Do you want to build a snow dress?

Sorry. I couldn't resist.

"Frozen" Fever, amIright? It hit our house earlier this year, perfectly in time with the ad campaign around the DVD release. Well played, Disney. You certainly know your target audience.

It would've made sense to wait until Halloween to sew a costume (or a dress, depending on which one of us you're asking), but my inner four-year-old took over. There would have been nothing better than dressing like my favorite characters around the clock. Plus, I know that in no time she'll be all dark and gothic and tween-y. For now, though, she's my little princess, or Queen Elsa rather.

I'm really happy with how this turned out despite my over zealous trimming of the hem. With the way she's growing I'm probably going to have to add a ruffle to the bottom come fall to give it a more appropriate length, but that's a small price to pay. Plus, it'll probably be easier than hemming this bad boy (bad girl?). The fabric is perfect for Elsa, but the glittery rhinestone bits did NOT want to cooperate when it came time to finish the bottom edge. Meh. It won't fray, so no biggie.

See what I mean? The blue fabric is from Joann, as is the cape fabric. I forgot about the top of the dress on my first Elsa shopping trip, though, so the semi-sheer white dance fabric came from Hancock on a later excursion.

For the pattern, I combined two that I already had in my stash: The Wee Muses Bateau Neck Top and the Kitschy Coo Skater Dress. I've whipped them both up in the past, so I knew they'd work well for my Charlie-Elsa after a bit of blending.

The top of the bodice is the Bateau Neck pattern, which I eased into the Skater Dress from the modified sweetheart joint and down. Same with the sleeves. I traced the Bateau sleeve, but I used the Skater sleeve for length and fit. I know this isn't full-Elsa-off-the-shoulder, but it seems to work for the preschool set. 

I'm sure I could have done a better job on the sweetheart here (there's a bit of pulling happening), but I wasn't about to futz with it once both pieces were together. No seam ripping, for the win!

This is what my pattern pieces looked like after I fiddled with them. I know it appears that this is all Bateau, but if you look closely at the bottom section of the bodice you'll see that I eased the sides in with our tried-and-true Skater as a guide for size.

My fancy DYI seam allowance.

All the pieces, sans cape.

For the cape, Charlie insisted that she wanted it to be attached to the dress. I was a little iffy on that one at first, but it actually ended up being much easier than coming up with a detachable piece--just stitch that sucker on and go. I chose a sparkly mesh(?) that wouldn't fray at the ends, gently rounded the bottom of it, gathered it fit the back between the top and bottom of the bodice, and voila! Of course, if you ask my muse, the cape should have been trailing several yards behind her, but until she can sew her own, Mom gets final say.

There's one last thing that I have to share because it was a lot of work, dammit! I carefully and lovingly hand cut a couple dozen sparkly snowflakes to float on the cape for extra Elsa-ness, and they were awesome. And they lasted about 15 minutes before they all fell off. Sigh.

You live, you learn. Or in this case, you spend precious sewing time cutting out snowflakes only to realize that the fabric you're trying to stick them to wants to have no part in being snowflaked. Next time, fabric... next time.

For the time being I'll... wait for it... Let it Go. (You knew that would be in there somewhere, right?)

Me Made May 2014: Week 5 Recap

That's a wrap, folks!

Day 25 - Colette Patterns Mabel Skirt (repeat)

Day 26 - Deer & Doe Patterns Plantain T-shirt

Day 27 - Grainline Studio Tiny Pocket Tank... without pocket

Day 28 - By Hand London Anna Dress

Day 29 - Kitschy Coo Skater Dress

Day 30 - Deer & Doe Plantain T-shirt and Tilly and the Buttons Brigitte Scarf (both repeats)

Day 31 - Wiksten Tank and Colette Patterns Mabel Skirt (yes, AGAIN)

That's it for the recap on this week since so many of the pieces were either actual repeats or re-makes of the same patterns. I can't say enough about how much I enjoyed Me Made May, awkward photos aside. I've been sewing for myself with gusto for the past couple of years, and it was nice to have a reason to pull a bunch of my me-mades out of the closet. It's true that I do actually wear them year-round, but this whole exercise prompted me to look at everything with new eyes. And make me want to sew more. Sorry, Husband.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: The online sewing community is amazing. Thanks for a great month, Me Made May!

