I'll do round up blog posts.
I always enjoyed participating in Me Made May or Self-stitched September, but last year it all went wrong...I ran out of time for photos, energy for posting, I deleted my flickr account for a few different reasons....so this year I was hesitant to sign up.The last few months I have had found it harder and harder to feel happy in the clothes I put on each day. This is a mixture of dissatisfaction with myself and with the clothes. I put on weight last year (I just ate so, so, so much cake and chocolate) and now things don't fit or in my eyes they don't hang right, they look wrong. I have started to lose the weight a little. I don't have a pair of scales but just go on how things fit and as I have been measuring myself for sewing I am aware of my waist and hip measurements.
The big tipping point came for me in a cringeworthy moment last November. I had gone with RG to a playgroup and was drinking my coffee when a woman I know vaguely came up to me, patted, yes, patted, my stomach and said "I see you're having another baby" eeekk..." No, I just ate a lot of cake" was my reply. I think she was very embarrassed. I was mortified. I can laugh about it now but at the time I wanted a hole to open up in the floor so I could disappear.
Anyways, I hope MMM will help me fall back in love or at least like with my clothes. I used to love getting dressed, thinking of outfits...I'll happily admit to being clothes obsessed. I used to love the little details, such as buttons and trimmings. I used to love putting colours together so they sing. These little insignificant things made the everyday more fun. I am hoping to get some of this happiness back.
I can't believe that person patted your stomach!!!! Personal Space??? Rude??? Not sure what I'd have done! I have never thought of myself as clothes obessed, but I think about outfits/things I could make nearly all the time and then live in the same clothes day in day out. I found when my girls were little I didn't really enjoy clothing very much - now they are a bit older I am enjoying it a bit more, but have discovered that my girls have quite a safe view of what I should wear! I hope you find your enthusiasm over the month!
ReplyDeleteYes, I now the stomach patting was weird/ offputting/ invasive....I wonder how people in other countries feel or if it is a british thing. Even when really pregnant I never really liked having strangers pat my stomach. I smiled to read that your girls have a safe view of what you wear. :) x
DeleteI hope that May is a fun month for you! There's something to be said for being able to wear the colors and the styles that you want to, not just what you can find in the shops in your price range (man, I spent years in clothes that I never even liked and that didn't fit just because I bought them cheaply). So I hope it's a nice time for you to evaluate your style and fall in love with different outfits and garments!
ReplyDeleteAlso, I'm so sorry about that rude woman! That has happened to a couple of friends and to my aunt- not sure why people want to assume that others are pregnant! Strangers sometimes do that stomach petting thing here in the States, but I find it incredibly rude- being pregnant doesn't give others license to touch you!!!
Exactly the same thing happened to my sister in law - she was so upset and I couldn't believe anyone would comment on someone else's body. I have been a range of sizes in my life and while I would like to drop a size for photogenic purposes, I enjoy my life as it is too much to diet! I love to prepared really nice meals and bake and of course I taste everything. And that's before we get on to the wine and peanuts :) Anyway, good luck with MMM. May you rediscover some of your lovely garments xx
ReplyDeleteI hope you can use this to make things that you like and help you feel good about yourself!! My boss went through a period where she would regularly ask me if I were pregnant...and every time my answer was, "no, just bloated." Seriously, how is it that women in particular can be so socially stooopid? Sigh, oh well!
ReplyDeleteI finally decided not to participate this year. Or rather, to participate differently. I'm going to use this as an opportunity to make stuff!! And be inspired by others, but not worry about trying to dress myself every day in me-made clothes cuz I don't have enough anyway to go much longer than a week! :)
I'm glad you feel you can take part this year, because me made may would not be the same without you! Imam truly wowed by that woman's rudeness but hope that she felt even worse than you did! I haven't got the time this month to do a lot of the daily posting to Flickr ( actually I've given up on Flickr since you have to sign in differently- I can never remember what I need to remember!!) and that's a shame as I loved the daily interaction, but I will still pick up everyone's round ups and enjoy seeing outfits and being reminded of brilliant things they've made- hopefully you'll enjoy the other side of it just as much!!) xx
ReplyDeleteI don't think I can imagine a country where patting someone's belly and asking if they're pregnant isn't considered rude. Some people are just weird... Anyway, hope your're having fun this MMMay! :) I rather like your outfits. :)
ReplyDeleteOh good grief, people are so rude! The comment is bad enough, never mind the patting. I rarely risk a comment on pregnancy unless someone looks like they're about to pop and I'm definitely sure. Even so, you do have to be careful. When my daughter was a year old, someone I know a bit asked if I was pregnant, and when I said no, followed it up with 'Are you sure?' Ha, really, what an idiot!
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