Me Made May : Week 2

I’ve made it through a full week of Me Made May – that, in itself, is an achievement! So let’s get straight to the week’s summary:

Day 5: My Autumn Fireworks skirt Skirt and my Coppelia Cake Cardi – yeay, a double me-made to start the week. I was really pleased with this outfit as I had never thought about pairing the Coppelia cardi with this skirt, but it’s such an obvious match!
Day 6: Tartan McCalls 5923 – I didn’t think I would get a chance to wear this dress as it’s 100% wool, but fortunately/unfortunately the weather took a rather chilly turn so this dress was a perfect choice.

Day 7: The Tartan McCalls 5923 again, paired with the Coppelia Cake Cardi – again, another pairing that I had not thought about but works well
Day 8: Self-Drafted Cowl Top – I had forgotten about this wee gem! I drafted this based on a RTW top that I own and I really love the shape. Note to self: Must make more of these tops!

Day 9:  McCalls 5591 Skirt – wearing pink to support the start of the Giro D’Italia bike race that started their time trials at the bottom of my street!
Day 10: By Hand London Anna Dress & my beautiful Jimmy Choo wedding shoes (coz I’m going to take any opportunity I get to wear them!) out to dinner to celebrate my Mum’s 70th Birthday. I also wore a newly finished Plantain t-shirt during the day, but forgot to document it.

Day 11: Pink Eyelet Skirt – Ahhh, I forgot how much I love this skirt! Also, I was away for the weekend (for my Mum’s birthday) staying at the beautiful Lough Eske Castle Hotel, so no, that’s not my 4-poster bed! I wish!

I’ll do a proper analysis of my Me-Made experience at the end of the month, but my initial thoughts are that I have a lot of pink and purple in my wardrobe! Something to perhaps bear in mind when I’m next picking fabrics?

Inspiring Details : Manipulating Stripes

*source*

This series is to highlight how small details can take the ordinal and make it special.

Love At First Stitch Online Launch Party!

Are you excited? The unstoppable Tilly Walnes from Tilly and the Buttons is launching her new sewing book today, Love At First Stitch – and to celebrate, she is hosting an online launch party. Dress code: Brigitte Scarf!
Never one to turn down an invite, I had to get involved…but I couldn’t decide which way I should wear my new scarf (which, by the way was the fastest, most satisfying, instant gratification sew ever!!!)…

Have you seen the previews of the new book? The patterns look absolutely beautiful, and right up my street. I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy.

Have any of you had early access to the book (you lucky things!)?
Have you made the Brigitte scarf?
Are you excited? (you should be!)

Me Made May: Week 1

Well, week 1 of Me Made May 2014 is  done and dusted. It was a pretty easy one of course, with only 4 days and it being the start of the challenge. But I fear that it will definitely get a bit harder as the weeks go on – especially if the weather stays as cold and miserable as it currently is!! Anyway, here are the outfits that I donned this week:

Day 1: Burda Style Jenny Skirt with an h&m shirt. Oh and a necklace made by my mum (does that count?!)
Day 2: The Jenny Skirt again (because I wear my work skirts a few days in a row before washing!) with a basic cami vest and hounds tooth cardi from TKMaxx
Day 3: Plantain t-shirt, Next leggings, Nine West boots
Day 4: Coppelia Cardigan with Next jeans and chipmunk face (!!)

It’s a bit early to start analysing what I am missing from my me-made wardrobe, but I definitely need a few more comfy garments – which will be slightly rectified by the fact that I have just snipped the last thread from two new jersey tops (yep, the Plantain again – what can I say, it’s a winner!). And I will definitely need to get those pencils skirts I previously mentioned finished asap if I am to survive 4 more working weeks!!!

Oh and I’ve only just realised that I have been using the wrong hashtag! Doh!

Inspiring Details : Sheer Polka-Dot Panel

*source*

I love noticing little details, in everything actually. They take the ordinary and make it special. A simple top can be transformed by adding pleats, a bow, a little pocket – or in the example above, a very cute sheer polka-dot panel. My sewing is slowly evolving. At first you may make something to learn a skill – you follow patterns and instructions to the letter. And you end up with (more than likely!) a lovely new piece. But as your skills and abilities grow, you realise that you want to, and you can, change things up a bit and inject a little bit of ‘you’. Lots of you do this already, and I really admire it. I want to take my sewing down that road as well. To that effect, I’m going to share with you some of my favourite details that I have seen around the interwebs – and hopefully they may inspire you as well! Let’s take the ordinary, and make it special.