Me Made May 2014: Week 4 Recap

You guys. Ugh.

I love wearing things I've made--I mean, come on, that's why I made this stuff in the first place--but I'm pretty much done with the part where I try to pose in a fashion that shows off the... well... fashions. My hands. Where do I put my hands?! On my hips apparently. That said, here's another week on the books!

Day 18 - Sewbon Running Belt: So I've been taking our very deserving dog on some longer walks lately, and while I enjoy the exercise and fresh air as much as he does, he's just not much of a conversationalist. Probably because he's too busy sniffing EVERY BLADE OF GRASS we pass. No matter, though. I've got my phone to keep me company with music, or even better, audio books. Look, I found time to read-ish! Anyway, add the phone to the poop bag (let's call a spade a spade here), hand wipes (again: poop), my keys, the leash, etc., and I found myself longing for -- gulp -- a fanny pack. The Internet met my plea with something so much better though, and from a sewing blogger I adore, no less! Have you seen the Running Belt tutorial from Sewbon? (Link above.) I'm as in love with something that has "running" in the title as I'm ever going to be*. I might go back in a stitch a couple of vertical lines to create a more defined pouch since I've found my stuff sort of slipping out of convenient reach in the belt's tube, but it's still awesome. Two thumbs up, which I totally have now that all of my items are safely tucked away in my Running Belt.

*The Running Man. I also love the Running Man.

Day 18, part 2 - Wiksten Tank: I've made at least half a dozen Wiksten Tanks, so it's pretty shocking that we're this far in without a sighting. I think it's because I've been so focused on trying to dress the Me-Made-May part that I haven't wanted to reach for my basics, opting instead for peacock feather dresses and elephant skirts.

But! I've got a few, they're perfect with jeans, and of course they layer under a cardigan effortlessly. If you sew you likely already knew that and probably have a closet full of them yourself. This one is a cotton gauze with no adjustments to the pattern. Score.

  

Day 19 - Made by Rae Ruby Top: I've already waxed poetic about Ruby this month, but what's a wordy-recap from me without the words to make it happen? For this one I used a shot cotton for the yoke and an Anna Maria Horner voile for the body. When I started sewing again after many years away, it was Rae's blog that introduced me to AMH voile. I don't know if it's a first love thing, but now I hold her fabrics as my gold standard. I loooove them. All voile, all for me, please.

Oh, and this top got a slight hemline alteration, using the Wiksten Tank as a guide.

Day 20 - Colette Patterns Moneta Dress: Another one I've covered, but this was actually my first version. I found the fabric on super sale at Joann, originally intended for a dress for my daughter. She got her dress, but I also made a swing back to the store for some dots of my own. I only wish that I'd taken the time to sew mine with as much care as I did hers. Thanks to my serged seams, I just don't feel like this one is going to hold up as well as its peacock couterpart. Oh well! I played with my double needle, and I'm sure to get my money's worth out of it thanks to the aforementioned discount on the cotton jersey. And of course I love the pattern.

Day 21 - Made by Rae Josephine Top: OK, as I glance back at my Me Made May gallery, I appear to be a bit of a Made by Rae fangirl, which just begs the question: Where's my Washi Dress? The answer is that it's awaiting a full bust adjustment on the pattern, and that it will come eventually, BUT IN THE MEANTIME(!) there's Rae's Josephine which comes with two cup size options. What?! Fan-damn-tastic. All the work was done for me, and I just had to focus on what fabric to use. This one is a lightweight chambray, and I've got voile and rayon versions in the queue. The pleats (pintucks?) are surprisingly easy to sew, but high impact. Huzzah!

