Me-Made-May 18 - Week 5

I, Cathy of Cathy Makes, pledge to wear a different item of me-made clothing each day of May 2018.

Saturday 26th May 2018
Clothing: Navy Linen Shirt Dress (2015)
Weather: Warm, sunny, 24C
Activity: Lunch in a box at Lords
Thoughts: This dress was perfect for attending sporting hospitality in the summer. But now I think I might need to let the hem down to it's original length.

Sunday 27th May
Clothing: Mustard Cardigan (2014)
Weather: Warm, sunny, 22C
Activity: Brunch
Thoughts: The weather was too warm for the rest of the day, so I changed into last weekend's outfit.

Monday 28th May
Clothing: Yellow Spot Top (2015)
Weather: Hot, sunny, 25C
Activity: Hosting BBQ
Thoughts: I didn't take a photo of this outfit on the day, so I had to re-create it.

Tuesday 29th May
Clothing: Martini Mustard Skirt (2013), Mustard Cardigan (2014)
Weather: Cold, stormy, 14C
Activity: Nothing, do you think I'm going out if I don't have to?
Thoughts: It's nice to wear this skirt, but I don't love it.

Wednesday 30th May
Clothing: Navy Birds Shirt (2018)
Weather: Cool, humid
Activity: Hanging at a friend's house
Thoughts: I finished two things in May! This one just in time to wear for MMM! Plus, I'll actually wear it again.

Thursday 31st May
Clothing: White Alex Shirt (2017)
Weather: Humid, unsettled, 22C
Activity: Friends to play for half term
Thoughts: This is quite a massive departure from my normal look, but I have to say, I do think it suits me. Working on being more "stylish Mom" and less on being "bag lady dressed as lamb".

Me-Made-May 2018 - Week 4

I, Cathy of Cathy's Makes, pledge to wear a different item of me-made clothing each day of May 2018.

This is where MMM gets tricky! Final full week, last week of work before half term next week. Running out of clothes, scraping the barrel, wearing stuff I only wear once a year - in May. Never mind, it is almost over and the end is in sight.

Sunday 20th May
Clothing: Burda Cowl Neck Top (2013)
Weather: Sunny, 20C
Activity: Oiling the deck furniture, Bike riding in Regent's Park
Thoughts: Despite hardly ever wearing it, this top is a bit of a keeper. It's comfortable, cool and goes with a lot of what I have.

Monday 21st May
Clothing: Hibiscus Dress (2016)
Weather: Sunny, 20C
Activity: Work, School meetings
Thoughts: I wore this outfit in April already, but I liked it so much, I had to wear it for a photograph and check if it was all that I hoped it was.

Tuesday 22nd May
Clothing: Silk Poppy Top (2017)
Weather: Sunny, 20C
Activity: Work, Picnic in Regent's Park
Thoughts: I like this top a lot, and find it very versatile. I wore it on holiday this year and wear it to work semi-often. I only wear these trousers during Me Made May and it was fun to come home and throw on my denim shorts to head to the park after work.

Wednesday 23rd May
Clothing: Black Karen Dress (2016)
Weather: Cool, 22C
Activity: Work
Thoughts: I still love this dress. The fabric is on the cheap side (ie, a bit synthetic), but it is a marvellous staple in my wardrobe.

Thursday 23rd May
Clothing: Silver Maria Denmark Tee (2014)
Weather: Cool, 23C
Activity: Work
Thoughts: I don't wear this shirt very often, even though I do like it. I don't wear t-shirts very often and this one is a Wintery colour, even with the sparkle. Maria has released a new version of this pattern, but I don't think I'll download and print again. I like this one well enough, and I'm planning on using this pattern for a stripe version very soon.

Friday 24th May
Clothing: Tilly and The Buttons Coco Sweatshirt (2016)
Weather: Chilly, 18C
Activity: Yoga
Thoughts: I don't usually have an opportunity to wear this in May, so I wore it on a chilly morning walk to yoga.

Me-Made-May 2018 - Week 3

I, Cathy of Cathy's Makes, pledge to wear a different item of me-made clothing each day of May 2018. 

