Me-Made-March 2011 Week 5

I truly did try to be original for the last four days of Me-Made-March 2011, but as you can see, two of the four things I wore have featured before.

This brooch went so perfectly with the outfit I was wearing - a white top, black leggings and a wrap skirt in bright red with a white floral pattern like a stencil - that I wore it anyway.  In this photo it is still on the grey top I wore it with a couple of weeks ago.

On Tuesday I wore this braclet that I  made some years ago and had forgotten about.  I made it when I was perfecting peyote stitch and it is a series of patches of peyote stitch sewn together in a sort of crazy patchwork way and embellished.  I love the effect but it is a lot slower to do than freeform peyote, so I haven't done it since.  But I must ressurect the technique, it really is effective.  I wore it with a floral chiffon wrap dress with a black background and big old-fashioned roses in pinks and blues and yellows, and a green cardigan, over a black crushed silky 'slip as outwear' dress.

I was having withdrawal symptoms from my favorite glass brooch so it came out again, teamed with a white top with some silver cutwork embroidery (not made by me), black trousers and a purple/grey/cream cardigan with diamante buttons.

And for the final day of the month - I made this shawlette thing years ago out of a hank of expensive ribbon yarn.  The dangles on the end are from the furnishing department!  It jazzed up a cream top and grey trousers no end.

Having started this challenge thinking it would be incredibly hard, I think I now realise just how many made-by-me accessories I actually have already.  It has certainly encouraged me to start sewing again.  Though that will have to be after we move and have unpacked.  And I fear that it could take a very long time indeed before I am allowed to have any free time to do anything like that - I can see months of doing nothing but going to work and coming home again to be yelled at if I sit down to do anything for myself.  The whole work and moving thing is really getting me down right now.  Although the job itself is OK I hate the way it makes me feel utterly exhausted and cranky all the time, so that even when I am home I don't have the energy to be the mum I want to be.  And I suspect that there will be ongoing problems when we move.  But I will stop complaining now and think instead about the fact that the new house will be worth the expense and the upheaval, and that I am going to consider paying for a cleaning lady so that it stays clean and so that I am compelled to keep it TIDY.  That might remove a couple of the reasons for being yelled at.

I have got so addicted to describing my outfits every day, because it makes me sound so much more interesting than I actually am, that it may be a hard habit to break!!!

Me-Made-March 2011 Week 3

This is definitely a lot easier than I thought it would be!  The danger is now that I will get addicted to telling the world what I wear every day, which, believe me, is not actually that interesting in the long term :)

On Tuesday, you guessed it, I wore the glass brooch again.  Baby Bear paid me the compliment of saying that 'it doesn't look like something you made in a workshop, it looks like something someone else made and you paid lots of money for'.  At least I think that is a compliment!  When I get moved and settled in and unpacked - like in the next decade - I will dig out the microwave kiln and glass supplies that I bought in a flush of enthusiasm after that workshop, and make more of them.  Maybe even sell them!!  Oh yes, this week I wore it with the same purple top as last week, with a smashing skirt in a Japanesy style in assymetrical panels of black fabric interspersed with the same black fabric printed with a purple stylised floral pattern, and embellished with some random lengths of black grosgrain ribbon.  I am rediscovering clothes that I have only worn once or twice because they were too good for everyday, and wearing them to work!  I love this skirt and the pattern would be easy to copy, and I will.  When I have moved and unpacked, etc, etc.

On Wednesday I wore one of the scarves from Sunday's quick sewing session.  This looked really nice with a white shirt and black trousers.  I often wear that combo now, it being pretty damn corporate and also just begging for a nice embellishment of some sort.

Thursday was St Patrick's Day.  Being of very Irish origin on my mum's side, I wear green, though I draw the line at green beer.  (I only tried Guiness once, and yes it was the real stuff on tap in a Dublin pub, and thought it was GROSS).   This scarf looked nice with a muted green top, bright green earrings and a green watch.  The only green shoes I have are Crocs, NOT suitable for work, so they stayed at home.

Casual Friday, I do love thee.  I still get to wear jeans!  I wore this brooch with jeans and a red top.  Im ust think of a better, or at least more consistent, name for my raggedy frayed crazy patchwork textile jewellery.  Then maybe I could try to sell it.  Maybe I will run a competition when MMM is over.

I worked Saturday morning.  Again, I consider Saturdays to be more casual than the normal weekday, so I wore jeans again.  This time with a grey top.  And this brooch.  I thought it looked wicked.  It also worked well with the grocery shopping and the dinner with the old friend from England who we have not seen for AGES, and who is out here for work for a few weeks.  Oh, and I wore little diamante skull earrings :)

I have finished the crocheted felted bag.  Inevitably, I don't like it much.  I really should know better than to be seduced by variagated wool when I am felting.  It always looks like dog's vomit when it's been felted.  But for better or worse, I made it, and I used it on Sunday.  At least I like the embellishment.

For Monday, I present a bookmark.  The round bit is a crocheted - well, round bit - which I bashed about with the embellishing machine and then attached it to a couple of pieces of novelty yarn, all with the machine.  (So it is all thoroughly needlefelted together).  You probably can't see the subtle sparkle in the long bit (because it is subtle!) but it pleases me to use it.  The round bit probably makes it a bit thick to use in a good book, but it works for the tattier things I carry around in my handbag.

