Day 1: Me-Made-May '19

Today, Wednesday, May 1, 2019, is a running errands kind of day.  It is a gray day and my wardrobe choice seems to reflect the mood illustrated by the skies.  Fifty percent of the garments I wore throughout the day were me-made.  

Thirty-three percent of my day-wear garments were me-made. The outer garments consisted of a gray animal print linen shirt (Butterick 6026) with a charcoal gray ponte knit pull-on skirt (out-of-print OOP Butterick 5790) and a cashmere ready-to-wear sweater.  The undergarments were all ready-to-wear.  I'm not one of those talented leather work artists so my accessories, a black leather handbag and gray Sorel shoes (not shown here), are also from the retail landscape.  

My linen shirt is just shy of two years old.  It hasn't seen a lot of wear since making it mainly because it is not the type of fabric I reach for during the winter months and when I do wear it, the shirt tails roll up.  Maybe one day I'll straighten the hemline.  It is a keeper, I love that it's a natural fibre fabric and the print.  It hits high marks on the sustainability metre.  Linen is made from flax which needs few chemical fertilisers and less pesticide that cotton in its production.  If I didn't live in a climate where it can get pretty darn cold in the winter, I would have more linen in my closet. And I'll admit that I could have chosen a warmer option for the gray, rainy day. No wonder it doesn't get worn more.     

My skirt is a polyester ponte knit.  I'm not proud of this and I'm really trying to cut back on the amount of man-made fibres lurking in my wardrobe.  Yet, this is a recent make and came into my wardrobe about two months ago.  The fabric has been in my stash for years prior to my enlightenment and I'm trying to use what is in my fabric stash.  I like that this fabric isn't prone to wrinkling and it's warm for those cooler days. But I have to admit if I'm going to be mindful of the impact that my fabric choices have on the environment this hits low marks on the sustainability metre. Polyester is a man-made petroleum-based fibre meaning that its made from a carbon-intensive non-renewable resource. It is estimated that more than seventy billion barrels of oil goes into the production of polyester annually.  And it is believed that synthetic garments are the biggest source of microplastic pollution in the oceans. A laundered synthetic garment can release up to 1 900 fibres into the environment. This knowledge demands care in washing this piece of clothing and highlighted by an awareness that I don't want to make anymore polyester fabric choices.  

The garments worn as my sleepwear were 75% me-made.  My nightgown (Butterick 5667) is about a year and a half old and the terry clothe robe (OOP Simplicity 7417) is a recent make from the beginning of the year.  The robe replaces a well-worn robe that was seeing its last days. These two items were made with 100% cotton fabrics and they are both comfortable and warm.  I've really been noticing that the price of cotton has been going up over the years. If the blue waffle cotton wasn't faded and moved to the discount section I doubt I would have given this a second glance after seeing the price tag.  And the cotton terry fabric was a deal when Mitchell Fabrics was closing down. It is easy to understand the allure of those man-made fabrics vs natural fabrics when you making an economic choice at the cutting table. But it's worth the wait, to do without, until a good deal shows up.

Even though the production of cotton products are also criticized for its environmental impact, I find that the fabrics do last longer than many of their man-made counterparts.

The knickers (Simplicity 8229) are also me-made and are about two years old. It's made with a cotton and spandex knit and the sides are a polyester lace.  These are not my favourite pair, I much prefer the ones without the lace inserts, Simplicity 8228. And the one RTW sleepwear item was my cotton socks.

So before I head to bed, do your fabric choices keep you up at night? I hope not, rather just food for thought, conversation and perhaps future project planning. I wish everyone a good night's sleep.

Happy Sewing!  And sweet dreams.