Me-Made-Maui

That's right, my me-made wardrobe followed me to Maui! I hadn't visited the island since I was a kid, and so I surprised the boy when he joined me for a spell with a quick trip to the Valley Isle under the guise of a 9-year anniversary gift. It's about a 30-minute plane ride from where I grew up, and it's left me dreaming about finally making the journey home, both physically and in my sewing (but more on that later!).

And what equipped me on this little vacation? Surprisingly, the least glamorous item in my wardrobe: My black crewneck tee (Sew U Homestretch pattern).



In front of the Sugar Museum, fresh off the early morning flight.



On the summit of Haleakala at sunrise. Legend has it that the demigod Maui captured the sun to slow its journey across the sky and lengthen the day. Haleakala translates to the House of the Rising Sun, and it was absolutely worth the 3.30 a.m. wake-up call.

What does the black tee have to do with this? Well, this is as pretty as I'm getting at this hour.

I think we all need a few workhorses like this in our wardrobes. It doesn't look great, but it doesn't look terrible either. It doesn't wrinkle. If I drool on it while nodding off on the plane or spill something on myself while driving, the black is my friend. It's also loose, so I'm not hyper-aware of any mushroom-action in the waistline. I must own ten black shirts, and this is the only one I wear. And I'm glad I made it myself.

And the suit made an appearance! You all tickled me with compliments on it in my last post. But I'll have you know I've cleverly taken photos sitting down because the stripes are not perfectly horizontal. But I figure if I'm moving (really fast), or I'm in the water, no one will notice.


Even with the stripes faux-pas, I'm so glad I made this. I rarely go swimming, but I hold onto a swimsuit for years and it's nice to have something I need also be something that's homemade. Because of the design, the bra area isn't as secure as I'd like (I dive in swimming pools, and body surf on beaches, so this bothers me!). Maybe next summer I'll try a 60s-esque bikini (Katie's is phenomenal.)

And getting blown off the beach in Kihei in my tee-shirt dress:


And in Paia, a little town style-savvy folks would enjoy. Lots of little shops, boutiques, some who sell handmade and/or unique wares. It's an old plantation town, with a bit of a hippie vibe:


The Shelley Dress:

This is another dress that I'm not overly taken with when I see photos, but I reach for constantly. So perhaps this is my personal SSS Lesson #4: My wardrobe could use a little wow.

Perhaps this is the summer I learned to sew garments and it's time to take my knowledge of plain-and-useful to wowza-and-useful. The Hepburn Hepburn Project may help with this, and I'm thinking about my colors.

What about you? Do you feel there's enough "wow" in your me-made garments? I know some of you are wonderful "wow" (with statement pieces) sewers -- but how do we find this balance?