Day 22 - Salme Patterns Gathered Top: So. This shirt. It seemed like a great idea at the time, which was well over a year ago, but after wearing it once and seeing the photos (Mother's Day last year... don't ask to see 'em), I decided that I'd be better off scrapping it and using the fabric to make something else entirely. But then Water Day at my kiddo's preschool rolled around, I was able to take the day off, and I wanted to wear something light and breezy. I figured a bunch of three and four-year-olds wouldn't be too critical so I dug it out. You know, it kind of grew on me. It may still end up with another life, but at least we had Water Day. What do you guys think?

Day 23 - Colette Patterns Mabel Skirt: Unlike my love at first sight with the Moneta, I was a little, "Meh," when I first saw the Mabel Skirt pattern. After seeing a few versions pop up online, though, I was suddenly convinced that my handmade life wouldn't be complete without a simple knit pencil skirt. This is another muslin (I need to tweak the waistband a bit), but it's so, so comfortable. My styling here could use a little nudge one way or the other (am I preppy? am I Bohemian?), but the ease of wearing this skirt trumps it all. I've got fabric ready to go for another, and if I can get over my "Does this make me look like Kelly Bundy?" feeling, I'll be all set!

Day 24 - Wiksten Tova Dress: Not only have I covered this pattern, but I covered this very version of this very dress. So instead, let's talk about my shoes. They're leopard print Dr. Scholl's classic sandals that I bought about 18 years ago. They may be my oldest shoes, and I think that they were my very first leopard print item. I'm fond of them and sentimental as can be, so imagine how pissed I was when they nearly came flying off of my feet thanks to TWO rogue screws that spontaneously gave up on me as I was walking through the grocery store. Of course I'll fix them (sentimental shoes and all), but man did they almost ruin my weekend mojo.


And that's it! One more week to go in this whole Me Made May thing. Whew. I've also got a little "Frozen" Elsa magic up my sleeve for those of you who are tired of seeing my mug, but would like to see my little blonde muse take a turn. (I'm looking at you, Mom and Mother-in-Law!)

Me Made May 2014: Week 3 Recap

The upside of Me Made May: Holy crap, the online sewing community is full of talented, supportive, inspiring ladies! (Gentlemen, are you out there? If so, who's your favorite indie designer? Colette Patterns? Megan Nielsen? Hmmm!?) Instagram, Flickr, blogs... I've gone down the rabbit hole, and I DON'T WANT TO COME OUT.

The downside of Me Made May: I suddenly expect the people in my "real life" to want to talk about French seams and voile and jersey versus interlock and full bust adjustments and bias binding. At length. And with sincere interest.

Check it out: A sewing recap in which I show my face!

Day 11 - Colette Patterns Moneta Dress: My first repeat of the month because it was Mother's Day and nothing says MOM! like a peacock feather dress, amIright? I already gave a little rundown on this one here, but to summarize: I love it. A lot. Oh, and Mother's Day was lovely. Perfect spring weather, time with my family, and my gifts included a bottle of wine that I had totally forgotten about until right now, but now plan to enjoy tonight. That's a win!

Day 12 - Made by Rae Ruby Dress: It's kind of surprising that I haven't worn one of my Rubies already this month since this is my third me-make with the pattern. This is my first dress version, though, so maybe it's more a matter of pants and my disinterest in wearing them this month? Yes. That's it: No pants in May! Unless you made them yourself, in which case, have at it.

Bonus Ruby: I also made a top for my own sweet mom. How cute is she? Hers is a linen blend/voile combo; mine is a cotton-tencel chambray/voile combo. (The latter three are from Hawthorne Threads, in case you're just itching to whip up one of your own.) In terms of construction, these are straight from Rae's pattern, finished with bias binding. Will anyone talk bias binding with me now? Anyone...?

