Me Made May 2015 - My Completed Challege

Well, May 2015 has come and gone, and it's time to report on My Pledge I made at the beginning of the month. My original pledge was to wear all my me made or altered items within the month. I also threw in that I hope to finish some long standing wips. So, how did I do?

I made my pledge kind of vague and fairly simple on purpose - I've had a lot going on in my personal life and I didn't know if I wanted to pile on the typical commitment to wear me made everyday like others have done piled on top of that. I didn't want to add yet more stress on myself that could end up with a feeling of failure, you know? I've always loved watching others participate in Me Made May each year, but I've always had to watch from the sidelines because I've never had enough finished items. I really didn't get started with actually sewing wearable items until last September, but since then I have churned out quite a few items. Could I actually have enough for the whole month? The thought crossed my mind after 6 days of wearing me made with no problems - in fact, it's pretty easy to grab something I made each morning. I did so well straight off that I decided to see how long I could keep the momentum going, and about halfway through the month I kept wearing me mades out of sheer stubbornness. I mean, I had gone that far, right? I didn't want to always wish I had buckled down and completed the month. So I kept wearing me made items on purpose...

And I managed to wear me mades everyday for the entire month! I'm pretty stoked that I was able to complete the challenge, to be honest. I still technically did not complete my own pledge since there were several items I've made that did not get a single wear - all for very good reasons. I feel that I've still completed the challenge though since I upped the ante and did it for the whole month. Yes, there were repeats - especially on my basic skirts that I wear really frequently - but just the sole fact that I had enough items that I've made or altered to complete the entire month is pretty elating to me :)

So what were my "Most Worn" items?

1. Pretteh Kitteh Skirt - This one is just so awesome that I want to wear it all the time :) Clearly it's because the fabric is so awesome. I had to pace myself with this one because I don't want to become the "crazy cat skirt lady" by wearing it too much, lol.
2. Peggy Skirt - This is just such a useful basic - I love everything about it. The shape is very flattering, the fabric is nice and cool and doesn't wrinkle, and the color goes with pretty much everything. I need a whole arsenal of these skirts in solid colors like this. 
3. Altered Navy Pin Dot Skirt - Another totally basic item that goes with lots of things. It's dressed up without feeling fussy, so I'm able to be comfortable while still looking work appropriate.

I'm a definite skirt lover. I also love my t-shirts :) I had to restrain myself from wearing my latest Floral Plantain everyday, because it's just so pretty and fun and comfy. Notice a trend yet? As much as I love dresses in theory, I only wore my cotton dresses once each and that was to church on Sunday. It's just too stinking hot here in the summer to wear a dress all day at work, especially one with such a high neckline. This may be way crossing the TMI line, but apparently my chest gets very itchy throughout the day, so my high necked dresses tend to drive me crazy after a few hours and if any sweating has occurred at all. I tend to have to do lots of bra adjusting throughout the day, and I don't relish having to completely unzip my dress and get halfway naked in order to get things re-situated. This is why my dresses don't get worn more, so maybe I need to look into dresses with a lower neckline. Going by what I wore this month, here is what I've learned:

• My "signature silhouette" is fit and flare, preferably with a knit top.
• My more casual clothes only get worn every so often, while my "work appropriate' clothes get grabbed over and over.
• I don't like the look of a plantain top with anything flared on the bottom - it looks too sloppy on me. I need waist definition for a flared bottom or else I feel like I look heavier, which no one wants. 
• I'm all about comfort - no matter what I'm doing, I need to be realistic with my fabric choices and no go for so much quilting cotton. It may be cotton, but it's thick and I live in Florida. 
• I LOVE linings. They may be more work to sew, but they make me feel so much more comfortable. Line all the things!
• Most of my clothing at this point is thrifted :) 

Even more than all these lessons, the biggest surprise I learned it I'VE MADE ENOUGH ITEMS TO SURVIVE A WHOLE MONTH OF ME MADE MAY! This is an epic achievement for me, and I really couldn't be more pleased :) I also managed to work on several wips as well as churn out some totally new items. I didn't finish knitting my Emelie sweater, but as you can see from my pics up there I rarely wore my knitted items this month. May in Florida is just way too hot for anything wool. Period. And if my knits aren't wool then they are worsted weight, which is the same problem. I need to focus on thinner yarn, even though it takes me forever to knit, and I need to stay away from wool, even though I love knitting with it. *Sigh*

So yeah - I COMPLETED ME MADE MAY! HOORAY! I love that I can say that I wore me mades for a whole month. It just feels so accomplished :) Thanks so much, Zoe, for making this challenge and encouraging us all to push ourselves. I'm still pretty amazed at what I was able to accomplish.