Monday 14th May
Clothing: Megan Dress (2015)
Weather: Sunny 20C
Activity: Work
Thoughts: This dress is too small. It was on the small side when I made it, it has shrunk in the wash, and I have gained a little bit of weight. I am wondering if an exposed zip at the back would add enough ease to improve matters, or if the sleeves would still be too much of a problem.

Tuesday 15th May
Clothing: Red Dress (2015)
Weather: Sunny 23C
Activity: Work
Thoughts: I suppose I wear this dress only once a year. Good thing we have MMM. I love the pattern, but the fabric is not great. It is looking a little worn, and creases a lot. I put a lot of work into this dress, all the seams are bound with a Hong Kong finish.

Wednesday 16th May
Clothing: Suit Refashion Dress (2017)
Weather: Light cloud and breezy 16C
Activity: Work
Thoughts: This dress is in regular rotation in my work wardrobe. I am gutted that I messed up the neckline, but I hope it is not too noticeable when worn with something underneath. If making it again, I would raise the neckline by about 2 inches.

Thursday 17th May
Clothing: Bamboo Scarf (2015), Vogue Coat (2016)
Weather: Cold, Sunny 13C
Activity: Work
Thoughts: Two weeks in and two weeks to go. This is where MMM gets tough. I am running out of work clothes. I just don't feel like wearing separates but they will have to come out soon. Only 4 more work days to dress for.

Friday 18th May
Clothing: Bamboo Birds Molly Top (2018)
Weather: Sunny, Cool 15C
Activity: Exercise, Guiding
Thoughts: I love wearing this knit bamboo, it has such a lovely feel to it. It is so comfortable. I am glad I shortened the length of the pattern too.

Saturday 19th May
Clothing: Scuba Dress (2018)
Weather: Sunny 17C
Activity: Watching the Wedding
Thoughts: I got this dress finished so I could wear it in front of the TV today, and have something new for Me Made May. Otherwise: #fail

Me-Made-May 2018 - Week 2

I, Cathy of Cathy's Makes, pledge to wear a different item of me-made clothing during each day of May 2018.

Monday 7th May
Wore: 70s Beach Dress (2013)
Weather, Activity: Hot, sunny, 26C; Gardening, still oiling the deck
Thoughts: This was about the only choice I had today for very warm weather clothing: dress, sleeveless, lighweight. It fitted the bill, but I have RTW stuff that I like better.

Tuesday 8th May
Wore: Navy Pin Dot Peony Dress (2015)
Weather, Activity: Warm, 24C; Work
Thoughts: I could get away with this today because London still has a weekend hangover and people are not ready to forgo their summer clothing. I like this better than I did when I first made it. Waistband is getting a bit tight tho.

Wednesday 9th May
Wore: B&W Stripe Skirt (2014)
Weather, Activity: Pleasant, 23C; Work, Art Club
Thoughts: I enjoy wearing this skirt a great deal and it usually gets a couple of outings a year. Always with a black top. It works particularly well in Spring and Autumn. I do wish I had made the pleats smaller though - it hangs too heavy in the front.

Thursday 10th May
Wore: Chiffon Top (2013)
Weather, Activity: Mild, 17C; Work
Thoughts: Hurrah! I finally wore this top during Me Made May! For years I have been making excuses and it is so nice to get out some different clothing for a change.

Friday 11th May
Wore: Bamboo Cardigan (2016)
Weather, Activity: Windy, 19C; Exercise, MyGuide, school run, finished oiling the deck.
Thoughts: I didn't get changed after exercise today, but actually I think this photo is one of my favourites

Saturday 12th May
Wore: Vogue Coat (2016)
Weather, Activity: Rainy, 15C; Brunch.
Thoughts: I still really enjoy wearing this coat.
Wore:  Eurovision Skirt (2017)
Activity: Watching Eurovision
Thoughts: I tried to go for the Buck's Fizz look by repurposing this skirt with a primary coloured top. It would be fun to make the full version of this costume. (But it's never going to happen!)

Sunday 13th May
Wore: Molly Dress (2018)
Weather, Activity: Chilly, 17C; Tidying up.
Thoughts: I don't like this dress. I only wore it because I was staying home and it was Me Made May. What I actually wanted to wear was my pyjamas and Stride Socks!

Me-Made-May 2018 - Week 1: Skirts

I, Cathy, of Cathy's Makes, pledge to wear a different item of me-made clothing every day of May 2018.

