Me-Made May, Ready-to-Wear and Me

 HEY THERE!

Hey Sewfam, I’m Dei, better known as @sewhotmommi. I’ve been sewing for many years, but it’s something about the evolution of social media that has changed my creative experience. The beauty of this online community is that it allows for a mash-up of sharing ideas, experiences and support. Between forums, blogs, IG, facebook, and so on, there is no lack of exposure to fellow sewcialists and access to information. But despite my love for the craft, I never really participated in #MeMadeMay until this year. Ugh, I know. Sigh.

MMM has been on my radar for a while, probably since it’s inception. It hung in the background of my sewing nebulous, but I just never fully engaged. Not sure whether it was the perceived pressure to wear something I crafted every day or to document it, but I annually took a pass. However this year I took the time to fully read what participate meant…and sure enough, it was inline with much of what I aimed for in building my wardrobe and appreciating my own efforts.

WHO AM I?

Let’s just start with the type of sewer I am. An ardent student of technique, an obsessive of details with a sizable sewing library to fuel my passion. When sewing something new, I research the pattern, carefully weigh my fabric options, review the sewing instructions to plan my attack…and then FINALLY, get down to sewing. So obviously I’m not a volume sewer. More importantly, my sewing is crammed into an already packed daily life. So, if my time is going to be spent behind my machine, I want something durable, classic, yet on trend. Gratefully, I’m transitioning away from perfectionism, but I don’t generate the number of pieces that would stock my wardrobe quickly. So wearing an “#OFTD for #MMM” was sketchy at best for me.

MEMADEMAY…the second time around.

Then as I read the specifics of the MeMadeMay challenge… again, it changed my perspective of its purpose. There before me were all things that I aim for in my evolving sewing journey.

– to start integrating your self-made items into your regular wardrobe rotation.
– …use your garment-creating time more usefully….
– …wearing the clothes that you really want to be seen in…
– discover what the rest of this large community of makers has created…enjoy the support, advice and inspiration that they will provide.

WHERE DO I GET INSPIRATION?

So lately, as I have taken on this challenge, my main question is “How to craft a wardrobe that I get excited about.” Not just the core, functional pieces, but the fashion forward items too. Enter “Inspiration Shopping”. A quick trip to the mall with my iPhone and I come back loaded with ideas. I take the time to inspect the interior of each garment. How the seams were finished? How was it lined? What type of fabric was used? In addition, I’ve connected with a of couple style sites, a few style influencers/fashion bloggers (a bare minimum on these because reality has to be a part of my budget), along with my fave fellow Sewcialists, and I’ve got plenty of inspiration. But it is this infusion of commercial ready-to-wear, to my surprise, that really gets me excited. What I like in the store, I can make at home as well! And truly, after taking a really close look at the construction of some RTW, it ain’t always that great. And when it is superior, I take notes.

ALL IN!

So now, let’s cycle back to MMM. With my inspirational run through the RTW world, I am now armed with a ton of ideas. I prefer the fit and construction of my own garments, but I love amping up my style game. It gets me excited to create pieces that are stylish and to share them with the sewing community. And I love seeing how others interpret trends. I don’t sweat donning my handiwork everyday, I’m happy to follow the hashtag and appreciate what others have done.

So rather than dodging MMM, I’ve embraced it, not just for tallying my own efforts, but seeing the greater creative force of this band of style DIY-er’s.