Sewing Workshop Me Made May Part 2

Here is part two of Me Made May following the prompts from the Sewing Workshop Sew Confident May fashion show theme.

For those who want a quick flick through the pictures with no words here is an animation for 17-31 May.

Day 17

For 17 May we are sparkling. There is no shortage of sparkle and sequins in my wardrobe usually in a Crane Street tee!

Clockwise from top left: eShrug in a lurex eyelash fabric underlined in black merino with sweatshirt weight black merino sleeves. Worn with either an eTee variation or Olive top (both were made in the same fabric for my 2024 travel wardrobe), Getaway jeans and Charlotte Stone Adam Solimar loafer; Crane St tee in a blue lurex. The lurex had a nap so the centre back panel was cut in the opposite direction for emphasis. Worn with Megan Nielsen Flint trousers and Django & Juliette Kattat boots; Shapes Nine Lives top in a devore velvet lurex fabric and a silk velvet hem band; another Crane Street tee this time with the lurex eyelash fabric in the centre back panel. Worn with me made fuchsia and orange sneakers

Crane Street tees with sequins for the centre back panel worn with Getaway jeans

Day 18

Moving on to 18 May and summer dresses.

There are many dresses in my wardrobe as my dressing formula is quite simple. I either wear trousers or a dress. Any print fabric that I fall in love with which won't seamlessly integrate into my wardrobe of separates becomes a dress. The two dresses I chose are firm favourites and represent many others made from these two patterns.

Left: a Gardenia dress in an Alexander Henry print entitled Ghastlie craft. I focused on the sewing aspect of the print rather than the ghouls but it is perfect for a spring Halloween! It is worn with me made fuchsia and orange sneakers; Right: an Edgewater dress made from a cotton print called Garden Flight sitting in a summer garden. Worn with Converse sneakers embellished by me using Kaffe Fassett fabric

Day 19

For 19 May the prompt was my most recent make. In the interests of full disclosure I am not absolutely sure it is my "most" recent because the current project has been on the sewing table for a while but it definitely is recent!

The Trio pants were sewn as the March project for Sew Confident 2025 in a Merchant and Mills linen called Superstition. Once I had the pattern out I had to try the Trio shirt (minus the collar and button up front because I don't like shirts) and it is a keeper. The Trio shirt is made in a cotton seersucker that I loved at the moment of purchase but wondered what I was thinking when it got home! It is growing on me but I still wonder why I bought it. Worn with United Nude Arix Vintage Blue boots. The other outfit is a Venice blouse variation with Keds Rainbow People Triple-Up sneakers.

Day 20

Which is my most used Sewing Workshop pattern? That was a challenging question for 20 May. I really thought it would be either the Crane Street tee or Maison top. But no it turns out to be the Edgewater dress with a total of 11 makes. I have only made seven Crane Street tees and Maison tops, although the Maison has also been used as the bodice for four dresses (I think). The Gardenia is another favourite with one top and five dresses sewn plus two dresses cut out.

Left: a variation with a cowl neckline and bow cuff sleeve worn with Marques Almeida ReMAde patchwork boots; Right: When the picture of the pale pink dress was taken my only thought "it looks like a nightdress". After chopping the bottom off to make it above knee length it has become the comfiest nightdress I have ever owned!

Left: my first ever Edgewater (great pattern for playing with stripes) worn with Keds Rainbow People Triple-Up sneakers; Right: colour blocking action with a silk jersey print and merino wool jersey plains, worn with Mi Piaci red snake Matt ankle boot

Left: a dress made in three shades of cotton jersey to match the Django and Juliette Hernan boots; Right the dress I always imagined for the red cherry blossom cotton jersey which was a long time in the making as I only bought enough for a top. Thanks to the curated fabric collection (aka stash) for the eyelet jersey in a near perfect colour match an Edgewater could be born

all 11 dresses laying in a summer meadow (it looked better than the lounge carpet!)

Day 21

Plaids, stripes and polka dots are a favourite and you may have noticed some scattered amongst the previous 20 days. For 21 May I needed some new photos showcasing different Sewing Workshop patterns. 

I discovered that five outfit changes in one photo shoot is the upper limit of my photographer's patience. I am as ever grateful for his forbearance in providing photographic evidence of my sewing output.

