I am reaching the running-out-of-steam phase of Me-Made-May. The weather isn’t warming up. I really miss pants. I also wish I could do some laundry! In spite of these frustrations, I have discovered a few outfit combinations that I really love (May 19, May 20, especially).
May 19 – Polished and Professional
This is great reminder of how color and fabric change a garment’s potential. I wore this skirt previously with a white/red floral blouse and a long navy cardigan.
I was getting tired of the skirt. Although I love this blouse, it is very similar in hue (off-white) to the skirt and I felt little washed out in this combination.
Somehow, even though the skirt waistband is the same height, my torso looks longer with the purple camisole. The knit jersey drapes and clings a bit more, while the cardigan is more structured, contributing to a bit of a tailored look.
May 20 – My favorite dress
This photo is technically from last year, but this is the same outfit I wore. Of course, you don’t see much of the self-drafted knit dress.
I found this cropped cardigan at goodwill and it is my new favorite sweater – a combination of cozy warmth and tailored for. It pairs wonderfully with most of my closet.
May 21 – Pretty (Pinterest) Princess
Pinterest and the Wardrobe Architect project inspired this refashioned skirt. Tulle and chiffon skirts were all the rage last year and probably the year before (my fashion trend radar is a bit slow on the pick up). Pinterest was full of goregeous fashion models wearing full airy skirts, stilettos, and knit tops. I was drawn to the skirt silhouettes and the texture combo of soft fitted knits and airy flowing skirts. I also wanted a maxi skirt in dusty pink, as I thought it would add to my wardrobe palette.
You can read about the Refashioned skirt here. As it turns out, it does not match as many things in my wardrobe as I imagined. Here I am wearing with a new thrifted cardigan and a RTW cami.
May 22 – A mom-made and grandmother-made jacket
My mom made two of these jackets, one for herself and one for her mom. I wore this jacket to prom over my strapless lavender Jessica McClintock dress (soooo 2001), after which my mom basically gifted it to me and she adopted the jacket she had originally made for Po-Po. My mom’s sewing is very precise. I can’t find wobbly lines. There is no twisting on the bias piping. Every seam is finished. The blind hem is handstitched so evenly.
My Po-Po also had strong steady hand skills. She made the ornamental buttons from bias strips. I wish I knew where she learned this – was it from her own family in China or from a community member after immigrating to the US? All of my cute toddler silk vests had these types of buttons. She did pass on the technique to me, but I am out of practice at the moment.
- May 23 – I wore the green tunic again (no picture).
- May 24 – I did not adhere to the challenge.
- May 25 – I wore the denim skirt (no picture).
Although the week ended on low note garment-wise, I did spend the weekend organizing my sewing room. I am so excited to start sewing again. I was feeling creative cabin fever.
You can follow my daily Me-Made-May posts on Instagram. Then stick around after May for more photos of my cat, cosplay progress, and more everyday garment sewing!
The Fabric Alchemist 