As the first week of Me Made May kicked off, I wore three skirts in three days. So I thought, why not carry on and make this skirt week? Luckily the weather changed half way through and I got to wear my winter and then my summer skirts.

Tuesday 1st May
Worn: Wine Wool Skirt (2014)
Weather, Activity: Windy 13 C, Work.
Thoughts: I've worn this skirt a few times this winter. I've not pegged it, mainly because of the hassle of re-doing the hem around the double vents. I don't love it with this cardigan, my outfits in 2017 and 2015 are better, but I wanted to wear it differently.

Wednesday 2nd May
Worn: Cashmere Delphine Skirt (2016)
Weather, Activity: Rainy 13 C, Work
Thoughts: I've worn this exact same outfit a few times this season. Nothing new to see here. It's getting a bit worn out, but I'm not about to part with it.

Thursday, 3rd May
Worn: Floral Scuba Skirt (2018)
Weather, Activity: Party Cloudy 17 C, Work
Thoughts: I made this skirt on Saturday and wore this same outfit on Sunday. The weather got nicer and I thought I'd round out my first three days and make it a series of skirts.

Friday 4th May
Worn: Teal Cord Erin Skirt (2017)
Weather, Activity: Fine & Sunny, 19 C; Volunteering
Thoughts: This is the first time I've worn this skirt without tights and it worked really well, especially for the kind of day that seemed pleasant but was not truly hot.

Saturday 5th May
Worn: Garden Skirt (2014)
Weather, Activity: Warm & Sunny, 23 C; Oiling the deck (see the stripes?)
Thoughts: It was nice to wear this skirt for Me Made May for a change. I chose this one because it was short enough to move about in when I was working.

Sunday 5th May
Worn: Wild Red Skirt (2014)
Weather, Activity: Warm & Sunny, 24 C; Family dinner out
Thoughts: I was still oiling the deck, but I changed into this outfit to go out with the kids for dinner. I still think I should take an inch off the length.

I also wore my Suzy Taylor Daydream PJ Shorts (2017), but I didn't feel like posting a picture of me in my jammies on the internets.

I've pulled these photos from my Instagram feed, I decided to post there once every three days rather than every day. I don't post that much, and I don't want to fill it up with pictures of myself. I like to think that I'll maintain the discipline over the month. I'm not going to post anything else and then the whole grid of nine pictures will be 27 tiny photos of me! Standing exactly the same way!

Next week might be Tops.

Me-Made-May '17: Week 5 - and finished!

"I, Cathy of Cathy Makes, sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May '17. I endeavour to wear something me-made each day for the duration of May 2017"

Monday 29 May 2017
Wearing: Mustard Grandpa Cardigan (2014)
Weather: not bad, followed by massive downpour
Activity: bank holiday Monday
Chances: 98%. Wearing more of what I want to this week. RTW with a MM cardigan.

Tuesday 30 May 2017
Wearing: Cowl Neck Top (2013), Bamboo Cardigan (2016)
Weather: chilly-ish
Activity: ferrying kids to activities
Chances: 50%. I would likely have worn the cardigan, but not the top. I don't like the top, but actually, in this photo, it works better than the cardigan. Which looks massive, much too much shawl collar, and that sleeve where I forgot the seam allowance really shows. These cardigans are all based on the same pattern, but the collar of the mustard one means that the style suits me so much better. Shame because the bamboo is a much nicer fabric.

Wednesday 31 May 2017
Wearing: Mustard Grandpa Cardigan (2014)
Weather: humid and even a bit warm
Activity: kids activities, sewing, gardening
Chances: 100%. This is my favourite dress. When it goes, I am going to pull it apart and make a pattern from it. 

Thoughts
I'm kind of just glad it's over. That week of sunny weather really saved me from having lots of repeats.
I haven't worn my cotton skirts, but I'll make a promise to them that they will get worn out on the weekends in June and July.

Me-Made-May '17: Week 4

"I, Cathy of Cathy Makes, sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May '17. I endeavour to wear something me-made each day for the duration of May 2017"

I also pledge to take a daily #OOTD photo and post it on Instagram.

Final Week!

