I made it! I made it to the end of June and managed to get photographed every single day with a random stranger – sometimes more than one random stranger! I don’t mind admitting, I’m staggered. Setting myself up for a fall? That’s what this challenge felt like on May 31st.
It felt appropriate to bring things full circle on the last day and pop by Drink, Shop, Do, wearing my Kamikaze Butterfly dress. This shop and cafe is the crafting heart of Kings Cross. The place is amazing. I love its vibe, I love that it was set up via the sheer hard work, vision, determination and creative talent of two women who clearly work every hour god sends. And it’s a place to inspire. Yeah, yeah, they sell great cocktails too – why do you have to always bring it back to the booze?
Elen works at Drink, Shop, Do. Isn’t her outfit amazing? I feel honoured to stand beside her, clutching the new (old) bag I bought in Paris. Ooh la la!
Elen made the knitting WIPs wall hangings that recently featured in the second issue of Mollie Makes:
I know this knitting features in Mollie Makes because I received a phone call from Dibs and the Machine after this blog post. Dibs said, ‘I’ve just seen a copy – do you want me to buy it for you?’ Let’s not dwell on the fact that Dibs was still recovering from a hospital stay at the time – it makes me feel too guilty that I encouraged her to turn back and buy it for me. Thanks, Dibs. I have a present for you!
Dibs’ kind gesture and the fact that over 30 strangers agreed to feature in my blog proves the point that I set out to – that most people are generally good-hearted and that this ‘stuff’ we all do brings entire communities together. From Stansted airport to Shropshire, from Cornwall to Paris – my challenge received a resounding YES! from people who could have pushed on by.
And what did I learn about my makes?
- That there were a couple of items it was time to say goodbye to – I put them on only to climb back out of them. (If you’re interested, my Rooibos dress and my second make of the Pendrell blouse. Both have fitting issues, and the fabric choice for the blouse was just wrong!)
- That I sorely missed the linen trousers I’d planned and failed to make for this month.
- That my makes are now firmly established in my daily wardrobe.
- Oh, and that tomorrow I am going to run into a department store and rub my face in shop bought clothes for the sheer hell of it!
Thank you all so much for sharing this version of Me Made June and encouraging me to make a fool of myself on a daily basis. I hope you saw all the inspiring outfits that cropped up on other blogs and Flickr. I was humbled to see the amounts of creativity going on around the world. But most of all thank you to:
Christy, Jerry, Walthamstow stall holder, Rebecca, Cath, Bramble, Katy, Ilmar, Gabor, police boy, Nheed, Johnnie, Johnny, Paddington Bear, Lisa, Anil, Indu, Shaun, Kieran, Jo, Edan, Wendy, the Dude, the landlord of the Duke of Yorke, Gorgeous George, Ossie, the ladies in the big hats, Steve the postie, Marie, the steel drum marching band, Kelly, Hugh, Stella, Louis the Banana, Sabbir, Ollie, Will Carling rugby player, Nigel Mansell formula one racer, Kevin, Oli, Rachel, Roxanne, Niccolas Orsini, Eric, Clochette le Chat, Merlin, Dulcie Gray the Dog, Emily, Shilo and Elen.
What a roll call!
And thank you finally to So, Zo for providing the original inspiration. ‘Shall we bust a groove?’ as Zoe would say? I think we did – all through June!
What on earth will happen next?
I loved every single post of your MMJ! Thank you very much!
Hurray for Me-Made-June! I’ve loved following your adventures and will keep reading your blog beyond MMJ.
Thanks for a fun month, well done!
You did an amazing job, Karen. You took the challenge one step (or several steps?) up and rocked it every single day in June. I’ve enjoyed your adventures so much – thanks for sharing with us. I wonder if you’ll miss going up to strangers every day for impromptu photos shoots 🙂
You absolutely rock lady 🙂 Thankyou so much for so much entertainment and the odd lump in my throat…..;)
Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PX
I have thoroughly enjoyed every single post of your MMJ . Seriously I think you are one amusing lady ..I bet you would be fun to drink wine with lol !!!
Karen, nobody can ever accuse you of being shy and retiring after that roll-call!
You were the focus of MMJ, and that’s a fact!
