Me made reflections

There is no logo down the side of my blog for me-made-May this year.  Last year I put one up and then realised, rather pitifully, that I hadn't nearly enough home sewn or knitted clothes for a month's worth of wearing.

Nevertheless, I have entertained ideas of doing it anyway.  I've extended my home sewn wardrobe quite a bit in the last 12 months.  On the first day of May, I had my very favourite and certainly me-made polka dot skirt on by accident.  On the second day, which I think was when I realised that MMM had started, I was poorly and fragile and spent the entire time in my shop-bought jammies.  We are up to ten days of May, and I've jumbled through without much MMM design.  When I get ready dressed of a weekday morning, I'm thinking about the kids' lunches and what is coming up at work, not the provenance of my clothing.  I aim for clean, and anything else is a bonus.

Today, after kitting Brighid out in hockey gear (something called funsticks starts tomorrow morning), I stopped to do a home sewing errand - to buy more extra wide elastic to repair a favourite skirt.  MMM virtue went out the window not long afterwards.  Not content with propping up the local library by paying fines once more, I decided to prop up a local posh-ish clothes shop by trying half of their sale gear on while the kids checked out their toy box.  It's a good place, Wetville, toy boxes everywhere.  I bought an emerald merino hoodie.  Half price.  And a hoodie - running with the young crew this week.  I also bought a super stretchy denim look skirt which had 30% off - the kind with layers of sewing running round it so it looks like it's pieced together from strips of leftover fabric by people who can do this without ripples in the wrong places.  It's not as exciting as making my own things in terms of distinctive clothing, but it's a lot more conducive to having things to wear than waiting until I get more sewn at night. 

I'm stalled on the Pavlova wrap top.  I carefully used tailors tacks to transfer the pattern markings and then the first time I got it out to start actual sewing, I brushed away one lot of tacks thinking it was fluff on the fabric.  duh.  I don't suspect it of being a hard top to make, but it is conceptually quite different to anything I've made before, so my brain is shouting "hard!" whenever I think about sewing it.  But I'm not allowing myself to make the red and black checked circle skirt until the wrap top is complete (don't you people all have rules with yourself?), hence a break in all things sewing to knit.

I'm knitting Lala's Simple Shawl (look at this beautiful example on ravelry) in a variegated blue which I've been waiting to use for aaaages.  It was once a home spun and handknitted white jersey which was passed on to me.  White and my spillage of food not being ideal partners, I swapped my friend Megan for a grobag for her baby (who is now at school to give you some context) in return for her dyeing it blue.  I've had a few experiments with patterns and styles and none have worked.  La La is looking good though.  Photograph coming when the technology gods rise from their slumber, which is definitely not tonight.

Off to bed to read Mrs Jordan's Profession by Claire Tomalin.  It's most enjoyable so far.

Comments

Qarlos Quintero said…
Thannks for a great read

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