What will I wear tomorrow?

Me-Made-March 2011 Week 2

This continues to be fun and easier than expected!!

I wore this on Monday with a white shirt and black trousers.  It's a string of coral beads that I just restrung on tiger tail the way they came from the shop.  I did it once when I needed something glam in a hurry and I think I might actually redo them sometime, if nothing else the wire work and fastening at the back are uncomfortable and look amateurish!!

I will probably wear this at least once a week!  It's one of my favorites.  It's the fused glass brooch from last week, this time worn with a purple top and black cropped pants with a burnt velvet mesh overlay in black and purple.

The colours haven't shown up too well on this photo but these earrings are based around navy blue and orange.  I wore them with a flowy cream viscose blouse and, you guessed it, black trousers!  Plus a cropped cardy in an ombre colourway shading from orangy brown to browny orange.

I bought this Max Mara top from an op shop for next to nothing.  It is the sort of brilliant white that only looks good on olive skins or sun tans, neither of which I have, so I dropped it in the same dye bath as the top I wore last week that started off white and got dyed to cover up the orange juice stain. I wore it with white jeans and silver earrings from Florence.  I tried to pretend I was on the Lido instead of at work, with conspicuous lack of success!

Ah, the weekend, and not my weekend where I work on Saturday morning.  So this looked great with a black singlet and jeans and bejewelled black thongs (flip-flops).  It;s another of my tatty crazy patchwork creations.

Ok, this is a bit lazy, but I did say I would wear or USE something every day.  I use a hand-knitted kitchen towel every single day, but I wanted to post at least some of them, and this is Sunday's offering.

Monday was a public holiday here, but the library was open, and I offered to work and get a day off in lieu (some time!).  It was bit more casual than usual so this looked nice over the same white jeans and a hot pink singlet.  It's a plain denim shirt I bought in an op shop and embellished with suffolk puffs and buttons last year.

Me-Made-March 2011

The first week of Me-Made-March 2011 proved easier than I had expected.  In order:

Cotton/acrylic cardigan knitted from a Vogue Knitting pattern by Norah Gaughan a few years ago - looked perfectly corporate over black trousers and a white shirt.

Glass brooch made by me a couple of years ago at a workshop where we learned how to slump glass in a microwave!  Worn with a dark grey pinstriped pinafore, white shirt and black leggings.

My wonderful denim jacket with the Entre Chien et Loup bead embroidery that I designed for my Graduate Exhibition three years ago.  It looked quite respectable over a cream top and black trousers.

A beaded brooch on a Carla Zampatti denim blazer I picked up in an op shop a few years ago (the jacket, that is - I made the brooch).  Bad photo, no time to take a better one!  Worn on Casual Friday so with black jeans and a floral top, and orange shoes!

Originally white top that I embellished with blue buttons all around the neckline.  The first time I wore it, I stained it indelibly with orange juice and dyed it this lovely Pacific blue.  The mottled effect is intentional.  Worn with black jeans.

One of my textile ragged crazy patchwork brooches, worn with a T shirt and shorts (at home!)

A long cotton skirt I made years ago, worn with a neat white blouse and ballet flats to look vaguely corporate for work.

I'm looking forward to the next week!!

Me-Made-March 2011 - the preparation

I survived another week at work.  The first time I have worked a five day week.  It's killing me!  But it is also getting easier.  Easier to do the tasks required, that is, not easier on the energy.  There's something I really, really want to do tomorrow (Sunday) but I am afraid that if I do it, I won't be able to get out of bed on Monday, and I HAVE to be able to get out of bed on Monday - and Tuesday, etc.

Me-Made-March is a-coming.  What with the job and the having packed everything, it is going to be restricted to: two necklaces, two bracelets, several brooches and maybe three bookmarks; plus I have bought a few pieces of material which I am going to turn into very simple scarves; plus I am busy crocheting a felted bag which I hope to be using before the end of the month; and I have plans to repurpose a cardigan and a top to be worn at some point.  If all else fails I may have to semi-cheat and claim a hand-knitted kitchen towel for the day's item, as I always have one in the kitchen and they are all made by me!  It is complicated by the fact that for four days a week I have to wear what I refer to as 'corporate lite' and most of my textile jewellery and other handmade stuff is not so suitable for that (we have Casual Fridays, thank goodness!).  If the weather is coolish, which it may or may not be in March in Melbourne, I can also wear a handknitted cardigan which is suitable for work or otherwise in a cotton-acrylic blend, my beautiful beaded denim jacket and, not for the corporate lite days, handknitted socks.

Back to crocheting.  And I have to sew some brooch backs onto things too.

I will photograph everything and post once a week, I think.  I might even get round to joining the Flickr group, if I have the energy.

Me-Made-March

I am clearly insane.  I start work tomorrow.  I will not have the time or energy to blink for some time to come.  But I have signed up for Me-Made-March despite knowing that I won't have the time to make anything at all in March.  


With this pledge :I, Judy from http://www.sheeprustling.blogspot.com) sign up as a participant of Me-Made-March '11. I endeavour to wear (or use)one hand-made-by-me accessory or other item each day for the duration of March 2011'. I will probably recycle the same few things though. But I will photograph and date each one!!!


I have quite a few brooches, earrings and other accessories that I have made myself, and by including the word 'use' I aim to include things like bookmarks and other thingummybobs.


Wish me luck!