1st June 2018
So how did you with Me Made May this year? Did you fulfill your pledge?
I pledged to wear something I’d made four times each week, to shop my stash and to make PLANNED makes, not on a whim.
Here’s what I wore...
Lark Tee (leftover fabric from a dress)
Self-drafted (vintage Uniqlo T-shirt married with cast-off DH’s shirt)
Simplicity 2189 (Stretch cotton/elastane jersey, bought new)
McCall’s 2049 (printed cotton, bought new)
I’ve included this H&M t-shirt as, although I didn’t make it, I did dye it.
Originally it was white.
Self-drafted (fabric shop remnant)
Self-drafted (new William Morris cotton in two colourways)
Hacked New Look 6896 (printed viscose, bought new, never again, frayed like billy-o!)
Self-drafted (fabric shop remnant)
Top: self-drafted (fabric shop remnant)
Culottes: Wendy Ward Roehampton Culottes (pleated jersey, bought new)
This last photo is a somewhat strange pose of me trying to show off culottes!
New Look K8184 (digital printed scuba, bought new)
Some garments were worn several times. Some were things I put on a little reluctantly, as I’d fallen out with them, then got lots of compliments, so they’re now back in my good books again. The weather has been SO hot! Some things I’d planned to wear didn’t get a look in because I’d have melted!
MMMay18 has really made me think about what I wear, what I think suits me (and what actually looks good), and what I need to make to fill gaps in my wardrobe. It’s also made me look at my wardrobe (again) and decide what I can let go. Also, these garments look a bit random! My wardrobe is actually predominantly blue but you wouldn’t know that from these photos. That’s because I’ve tended to make things on a whim. It has to stop!
My MA creative practice has been all about sustainability and I realise I have a lot of fabrics in my wardrobe which do not sit easily under that umbrella. My ideal is that, from here on, my new garments are all plant-based, organic, and ethically produced. The reality is that a proportion of the fabric I already have in my stash and in my wardrobe is synthetic, not organic and is ephemeral fashion bought years ago and its production might be questionable. I think I have to move forwards from the place I’m currently occupying. So I will use my stash (even though there’s some silk in there) and wear my wardrobe (even though I have some things made from polyester) and not beat myself up over it. What's the alternative? I can’t give away my stash as that would just pass on the problem to someone else. I can’t throw it away because that’s wasteful and polluting. Does anyone else have this dilemma?
Thank you to Zoe for a very though-provoking Me Made May! If you’re new to MMMay see the original post here: http://sozowhatdoyouknow.blogspot.com/p/about-me-made-may.html