Day 13 - Deer & Doe Plantain T-Shirt: I lurve Deer & Doe's Plantain. I've made this guy at least half a dozen times (again, once for my mom, although she's perfectly capable of whipping one up and likely will now that she sees how awesome it is), and I would have happily paid good money for the pattern. But it's free, and you should all download it if you haven't already, though I suspect that if you've managed to find your way here that you already know all about Deer & Doe, and that you could likely point me to many other super cool free patterns. In which case, do! Please! But I digress. This top is lovely, and it's the perfect mix of fitted and flattering without being lump-and-bump-highlighting clingy. Yes. 

Construction notes: I've tried this shirt in two sizes since I was right on the cusp, but I think I prefer the larger, looser of the two. Maybe it's my fondness for tunic styles and swing tops with skinny jeans, or maybe it's my fondness for cupcakes and extra room for lunch, but either way you can't go wrong. Oh, and I just realized that I actually wore a Plantain last week with my elephant mini, but didn't even mention it in the round-up. Oops! (That one had a slight high-low hem thing going on; this one is right off the pattern.)

In the photo at the top, my blonde mini-me is wearing another Made by Rae pattern, the Flashback Skinny-Tee, turned dress. I feel like I should say something about the fact that we match, but in my defense, that fabric from Heather Ross’ Briar Rose collection is just fantastic. We should all match! Plus, it was a strawberry picking field trip for her school, so come on. My husband is lucky I didn’t insist that he wear berries, too.

Day 14 - Colette Patterns Laurel Dress: Now this one was my first Laurel, and seeing it here, it's my favorite. Blame my years of working at the Gap in the late '90s, but I'm firmly of the belief that you can't go wrong with a denim dress. (Full disclosure: I'm also in love with perfectly folded stacks of clothes, and I mean PERFECTLY.) This dress is actually a denim-chambray, and thanks to my hefty hem (I added length, but changed my mind), it has a perfect built-in weight to keep it from creeping up my legs when I walk, which I do a lot of since my horse-drawn carriage is in the shop.

Construction notes: I dutifully cut out my size as dictated by the pattern, but I ended up going back in and sewing the side seams with a more generous 1-inch allowance. I also fiddled with the invisible zipper for a bit (it was a poor-quality zip and didn't want to have anything to do with the thicker fabric) before realizing that I didn't even need it. I added another 1-inch seam allowance in the back, and this baby can pull on and off without any contortions. I suspect it will be in heavy rotation this summer, with or without the necklace.  

Day 15 - Grainline Studio Scout Tee: Again, it's amazing that I made this far into May without a Scout sighting. I've made this shirt a number of times, with varying lengths and adjustment, but this one is from a rayon challis remnant I found at Joann Fabric, with a couple of extra inches added, and the swing back adjustment Jen describes here. My photographer had already gone to preschool for the day, so I was on my own for these pics, but just as well since this pattern is so thoroughly reviewed online. Anything I could say would be a repeat of a repeat of a repeat... Grainline Studio 4EVA. 

Day 16 - Wiksten Tova Dress: I was in love with the Wiksten Tank pattern the moment I saw it, but it took me a little while to come around on the Tova. As all too often happens, though, I stumbled across someone's version somewhere in my web surfing and decided that I not only loved the Tova, but that I had to make many, many of my own. This is my second take on the pattern (the first is an un-blogged three-quarter sleeve flannel shirt), and it's going to be a summer staple for sure. The fabric is the same cotton-tencel chambray that I used for the top of my Ruby Dress above, and though it might lean a tiny bit toward the sheer side, the weight will be lovely in the dead heat of a North Carolina July. Plus I can always wear a slip. Or interesting underwear.

Construction notes: The Tova directions are thorough, which is great, but the pattern is labeled Intermediate for a reason. During that yoke insertion, I actually felt my shoulders knotting up. I managed my plaid version in the fall just fine, and one side of the yoke for this dress went in without a hitch. But the other side. Oh, the other side! I think I stitched the same few inches three tedious times before it was in somewhat properly. Not a record, but with my thinner fabric, I got antsy each time I had to pull out my seam-ripper. We survived, though, and now I have an easy-to-wear dress. High five! The arm holes are finished with--you guessed it--bias binding. 

