some expensive but GORGEOUS ikat!).  I have to say– Metro Textiles?!  We were so overwhelmed by the stacks and stacks of bolts crammed into a tiny space that we couldn’t even think!  Mr. Kashi was very kind and accommodating, but it was still a brain-melting experience!

Look how cute Mika is! And look how much fabric is jammed haphazardly into this space!!

Day 25:

top: me-made Renfrew

jeans: Levi’s

shoes: Onitsuka Tiger for Asics

awesome dinosaur bag: Happy Family on Etsy, free with the purchase of two t-shirts (score!)

location: South Street Seaport, looking at the Brooklyn Bridge (with the Manhattan Bridge behind it)

Man Friend’s parents are visiting this weekend, so I’m pictured here with my super cute and fun mother-in-law.  Do you guys have any fun weekend plans?  In between visiting and celebrating Man Friend’s birthday Sunday, I’m hoping to squeeze in a little sewing.  I feel like I’m in the middle of quite of a few projects right now, so I’m trying to finish a few and to set a schedule for finishing the rest.  It’s so easy to get distracted (and even easier to set aside something challenging in favor of a shiny new project!!).

Happy Memorial Day, everybody!  Hope you guys have great weekends!

Hi, guys!  Please pardon my absence– I spent Wednesday-Sunday in Baltimore visiting my sister and celebrating my brother-in-law’s med school graduation (congrats, Dr. J!).  I had big plans for last week, including a fancy new dress that I wanted to premiere at the graduation ceremony, buuuuuut… you know, sometimes things just take longer than you anticipate, the best-laid plans of mice and men, blah blah blah.  So instead of that, I have two really boring MMM outfits for you.

Day 19:

Just a couple of baby birdies waiting for their lunch!

top: me-made stripey Renfrew

shorts: cutoff 501’s

shoes: Reef

bag: Strand

location: The Maryland Zoo

adorable sister: B

knobby knees: mine, all mine

Obvs I totally love this Renfrew.  Here’s a special bonus picture:

The Man of International Mystery (pic by sis)

location: Bond Street Wharf

companion: the mysterious Mr. Man Friend, given a shoddy iPhoto treatment

animals on Man Friend’s shirt: flamingos

Day 20:

Quoth the raven, “I’m sick of wearing the same two me-made shirts!”

top: PJ Party Tiny Pocket Tank

jeans: Levi’s

location: Tyson St., Baltimore, MD

deathly pallor: a family heirloom

Baltimore’s town motto is probably “Put a bird on it!”  I mean, all over the city, Poe-and-football loving folks have slapped ravens on every available surface.  You can’t throw a stone without hitting a bird-themed stoop decoration (but really, why are you throwing stones all willy-nilly?  You sound reckless!).

So yeah.  I’m losing steam with Me-Made-May simply because I don’t have the for it.  That’s OK, though– only a few more days left, and the experience has been really instructive (and fun).

How’s everybody doing?  Working on anything fun?  Hopefully I should have something fun and new to show you soon!

Woooo!  Happy Monday, everybody!  Because I’m unemployed right now, I spent today hanging around the house with the intention of sewing up a storm, but… a few sort of unpleasant tasks that have been hanging over my head called out to me, and I opted to forgo sewing in favor of some deep cleaning.  I just finished cleaning out my kitchen cabinets, throwing away food that was long past its expiration date (I have to admit I found some stuff waaaaaaay in the back that expired in 2006… eek!!), cleaning out my medicine cabinet and bathroom cabinet, and going through all the tupperware/storage containers that we’ve accumulated.  I filled three garbage bags with junk!  Phew!  It feels good to have that over and done with.  Yuck.

I guess it’s somehow fitting that I picked out my oldest (well, first) me-made item today.  I felt like I did a really shoddy job on this dress, so I haven’t really worn it since I made it.

dress: me-made Butterick B5211

necklace: Rare Bird

I have to say, I like this more than I thought I would.  It’s a little boxy, but that kind of grew on me throughout the day.  But I’d forgotten that I screwed something up with the button closure in the back so it constantly comes undone.  Gotta sort out a fix for that.  Also, this mother is SHORT!  I don’t know what I was thinking!  Must’ve had a flashback to my So Cal college girl days without realizing it!  I guess I could wear it with tights, but I’m not super fond of them, so I’ll probably just save this for hot days around the house when only Doug is around to be scandalized by my pasty-white thighs!

I am PUMPED today.  Here’s why:

A careful observer will note photographic evidence of how long it’s taking Man Friend to put away his laundry (this basket appeared in the background on day 5).  An even more careful observer will note that I mentioned spending the day at the laundromat on day 3.  Any gamblin’ folks care to place a bet on when he’ll put this away?

top: a brand-spankin’-new Renfrew!  I literally cannot get enough of these tops.  Want.  More.  Renfrews.

corduroys: Delias

Dumb old man friend hasn’t been home before dark lately, so you get stuck with these lousy self-pics.  You can’t even see my cute red shoes!  Sniff, sniff…

This is a cheapo jersey from Chic Fabrics– I have no idea how/if it will hold up.  I love the bright blue, so I hope it does… but… it was super inexpensive, so, who knows?

I took a little field trip today!  Here I am at Brooklyn General:

Take the dang picture, lady!  I can’t focus when I’m around this much yarn!

Yep, I asked a stranger to take my picture.  The things I do for you people!  She decided to move in for a closer shot, which she decided was “cuter”, so no luck getting a full-outfit shot.  Oh well!

This is a nice neighborhood shop in the Carroll Gardens section of Brooklyn.  It’s got a relaxed vibe, which I appreciate, and they have great sales a couple of times a year (30% off the entire store!!).  Definitely a nice spot to visit if you’re in the area!

Happy Sunday, everyone!

top: Brooklyn Industries

cardigan: Brooklyn Industries (haha, looks like I’m shilling for these guys… whoops!)

skirt: me-made Ginger skirt

shoes: Toms

location: Fifth Avenue, across from the legendary hotel, The Plaza

I have to say, this isn’t one of my favorite outfits.  I like the colors, but there’s something about tucking blouses into high-waisted skirts that makes me feel… matronly?  And A-line silhouettes just aren’t my favorite– I feel very conservative in them, especially paired with a cardigan like this.  I think that’s why I don’t get much wear out of my two Ginger skirts (that, and I don’t have much to wear with them).

How’s your weekend going?  Up to anything fun?

Hi, guys!  I skipped out on MMM yesterday– I only pledged to do 3 days a week, and I wasn’t feeling very well yesterday, so I scruffed around in an old t-shirt.  But today I’m back in me-mades!  Man Friend had to work unexpectedly, so I have a crappy picture again– so sorry.

I’m not really punching Doug.

top: my PJ top!  it can TOTALLY be a real shirt, guys, don’t be so judgy!

jeans: Uniqlo

necklace: gift from my grandmother for my 8th-grade graduation 🙂

Yay!  Another day done!

How’s MMM going for you guys?  Any exciting weekend plans?