MMMay14 Days 26 - 31 (and that's a wrap)

The last of my weekly me made May posts - is that a cheer out there? Was it me???

I have to admit that by the end of the month I was tired...

Day 26

On Monday 26th May I met up with the lovely Kristy of Lower Your Presser Foot fame to help out with some blog photos, though I don't think I managed to do her very attractive jacket justice. We met in a lovely old part of town - wide streets and grand sandstone buildings - and once the embarrassment of public snaps was over, had a good catch up as fellow working mums and sewists. Kristy was kind enough to take lots of photos for me, but my camera then did its trick of not storing the bulk of the photos that she took. There are enough for evidence of me madeness - and you can see what a dork I am in real life; I did my jacket up wrong :)

Just to confound the camera to the max, I was wearing 3 unphotogenic me mades: this V8718 jacket in a stretch designer linen (and let's not talk about the pretentious photos in that original post), this V2465 Chloe for Vogue top in Liberty cotton, and this V1282 Donna Karan for Vogue skirt (you can't see this but it's vertically panelled, with horizontal pleats. And it's a stretch cotton). 

Photos taken by Kristy with camera on continuous burst mode.
 

Day 27

Day 27 was another beautiful day.  I was absolutely busting to wear my floral RTW skirt but I wasn't sure I had any me mades that went with it... dig deep enough though and you'll find OIL! On this occasion the "oil" was a couple of not too ancient makes from rather ancient patterns (though to clarify, we're talking 80s retro 'ancient' as opposed to proper vintage 'ancient'): a cropped jacket made from an 80s Donna Karan for Vogue pattern, and a polka dot silk twill kimono-sleeve top made from an 80s Butterick classics pattern.  I do have a weakness for an 80s silhouette, even though I'm old enough to have enjoyed the 80s first time around :).

I didn't have time to roam too far for photos, so these are taken in the CBD proper, very close to Wynyard station and some of the popular food courts.  Even though I was on a late lunch break, there were loads of passersby - turns out you need to synchronise your photos with the 'don't walk' signals of all the nearby traffic lights. Crazy.

Photos taken by me with camera attached to gorillapod on a step, on 2 second timer, with camera on continuous burst mode.
 

Day 28

And Wednesday 28th May was another gorgeous, Spring-like day with wonderful big blue skies. It was the perfect day for some cheerful tourism, so I took myself speed walking down to the Opera House and Bennelong Point at lunch time.  Places like this are perfect for selfies, because you just blend in with all the other selfie-snappers!

 

My summer heatwave dress (V1360, Kay Unger for Vogue) has become loose (yes, everything from 2013 is a bit loose now, and the fabric I used for this dress also wasn't the best quality) so I tried adding a belt.  It kind of works, but ultimately I need to take in the princess seam line from under the bust through the length of the skirt.

Photos taken by me with camera attached to the brass railing, via my gorillapod, on 10 second timer, with camera on continuous burst mode.
 

Day 29

Day 29 - the fact that I wore a black me made dress (V1025) tells you I was getting tired by this point! There were still choices in my wardrobe without repeats, but my creative brain could only get as far as 'black dress'.  Hmm. There must have been a few connections still firing though, as out of the wardrobe I managed to pluck a new coordinate, this thrifted linen jacket whose pocket bows match the mock bow belt on the dress. Well!  I've had both garments for years and I hadn't noticed they were a couple till now - maybe there's something to be said for tired brains?

 

These photos were taken in the high ground of the city that's above the Rocks and just below a busy road coming off the Sydney Harbour Bridge. There were people around, but I was too tired to worry what they thought of my playing with figs (the vine on the wall behind me is figs) and mucking about with dead palm leaves.  Yes, yes, move on...

Photos taken by me with camera sitting on a wall, on 10 second timer, on continuous burst mode.
 

Day 30

Friday! Today the weather started to turn. We had overcast skies, and they matched my sombre mood.  More black clothes... this time my recent Splat! top (the top from V8916, consciously made over-sized) worn with RTW black pants and loafers and red RTW mini trench coat.

 

 

I was in such a rush with an errand that had to be completed that day that I took these photos en route in Westfield shopping centre, near some windows and the glow of Miu Miu's signage. So fash.  

Oh camera, you do a great job but I think it's going to have to end soon - it's just not fun anymore the way it used to be, is it... 


Photos taken by me with camera attached to a railing, via my gorillapod, on 10 second timer, and on continuous burst mode.
 

Day 31

Saturday, and the last day of May! My imagination spent, I wore my Grainline Moss Mini again with a RTW t-shirt and jumper. In the photos below I was out with my daughter looking for a special plant which we needed to deliver by 10.30am, in time to drive to netball, before coming home to have guests over for a late lunch / afternoon tea, before going out for drinks and dinner with friends. Phew!

I wasn't going to wear me made that evening - too tired! but then I did. I just didn't take any photos. Can I use an old photo instead? One in which I don't look as tired as I felt? Yes? OK, well the cosy dress is V1338,  and we had a terrific evening.

Photos taken by me with camera on a bench via my gorillapod, on 10 second timer, with camera on continuous burst mode.
 

-----------------------------------

This year was my fourth me made year, and I'd expected it to be pretty similar to previous years - an overwhelming amount of inspiration in the Flickr pool, a few meet-ups with other sewists, and a slightly less vague idea of what I like to wear / what suits me.

It was different this year though.  Because I was Instagramming during the day and trying not to allow the internet to take over my evenings, I didn't spend as much time in the Flickr pool as I've done in previous years.  But the instancy of Instagram and my smaller group of contacts there made the experience feel more personal and more educational - a quick, rough as guts photo shared immediately does tell you quite a lot!


