Me Made May 2022

Me Made May 2022 Thoughts

I’m always glad to see people participating in Me May Made, and this year is no exception. I love seeing what people have made, how they are wearing it and then getting ideas (too many ideas!) for things that I want to make for myself.

What’s also comforting for me to see is when someone acknowledges the mixture of both overwhelm and excitement that this annual challenge can bring. I fully second all of that. It’s a mixed bag of being delighted and inspired by what everyone else is making and wearing, as well as the not-always-easy parts that can make this month feel intimidating and/or like a chore. For me the daily selfies can feel like a lot, and it’s also a bit of pressure to think about my outfits each day. For a super-casual person who works from home, I can easily burnout on that aspect, BUT it’s also a good push for me too.

Knowing how this challenge can be a good, creative push for me I’ve always tried to approach it in a relatively relaxed way with plenty of self-compassion. I’ve not always (or ever) focused on daily posts, but instead I like using it as a way to encourage myself to share a bit more, explore my wardrobe in a more thoughtful way and then maybe think about goals for the month both big and small.

My handmade wardrobe is one that I’ve worked on–and thoroughly enjoyed–building for years. I learned to sew super basic garments as a kid, but it wasn’t until after college and getting fully obsessed with quilting that I decided to take on garment sewing. Thinking back, I know that my first many garments were disasters, but I’m so glad that I a) didn’t fully recognize how bad they were, and b) kept going. (This is also true with making quilts…ha!)

It’s so easy to want instant gratification, but garment sewing (and quilting) are perfect examples of how satisfying it can be to put in the time and practice. I can remember feeling very anxious anytime I faced a set-in sleeve. I remember hearing from others how easy sleeve-setting is after practice, and I could not imagine it ever getting truly easy. Many years and countless sleeves later, I’m delighted to report that it’s not something I think twice about now. In fact, I kind of relish in working one in and how good it feels each time knowing exactly how far I’ve come.

Me Made May 2022 Goals

This year I’m thinking about a few things. First, the last few years have been a natural disrupter for my garment-sewing flow. I haven’t really bounced back to where I was 2+ years ago, but I also don’t feel like I need to. I think that an ebb and flow with just about anything is good. Lately I have been feeling more inspired and excited to branch out a bit. Me Made May 2022 is a perfect reason to indulge in some of that.

Second, I do like the sharing challenge that this presents. I think it could be a good time to make a point to not only explore my own wardrobe but maybe use it as a way to connect it to other things I’m working on and thinking about. Garment sewing and wearing absolutely informs my quilting and vice versa, so why not share some of that? Plus, I’m so inspired by everyone else sharing, that I want to pay it forward. Hopefully what I’m sharing will be inspiring to others too.

Those are both some of the bigger-idea stuff, but I’m thinking about something smaller too, which is number three. It’s easy to take on too many goals for Me Made May, and so like last year I want to focus on one garment to (hopefully) make by the end of the month.

This year I’m thinking about a dress, it has been on my mind. I mostly wear separates, and so a good dress just stands out to me. The dress I’m dreaming of has an effortlessness to it (dress goal number 1), pockets and some sort of a waist. Too often, I’ve made waist-less, sack-like dresses (which I love), and so I want to change it up. I’ve looked around a bit, and I think the Wiksten Shift Dress, with a belt, is the way I’ll go. If anyone has a good dress suggestion that fits my criteria, do share!

Speaking of the Wiksten Shift, that’s what I’m wearing today. I’ve made a few tops already (here, here and here), and I love wearing them. Today I’ve paired it (in Anna Graham’s Driftless fabric) with a pair of Pietra Shorts (pattern by Closet Core) in some Essex Yarn Dyed Linen. I love these shorts BTW and hope to make many more of them!

At the top of this post is a new Slash quilt underway (pattern coming soon!) and my (almost) new socks that I shared yesterday on Insta. Sock pattern is DRK Everyday socks by Drea Renee and the yarn is by Kindred Red.

To Follow Along

I’m excited to pop in some extra garment-y things here and there that catch my eye, excite and inspire me this month. Follow along here on the blog, on Insta and in my newsletter (make sure to select Weekend Inspiration to get these kinds of updates).

// Me Made May FAQ from So, Zo

// Me Made May 2022 from So, Zo