Monday 22 May 2017
Wearing: Navy Linen Shirt Dress (2015)
Weather: pleasant
Activity: work
Chances: 15%. Getting dressed was really hard today. I really, really wanted to wear one of my RTW summer work dresses. I had three suitable contenders, and I only really get to wear them in June. I went for this as the closest next best thing, mainly because it is a solid colour, but I struggle to match it to a suitable jacket. (And it is a bit short for un-tanned legs.)

Tuesday 23 May 2017
Wearing: Hibiscus Dress (2016)
Weather: humid
Activity: work
Chances: 95%. So much fun to get out my summer dresses again! I had to alter this because the bias neckline stretched out terribly - despite stay stitching. I should have used the facing from the pattern, instead of bias binding. I unpicked the side seam at the gathers and pulled it in and down, by quite a lot. (That is an actual measurement!) Hope it holds.

Wednesday 24 May 2017
Wearing: Sashiko Birds Dress (2015)
Weather: lovely
Activity: walked to work
Chances: 100%. One of my favourite summer dresses.

Thursday 25 May 2017
Wearing: Floral Peony Dress (2016)
Weather: lovely
Activity: at work, dreaming about a last minute invitation to the Chelsea Flower Show.
Chances: 100%. This is the outfit that I didn't make in time for the show last year, when I actually did have an invitation. Better late than never.

Friday 26 May 2017
Wearing: Garden Skirt (2014)
Weather: lovely
Activity: inside, sewing up some summer hats.
Chances: 100%. I love this summer skirt, and I felt bad that I didn't wear it for MMM last year, so I made sure it got in this year. Not great with this light coloured top though.

Saturday 27 May 2017
Wearing: Silk Poppy Top (2017)
Weather: not as good as we hoped
Activity: at home
Chances: 0%. But it was nice to try out this top in a more casual outfit, I like it this way. I've really got to take in the side seams, it's a tent.

Sunday 28 May 2017
Wearing: Dyed Broderie Dress (2015)
Weather: same
Activity: visiting friends in the countryside
Chances: 5%. This dress is quite good for spring, because it feels summery, but the relatively heavy weight means it is quite warm. I'm so pleased I dyed it from white to this chambray look.

Thoughts

It was so much easier, getting dressed this week! This was entirely due to the weather changing dramatically for the better. We don't often get a run of hot, sunny days in May, but we did this year. It is amazing how much your wardrobe changes; suddenly, floral dresses are appropriate office wear. 

I stopped posting to Instagram. I didn't mind taking a photo, and they look fine as a collage here, but they were so boring on IG. The same person, same location, same pose, same crop, every day. Bleh! I would rather do a wrap up, as a collage instead. I could also try to capture a details shot instead.

Me-Made-May '17: Week 3

"I, Cathy of Cathy Makes, sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May '17. I endeavour to wear something me-made each day for the duration of May 2017"

I also pledge to take a daily #OOTD photo and post it on Instagram.

Monday, 15 May 2017
Wearing: Black Karen Dress (2016)
Weather: rainy
Activity: work
Chances I would have worn this if it were not MMM: 70%. I should pull this out for work more often and not save it for "best".

Tuesday, 16 May 2017
Wearing: Yellow Spot Shirt (2015)
Weather: nice
Activity: work
Chances I would have worn this if it were not MMM: 0%. I always wear this as a casual top, but I am running out of me-made workwear. I love the way the yellow collar looks with a navy jacket: Summer colours at the office! Especially because the weather is not yet good enough to get out my print dresses.

Wednesday, 17 May 2017
Wearing: Navy Pin Dot Peony Dress (2015)
Weather: humid
Activity: work
Chances I would have worn this if it were not MMM: 0%. I struggle with this dress, but today seemed like the right weather: warm, rainy, overcast. It was pouring this afternoon, so I didn't get a picture. Snapped on Thursday instead.

Thursday, 18 May 2017
Wearing: Vogue Floral Coat (2016)
Weather: sunny
Activity: work
Chances I would have worn this if it were not MMM: 30%. I'm tired of me mades for work, so I threw on RTW with this coat over the top.

