So, whether you’re new to the sewing scene or someone who has been part of the sewing community for a while, you’ve probably come across a sewing challenge at some stage. I think “Me Made May”, which was the brainchild of Zoe Edwards, must be one of the longest running as it’s been going for about eight years. It was so interesting to read her blog on how and why she started Me Made May.
So, the challenge runs for the month of May. To participate, you can make a pledge or statement as to what you are getting out of the challenge. Usually, there is a pledge to wear something you made for each day of May, which was part of my pledge. I also included that I wanted to repair and maintain items as I went along. Part of the beauty of this challenge and what makes it so useful is that you can set your challenge the way it works for you.
The second part is documenting the challenge. Initially, I was a bit hesitant to get in front of the camera daily. There is no rule saying you have to do this as it’s left up to each individual what they want to do. After getting over the initial camera shyness, I did find myself wanting to document my outfits as I wore them as it was motivating and a useful reference.
I wasn’t sure if I would have enough to wear as the weather starts to fluctuate at this time of year. Well, this is where the surprise came as I discovered that I could comfortably wear, with a few repeats, items that I’ve made. Usually when I sew something, I wear it on repeat until my next project. Documenting it daily really motivated me to reach back for items that I hadn’t worn in a while. It also motivated me to correct a few mistakes that I had put off to “one day” fix but never did which inadvertently prevented me from wearing the item more often. This process has also made me realise what lovely investments these patterns are and made me want to go back and resew patterns and experiment with different fabrics.
I have also realised where the gaps in my closet are. This mainly came about when we had the sudden cold snap at the last week of May which often happens here in Perth, Australia. Even when the rains kick in here, we often have quite tolerably warm temperatures until BANG! It’s freezing and down to single digits (Celsius). Due to this cold snap, my Me Made May journey was a bit patchy towards the final week but I was quite happy with what what I had gained from participating in the challenge. Looking back at my Instagram Highlights, I count about 20 days where I’ve managed to wear something “me made”.
Another bonus of the challenge was realising that all my sewn clothing has been standing up well to the rigours of daily wear and washing! I was kindly guided by a sewing friend to invest in an overlocker. I was lucky enough to find an old sturdy (and very heavy) four thread Bernina Overlocker second hand. It’s a beautiful machine and I’m so grateful that I’ve had such good advice on my sewing journey. Once you invest time and effort in a garment it’s very hard to part with it and it’s so important to be able to maintain it.
You can tell that Me Made May is a really cherished sewing challenge in the community. Participation is high even though there is no “prize” to win. There was some cheerful grumbling about getting front of the camera daily but all followed with lovely smiles and fun poses! It’s lovely to connect with new sewing friends and to see how everyone was meeting their pledges. Here are some sample “Me Made May” outfits of mine that received a lot of love! Thank you so much if you’ve been following along.
Em Sew Happy Blog 