Me-Made-May!

From time-to-time, when I've been shopping for new clothes with a particular item or colour in mind, I just can't locate quite what I want. Wouldn't it be great if we could create exactly what we want - ourselves? That's what many people are doing this month for Me-Made-May!

Me-Made-May was spawned by Zoe Edwards, a sewing blog author from the UK. It's a challenge that you design yourself to make and wear your own creations during the month of May. You can decide to sew a single item, create a full outfit or even wear something you made each day of the month.

Sewing your own clothing is a great way to wear things that align with your preferences, and even your values. You can choose to buy sustainable materials, locally manufactured fabrics (there are more textile manufactures in Canada and the US than many people realize), and choose whatever colours, prints and fibres spark joy for you.

Making your own clothes can put you in touch with an entire community of people. For those who knit, crochet or weave, join Ravelry, if you haven't already. It's a wonderful website with myriad resources to keep track of your projects, tools, yarn and patterns. You can easily connect with other members worldwide and sign up for group events, such as knit-alongs (KALs).

The popularity of Ravelry sometimes has those who sew ask, why isn't there a Ravelry for sewing? Well, a couple from Vancouver wondered the same thing and have developed a membership site that answers just that question! It's called Textillia.

Other places where those who sew connect include local fabric and notion shops, and their online websites or via Etsy.

Fabrics can also be sourced from Kijiji, thrift shops, yard sales and by repurposing fabrics from garments or cloth items you already own.

The process of creating your own clothing requires learning new skills and developing them. However, the freedom it gives you to create whatever your mind can conceive is liberating. Dream it, sketch it, make it!

  

At Figg, we appreciate makers of all kinds and provide many people who sew with tools, notebooks to track their projects, and embellishments.

If you do choose to partake in Me-Made-May, happy making!