Friday, 19 May 2017
Wearing: Miette II Cardigan (2014), Rainbow Scarf (2016), Stride Socks (2016)
Weather: sunny
Activity: mooching around the house with a cold (a.k.a. man flu)
Chances I would have worn this if it were not MMM: 60%. I would likely have worn the cardigan and the socks. The scarf is because my husband swears by keeping your neck warm when you have a cold. This one is a bit scratchy, but I liked the cheerful colour. In the photo, I am not wearing the socks, but they helped out by being my Instagram post. I don't like getting made up for no other reason than to take a photo for social media, and yet I also don't like posting a photo without hair and makeup!

Saturday, 20 May 2017
Wearing: Miette Cardigan (2014), Stride Socks (2016)
Weather: ok
Activity: still sick
Chances I would have worn this if it were not MMM: 65%. It was a good day to get this cardigan out. The length is to short and the neckline too wide, but I love the yarn, and I wear it quite often in Spring.

Sunday, 21 May 2017
Wearing: Molly Top (2017)
Weather: v. nice
Activity: Regent's Park, Mexican dinner
Chances I would have worn this if it were not MMM: 0%. This top is falling apart. I only saved it to wear this month. The fabric is too loud too. I love the shape though, so I'm on the lookout for the right fabric for another one.

Thoughts
It's getting a bit tiresome now. Week 3 is not a good week: so far in that I've worn all my good options, and so far from the end that I'm not excited about the final push. I didn't get photos on two of the days. The weather was pouring and I didn't feel like doing nasty photos inside. Truthfully, I wasn't that excited about my outfit. But I photographed one of them this weekend instead and it wasn't as bad as I thought it was. Can you spot which one?

I'm also noticing that I'm not really wearing any of my early makes. Am I only interested in new clothes, or have I got better at making more of what I want to wear..?

Me-Made-May '17: Week 2

"I, Cathy of Cathy Makes, sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May '17. I endeavour to wear something me-made each day for the duration of May 2017"

I also pledge to take a daily #OOTD photo and post it on Instagram.

Monday, 8 May 2017
Wearing: Vogue Floral Coat (2016), Bamboo Knit Scarf (2015)
Weather: cold, windy
Activity: work
Chances I would have worn this if it were not MMM: 70%. I love this coat, it is perfect for Spring, and I purposely underlined it with flannel so that it would be warm for our very cold Spring days. I also wear the scarf often. I love the colour and sheen and it goes with lots of my clothes.

Tuesday, 9 May 2017
Wearing: Karen Jersey Dress (2016), Bamboo Knit Scarf (2015)
Weather: cool
Activity: work
Chances I would have worn this if it were not MMM: 85%. Twice in two weeks.

Wednesday, 10 May 2017
Wearing: Silk Poppy Top (2017), Bamboo Knit Scarf (2015)
Weather: airconditioned
Activity: work meetings
Chances I would have worn this if it were not MMM: 72%. I don't often wear suits, but I'm pleased with how well this top co-ordinates as a separate.

Thursday, 11 May 2017 
Wearing: Red Bow Dress (2015)
Weather: mild
Activity: work
Chances I would have worn this if it were not MMM: 2%. This is quite dressy for a normal work day, but it is good to get out of my usual uniform.

Friday, 12 May 2017 
Wearing: Coco Liberty Sweatshirt (2016)
Weather: pleasant
Activity: coffee, dentist, moving furniture, hanging decorations
Chances I would have worn this if it were not MMM: 2%. The weather was grey and windy this morning, but it was actually quite mild and humid. Time to put this away until Autumn.

Saturday, 13 May 2017 
Wearing: Dhalia Dress (2015), Miette II Cardigan (2014)
Weather: mild
Activity: school event
Chances I would have worn this if it were not MMM: 2%. I found it easy to repeat this outfit from last Saturday.

Saturday, 13 May 2017, outfit #2
Wearing: Yellow Circle Skirt (2017)
Weather: night time
Activity: Eurovision Party!
Chances I would have worn this if it were not MMM: 100%. I made it specially for today.

Sunday, 14 May 2017, outfit #2
Wearing: Mustard t-shirt & cardigan (2014)
Weather: lovely
Activity: washing up
Chances I would have worn this if it were not MMM: 0%. I wanted to wear a summer outfit to enjoy the sunshine, then I changed into jogging clothes to do stage one of a Couch to 5k. I didn't bother to change back, so no photo today.

