Family Christening Gown from "Grandmother's Hope Chest"

Spiritual - "O Christ, sweet Jesus, give me this holy charity, that I may persevere in doing good and never give it up; for he who possess charity is founded on You, the living rock, and by following Your example, he learns from You how to love His Creator and his neighbor.   St. Catherine of Siena

Sewing - When my daughter and her husband were expecting their first child, I asked them to pick out a Christening gown from Grandmother's Hope Chest, French Sewing by Machine by Martha Campbell Pullen, PhD.   They chose the Christening Puffing Coat and Underdress. 



The "coat"  is actually an overdress and buttons at the front bodice.  It is made of white Nelona and Cluny lace.  There are three panels of 2-inch puffing sandwiched between panels of three double needle pintucks with machine featherstitching between the sets of three pintucks. The sleeves have a straigth panel of the feather/pintucks strips with entredeux on both  sides and Cluny lace at the edges of the sleeves.  The lined front bodice, closed with two buttons, has pintucks/featherstitching panels with entredeux between each panel. A 5-inch ruffle edged with Cluny lace is attached to the bottom of the coat with entredeux. The total length of the gown is 33".














The underdress  or slip has Cluny lace at the neck and the sleeves.  It has a 5 inch ruffle that is trimmed with Cluny.  Each child that is christened in this dress has his/her name embroidered on the slip along with the date of the baptism.  The Christening cap is made of panels featherstitching /pintucks with Cluny lace at the brim. 

Christmas, 2005

Spiritual -"Rejoice in the Lord always." "Whether you eat or drink, or whatsoever else you do, do all to the  glory of God"  (Phil 4,4 - 1 Cor 10,31)

Sewing - Diamants Noirs , Sew Beautiful Issue 103, 2005, designed by Kathy Barnard, inspired Jennie to have me make the "Black Diamond Dress" and "Button on Suit" for Audrie and Liam for Christmas.  I used white silk dupioni and black cotton velveteen.  The pattern for the dress, Pascale) was in the centerfold.  It is now a pattern published and sold by Martha Pullen Pattern Collection.  Liam's button on pants is "David" from The Children's Corner and the shirt is from "Michael", also The Children's Corner.  I did not find the technique, peek-a-boo diamond windows hard.  I stayed focused and tried to be as careful to detail as possible.  The instructions and diagrams were easy to follow and understand.  Liam is now 7 and can't believe I "put" him in that "outfit!"  I think he is adorable!  Audrie looks like a southern belle.

Gigi's Bikini Sun Suit

Spiritual -  "The Lord 'wakeneth my ear, that I may hear Him as a master,' says Isaiah, 'The Lord hath opened my ear, and I do not resist;  I have not gone back' (50,4.5).  This should be the interior attitude of a soul  who wishes to let itself be guided by the Holy Spirit."

Sewing -  Jackie Young's article in Sew Beautiful Magazine, issue 130, forced me to make this cute little sun suit for Gigi.  Of course, I traced the pattern out a year ago and just completed it.  I used pink seersucker from the shop and placed her monogram on the bikini top.  Once she saw it, she threw her clothes off and put this on and refused to take it off for a long, long time.  This was fast and easy.  The pattern is in the centerfold and is for sizes 6m-4T.

 

Square Yoke Daygowns Faggoting

Spiritual - "God's goodness is so patient that it does not stop at the ingratitude, the resistance, or even the crimes of His creatures, but His grace always pursues them.  God could, in all justice, requite man's sins by depriving him of life and all the other good things He has bestowed upon him, but His infinite goodness prefers to shower upon man new gifts and new proofs of His kindness. Has he not said: "I desire not the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way, and live' (Ez 33,11)?"  Divine Intimacy

Sewing - "Precious Baby Daygowns, Square Yoke Collection", is a fabulous book published by Martha Pullen Publication and contains daygowns, bubbles, bonnets, bibs,  and nursery accessories.  The patterns for these are included.  What is wonderful are the techniques covered in this book from bias bands, continuous lap plackets, tucks, peek-a-boo pleats, heirloom techniques, pinstitching, to hemming with fusible thread by serger ... all for $20!  The technique I learned from this book was hand faggoting or bridging that looks so much more complicated that it looks!  The instructions were clear and easy to follow.  I made a boy daygown and a girl daygown, using the bridging in different places.  It was really fun.  I have to practice  little more when turning corners around the front collar - probably have to shorten my stitches.  You will notice that in the collar picture.  I love the technique on the sleeve!  You just have to try it!

Lullaby Safari Daygowns

Spiritual -"Oh, Holy Spirit, Soul of my soul, I adore You.  Enlighten me, guide me, fortify me, console me.  Tell me what I should do, give me Your orders.  I promise to be submissive to all that You ask of me and to accept everything that You permit to happen to me."  Cardinal Mercier

 

 

 Sewing - One of the articles in Sew Beautiful, Issue 132, was "Lullaby Safari" by Lorraine Bergeron which inspired Sew Beautiful staff to create an elephant and lion applique in large and small sizes.  These templates were included in the centerfold of the magazine.  I love machine embroidery and, fortunately, the staff digitized the darling critters in stitched-filled and machine appliques.  In addition to the cute giraff, elephant, and lion, the digital download from the includes the tree, birds, and flowers.  You can see how cute the daygowns turned out!

Sew Beautiful "Sophie Reese"

Spiritual - "It can well be said that there is no divine mystery or truth of faith which does not, in some way, speak of the excessive love of the love of the Lord.  The more we are convinced of this love, the more profound will be our 'loving knowledge' of God; and at the same time, we shall feel an ever increasing impulse to return love to Him who has first loved us so greatly."  Divine Intimacy, 449

Sewing - The pattern for this dress was designed by JoAnn Hearn who was inspired by an antique dress.  "JoAnn made the original reproduction in Swiss batiste, embellishing with antique laces (no longer available and hand embroidery featuring a shadow design of bluebirds, ribbons and buillion roses.  Each section of lace creating the ribbon belt carrier  is embroidered with a single bullion rose."  Sew Beautiful 57, Issue 98, 2005  

 Lace as ribbon carriers embellished with bullion roses

It had been a while since I had delved into this much "heirloom" sewing, but this dress was too beautiful not to make for my darling Audrie, who was 3 1/2 at the time.  It was the free pattern in the Sew Beautiful magazine issue.  The pictures, instructions, templates, and bluebirds shadow embroidery template were all very clear and concise.  I enjoyed every minute and learned a lot making this dress.  I knew that if I persisted in this project, it would turn our well.  Looking closely at the work, you can see that all is not perfect, but it is still nice .  Today, I'm sure my work would be better, but  nothing ventured, nothing gained - right?

Lower dress front

Shadow work & bullions

Audrie, 3 1/2, in her "Sophie Reese" dress.