Left: black and white striped border print viscose jersey Edgewater dress worn with United Nude Solid Fold Mono shoe; Right: plaid red Hudson trousers worn with a polka dot viscose woven Crane Street tee and Mi Piaci Matt red snake boots

Left: navy striped ponte Pencil pants and embroidered blue striped cotton Venice variation shirt worn with Clamp Uncut Comic Print ankle boots; Right: blue plaid Hudson pants with the design variation from Sew Confident series 11 and a glittery blue Crane Street tee, worn with United Nude Arix Vintage Blue boot

Day 22

For 22 May what is my favourite colour...black?!

Black is a wardrobe staple in New Zealand a uniform for everyday not just for sports teams and I did work in Wellington for many years known for being the black capital. The obsession for black has not however seeped into my psyche instead I love any true clear colour. At the moment I am all about hot pink / fuchsia preferably with orange.

Inspired by the Facebook live from 20 May about black, white and red. It highlights the neutrals in my wardrobe. From left to right: a Bamboo shirt in cotton jersey from Sew Confident February 2024, worn with tencel twill Hudson pants and Charlotte Stone Adam Solimar loafer; an Olive top worn with Getaway jeans and me made fuchsia orange sneakers

Now it's all about my hot pink and orange Picasso pants.

worn with a trio shirt variation, eShrug and Keds Rainbow People Triple-Up sneakers. Posing for pictures at low tide at the Okari River mouth on 22 May

worn with a RTW orange top, colour blocked Hong Kong vest the October 2024 Sew Confident project and Fly London Biaz boots. Enjoying my morning cup of tea on the patio of our rented seaside retreat

Left: worn with a Kate Sylvester Alley Cat top from Autumn Winter 2020 which was never worn until I shortened it and altered the neckline; Right: worn with a Gardenia top

worn with the Deja Vu wrap from Sew Confident December 2024. Out and about in Kaikoura enjoying crayfish at the famous Nin's Bin

Day 23

For 23 May the prompt was "Stash Cam". Not at all keen to have a camera anywhere near my stash. The less evidence of its extensive existence the better.

My beloved's nightmare is being killed by an avalanche of fabric! This is a valid fear given the size of my stash, supported by the fun New Zealand fact that more people die from accidents at home than those killed in road and workplace accidents combined.

The stash (curated fabric collection) should really have its own library catalogue system but that would be too nerdy even for me. Instead it has been Konmari'd. Organised neatly by colour or specialist fabric type.

From top to bottom: higgledy piggledy stash; sorting and folding; all tidy (left to right coat fabrics, velvet and devore, trouser weight fabric, Liberty of London)

Day 24

For 24 May the prompt was collared shirts.

This is the closest I get to a collared shirt. I don't like wearing them, as I find them irritating around my neck and unflattering, so I don't make them. It is a classic Florence shirt from Sew Confident series 12 made in shirting cottons as per the pattern except it has a bias bound neckline and the collar, front button placket and sleeve placket are omitted. Worn with Getaway jeans and Django and Juliette Kattat ankle boots.

Day 25

For 25 May the subject is pockets. Love a pocket and often add them to the pattern when they aren't included.

Charlie Bomber jacket with added welt pockets and a bottom panel that can be removed giving the flexibility of a coat or jacket. Worn with Valencia palazzo pants and Charlotte Stone Darcy sneakers

Picasso pants with added cutaway pockets in the front / side panel seam. Worn with a World Brand Nonconformist tee from their Autumn Winter 2017 collection and United Nude Fold Horizon shoes

Valencia pants with added welt pockets. Worn with a Crane Street tee and United Nude Fold Rainbow 2 shoes

Edgewater dress with a cowl neck and added inseam pocket. Worn with United Nude Zink Pop black ankle boots. Getaway jeans with added back patch pockets, contoured waistband and separate back yoke

Day 26

For 26 May the summer party outfit I chose was one I actually wore to a summer party (fundraising event).

This Sterling jacket could have qualified for my hardest garment. The silk sari fabric was so loosely woven I had to stitch it to a backing fabric before I cut it out. Even then it had to be sewn very carefully to make sure the fabric didn't catch on the presser foot. Silk saris are cut into strips that are then wound  together to make the warp and weft threads. The silk dupion sleeves were quilted to the backing fabric to achieve a consistent weight.

This is how I wore it to Fashion for a Cure. A Sterling jacket minus collar and peplum, with a Gardenia top and Valencia pants in the same viscose print (a Zara deadstock fabric) worn with United Nude Fold Paprika shoes

I'm more likely to wear it to a summer party like this as New Zealand has a very casual culture and a summer party is most likely a barbecue. On the left the Gardenia blouse, Valencia pants in Merchant and Mills Pina Colada Checked Laundered Linen and One Trick Pony Geddes loafers. On the right the Gardenia blouse, Getaway jeans and Django and Juliette Manson Pastel Leopard Pony ankle boots

Day 27

27 May was all about skirts - except not for me because I don't make skirts, so I cheated slightly showcasing two skirts where I have added a bodice to make a dress.