Thoughts
I got some things out that I wouldn't have otherwise, which made a nice change. My outfit of the week was my new circle skirt!

Me-Made-May '17: Week 1

"I, Cathy of Cathy Makes, sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May '17. I endeavour to wear something me-made each day for the duration of May 2017"

I also pledge to take a daily #OOTD photo and post it on Instagram.

Day 1: Monday 1 May
Wearing: Silk Poppy Top (2017), Bamboo Oslo Cardigan (2016)
Weather: overcast, chilly
Activity: friends for lunch
Chances I would have worn this if it were not MMM: 50% The top is a bit too smart and summery for a day at home, but it was finished the day before, so I would have been quite likely to wear it. Weather was a bit cold for this, but it was nice to wear.

Day 2: Tuesday 2 May
Wearing: Tilly Delphine Cashmere Skirt (2016)
Weather: sunny, cool
Activity: work
Chances I would have worn this if it were not MMM: 5%. I don't like wearing black tights in the Spring. I am wearing this at the beginning of the month so that I can put it away with my Winter things.

Day 3: Wednesday 3 May
Wearing: Wine Wool Pinstripe Pencil Skirt (2014)
Weather: cold
Activity: work
Chances I would have worn this if it were not MMM: 10%. I wear this skirt 1-2 times a year. I need to alter it, but I'm procrastinating because pegging six seams and re-doing the lining around the two vents is not my idea of a good time.

Day 4: Thursday 4 May
Wearing: Megan Dress (2015)
Weather: cool
Activity: work
Chances I would have worn this if it were not MMM: 90%. I wear this dress often, it is a great work dress. But it has recently shrunk, and I am eating too much sugar, so I am not as keen on this dress as I used to be.

Day 5: Friday 5 May
Wearing: Geo Karen Dress (2017)
Weather: pleasant
Activity: train to Bath
Chances I would have worn this if it were not MMM: 100%. I love this dress!

Day 6: Saturday 6 May
Wearing: Colette Dahlia Dress (2015), Cream Miette Cardigan (2014)
Weather: windy
Activity: city break in Bath
Chances I would have worn this if it were not MMM: 2%. I don't really like this dress, but it is comfy and looks fine if I wear the cardigan over.

Day 6, outfit 2
Wearing: Black Karen Dress (2016)
Weather: evening
Activity: dinner
Chances I would have worn this if it were not MMM: 100%. I might never make a different dress pattern again.

Day 7: Sunday 7 May
Wearing: Zig Zag Dress (2013)
Weather: pleasant
Activity: brunch and train home to see the kiddies
Chances I would have worn this if it were not MMM: 20%. This is the professed favourite dress of my little one, so I wore it for the journey home. Packing list for weekend away: 4 stretchy dresses, one pair of boots, one pair of heels, one cardigan, one jacket.

I also woke up in my Feather PJ Top (2017) every day, wore my Floral Vogue Coat (2016) on Wednesday and Thursday, my brown cashmere jumper (2013) in the evenings, and my 70s floral beach dress (2013) to the pool at the hotel.

This week wasn't difficult. I wear quite a few me-made things these days. I planned all my outfits on Trello, using my finished project cards. Divided into Work / Casual then Cool / Warm Weather. I've started with Work + Cool Weather so I can retire my Winter wardrobe. A city break was fun. This is the first trip we have taken alone together since we had children 10.5 years ago. My city break wardrobe consists entirely of stretchy dresses + boots. Easy to pack, comfortable and smart, and I have plenty of them.

I found the daily photo challenge to be quite fun too. My front steps have worked well as backdrop recently, so I carried on with that location. I feel a bit shy about posting photos, but it is useful to see how the clothes look on me, so I am posting daily photos of the whole outfit.

Me-Made-May '17 Pledge

'I, Cathy of Cathy Makes, sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May '17. I endeavour to wear something me-made each day for the duration of May 2017'

This is my fourth Me-Made-May challenge, and I am so looking forward to it. My wardrobe has not increased exponentially, but the things I have made are much more wearable than my first efforts with quilting cotton.

