A gift of love

The gown is finished and the most beautiful baby in the world has been baptized into God's  family of faith. It is no secret I love a christening gown. I was asked once what item do I still have from childhood that I cherish the most, I immediately answered, "My christening gown." I don't know why and I am sure there is some deep Jungian reason that is beyond my capacity to understand. All that aside, I hold it dear and secretly spirited it from my mother's possession as a teenager and still have it. It hangs in my sewing room. All of my own children were baptized in that gown. Sadly, it is not sturdy enough to withstand another generation's use. The upside of that is, I have the precious opportunity to make a family gown for each of my four children. This is the story of the first of those.

Remember you can click to enlarge the pictures.

Our beautiful mommy holding her baby on the graced occasion of her baptism, October 3, 2010.

It was a gorgeous, crisp fall day, the sun was shining, the leaves were beginning to turn as family and friends gathered to celebrate. And to make it even more special, my husband, an ordained deacon in the Catholic Church was to be the one baptizing this much loved child. God was definitely there in so many ways throughout the day.

All of our children and their significant others were there. My husband always comments when ALL of his children are around the dinner table at one time. I always comment when they are all in the pew at Mass together. We were both happy on Sunday. It is the simple things in life.

I had a heck of a time getting good pictures of the gown on Sunday morning. So I apologize for the pictures not being the best.

The gown is made from silky voile from BessieMary. This is not the most expensive or extravagant fabric but I love it. It is a joy to work with. I love the fact that it keeps its filmy nature after it is washed but yet it sturdy enough to handle the hand embroidery. I lined the bodice with silk organza to give it a bit more oomph to handle the weight of the long skirt.

I used a combination of patterns both by the Old Fashioned Baby. Mommy wanted the skirt of the French Acadian Christening gown and Mimi wanted it smocked, so we combined the skirt with a shortened bodice of the Baby Gowns pattern. 

She wanted to reverse the original sized sequence of the "squares" on the skirt, making the largest one on the bottom. She chose the symbols she wanted used and mentioned "the featherstitching" about a dozen times. So I knew that was something she wanted as well.

The shell used to symbolize Baptism is done in chain stitch, back stitch and shadow work. The flourishes to either side are raised satin stitch. The water drops are padded eyelets.

 

The grapes and wheat on either side of the shadow work cross are stem stitch, granitos, lazy daisies, shadow work and back stitch. It represents Eucharist.

 

The monogram is raised satin stitch with shadow work and chain stitch lily of the valley. It was her idea to add the lily of the valley embroidery to the monogram, which coordinated with the lily of the valley maline laces used.  

I had always planned on using this lace and had collected several widths of insertion and edgings over the years. This is one of my favorite laces. I used a combination of three sizes of lace on the lower skirt with two strips of three pin tucks each to represent the Trinity. The shadow work doves in the corner represent Confirmation.

She wanted three-quarter sleeves but not too puffy and large. So I reduced the sleeve width by 3/4." By concentrating the gathering on the lower edge directly below the sleeve header gathers it still puffs nicely. The bottom of the sleeve is finished with lily of the valley beading/edging threaded with silk satin ribbon. Since I knew the beading lace would add length, I used the newborn length for the 3/4 sleeves. I also inserted lace across the sleeve.

The slip is the one from the Baby Gowns pattern also made from the silky voile. Shell hems finish the neck and armholes with lace edging across the bottom. It was nippy yesterday so mommy had a onesie underneath it all. She is styling her first jewelry gifted by a friend.

I made a size 6 months and it fit perfectly. She weighs between 13 and 14 pounds. The gown is a tad over 39 inches long. Mommy wanted long so that is what she got. It was fastened in the back with two sterling silver beauty pins. Ignore the bright blue paci, we switched it out to a plain white one soon after these pictures were taken.

In the spirit of full disclosure I will admit that there is more feather stitching to be added along the bottom of the skirt and on the sleeves. I will do that this week along with her name and date on the back of the lower skirt. My plan is to do that this week before she has her portraits taken.