8th Avenue skirt with the Eureka pattern for the bodice. This was the muslin (very wearable) made in a tropical print linen worn with Charlotte Stone Martino Nassau clogs. Of course the actual dress has not been made yet

An eTee bodice with a Metro inspired skirt, sewn as part of Sew Confident series 13. The concept of the dress was inspired by Milk Velvet's simple comfortable dresses that mix a knit bodice with a woven skirt. I was going to just add a gathered rectangle skirt with cargo pockets to the eTee when the Sewing Workshop re-released the Metro skirt. The details in this skirt are fabulous and I enhanced the gathered rectangle with the pockets and pleated hem of the Metro skirt. On the left worn with United Nude Solid Fold Mono shoe and on the right with Charlotte Stone Adam Solimar loafer

Day 28

For 28 May the prompt is purses and bags. I have not made a bag using a Sewing Workshop pattern despite having many of them, including the Provence Market bag which has been cut out ready to sew since Christmas.

Instead I am sharing a knitting bag made without a pattern, but based on a purchased one. A simple machine embroidery design on cotton twill with an enhancement to the original version of a large internal zipped pocket.

Day 29

Check out my lining for 29 May. Love a colourful lining, ideally a silk. I chose three jackets that have been featured on other days during the month but hopefully the linings still come as a surprise!

The summer party outfit - couldn't resist using the same viscose fabric for the lining. Is it too matchy matchy having your Gardenia top, Valencia pants and Sterling jacket lining in the same fabric? Well I don't care if it is it made me happy

Charlie Bomber jacket with a polyester satin lining. I normally avoid synthetic fibres like the plague but this was such a perfect print for my jacket I swallowed hard and just did it. Worn with Maison joggers in a wool suiting fabric, London Skyline Swing tee and Keds Rainbow People Triple-Up sneakers

Hong Kong jacket with a stripe silk twill lining. Striking and delicious. Worn with Picasso pants and a RTW tee

Day 30

My current project for 30 May has been ongoing for a couple of months. Eventually it will become a quilted Tremont jacket.

It started with a star quilt class at Bernina Christchurch. I resized my stars to be the same as the Alison Glass Art Theory circles. The colour scheme is based on the Art Theory circles and my current obsession with pink and orange.

The completed quilt blocks are mocked up into a quilt on the left. On the right is the Tremont jacket right front. With my little Singer Featherweight churning out some more sashing stars to join the rest of the blocks together.

Once the blocks are together it is off to be quilted, then back to me to make it into a Tremont jacket. Should be finished in no time!!!

Another current project is a cardigan that has been in progress since 2018 (and written about in a blog post!). The knitting was finished in 2023 and last week I finally got brave enough to do the steek. Now it just needs the remaining ends sewn in, snaps added for fastenings and blocking. It is worn with a merino tee (I think it is a me variation from a pattern in the New Zealand book Home Sewn), Hudson pants Sew Confident series 11 variation and Fly London Biaz boots.

Day 31

For 31 May the prompt was Favourite Ever Sew.

I chose the Plaza jacket I made last year for the June Sew Confident Summer Challenge (to make a jacket using at least a 1" piece of Gustav Klimt's Knight panel from the Stoclet Frieze).

Whilst I was fortunate to win the prize for Most Experimental Use of the Klimt Panel, that is not why it is my favourite ever Sewing Workshop sew. It was to do with the process and mental health benefits.

The butterfly jacket provided an ability for creative expression which was sorely needed whilst in England without access to my sewing equipment and supporting sick elderly relatives. It is a souvenir of a particular time in life and friendship. A reminder of the joy creativity can bring even in otherwise difficult situations.

Butterflies feature in the Stoclet Frieze and their symbolism of transformation, hope and rebirth made it a perfect metaphor for life in that moment.

"Happiness is like a butterfly, the more you chase it, the more it will evade you, but if you notice the other things around you, it will gently come and sit on your shoulder" Henry David Thoreau.

THE END

I enjoyed re-visiting photographs taken over the years, for blog posts that never happened, for Me Made May 2025. Maybe I'll evolve next year and do the official version with a new photograph taken everyday.

It also highlighted how many Sewing Workshop patterns I have used over the last few years. They suit my body type and are very timeless, with interesting details (classic with a twist).