Ree-Made May 2016

It's here again! For the third year in a row I am going to join in with Me Made May. I've found it really useful in the past and I love seeing how people style their hand made clothes in everyday life! 

I've got my sewing plans for the moment pretty much set - I've already identified the gaps in my wardrobe and I've got stash fabric to work through, so this time I don't think MMMay will be about finding out what else I need to sew, but more about finding new ways to style my hand made clothes, and noting the most and least useful pieces.

Last year, I pledged to wear me-made for twenty days in May. I did manage to do this without much difficulty, so this year I want to up the ante. One of my problems though is that I haven't actually made many new pieces in the last year (and one was a wedding dress... I can't really wear that one in everyday life, sadly). So, here is this year's pledge:

'I, Marie of Ree-Sewn  sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May '16. I endeavour to wear me-made clothing on at least 25 days in May 2016'.

I'm going to do a weekly update every Sunday, purely because I usually have Sundays off. 

I'm also hoping I'll be able to do lots of sewing in May, but I'm not going to put any pressure on it. Let's see how I get on! 

I'm looking forward to seeing your Me Made May posts! Go forth and wear stuff you've made! 

A Tartan Emery

or: "the dress that did not want to be"

The Big Ol' Machine dress (Christine Haynes Emery pattern with pleated skirt)  

Hi folks! I hope you've all been having a splendid March. And April. How the devil did time whizz by so quickly?! I am bemused.

Naturally I chose the time of year when we all start to feel that Spring is finally making an appearance to sew up this lovely Winter dress (a dress I have been meaning to sew for the past TWO Autumns and Winters). 

It's another Emery with a pleated skirt, and it was a gigantic pain to sew. It just fought me ALL THE WAY. But, in the end, it has turned out pretty well. However It is a bit (nay, a LOT) mysteriously small in the bust - perhaps down to using a poly lining this time which has no give? I don't know, but I only realised when I had at long last finished it. I was so fed up with sewing it I seriously could not entertain unpicking it and letting the seams out. Maybe I will at some point! So apologies it is not being modelled by me here. I did try and take some pics but couldn't inflict those on the world. Poor squished boobs!!

So, why was it so awkward to sew? Unsurprisingly it wasn't due to pattern matching, that all turned out pretty well, all things considered. It was mainly my stubbornness in wanting a fully lined bodice (ie lined sleeves as well), which I bodged three times. The first time I thought I had figured out the order and method of construction and merrily went along my sleeve lining way - only to find  a twisted mess when I tried to turn it out. So I unpicked and switched my brain on, worked out a way of doing it that would work, but then the sleeve lining was all misaligned and was pulling the main fabric in funny ways. I swore. Banished dress to naughty corner. Had a cuppa. Calmed down. Unpicked again. Redid it. The sleeve still doesn't sit perfectly, which I know is down to the lining, but it's so much better than it was. 

I still maintain that a Winter dress in a heavy-ish fabric like this one needs the sleeves lining, so no regrets. No one wants itchy pits. To be fair it was the fabric that caused problems too, it just frayed like nobody's business. I overlocked every single edge as soon as I had cut all my pattern pieces though and that kept it in check (haha).

So I'm sorry to say that I really didn't enjoy sewing this, but I actually do like the end result. It's just a shame it doesn't fit me!! I've almost finished a sundress (using the lovely yellow floral print in my projects in the pipeline post), so hopefully this one will play nicely and, you know, fit me and everything!