Christening Gown

Anna's Christening Gown Created by Anita Bangs, from Cape Cod, USA Dear Hope:  I am new to heirloom sewing and I love your Lace Shaping Embroidery CD I am attaching a photo of my first project - a Christening gown for our Granddaughter Anna. When Anna was born I started looking through Martha Pullen’s Grandmother’s Hope Chest book and picked out the pattern with the drawing on page 144 and photo on plate XXXVI.  I opted to use your cross design from “Heirloom Embellishments Lace Shaping” CD instead of the Swiss Motifs as pictured in the book. The pattern had 8 gores with 8 godets inserted between them at the hemline.  After sewing the rows of pintucks on each gore, I embroidered the beautiful cross with white rayon thread and mesh water soluble stabilizer (Wet N Gone) on each of the starched gores inside the pintucks at the point.  I left the godets plain.         After making the slip, I embroidered Anna’s name and birth date on the front of the slip and my own signature, relationship (Grammy) and date of creation on the back.  I also made a matching “hanky-bonnet”.  As a final touch I made a ribbon rosette from ribbon left over from making Anna’s Mom’s bridal veil and attached it at the point of the bodice chevron of lace. Anita’s Tip:  For marking the embroidery placement, use a blue water-soluble marker instead of a blue pencil that is supposed to erase with water (as she had a very tough time getting the pencil out). (From Hope) Anita, I only use the blue water-soluble markers in heirloom sewing. You can use this marker and spray starch and press several times with an iron safely. The trick to using the marker is to wash it away with plain water (no detergent). Please do not use a purple “air-soluble” marker when marking & pressing. When I’m teaching classes I don’t even allow them in my classrooms.