So I did give it a bit of thought (but not much) before I decided to leap back in and sign up again for Zoe’s new challenge, Self Stitched September 2011!
I know at the end of Me-Made June 11 I was feeling burnt out with taking my own photos like everybody else who participated, but then again if there was no difficulty involved then it wouldn’t be a challenge right? I like challenges, and I like doing this one.
In the days leading up to the last one (or during, I can’t remember now) I read someone’s blog post that was a scathing criticism of the challenge, and also of the blogs who joined in, which did make me question myself and my own reasons for participating. Do I lose my status as a “sewing blog” (inverted commas are intentionally ironic, there) if I joined in a personal self-styling process? Does taking photos of the clothes I have spent time and effort in making with my own two hands, constitute a shallow or egotistical attitude? I have decided that it does not. I’m proud that I make my own clothes, and I enjoy styling and mixing up my own creations in new and interesting ways. Sure, some of my self-stylings work better than others, and I would be lying if I said that I didn’t occasionally look at some of my own outfit photos and cringe, but the truth is the bad outfits and photos have been very helpful to me. Like everybody, I have got my favourite garments, which I sometimes hang on to for far longer than I should… well the camera doesn’t lie, and has been the impetus for the tossing of several of my less wonderful garments.
So yah… long and short of it; I’m going there again!
‘I, Carolyn of Handmade by Carolyn, sign up as a participant of Self-Stitched-Sept ’11. I endeavour to wear all handmade, barring undies and tights each day for the duration of September 2011. That is, I will be wearing undies and tights of course, but not of the handmade variety!!’
so, I’m allowing myself RTW undies and tights… neither of which are well represented in my me-made wardrobe. I have huge admiration for people who make their own underwear but it is not something I have had time to have a go at, nor much interest in yet. Too many other garments that I can wear for public display are on my sewing agenda for now!
Details:
Jeans; Burda 7863 slightly modified, rusty corduroy, details here
Top; Metalicus
Olive top; Cue (I’ve had this top literally for decades…)
Scarf; knitted by me, originally a wool kit from Calico and Ivy, details here
Shoes; Francesco Morichetti, from Zomp shoes
(below; random photos I took on our walk today…)
What amazing views you have to take in as you walk your dog!
You picked the perfect backdrop for this outfit – the colours of the rock and the clothing work perfectly together.
I love to see the results of the me-made challenges. Looking forward to seeing your photos!
I agree with Irene, the color palette of that picture is amazing! You are the queen of jeans and I love those! 🙂
Good luck with SSS. I was halfhearted the last time I signed up and I really am going to give it a pass this time. But you are good at styling and I do find it interesting to see. I am curious about the scathing review, though, as I seemed to miss it. 🙂
I haven't really thought about it much, but maybe I should try the challenge out again. The problem I have is that so much of my clothing is me-made that it really isn't much of a challenge, but when school starts I definitely tend not to wear as many dresses so maybe this would be good (on the other hand, I'll teaching a lab on how to make concrete 3 days of the week… I'll have to not count my change of clothes)
I have to say I enjoy seeing the me-made challenges on people's blogs. So many garments predate when I started following or were never blogged at all, plus its fun to see them in action.
Carolyn, then we're two. I don't know nothing about Spanish too. The great part of Latin America speechs Spanish but here, in Brazil, we are the exception: Portuguese. Both languages came from Latin, like French and Italian, but they're all differents. I've studied a little of English and a little bit more of French, but no Spanish at all.That's a shame!
Kisses.
Carolyn, I understand that you don't want to be a fashion blogger, but you are the only sewist who I consistently look at and go "Her, I want to dress like her" so I am super-excited about daily outfit posts in September.
Thanks for your comment! And to reply to your remark about 'strange' modes of dress: I went to a talk on fashion history a while ago and the lady giving that pointed towards young men wearing their trousers so low they could hardly walk as a trend on fairly equal terms with the corset. Although very high heels should be on that list too (even though I sometimes those myself). And I think the present day body-cult which revolves around diet and exercise has in many ways replaced the body molded by clothes.
About Self Stitched September: I think I read the same blog post back in spring and although I confess I agreed on getting tired of coming across MMM-post just about everywhere, I did certainly not agree with that blogger's negative view of the participants of these challenges.
By all means, let's enjoy and celebrate the clothes we've worked so hard to make. (the main reason I never join is not feeling like taking my picture every day…)
I am participating in SSS11 also. I took a pass on MeMadeMarch and regretted it as I love the sharing that results from the photo gallery. I plan to NOT do a photo everyday, but post a summary of my "looks". I am a bit camera shy and really dislike doing review photos etc. My blog focuses on crafting a purposeful life in retirement and sewing is one part of that life-so I do not want to overwhelm my readers with clothing.