There are also some things on the gown that I am not completely happy with, but you will notice I did not point them out. She was beautiful, blessed and baptized and that is what matters.

Here she is with her parents and godparents before Mass.

This is why I sew. I also will admit to a tear or two when we first dressed her. It makes a Mimi's heart sing I tell ya! I hope you, faithful readers, are working on something that makes your heart sing as well.

Just a Peek

Just a tiny peek at the progress of the christening gown. This is a portion of the embroidery. I have made more progress since I took this picture a couple of nights ago. It always feels like slow going at this point. I am desperate to make good progress on the hand work this week. I am leaving to go out of town next week for SAGA convention.  Sorry for the horrible picture, I took it from my chair at night, hence the ginormous shadow in the right hand corner.

Did you get a peek at the christening gown that Jeannie B posted over at the Old Fashioned Baby Sewing Room? Mine won't be anything like that, but man oh man is that a work of art! And a true family heirloom.

 Found here

I also found this gem on Flickr. I love silk organza. I am not sure if this is silk, but it would be scrumptious made of silk. So pretty.

Thank you for your patience. I will be back soon with another peek to share.

Where's Waldo?

Who is Waldo anyway? Looking for me? This is where you will find me. Now I KNOW this baby has been expected for months, I KNEW she would be needing a gown and the christening is October 3. I COULD have started this gown back in March, but...... I don't operate that way. Just isn't in me. I no longer fight it. I no longer beat myself up over it. No one will get a lick out of me in the next 4 weeks (except for a week of SAGA convention thrown in there.) because I will be right here stitching away.

Here is just a tiny peek. I told our Baby Mommy she wasn't going to see big pictures of work in progress because I want it to have some element of surprise to it. She chose the designs she wanted in the embroidery and the base gown she wanted to use. I was even instructed NO color! Shoot, she even quoted scripture about that whole business of being clothed in a white garment etc. So I will only give you tiny peeks in the coming weeks.

But here is a bigger peek at our princess. She is wearing Old Fashioned Baby's Priscilla's Layette gown shown here. She weighs almost 12# and the gown still fits wonderfully and will for a few more weeks.  She is laying in the floor of Mimi's sewing room while Mommy sews for her. She looks quite happy about it. How cool is that Boppy thing she is laying on? Why didn't they have those when I was having babies? She thinks she is sitting up. Fooled her!

Tomorrow I will finally post pictures of my sewing room.

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Ready for Baby Brother

No we aren't having a baby brother but a a delighful young man I know has a new baby brother. I made his christening gown featured here six years ago. It is shown here in my very first post. Baby brother was born in June and it is time for him to be baptized so..

the gown has been washed and ironed to be made ready for this weekend. I am sure it will be a joyous occasion.

I have worked on many gowns, but I have to admit that it is one of my favorites. Something I am very proud of. It is a combination of patterns and designs that mommy chose. The base pattern is from Australian Smocking and Embroidery.

First posted at Country Bumpkin

It is "Eternal Love" from Issue #42. I love this gown.

I smocked only the two side sections, not the entire width across the skirt. It has lace and tucks on the bodice as well as the hem of the skirt. The neck binding and piping are both a satin fabric for just a touch of shine.

The center panel is  a compilation of several designs. The shadow work ribbon and many of the curly q's are based on the christening gown featured in Wendy Schoen's Creating Heirlooms for Baby. I simplified the ribbon and bows since this gown was originally made with a boy in mind. The other embroidery I gathered from antique designs, the internet and clip art. There is high relief satin stitch, applique cord and surface embroidery featured on the front panel.

front panel before construction

I personally like to include references to the sacraments in the embroidery. The shell and water is for Baptism, the doves for Confirmation and the wheat and grapes for Eucharist. And then a Christian cross.