The garments I have added to my wardrobe since MMM'16 are:
Peony Dress totally appropriate for Spring in the UK.
Black Karen Drape Dress one of my favourite dresses.
Vogue Coat which will likely be worn to work every single day in May. And definitely if I am lucky enough to be invited back to the Chelsea Flower Show.
Silver Bamboo Cardigan which I am already wearing this season.
Hibiscus Mock Wrap Dress which needs fixing as the neckline has gaped. I'm hoping a run of elastic through the bias binding will solve.
Molly Top which is going in the bin on 1 June as the fabric is awful and has already started to fall apart.
Wool Jersey Karen Dress ...let me count the ways in which I love thee.

That's only 7 garments for me in the last 12 months. My Coco Dress makes it 8, but it is not suitable for the season. Makes me think that the 3 or so makes I have planned might not all come out before the end of May: pyjama top (totally counts!), Alex shirt and a t-shirt.

Me Made May '16: what I wore

Week 1

Sun 1 May

Entertaining

White floral skirt (altered to remove lace from the hem), long sleeve teal t-shirt (dyed from bright blue), Ruby Tuesday Cardigan

Almost counts as a complete me-made outfit because I have altered every piece.

Mon 2 May

Gardening

Brown Cashmerino Jumper
This is so old now that it is really not suitable for wearing out of the house.

Tue 3 May

Work

Grey Flannel Dress

Wed 4 May

Work

Megan Dress

Thu 5 May

Work

Chiffon Top

Fri 6 May

Work

Sashiko Birds Dress

Sat 7 May

Activities for kids

Green Sprig Top

Week 2

Sun 8 May

Gardening

Ruby Tuesday Cardigan

Mon 9 May

Work

RTW
Tried on B&W Stripe Skirt but it needs shortening, and lining.

Tue 10 May

Work

Liberty Mimi Blouse
Felt frumpy all day.

Wed 11 May
Work
Ashton Shawlette, as scarf

Fri 13 May
School run
White dress
Felt way too conspicuous and ordered denim coloured dye to change the colour asap.

Sat 14 May
Kids activities
Miette II

Week 3

Sun 15 May
Gardening
Mustard T-shirt and Cardigan

Wed 18 May
Work
Wool pinstripe skirt
I really want to reduce the hips and peg the hem to give it a proper wiggle. But there are so many seams, and I spent so long taking them in when I first made it, that I am really unmotivated. Maybe next year.

Fri 20 May

Home

Silver pin dot t-shirt

A proper wardrobe staple. Right fabric with the right pattern.

Sat 21 May

Child Birthday party

Pink Liberty Sweatshirt
Silver pin dot t-shirt

Week 4

Sun 22 May

Gardening

Yellow Spot Shirt

Mustard Cardigan

Tue 24 May

Work

B&W Skirt

Wed 25 May

Work

Camel Cashmere Skirt

Fri 27 May

Tea party

Zig zag dress

Sat 28 May
Gardening
Ruby Tuesday Cardigan
Dyed teal t-shirt

Tue 31 May
Home
Miette Cardigan

I was not very motivated to wear my me-mades this year. There were a lot of days that I was grateful to skip. I don't know if I have higher expectations of clothes that I have made, but there are so many items where I want to tweak the fit. When I do, I like it much better.

I have been sewing less than usual and my machine needed a service, which I successfully sorted out myself (I think). I didn't finish any projects this month, but I did have an intensive session of making very useful alterations.

Photos are very useful, but I didn't take a daily outfit photo. The effort of setting up a camera, downloading and posting photos was more than I was interested in. Especially because I wasn't feeling great about my outfits in the first place.

A lot of my me-mades do not fit with my personal style, particularly on work / weekdays. I reach for a dress almost every single work day, and I have a collection of dresses which I love. I also wear them most days off. Separates are not very "me".  The problem here is that I am a stingy fabric buyer. If I like something, and am not buying for a specific pattern, I often only buy 1m of it, which limits me to a skirt or a top. I am slowly getting over it and trying to buy 2m at a time. I also need to stick with buying solid colours in the fabric store. All of my makes with solids/neutrals are wardrobe staples while I have tired of my prints.

The weather in May is always variable. It is bright and sunny but cold, and sometimes rainy. We even had some snow! The gardens are blooming so we all fall into the trap of wanting to put our winter things away, but not having warm enough weather to wear summer clothing.  Luckily I have a few RTW things that are made of summer-looking fabrics, but in a heavy weight.

