Sewing Challenges – May 2025

Sew Skin Summer 25

May is Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness Month. Following her own experiences with melanoma and basal cell carcinoma, Lucy @the_sewing_gardener has decided to host the Sew Skin Summer challenge to help raise awareness of skin cancer and encourage the sewing community to stay safe whilst having fun in the sun.

Sew any garment or accessory that helps provide added skin protection. You could make anything from a maxi dress to a sunhat. Get inspired by the YouTube vlog tour or join the Virtual Sewing Room themed session for company as you sew your project. Share your make to Instagram at any point throughout May and tag @the_sewing_gardener and use the hashtag #SewSkinSummer25.

There is also the option to donate to the Sew Skin Summer fundraiser. Donations go to Melanoma UK, a charity which supports those affected by melanoma through vital research, educational resources, and life-saving diagnostic equipment.

Me Made May 2025

Me Made May is probably THE biggest challenge in the sewing community calendar. Me Made May is a wardrobe challenge to help you improve your relationship with your handmade wardrobe and has been run by host Zoe @sozoblog for many years now.

You don’t need a lot of handmade items to get involved. To join in, create yourself a pledge that is challenging but do-able. Get yourself out of your comfort zone and learn more about your handmade wardrobe. Pledge ideas could include: wearing your me mades more frequently or in different combinations, observing how wearing certain outfits makes you feel, or documenting your outfits with photos (remember, sharing is optional).

Zoe also runs Check Your Thread, a sewing podcast with a focus on sustainability. Check out episode #84 for full details of Me Made May or episode #177 for a quick 5 minute refresher. Download the Me Made May workbook to help you capture what you learn throughout the challenge.

Additional Me Made May Competitions

In addition to the personal challenge of Me Made May, many sewing businesses host challenges and competitions throughout May. I’ve decided not to add all of these challenges to Stash Hub, as I was worried the list would become too overwhelming. If your 2025 Me Made May pledge involves sharing your handmades to Instagram, make sure to tag the fabric shops and pattern designers in your posts. Check on their social media to see whether they are running a competition – it’s well worth adding their hashtag to your post as you could win a prize!

Here are some of the Me Made May competitions I’ve seen (I’m sure there are many more!). Tap the links for details:

• StyleArc
• Peppermint Magazine
• Friday Pattern Company
• The Avid Seamstress
• Charm Patterns by Gertie
• Pattern Sewciety
• EweFibers

Let me know if you spot any other Me Made May related challenges.

#ITH30 – Sew 30 Minutes A Day In May

Do you struggle to make time for sewing? See how much you can achieve with just 30 minutes of sewing every day throughout the month of May.

@insidethehem is motivating you to engage with sewing for 30 minutes each day in May. You don’t need to sew something every day — you just need 30 minutes a day to connect with your handmade wardrobe, however that looks for you.

There will be weekly themes and mini-challenges to keep you motivated throughout the month and help you focus on you works in progress and trying new things.

Tag @insidethehem and #ITHSew30 in your Instagram posts to enter the prize draws.

Slow Fashion Challenge

The Slow Fashion Challenge is a great opportunity to share your thoughts about sustainable clothing and learn more from the community as well.

Use the daily prompts to inspire your posts and encourage you to reflect on the sustainability of your wardrobe. Remember, the prompts are just guidelines and you can join is as much or as little as you like. Don’t forget to like and comment on other people’s challenge posts. This helps us build community and discover different perspectives on slow fashion.

Tag @slowfashionchallenge and #SFCMay2025 in your Instagram posts.

Vintage Fashion Challenge

Share your love of vintage fashion with the community!

Follow @thevintagefashionchallenge, the new home of this challenge. Anyone can join in. Make posts inspired by the daily prompts and tag @thevintagefashionchallenge. You’re welcome to add @thevintagefashionchallenge as a collaborator on your post – this means that your post will appear on the challenge feed and you’ll get to meet more vintage fashion lovers!

Micro Mini Sewalong

Whether you’re an experienced quilter looking for a quick project, or a beginner looking for somewhere to start, the Micro Mini Sewalong is the perfect occasion for a small quilting project.

Sew a quilting project that measures no larger than 8” square. You can make it into anything you like… a pincushion, mugrug (phone rest), travel tag, bookmark, coaster, whatever you wish!

Tag @berry_birdy and #MicroMiniSAL in your Instagram posts.

Sew Much To Give 25

Is your closet overflowing with handmade clothes? Or perhaps you just need to put a pause on your garment sewing for a month whilst you assess your needs throughout Me Made May. This month, use your sewing skills to create items to donate to charity.

Contact local charities (such as hospitals, women’s shelters and animal shelters) to see if they need any items that you could make.

Take a photo of your sewn, knitted or crocheted item and share to Instagram during May with the hashtag #SewMuchToGive25 and tag hosts @nana.is.a.sew.and.sew and @mountainsewing. Donate your item(s) before 31st May.

There is a prize draw for this challenge!

MAGAM: Moving May

The monthly theme for Make A Garment A Month is always open to interpretation, but there are so many different angles you could take for #MAGAMMovingMay.

Facilitate your physical movement with sport clothes or create the perfect airport outfit. Alternatively move fabric – use a holiday souvenir or simply move a fabric from your stash to the wardrobe. Another approach is to tackle an emotionally moving garment sewing project.

Share your finished garment to Instagram during May and tag hosts @suestoney @sewing_in_spain and @macusewinglove and use #MagamMovingMay #magamsewalong. You’re welcome to submit multiple entries and combine MAGAM with other sewing challenges.

#MyMakesMay25

Whatever you’re sewing throughout May, make sure to share a round-up for #MyMakesForTheMonth to be in with another chance of winning great prizes. This challenge is hosted by @sewmuchtodesign every month, so it’s also a great way to keep a record of everything you’ve made throughout the year.

To join in, simply share your sewing projects to Instagram with the May hashtag #MyMakesMay25, plus the challenge hashtag #MyMakesForTheMonth. Also tag @sewmuchtodesign and follow this month’s sponsors to support small businesses in the sewing community.