Phew! At the end of the month I resolved to catch up on sleep, but what do you know, it's past 1am and I'm still blogging.

So goodnight ;)

and see you soon


Gabrielle xx

MMM14, Days 1-3

And then it started. 

Day 1

Thursday the 1st of May was a beautiful Autumn day here in Sydney, and I wore a new dress that I hadn't yet blogged but that I'd been showing glimpses of on Instagram (you can find me at @gabriellecorb).  It's currently my favourite make, really because the fabric is so amazing, and even though I shouldn't have put the lightest colours on my tummy... 

I snapped some outfit photos from the balcony at my old building after a meeting - such glorious blue skies! And because I haven't yet blogged this dress, here are the front AND back views:

 

Photos by me, with camera attached to a balcony railing, on continuous burst setting with a 10 second timer.

Day 2

Fridays are casual days at my workplace, so I wore my denim Moss Mini skirt. This is currently the only me-made skirt that feels like it fits reasonably well - everything else is too loose - but I can't wear denim to work most days. I'm hoping the daily outfit pics this month will help me work out which skirts / pants look too loose. 

The weather was still lovely so at lunchtime I wandered down to the MCA down near Circular Quay to look for a gift for someone. (I found it, but I can't blog it in case they read this post!) And instead of taking a picture with the Opera House behind me, I found this awesome mural to be my backdrop! I know you can't really see skirt details, but if you want to read about this make and see skirt details you can have a look at my original post here.

Photos by me, with camera attached to the other hand rail for these stairs, on continuous burst setting with a 10 second timer. Big smiles represent nervous laughter in front of tourists. 

Day 3

Last night a cold change swept through with rain and wind and mostly grey skies, and our heater got turned on for the first time this year.  My day started off pretty lazily at home, and then later on my daughter and I braved the cold to go to her netball game. 

I made and wore this long-sleeved merino top last May (see MMM13 posts here and here) from 3 coordinating colours of merino knit. I didn't properly blog it till here, last July! The pants are an old pair which I've had to darn on the backside but I love the colour and they seem to fit (hmmm, recurring theme?). 

 

Silly photo by me, with camera on tripod, on continuous burst setting with a 10 second timer.

When we went out later I popped on my Donna Karan for Vogue unlined grey wool jacket - although I whinge about the cold, an unlined wool coat was plenty today.

Photos by me, with camera (1) on tripod then (2) on a tree stump, on continuous burst setting with a 10 second timer.

And the tally so far is 4 me mades in 3 days. I'm aiming to wear 10 me mades each 7 days in May, which shouldn't be too hard if I keep my jacket on! 

I'd better upload a couple of these photos to the Me-Made-May 2014 Flickr pool now - and then I'm going to get back to refashioning this (wow - not good photos!) big old cardigan in to something I might actually want to wear!

See you soon

- Gabrielle x

But this time it'll be different...

I'm doing Me Made May again this year - my 4th year in a row, thank you Zoe!  Every year I do a lot of thinking beforehand (will I? won't I?), then sign up at the last minute! This year I've signed up to wear at least one me made every day in May. And even though that's the same pledge as I made last year, I think it'll be a challenge!

Why will it be a challenge? You've got so many me made clothes!

Yes, I do have a lot of clothes that I've made for myself, but my wardrobe isn't as extensive as it appears. Over the last few months I've dropped a few sizes and a good part of my wardrobe is now simply too big on me. For example, I now have no me made pants or leggings that fit. On the plus side, I've rediscovered a couple of ancient makes that now fit me again - just - even if they're incredibly out of fashion.

And a couple of things that I made too tight now fit (yes Elisalex, you will be worn zipped up this year). Oh and did I mention I loathe alterations? Not even going to think about it!

But at least the photos aren't a challenge for you!

Hmm, actually they are. Last year my dear colleague Marylene took the majority of my MMM13 photos for me (here, and here), with another colleague, Helga, helping me with MMM13 and blog photos when Marylene was unavailable. And both of them made taking attractive photos look easy. This year both of my work photographers are on maternity leave (Marylene, Helga - help?).  I don't enjoy taking photos of myself, and I know I can't assume friends and family members will be willing to do it for me.

And it's fantastic to meet the whole community online!

Yes, it is! You'll get no argument from me there  - wonderful, interesting sewists all over the world! But do you know what that means? Late. Nights. On. The. Computer.  Last year I spent so many hours on Flickr every night and morning admiring everyone's efforts and it wasn't really fair on my family - plus I was utterly exhausted by the end of the month!


So here's my pledge, and here's how I'm planning to do it this year:

I, Gabrielle of www.upsewlate.blogspot.com, sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May '14. I endeavour to wear at least 1 me made garment each day for the duration of May 2014. 

• I'll try to stick to the stuff that fits and that's in current rotation. But I CAN wear stuff that doesn't fit if I'm running out of ideas or still feel half asleep when I get dressed.

• "Me mades" can include clothing made by friends or family (that way I can include those two tops my mum made, yay!)

• Did I really pledge just 1 me made a day? Hmmm. I do have some jackets, so I think I should beef that up to 10 me mades a week for more of a challenge.

• Fresh photos are not obligatory. Sorry! I know it's fascinating to get a glimpse of lives around the globe, and to see what the makes look like in the wild, but the photos are the main reason I nearly didn't sign up this year. So if it gets too hard, I will resort to existing photos to illustrate what I wore.

• I'm not going to upload my photos to Flickr or Pinterest and check out everyone else's makes every day - I'm going to try to restrain myself to once or twice a week. 

And at the end I'm hoping to have a better idea of the gaps in my wardrobe, which will hopefully encourage me to sew that sort of garment (pants, hmm?) instead of new summer dresses when it's autumn.


Hope to see you there :)


- Gabrielle xx