After spending some considerable time yesterday writing a post – with pictures – it was only there for a day and today I wiped it off! What a klutz – I clearly don’t understand how this thing works, I was trying to correct a minor blip and cleared the whole thing. SO once more with feeling;-
After a long haitus during which I wasn’t really clear in which direction this site should go. What I have now decided is to use it mainly as a record of things I have learned, done and made from January 2013 onwards.
I was inspired by such blogs as http://handmadebycarolyn.blogspot.co.uk and http://yoshimitheflyingsquirrel.blogspot.co.uk – both are talented seamstresses who make and wear their own clothes. Carolyn makes all her clothes and has pledged not to wear any Ready To Wear items during 2013. I’ve made many of my own clothes for years, but I would not be able to claim a completely MeMade wardrobe as these and many more can claim. So, I decided to bite the bullet and work towards having a completely handmade, me-made wardrobe. One that suits me and fits. The ethos being  that your clothes should fit you, not you fit the clothes as in Ready to Wear. The confusion as to just what is size12, or 14? Why can I fit a size 10 in one make and need a size 14 in another?

So here are my makes for January; #1 McCalls 2094

First up a short sleeved cotton mix blouse. I had just enough in stash for short sleeves, OK with a cardigan in winter and without in warmer weather. A nice crisp feel, irons nicely but probably won’t ‘breathe’ like pure cotton.

 #2 Style 1612; This is a 100% soft cotton shawl collared, long sleeved blouse. Nice soft hand, will be nice and cool [if ever we get warmer weather] despite the long sleeves. Next up a blue and white striped cotton shirt from Vogue 1809 Christian Aujard, part of a set. I was given the fabric for my stash a couple of years ago, so a  freebie, always nice. I added a sleeve cuff placket just to make it a bit more shirtlike.

Last blouse is a poly cotton polka dot long sleeved blouse. Same pattern as the short sleeved blouse above, McCalls 2094, but with added cuffs to the sleeves, which the pattern didn’t have.I had just enough fabric for the blouse, so made white collar  and cuffs [and added a pocket too]. The final make for me in January [apart from 3prs of white cotton jersey briefs]. This is  a wool-mix boucle skirt. Hand drafted ‘A-‘ linish, with a black banding at the waist.