In MY opinion, a christening gown is a pretty androgenous garment. A baby boy is just as angelic in a christening gown as a baby girl. My son wore a gown and was never accused of being a sissy. And I hear the first wearer of this gown gave the little neighbor girl a bloody nose today much to his mother's dismay. I have been widely quoted as saying to the young men who dated my older daughters, "If your son can't wear a christening gown, you need a new girl!" Thank goodness both of my son in laws knew I was serious. Hopefully any future in laws will also believe me.

I also embroidered baby brother's name on the gown. This is not the best picture and I blurred the kid's last name. I embroider the name on the gown as opposed to the slip because often over time the slip can become separated from the gown and that history is lost.

I replaced the ribbons in the sleeves. I had used a poly satin ribbon the first time. The ribbons just did not look as nice as I would like so I replaced them with silk satin ribbons. They hang much nicer.

After a good soak in Biz to rewhiten the gown, it was starched, ironed and delivered today to the baby's mother.

Now back to our baby's gown.

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Sweet Reminder

First posted by criPSy duck

What a sweet reminder of days past. I stumbled across this christening coat on Flickr while I was taking a break from "moving". It looks like a rayon fabric, probably smocked with silk floss. It was NOT made by me, but it is delightful. It reminds me why I have been working so hard to move this sewing room.

I need to get back to the grind. Can you say the word purge? In the past eighteen months I have reduced my fabric stash by half. I have either given it away, thrown it away or shock of shocks, sewn it up. I have shared before my new credo;

If I don't love it; I don't keep it, buy it or use it.

So all of that fabric, patterns, supplies that make you cock your head and say "What was I thinking?" are gone! Of course it doesn't hurt to have a tyrannical, former stock room organizing, retail store manager of a daughter help you. She is ruthless! If I waiver on something, she is ready to go for the jugular.

But I do want this....

to turn into this. Almost there! I promise to take pictures and take you in a tour when it is done.

Of course could this be why it is taking so long? Baby just learned how to start cooing. We had to all gather round immediately and listen to the sounds of future wisdom revealed. What a delight that was. And modern technology allows Baby Mommy to record it on her phone to send to Daddy.

Whatcha doing Mimi?

The upside to the tyrant daughter is she brings this little nugget with her every time. I say a fair trade off.

Reminder : Don't forget to visit the Sew Beautiful post here to leave a comment and be entered in the giveaway. It's awesome and I hope you are all learning new things or refreshing old skills on the Sew Beautiful Blog Tour.

A "Sweet" Christening Gown

Is this not beautiful? I am not sure I would have the courage to cut it up to serve. I love how the cake reflects the gown on the baby. So pretty. A precious idea for the party after the christening. I am afraid to find out how much it costs. I know how much sugar work for a wedding cake costs so this frankly scares me.

We are still on baby watch around here. Baby Mommy has decided she is never coming. Those of us who have been there, know that is not true, but remember all to well those last weeks of waiting. They seem endless.

A Beautiful Christening Gown

GuiguiriKa

Originally uploaded by GuiguiriKa

Isn't this gown exquisite? (This is NOT stitched by me.) The creator has a lovely description in her Flickr post, but since I barely speak English, I have no idea what it says. It looks like it is made from silk. I normally go for pure white, off white gowns but I will say that touch of ice blue across the bottom of the bodice is quite beautiful.

First posted by Guiuirika

A close up of the bodice. So pretty.

I need to start compiling supplies for a very special christening gown. I think it is going to be an adaptation of OFB's French Acadian Christening Gown. The things we know so far is it will be longer, and pretty sure that the yoke will be adapted to add smocking. I need to work on an embroidery design(s).

Inspiration

First posted by tw7424 

Isn't this just scrumptious? Love the smocking and since we have been talking about piping, look at that wonderful tiny piping. If you click on the pic you can really get a close look at her piping both at the yoke and on her collar. Of course this delight is a christening gown. So pretty

The gown might be pretty

but that smile is the star of the show. The baptism for the latest christening gown was this afternoon. The gown was beautiful but the sweet baby smiles were what melted your heart. That baby could have been wearing rags and it wouldn't have mattered.

Parting shot, is there anything sweeter than baby toes?