Day 17 - Sew Liberated Paloma Top: Another day, another Paloma. There's something to be said for nice fabric: It sews better, it wears better, it lasts longer. This is not nice fabric. But I wanted to work with stripes to show off the features of the top, so mission accomplished? One thing I didn't mention in my Paloma notes last week is Meg's use of Lite Steam-A-Seam 2 in the construction. SO COOL. I highly recommend picking some up before you dive in. It would obviously come in handy with your other knits-sewing, too, so add it to your toolbox. Or don't. That would just mean more for me.

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And that does it for this week! The good news is that I'm almost out of items that I've made but haven't written about. The bad news is that that won't stop me.

Bias binding time?

Me Made May 2014: Week 2 Recap

Since I know you've been waiting anxiously for this week's recap (and by "you," I mean "my mom"), here it is. This is the part where I should probably warn you that this is a long and rambling post all about sewing (yippee!) because every last thing I've ever made for myself--except for the three items that I quickly noted in last week's recap--has been undocumented in the realm of cyberspace. Want to talk sewing and headless photos? Then you've come to the right place!

I've tried to include an additional garment photo below to help fill in the details, but I'm a bad blogger and had to rely on quick phone photos, most of which were taken by a helpful four-year-old.

Hello, white legs!

Day 4 - Colette Patterns Laurel Dress: This is actually my second take on the Laurel, made in a linen blend from Joann Fabrics. Oddly, I whipped this one up in the heart of winter and paired it with leggings (timely seasonal sewing!), which might explain why I didn't realize how damn short it is. Oh well. That didn't actually stop me from wearing it out in public, though it will probably stop me from wearing it to work with bare legs. Probably.

Construction notes: Because this was my second Laurel, I knew that I could make it work without the zipper, so I just forged ahead, taking in the side and back seams like I did on my first (unblogged) version. Welp. It worked, but just barely. I mean, I can clearly pull it on and off, but not without making myself look like I'm performing some kind of Houdini escape act. When I make this dress (tunic?) again, I'll try to correct my over correction. Correct? Correct.

Again with the legs.

Day 5 - Tilly and the Buttons Coco Dress: Again, my second take on a pattern, and again it's just a leeeetle bit on the short side. This time I actually did wear it to work, though, because I was attending a Go Red for Women event, and if this dress doesn't scream, "GO RED!" then I don't know what does. The fabric is again from Joann, and I found it in their bottom-weight section. It's nice and thick and stable, and despite its "jeggings" label, it worked well for the pattern. Tall ladies who sew, if you happen to be reading this, do you go for it with original dress lengths and proportions, long legs be damned, or do you lengthen without question?

Construction notes: My first Coco was a shirt with the funnel neck and three-quarter cuffed sleeves, but you'll have to take my word for it since it's now packed away with my cool weather clothes and I didn't actually get a single picture of it before stashing it. But! I did learn a bit on fit from that (totally wearable) muslin, namely that I needed to transition from one size at the shoulder, up a size at the bust, and back down to the original at the waist and hips. An easy to fix for this dress and all other future Coco makes. Added bonus: Both the shirt and this dress earned high marks from my hubby. I guess mod styling is his thing? Whatever. Positive feedback is nice. And encouraged.

Neck down, please.

Day 6 - Colette Patterns Moneta Dress: Guess what. This is also my second make on a pattern. Could this be my favorite me-make ever? It's possible. Who knew that what my wardrobe was really missing was a swishy peacock-feathered sundress? Well, apparently Girl Charlee did. That's where the fabric came from, and look at that: It's made in the USA. Now I love it even more.

Construction notes: Nada. It was a nice, straight-forward, simple sew. The fiddliest part is mastering the invisible elastic insertion, but again, because this was my second go-round, it went pretty well. I put it all together on my regular machine, serging the exposed seams after construction. Oh wait, I did have one change: I cut the skirt pieces out at the longest length laid out on the pattern. Hurray for the tall girl learning her lesson.

