I’m coming in a bit late on this MMMay wrap up, but that’s ok, right?
My final week of Me-Made May was all about Maxi dresses, which are my favourite thing to sew. More specifically: sleeveless maxi dresses in ITY knit!
22: A maxi mashup from 2017 – a self-lined Jalie tank as the bodice, Closet Case Sallie as the skirt, and the curved hem from the Tuesday Stitches Ultraviolet tee!
23: Oh hey, it’s another hack involving a Closet Case Patterns! This is the bodice of the Amy jumpsuit made into a maxi dress. I was a pattern tester for this pattern and Heather won my heart by letting me test a woven pattern in a knit.
24: My Sewcialists Mini Challenge “spicy” dress! Aka. the boob flower dress, minus one boob flower. I was told I looked like a movie star in this dress, which probably is mostly because I was wearing sunglasses inside, but hey, I’ll take it! FYI, I’ll be hosting another Sewcialists Mini Challenge in July!
27: My 2018 Birthday Dress! Jalie sent me a few free copies of their patterns before we both presented at the Pattern Review Weekend last June, and I made this blouse pattern into a maxi. Love this fabric, and love this dress!
28: Oh hey, it’s another version of that blue Jalie/Sallie dress from above! This fabric comes from Cali Fabrics back in the day, well before I started blogging for them. Love it.
29: It’s another Sewcialists Challenge dress – my Oonapalooza dress from 2014!!!! This is a great example of why I love ITY – it still looks perfect after 5 years, and it still fits 4 inches later.
31: And the final day of Maxi week… not a maxi! I was headed to an Occupational Therapy assessment, and I wanted to ready for anything. This is my favourite outfit from the month, and I couldn’t wait to rewear it!
So, thoughts on Me-Made May?
- I love my wardrobe.
- I have WAY too many clothes. There were still favourite outfits that didn’t get worn. Time to give some more away.
- May is the month I bring out all my bright cheerful summer clothes! We’ve had a really cold spring here, and almost every day someone mentioned how summery I looked. Thank goodness for cardigans, because it was often under 10c when I left the house.
- 18/22 outfits featured a floral or stripe, and only 1 featured a solid garment that wasn’t pants or a sweater. That seems about right to me!
- Let’s talk TNTs! The only patterns I wore that I have only made once are the Zadie Jumpsuit (teal and pink floral), the Montrose dress (pink white and orange stripes), and the Sewaholic Saltspring (Oona maxi). Every single other piece is made with a TNT, and has been sewn at least twice, more likely 5+ times. So if you’ve ever wondered how to sew way to many clothes for yourself, the answer is clearly tried’n’true patterns!
Hope you all had a great month! I’m curious – how much of your wardrobe is made of TNTs?
Crafting A Rainbow 
I love the striped top and culottes outfit! Totally my favorite too!
And, I may have said on the original post but…that fabric from Cali is just AMAZING!
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You look fantastic in all of these (that’s a great track record!) but my fave is your 2018 bday dress. Prob cuz I’ve already said my fave is at least 3 of the others (when they had their initial posts). But I’m so intrigued by your q about how many of my own clothes are made of TNT. Def, I’m more of a summer than winter sewist. In winter, I’m generally so cold and miserable that I wear jeans and sweaters. My constant TNT, strangely (since I own none of her other patterns), is the Hudson Pants by True Bias. I highly modified it (and simpled it up), and I’ve made this pattern in below-knee and full length on many occasions. They’re my go-to lounge/sleepwewar. I’ve also made the Lady Skater a number of times and some other patterns maybe 3 or 4 times (max) – like a Vogue straight skirt pattern and a T shirt sloper. But I’m getting better at fitting – and at determining my style – so I feel like some of my latest patterns are going to become TNTs (or made a few times, at least): Fiona Dress, Emily Knit Top, Nikki Blazer. I’ve previously been so fit-fussy that every pattern became onerous and I wanted to throw it out a window rather than make it again. Now I’m choosing things that seem easier to modify – and my ability has increased (even as my OCD has decreased). I’m hoping this will give me ways to remake things with new elements.
I just looked at all of my patterns (I have about 150???) and I’d prob give away 100 of those, if I had a swap to go to. Some of them have been cut into, some traced, some just sat there in the envelope and have never seen the light of day. I didn’t choose particularly well when first I started sewing and, frankly, offerings have improved dramatically in the last 5 years. Everything I bought in my first 5 years of sewing is suspect!
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I love your mashup 23 – that border print is gorgeous!
It takes me quite a while to get things to fit, between the flat pattern adjustments, tissue fitting and then and making a muslin, that I hesitate to try make new patterns. It’s so much more satisfying just to make something that you know will fit!
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Your maxi week is so inspiring. I’ve just made my first spring/summer maxi and don’t want to take it off. Thanks for answering the question as to whether or not it would be appropriate to make a weeks’ worth with a resounding “Yes!” If a pattern turns out to be something I really like 5-8 versions and then I only stop because I’m afraid it’ll take over my wardrobe and I feel I should diversify for a while and then make more as things wear out. If I’ve only made one or two it doesn’t fit my wardrobe well, isn’t my style or I hated the pattern. Items that have limited hackability and fabric versatility may only number in the 3ish range may only get to 3 if they are something that isn’t an everyday style.
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I love the vibe of your colourful, flowy summer dresses.
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All my t-shirts come from two TNT patterns. I’ve used them for my daughters several times too. All the leggings in the house come from a TNT template for drafting. Three men’s patterns are in frequent use too. I’d say about half of my most used clothing is from TNT’s. The clothes that are special occasion or not needed frequently are mostly single-use patterns.
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