Me Made May & Old Clothes

So how was Me Made May for you? I enjoyed myself, and realized that Me Made May is no longer a project that is a challenge, in the sense that a high enough percentage of my wardrobe has been handmade that I wear some of it nearly every day anyhow.

It did point out that I'm lacking self-made trousers, shorts, etc. But then I'm not really all that interested in making them, due to both the fact that I rarely wear pants and that I don't want to spend time fitting them even if I did make them!

So sartorially, May was quite interesting :)

One of the  things I found when sorting through my closet was that I could remember making each item -- when, and how, and what else was going on while I was making it. Clothing as a mnemonic device bringing the past to life...

I've already talked before about the pattern that I've owned the longest, and my regret that I don't still own the dress I made from it (yes, the first pattern I ever bought was for a dress. Pretty much still in the same habit!) But this month I looked at which garment I have actually owned the longest.

It turns out that my sunflower sundress (Simplicity 7177), made in 1990, is the item that has the longest pedigree. Would that be considered 'vintage' yet? ;)

It's very 90's -- flowy, long, shapeless, and covered in sunflowers. But the polyester faille is a hardy fabric, and this dress is so cool and comfortable that I still wear it, though these days only around the house in summer. It was the first "real" dress I made and wore regularly. It was the summer of my first year of university and my mother was teaching me how to sew properly.

This dress has pockets, a gathered skirt, and buttons on the bodice, all totally new to me. We sewed it in the evenings after my dreary day job, and so it took a while, but it was enjoyable and it's a great memory of spending time together. When I wear it I think of those hours learning from my mom.

What about you? What is the oldest piece of Me-Made clothing that you still own? Do you still wear it, or just keep it for sentiment's sake?