Why's my head look tiny?

Day 7 - Sew Liberated Ashland Dress-turned-Top: I'm not entirely sure why Sew Liberated Patterns don't get more love from the online sewing community... I'm certainly a fan! This is actually a dress pattern, but I was inspired by top that Meg McElwee (the brain behind these patterns) posted on her blog, so I decided to dive in with that version. It was an easy enough pattern hack to make, just shortening the skirt. This cotton voile was found at a local shop, but a quick Google search tells me that it's Bromley Voile Arbor in Citron, and that it's readily available online.

Construction notes: This pattern gives you the option of cup sizes, which is freakin' awesome. I'm obviously capable of sewing my own garments, but I find the idea of needing to do full bust adjustments is just daunting enough to deter me. Silly, I know, and one day I'll get over it. But not today. Today I'll just make sure I trace the appropriate cup pieces on the Ashland and call it good! Full disclosure: There are a lot of pattern pieces. But other than that, it comes together quite well. I might add the tiniest bit to the inset (half inch, maybe?) just to give me more bra coverage in my next attempt, but I still like this one enough to keep it in rotation.

Whee! Swingy!

Day 8 - Sew Liberated Paloma Top: I love this shirt. And I feel like a broken record. The flowy top-skinny jeans combo is one of my favorites, and this shirt is just interesting enough to keep it from being a boring old t-shirt. (Though I love those too.) My fabric choice here is kind of meh. I like the color, but it's so sheer that I have to wear it with a cami, which while fine and dandy, isn't always my favorite thing to do. It seems like one shirt should be enough, yes? Oh well. It was purchased online ages ago.


Construction notes: I gave the pattern a good look before I decided to size down from what my measurements indicated, and I'm glad that I did. It's still plenty roomy and floaty and flowy, and I really can't imagine that I would need any additional fabric billowing around me. If you've made a t-shirt, you probably have a pretty good understanding of how they go together. Pay attention on this one, though. It's tricky in the coolest way, and the resulting gathering and sleeve insertion are really neat. (That sounds a little vanilla, "neat," but it's true. Gee whiz.) Oh, and I didn't cuff the sleeves. There, done.

With pollen shoes.

Day 9 - Grainline Studio Moss Skirt: Wait. I lied above. This? This is definitely my favorite me-make. I helped a friend sew up curtains for her new baby boy's room (elephants!), and ended up with left over fabric. I figured that it would make good a muslin for the Moss, right weight and all, so I dove in. Little did I know that this skirt would become my most complimented handmade item. Again, positive feedback is fun! Color me validated.  Granted, the woman who stopped me the first time I wore it wanted to get one for her 17-year-old daughter, which might sway another 36-year-old woman to STOP WEARING THE AGE-INAPPROPRIATE SKIRT, but not this one.


Construction notes: Aside from lengthening it a couple of inches in anticipation of my future whining, I stitched this up just as I was supposed to. The zipper slowed me down for sure, but in the end, it's there, it works, and I'm the only one who can see the wonky fly inside. Win!

Oops. Same picture.

Day 10 - Tilly and the Buttons Brigitte Scarf: OK, I realize that this is kind of a throw-away, and that I only committed to wearing me-made items four days a week, but I was on a roll and didn't want to stop, dammit. Plus, I was already cutting fabric for some Mother's Day sewing, so why not add a Brigitte? It took maybe 15 minutes to whip up in a bit of Anna Maria Horner voile, and BAM! I'm 10 for 10 for Me Made May.


Construction notes: Do you have a sewing machine?

Yes? Good. You're done.



