Hatches, Matches & Dispatches aka Me Made May 2014

My life is handmade.

Hello darlings,

How are we in June?!  Quick pass me the gin for in just over a week's time  the counter will reset and I will be at another age my 34th to be exact.  Ah what am I saying I'm not scared of the advancing years for everyone is to be savoured plus I was mistaken for 24 recently so there you go.  I put it down to good genes, the drinking, smoking and questionable life choices ;)

Anywho as it has been for the last 3 years my birthday has been proceeded by  Me Made May hosted by our Hostess with the mostest, Zoe and ably assisted by the adorbs Dolores this year, which I've found has been a really nice way to start the phase of reflection and review  I always seem to enter into on the run up to my birthday.  It kinda seals the deal on the last 12 months and gives me a chance to work out how and where I go to next initially in sewing but then with this whole merry dance we call life. 

Yves knew what he was talking about and I heartily concur.

The meaning behind my chosen blog title of  "hatches, matches and dispatches" is that this year's MMMAY14' involved life's key events i.e. birth, marriage and death and handmade was worn for all of them.  During the merry month of May I celebrated the start of life for  my brand new niece courtesy of my baby bro Jamie and his darling lady, Sophie. Maggie Rose May Mackenzie born 24th May 2014 weighing 6lbs 11ozs and sharing her birthday with Bob Dylan she's guaranteed to be a legend :) As soon I got the call I buzzed straight up on the train to make my acquaintance in the electric blue skater skirt with handmade gifts in tow obvs.

Darling girl with her whole life ahead of her and already rocking handmade courtesy of her Great Nanny Brenda and her ace knitting skills.

I finally managed to get my head round magic loop knitting (it's amazing don't be scared, it'll set you free!) and produced these two hats for Maggie's little swede :) The top pattern is a basic baby hat found here and the bottom is the baby berry hat found here and they're both free.  Yay for selfless crafters woot!

Earlier in the month we celebrated the union of dear friends of the family.  Tania and Joe got married on 3rd May and as soon as I received my invitation my first thought was ooh lovely another reason to make a frock.  For this occasion I chose to whip up my very first Anna and the Kiss and Make Up maxi was born and worn to great effect.  I've known both of them since they were little and the bride's Ma and Pa are great friends of the family and it was a beautiful day full of family, friends, tears of joy and laughter.

The happy couple - may the road rise up to meet them at every turn :)

The day of the wedding 3rd May also happened to be my dear brother's birthday.  Here's darling Ben a rose between two thorns ;)

May also heralds as it will every year the anniversary of the passing of our friend Tania just a few days before her 45th birthday and as sad has her loss was and still is I am happy to have a woollen tribute to her.  I feel like she'll forever be around weaved into every stitch of the Tangerine Dream that she inspired me to make. 

A fond farewell to MMMAY14 in my loud and happy tangerine tribute to a loud and lovely lady who just didn't get long enough.

So as May rolled on by and the big stuff came around it got me to thinking about my sewing and my life in general.  I've realised on my journey to 34 I'm wearing more hats than ever - a woman, a daughter, a sister, an aunty, a friend, a writer, a rebel, a vinyl junkie, a feminist, a wanderer, an old romantic, a diehard Pulp fan, a runner, a baker, a dreamer, a dancer, a raver, a triathlete in training, a wannabe drag queen, a member of the WI ah the list goes on and on but what underlies them all is my making.  Wherever this merry dance now takes me it'll be in handmade as it has been for the last 3 years.   Learning to sew in 2011 was pretty much the best decision I've made in my adult life.  As I once told a fellow sewist, Tilly it made me more me than I ever knew possible :)  

Speaking of Tilly here's my latest make and finished at the tail end of May.  My very first Miette aka the Immaculate Collection skirt named so because large black and white polka dots always make me think of 80s Madge (the best Madge IMO).  This pattern is ace and there will be more.

Me Made May this year made me believe completely in the power of clothes to lift you.  One of my favourite fashion icons, Cyndi Lauper once said, "On your darkest days wear your brightest colours" and I think she's completely right.  Whatever I find myself doing in life I'll be able to make just the right thing to grace it in.  The month just gone I realised that I've haven't shopped for clothes for such a long time because fast fashion is exactly that it's just a quick fix and it doesn't make me happy because it's got no feeling in it.  People always comment on the fact that they love I name all the clothes I make.  I name them because they feel like they've got a personality or they make me feel a certain emotion when I wear them and because I know the process that when into creating them I cherish them and make the most of them.  My Nan was a prolific sewist and always talked about saving up to make "the dress" or "the coat" and she loved her clothes so much because they were her.  

So I've figured out during this May that sewing is not just a hobby but a way of life that's going to make me happy for the rest of my dance :)

As I've talked a lot about life in this post I'll sign off with song that says everything I wish for my new niece's one.  It was my housemate and friend Aymi that remarked that Maggie shares her birthday with Bob and as always he's got just the right words.  I listened to it just after she was born and burst into tears of joy :)

Life is the for the living so wear what you love and love what you wear.

Miss D

xxx