Beautiful outfit and I wish I was there to enjoy the view with you,
Mary
You go, girl. I may join in this one again– I'm not completely sure yet. I just may not put so much pressure on myself to take fabulous photos everyday. I did learn so much about my handmade things and style in March.
Good luck with SSS and ignore the scathing comments. I don't know why but there is always someone who feels compelled to criticize others instead of making the most of their own life. You've done exactly right. You read, considered carefully and realized they were full of $#!+. Even though I've never participated in one of the self-stitched activities, I greatly enjoy seeing what all of you do. I believe that you add a moment of good to the internet and my own life.
I think fashion and style are two different things. A lot of fashion is not at all stylish and a lot of stylish people are not necessarily fashionable.
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I like the fact you show your clothes worn as opposed to not. It is almost impossible to imagine the reality of clothing if on a model or lying on the bed. Would you buy clothes from a catalogue that didn't show people actually wearing the clothes? I know what you mean by the camera never lying…on more than one occasion I have looked at my photos and thought…do I really look that bad in that?
I love the scenery, particularly the pelican. I showed my 12 year old son and we had a laugh over him being bitten by one as a three year old!
🙂 Good for you! I've enjoyed your photos of the last couple of challenges, although by the end of the month, I sometimes get a little tired of my reader being filled up with so many outfit posts… 😉
I'm still unsure about officially joining. I enjoyed the warm-weather of MMJ a lot more than MMMarch and my fall wardrobe isn't very well stocked yet…
You are so good at styling and photographing your outfits. I enjoy your posts very much. I love to read sewing blogs, but whilst your sewing construction and pattern review posts are excellent, I feel that your styling posts are taking the sewing to the next step as well, wearing. To me, this is just as much about sewing as the more technical posts. I am looking forward to your SSS posts.
I didn't come across the scathing post, but my thought is, why bother raining on other people's parade? It takes a small nature to do that.
Oh, What beautiful photos! I am impressed with the new challenge you are going to participate ….. I am very curious with it!
I heard there was some negativity about the Me-Made project, but I never actually read the blog posts. I'm going to sign up again – even though I felt quite burnt out at the end of MMJ I got so much out of the challenge it made it all worthwhile. If people don't like the challenge, or the associated blog posts, then there are plenty of other sewing blogs to read.
As always, beautiful outfit and photos.
i cannot imagine what could possible be negative about this challenge. No critic is required to take part are they? i am always impressed by your sewing skills.
gorgeous photos today.
I thought about it long and hard (well maybe not that hard) before signing up this time for all the reasons others mention. Taking photo's everyday can be a drag also being winter and not having many handmade clothes became difficult. Why not show off what we make! Aren't we proud of our efforts.
BTW Fab photo's of the beach.
I think I want to take a turn at walking your dog someday! Amazing scenery. I hope it never seems commonplace.
Since you don't really fit in the fashion blogger genre, I might say you're a styling blogger. Styling what you've sewn and posting about it is actually quite helpful to other sewists.
Shallow and egotistical? To the contrary, it's generous to take the time each day to share your fashion ideas. It's truly inspiring to me, a beginner, to see what skilled people are making, and how they wear what they make.
Your photos are also inspiring. The one at the top of this blog entry is amazing.
I've decided to sign up for Self Stitched September too. As you say, it's a nice challenge.
I really don't understand why some people felt the need to be so critical of the challenge. If they don't like it, skip those blog posts. It's that simple. For my part, I admire the people who have the perseverance to do the daily outfit shots, since that was what killed me about 1/3 of the way through Me-Made-March this year.
I like seeing how people incorporate their me-made stuff into real life daily outfits. I've been thinking that I need to bring more me-made outfit pics into my blog, though probably on a more casual basis than the monthly challenges.
Also, I hit the submit button before I said that sky is GORGEOUS.
Oh fun! I think I'm going to probably do this too, though it will be a bit of a challenge asI'll be bike commuting with goose twice a day, but it will be good motivation not to stay in my biking clothes all day.
Hooray! I'm glad you've signed up again! I'm always inspired by both your sewing and your styling.
As pretty much everyone else has said, I don't understand the negativity about the me-made/self-stitched challenges – if you aren't interested in it, skip those posts. And it's still a sewing blog – you are showing items you have sewn, and you tend to show them styled in an outfit anyway so it's not a major departure.
I've signed up again too – despite the fact I'll probably be repeating an awful lot again (and I have minimal autumn-suitable clothing), I enjoyed the last challenge (my first one) so much I have to do it again, and it spurred me on to more sewing, so bonus!