Ready for a fresh spin on Me Made May, Pam used her digital drawing skills and MyBodyModel croquis to document her outfits of the day! Read on to see how Pam created a beautiful visual archive of her me-made garments and the places she went in them.
It’s that time again! The time sewists everywhere look forward to, perhaps with a small amount of dread: Me Made May. I’ve always loved the idea of participating and sharing my daily outfits in May, but the idea of taking a daily selfie was rather daunting, and I usually gave up after only just a few days.
When Me Made May rolled around last year, I decided to try something new. I loved sketching outfits using MyBodyModel and it seemed like the perfect method to share my me-made outfits on Instagram without the hassle of either harassing my husband to take a daily picture or setting up the tripod for a selfie.
I started using MyBodyModel not long after it first launched, mostly sketching on my iPad. I love to draw, although I’ve certainly never considered myself an artist, but I really upped my game after I took a couple of the digital drawing classes that are offered to support the experience. Learning how to get the most benefit from the Sketchbook app and then learning how to add the actual fabric to my drawings made such a difference. I could really get a feel for how a garment was going to fit and how it would work in my existing wardrobe – and it was just plain fun!
One benefit of digital drawing is how easy it is to change an item, try different colors on a garment, and then try it on my body model. Short sleeves? Long sleeves? No problem trying on both!
Since I already had many of my garments sketched and saved in the app, it was easy to mix and match to create new combinations of outfits as well as remind myself of those garments buried in my closet that I loved but weren’t getting the wear they deserve.
To document my outfit of the day, all I had to do was to digitally dress myself and add a quick post to my Instagram Stories. Finally, Me Made May was no longer a chore but a fun activity I looked forward to!
My first few posts featured MyBodyModel with a plain background, but I soon realized I could add even more interest by layering my personal croquis on top of a quick picture of where I had actually worn the outfit that day. These turned out to be my favorite posts. Not only did they add interest to the overall post, but they also turned out to be a mini diary of my day. Just going to the grocery store, walking around the neighborhood, or hiking in the woods seemed less mundane – at least I was wearing a great outfit!
One of my favorite pictures was a quick snapshot taken during my daily walk. I thought my shadow looked so interesting in my skort so I combined it with a back view of my body model.
As the world slowly opened up again last year, my husband and I planned a short trip in May along with my daughter and her husband to one of my favorite cities, New Orleans. I love planning travel capsule wardrobes and I love using the MyBodyModel 3×3 template to plan my garments. Once again, I can digitally pack and repack until I’m sure I’ve got just the travel wardrobe I need. I can also plan any sewing projects I will need to complete before the trip.
The beauty of working with MyBodyModel is that I can make sure all my garments work together in both color and scale, even before I’ve actually sewn them!
I also loved creating a fun visual record of my outfits and travel activities:
These days I rarely sew anything without trying it on MyBodyModel first. On the practical side, not only can I get an idea of how the garment will fit, but I can make sure that I can incorporate it into my current wardrobe. And sketching my outfits is just fun – when I can’t actually sew, I can at least dream about making my own clothes!
Finally, since I’ve already sketched most of my me-made garments, I’m all ready for Me Made May 2022! Now all I have to do is take a quick background picture and add it to my Instagram Stories. It’s such an easy way to participate and I’m actually looking forward to it this year. I’ve got a new capsule wardrobe planned, a wedding and a graduation to attend, and hopefully a bit of travel during the month – and I’ll be taking MyBodyModel along to document my month of me-made garments!
Are you inspired to try sketching your daily outfits for Me Made May? Let us know in the comments!
- Looking for more ideas? Check out our 2021 Me-Made May outfit sketch roundup!
- Don’t have a tablet? Try documenting your outfits digitally on your phone like Andie Wells!
- Prefer paper sketching? Get inspired by Ciara’s outfit bullet journal!
Pam is a retired preschool teacher and director of 20 years. She learned to sew when she was 6 by hand-stitching clothes for her Raggedy Ann, eventually graduating to her mother’s pink Atlas sewing machine. She mostly sews for herself but occasionally can be convinced to sew for others with a bit of coaxing. Knitting, drinking coffee, watching Jeopardy, and hiking are her other favorite pastimes. She lives with her husband and two rescue dogs, splitting her time between Huntsville, Alabama and the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. You can follow her @rocketcitysewist on Instagram and the once-in-a-blue-moon blog post at RocketCitySewist.com.
5 thoughts on “Me Made May, Digital Paper Doll Style”
I’m in! How do I post my photos?
What a fab lady!
This is brilliant. Thanks for the inspiration Pam and Erica!
Oh my goodness, this is so fun!!! Love it so much! Thank you for the inspiration!!
This is GENIUS. I have never participated in MMM because of my crazy photography skills.