You’ve done amazingly, much better than me. I’ve really loved seeing all your photos out and about. Enjoy touching the store bought clothes today!
You’ve done an amazing job, much better than me. I’ve really loved seeing all your photos out and about. Enjoy touching the store bought clothes today!
This was so much fun! I recently discovered your blog and what an introduction! I looked forward to every post and admired your chutzpah every single day! It was a joy!
Congrats on reaching the end. You did an awesome job getting all those photos. It was fun to see who you would be photographed with each day. I don’t think I would ever be able to ask strangers for a photo every day. Nice work!
What an achievement, hope you’re suitably proud of yourself! You were the undisputed star of MMJ. Now, for the next challenge in September, you just need to get yourself photographed with a different celebrity every single day. Maybe with the odd royal thrown in. Easy Peasy! x
This month has been totally wicked to watch unfold. Just loved how enthusiastic everyone was to be involved. It gives me faith that for every arse who won’t hold the door open or cuts in queue or bumps and spills your beer without apologising there are many more willing to lend a hand 🙂
~Alana
Your me made month was a lot of fun! (well it was a lot of fun to read so I hope you had fun too?). Loved all the great people you met and loved your outfits. Congratulations.
Well done, Karen! My favourite MMJer by a long way, you went above and beyond.
And your new (old) handbag is FAB!
Congratulations! You are amazing and I’ve really enjoyed the series and your writing.
I really enjoyed your “photo-date with a stranger” pics. They were a great (and often funny) break from the daily rut. You did awesome! 🙂
This has been so much fun to follow your month of photos with strangers! I’m particularly impressed that you managed to continue in another country! Thanks so much for sharing.
What a fabulous time it has been! Thank you for all your unique posts feature me made clothes and interesting guests. I’ll miss it. What about Me Made July?!?! Just teasing. 🙂
I really enjoyed your antics during the me made challenge. You came up with some wonderful shots and we all got to meet some beautiful people. Your daily outfits were inspiring as well. I will miss reading all the posts. Thanks for sharing a part of your life with us.
Karen this past month has been so entertaining. It’s been better than the book I was reading! Just to let you know over at http://www.molliemakes.com they have a competition to win issue one of Mollie Makes.
Better than a book? Wow!
Better than a book? Wow! Thanks for heads up on competition – have entered!
Well done and thankyou. It has been interesting and fun every day. Not just waiting to see the outfit you will have chosen for the day but the people you will have found to take part and all the different places too. Perhaps you could make it ‘a once a month’ feature?
I have enjoyed these posts way more than a random stranger from across the pond should have!
I’ll add my voice to the many who have said how much they enjoyed following your posts for the last month. I have not been to England (yet) or Paris for that matter and thoroughly enjoyed your glimpses of everyday life. As for the sewing, it was inspiring and I would have accomplished more of my own sewing if I hadn’t spent so much time looking at your blog.
Congratulations, it was a very entertaining month reading your posts! I hope there’s another one in September, I definitely want to take part next time. Shame about the second Pendrell, that burn-out fabric is so gorgeous.
Loved reading every post. You opened yourself to joy, and it stepped right in. Your willingness to write and photograph this month’s adventures were a wonderful gift to those of us who spend our days more sedately.
Thank you for a fabulously entertaining month!
Thank you Karen! Its been so much fun reading this month’s posts. Even though I’ll miss the MMJ daily photos, I’m looking forward to continuing to read your blog for as long as you’re willing to write it. I’m sure you’ll continue to come up with interesting antics and that you’ll write about them in an inspired fashion. Thanks for sharing your talents with us all.
Thanks Karen, missing your excellent daily posts already, bet you’re glad of a bit of a break though! You have inspired me like no other to start wearing my own me made stuff instead of keep reaching for the easy option jeans. I wore a dress I made last year for the first time in public yesterday and received several compliments, pity I have to dress down for work. Thanks so much for the most inspiring MMJ posts ever!
A present pour moi? yay!! thanks Karen, just seeing this now. your knit posts were off the charts. But then again you always write brilliant posts. did you stroke the shop clothes?
I have really loved reading your MMJ posts and am now a big follower of your blog. Seeing everyone having so much fun on MMJ has inspired me to start my own blog too.