I DID IT!!!!!!!

YIPPEEEEE!!!  I made it a whole damn year sewing almost all of my own clothing!!  Holy crap you guys I'm pretty damn proud of myself.  I did cheat a few times (whoops!) and didn't quite get everything I was hoping to get done, done.... but I managed to sew myself a fairly substantial wardrobe!  If you're new to the blog and wondering what the heck I'm talking about, head on over to this page and see my original goal.

Here's a quick breakdown of what I made (for a full list, hop on over to this page!)

• 8 tops
• 9 dresses
• 7 skirts
• 5 pairs of leggings/ sweats
• 1 trench coat
• 1 duffle bag
• 1 set of PJ's and one pair of PJ shorts
• 3 bathing suits
• 1 robe
• 3 bras

That's 40 items total!  HOLY CRAP!!  On top of these, there are also a few items I just haven't gotten around to blogging, or totally forgot to blog about in the first place... so I'm thinking the grand total is actually closer to 45 or 50.  That's nearly one item a week!  There were definitely times where I wouldn't sew for a week or two, and then blitz things in one weekend (I think the record is 4 completed items in one weekend), but for the most part, I was fairly busy with sewing non-stop.

Now... the cheats!  I bought a total of 7 t-shirts.  Mostly roller-derby related, and one the other day because I really wanted it (ha! terrible impulse control, much?)  I also had to buy "golf clothing" to wear for my company's annual golf tournament, as I decided to attend somewhat last-minute and didn't have time to source fabric or patterns for something appropriate.  Underwear and bras don't count, and I did restock on those throughout the year.

There were a few items I had been meaning to sew before the end of this project, but just didn't end up getting to.  I had hoped to have a pair of jeans done (I seriously need to get on that soon...) and I was going to attempt some underwear.  I had thought about sewing a few cardigans, but I don't have a button-hole function on my machine, and the right sweater-knit is really hard to find.  I never got around to sewing some camisoles... but I imagine that would actually be a huge pain in the ass.  And of course, there are all the other dresses, skirts, pants, and tops I have swimming around in my head that I just didn't have enough time for!

As for the blog... I learned something important about myself.  I really don't enjoy it as much as I thought I might :/  In starting this project I was really excited to put myself out there and share some stuff on the internet!  I had no idea how much work it can be to regularly pump out blog posts.  Good gravy!  Mad praise for those of you who keep regular blogs... OOf!  I think the hardest part is just getting nice photos of my makes done.  I never built up the confidence to got take photos of myself outside, and getting the right lighting in my apartment can be tricky at times.  Also, usually when I have time and the lighting is right, I'm spending the weekend in my sweats and don't feel like changing into outfits and making myself look nice!  I much prefer sharing my makes on instagram where it can be a quick on-the-hanger shot.  Heck, maybe I'll just switch to that for sharing photos here on the blog.  I will from time-to-time keep updating here (after a bit of "re-branding" perhaps?) but don't be surprised or upset if posts really start to slow... Or who knows!

Anyways!!  I'm calling this project a total success!  I've developed a totally new love of sewing, learned a TON of new skills and techniques, and I've really enjoyed following along with the online sewing community - you're all absolutely delightful!  Thanks to all of you who followed along with my little project  😍

Half-Way There!

Wooohoo!  I made it to the 6-month mark!  Like, three weeks ago...  I can't believe I missed that!

Anywhoo, I'm just really stoked at how well this whole project has been going, and I wanted to share it with you guys.

I think it is actually time for another wardrobe cull... as some of my old store-bought things didn't get any wear over the winter so it's time toss them into the donate pile!

Also, I've only cheated a tiny bit!  Other than buying the allowed underwear/ socks/ etc. I did buy a couple roller-derby tanks and tees... supporting local business and promoting my league!  I think that's justified... and they were things I couldn't realistically make myself, as I couldn't really make my own tee's and have them sent away for the screen-printing.

Welp, other than that I have a couple things to blog (moss skirt, more lark tees, a fen dress, a nita wrap-skirt, the hayden tee) and a few things on my list to get done in time for Me-Made-May 2016!

Four Months Down!

Holy smokes you guys!  I'm already four months into this project!  It feels like the time has just flown by, which has made not shopping that much easier.  Although I have purchased things like socks, tights, bras, and underwear - I haven't bought any RTW clothing since September.  I did receive a t-shirt from my sister at Christmas, but I never ruled out gifts (and it's a great roller derby shirt!).

Overall, it has been pretty easy to not go shopping for clothing.  I haven't really had any need for something that would be too difficult to sew, and thanks to a somewhat casual work environment, I was fine wearing jeans & blouses as I built up my fall & winter work wardrobe of dresses.  I've had a couple sewing fails which have been frustrating - but not discouraging.  I'm just more determined to make things better the next time.  There are some days or weekends where the sewing has become a bit of a chore, but that's usually nixed by the excitement of wearing a new outfit to work the next day.

I realize that I haven't really kept up with the budget aspect of this project.  I was going through some numbers early on, and realized that I wasn't really keen to share that information with the internet. Not necessarily out of embarrassment for the stupid amount of money I spent on clothing last year, but mostly because I don't think it's really necessary to share anymore.  Sewing is a hobby, and I spend what I can afford.  I wouldn't say I'm saving buckets of money sewing my own clothing, but the pieces I produce are of much higher quality, and I have more of an emotional tie to them, rather than a financial one.  We'll leave it at that :)

Anyways, things are going well.  Winter sewing can kind of be a bummer with darker fabrics, and the fact that heavier fabrics are more expensive, a bit harder to find (for some weird reason) and sometimes more difficult to work with, so I'm getting excited for spring to start.  I have a number of dresses and skirts lined up, and I need to sort out some new tops.  I'll likely be sharing some of my older projects soon too as the winter sewing winds down and I have a bit of a break!

Sew It Begins!

I am not sorry for that pun.  (I will never be sorry for any sewing pun henceforth!)

I'm posting this on my last day of allowable shopping!  Guess what?  I actually haven't bought any clothes for over a month... but alas, today is the day.  My one full year of sewing (almost) all my own clothing starts tomorrow, and I am really looking forward to what this project will bring.  With this blog, I'm going to keep track of my progress through this year, and post all of the things I make.  I'll be trying a bunch of different patterns, so I hope to have some recommendations and reviews up here eventually too!

I've been super busy sewing up a bunch of things over the past couple weeks (again, starting this a bit early!) since it's been chilly here in Ottawa and my fall work wardrobe is severely lacking.  Luckily my office is pretty casual, and I've been able to wear jeans for most of the week - I don't own any dress pants and none of my skirts are very fall appropriate!  I just finished up a knit dress I can wear tomorrow (will post more on that likely this weekend), so I'm even starting off the project in a me-made outfit.  I'm also in the process of sewing up a trench coat, which I'll hopefully have done this weekend, as the weather is definitely not getting any warmer!

For those of you new to the blog (uh, all of you) check out the goal of this project, about me, and the tools I'll be using for more information!  Feel free to leave a comment or a question below.

Coming soon...

I'm currently in the process of setting this blog up.  I hope to be posting regularly soon!!

Stay tuned :)

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