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I also learned this week that I find it infinitely easier to quickly crop an Instagram photo than to find one where I'm content with my hair, my expression, my outfit, my stance, the background... pretty much vanity at its finest. But I've kind of enjoyed the pride that Charlie is taking in being Mommy's photographer. Sure, it might mean that I only have blurry shots to pick from (See Ashland above), or that I'm clearly giving her instructions on how to hold and focus my phone in every picture, but she's totally into it and has actually insisted that she be the one to help me out. Here honey, take Mommy' photo. That's good parenting, yes?

Plus, she offered this spot-on and perfectly adorable assessment of why I was asking her to help me: "I'll take pictures of your dress so that you can put them on the computer to share with lots of people you don't know who like to sew too, and you can make new friends!"

Yep, that's pretty much it, kiddo.

Me Made May 2014: Week 1 Recap

Woo-hoo! I did it! Sure, it was technically only three days but I totally made it through the first week of Me Made May successfully. There was celebration wine.

Anna Dress, City Girl Top, Hemlock Tee

And now, since I'm someone who tends to think about blogging the details of her sewing adventures instead of actually doing so, here are the pertinent details on Week 1's wears, or "unblogged" items, as the kids say.

Day 1 - By Hand London Anna Dress: Polka-dot rayon challis, slash neckline, knee-length (though you'll have to take my word on that one thanks to my headless torso-selfie... my torsie?), and successful invisible zipper insertion on the first try--huzzah! But I flubbed the facing/zipper technique. While it works just fine, I'm acutely aware that I did it wrong. Handmade charm, though, amIright?

Day 2 - See Kate Sew City Girl Top: A lightweight, semi-sheer linen sweater knit with half-sleeve option. (Once again, you'll have to trust me and my torsie.) The pattern suggests a sturdier, stable knit, but I really wanted something soft and drapey. I left the arms and hem unfinished, and I love it.

High on the success of that one--hello, speedy sewing!--I dove into another City Girl Top in an even looser sweater knit. It was, in a word, soterriblewhatwasIthinking. My mistake, though, not the pattern, and I've got another one planned, which you may or may not see here in one of these recaps at some point in the near or distant future

Day 3 - Grainline Studio Hemlock Tee: I think this a poly-blend tissue knit, but I stitched it up so long ago that I honestly don't remember. The shirt and pattern are cute enough (plus, the pattern's FREE!), but the fabric feels strangely stiff. This was actually the first time I'd worn this shirt, grabbing it from the sleep-shirt drawer in the spirit of Me Made May, and I have to say that it kind of grew on me over the course of the day. Maybe I'll bump it up into the workout-shirt drawer. Ha! Like I work out! Good one, Hemlock Tee.

There: I sewed, I wore, I recapped. Hurray for Me Made May! Maybe I'll see you next week.

Me Made May 2014

My parents gifted me my first sewing machine in high school--or was it middle school?--and I immediately set to work making Very Important Things like boxer shorts, constructed with cockeyed plaid, to be layered with my ill-fitting biker shorts in gym class.

On a slightly related note, the class behind us only had to take one year of phys ed, while my class had to take two full years. Injustice! At least I still have the shorts.

Fast forward to me as a mom, several years removed from my crooked boxers and unevenly hemmed dresses. I found myself wanting to sew for my little one, rusty though I was, so I gathered some supplies and tentatively refreshed myself on the ins and outs of sewing. Good news: It's like riding a bike with needles and thread and dangerously sharp scissors. Even better: There's an incredibly vibrant online sewing community to serve as inspiration and a never-ending resource for help and motivation.

My kiddo is four now, and I still make plenty of things for her. (I mean, come on: Kids' clothes are cute!) In the past year or so, though, I've really stepped up my own me-made wardrobe, and I have no intention of stopping. There are a number of reasons to be invested in the process of making your own clothes, but for now let's just go with this: It's fun!

Me Made May 2014: I think I can?

So, without further ado: I, Meagan of howikopp.blogspot.com, sign up (one day late!) as a participant of Me-Made-May '14. I endeavor to wear at least four me-made items each week for the duration of May 2014.

Thanks, online sewing world, for making me want to play along!