Alterations

There are so many of my makes that need tweaking/altering, but I only got motivated to do so in the last week of May. It did give me a boost to finish off the month stronger than I started.

Here are the things that I altered:
Navy pin-dot dress: shortened hem by 4.5cm. Reduced girth of cummerbund to account for weight loss and enable wearing at high waist/under bust. Still struggle to find the right occasion to wear this: too formal for home, too casual for work, not pretty enough for garden party.
Black & White Skirt: Shortened hem by one band. Lowest band is now black. Still unlined so can only wear with bare legs.
White dress: Hooray! Dyed with Dylon Denim Blue. Came out a bit too dark but I'll leave it out on a few sunny days in the hope of fading. I unpicked the hem before dying because the 100% cotton thread had shrunk so I need to re-sew.

Note to self: get pictures of these changes when worn.

Not worn this month

Stride Socks. Actually, I wear these around the house all the time, but they are painful to wear inside shoes so I never wear them out.
Not cold enough: all cowls/wool scarves/wool jumpers/wrist warmers.
Not warm enough: Linen shirt dress, beach dress, cowl top, Sorbetto dress, Garden skirt, Red skirt, martini skirt, Cambie dress.
Red bow dress. Terrible oversight! Mainly due to having to wear it without tights, which is only acceptable to work in June, July and August. Plus my office is coldest in those months. But I will pledge to wear it to work this week.
Dahlia Dress. Frumpy. I do wear it in Winter with a cardigan/jumper over the top, but I have 1000 other stretchy dresses that are way cuter.

Me Made May '16

May has snuck up on me and I am so excited that it is time for Me-Made-May already!

I have decided to increase my pledge to 6 days a week, up from 5 days in 2015. I am sure I could go for the full 7 days, but I would rather keep it back so that I can continue to increase my pledge year on year.

So, here is my pledge:

I, Cathy of Cathy Makes, sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May '16. I endeavour to wear an item of me-made clothing six days a week with one day each week in an entire outfit of me-mades for the duration of May 2016.

Plus, as an extra twist, and a bit of fun, the children are going to participate, in Mummy-Made-May! Their pledge is to wear Mummy-Made clothes as often as possible during May (but not to school)!

I you would like to sign up too, there is lots more information on Zoe's blog, here.

To make it a good deal easier to expand my pledge, there are quite a few things I have made for myself since last year's Me-Made-May:

Pin Dot Peony Dress
I don't actually love this, I am going to try shortening the hem to see if I like it more.
Ashton Shawlette
I love this and I wear it all the time, it is my favourite scarf.
Sashiko Birds Dress
I am very happy with this and can wear it to work as well as at home. 
Yellow Spot Shirt
Despite the wonky collar, I will wear this as a work blouse too.
Navy Linen Dress
I live in this in the summer. It goes with every single one of my cardigans too. Collar is terribly wonky so I don't think it can have an outing to the office, unless the weather gives us a heatwave in May.  A shorter length will make it a proper summer frock.
Megan Dress
A staple in my wardrobe, I have to stop myself from wearing it every week. I wish I was brave enough to tackle a matching jacket.
Infinity Cowl
I wore this daily in Winter, but it is now washed and packed away with the Winter woolies.
Liberty Coco
I lived in this at the end of the Winter. I will probably get enough chilly day in early May to pull this out and wear quite often.
Cashmere Delphine
Love this! If I had to describe my signature style, this would be one of my choices.
Stride Socks
Hmmm. Does wearing around the house count as MMM?
I have also altered my Ruby Tuesday Cardigan to carry the buttons all the way down the front. It looks much nicer, and is far more wearable.

A few items in my handmade wardrobe could do with some alterations to increase their likability:
Black & White Skirt has had the lining removed. The cotton lining wasn't working and I took it for doll's clothes. I have new lining fabric, but I haven't put it in yet. 
White Dress needs dying, test swatch pending and I am still trying to decide on a colour. Turquoise, navy, magenta?
Cambie Dress, needs to be shorter.
Pin Dot Dress, ditto, as discussed above.
Linen Dress, probably would be better shorter too. Maybe I am just getting tartier in my old age...

Finally, the next thing in my sewing queue, which will probably take all month to make, is a Spring Coat. This will solve my MMM pledge in one garment!