Bouncing Ballet Bonnet and Baby Dress

I have a dear customer in Australia, who likes to order special gifts for any friends who are having babies. The input from said customer is always interesting, and a starting point for what I am going to put as decorative motifs on the outfits. This time it was for the baby of a former ballerina, so the Swan Lake motifs seemed highly appropriate. 

Made from a delicate Cotton Lawn, with specially designed embroideries, 

hand appliqued into place, and with cotton lace insertions.

Bonnet with a fun scalloped brim.

Details of bonnet, & front yoke embroideries.

Detail of front hem Swans motif, 

and Insertion laces.

Detail of button back and appliqued embroideries.

 

Charming "New" Tradition!

I was recently commissioned by a Godmother to be, to make an outfit for a baby's Baptism. I was told that a splendid gown, with a bonnet and a hanky were to be required. A hanky? Whilst the Godmother was in the UK the parents and child were in Poland, and the Godmother had been told that this was necessary. After a bit of research, I realised that what the Polish folk did was to place a lovely embroidered hanky over the baby, presumably at the moment of the Baptism where we would (in a Traditional Catholic ceremony in the UK) place a white shawl around the child. So although it's a Polish tradition, it was a new one on me. I had to do a bit of searching around before I could get the necessary Polish lettering onto my embroidery software, but with the help of some experts in embroidery digitizing, it turned out well. The edging lace, of which I had just enough to complete the outfit, was antique, and very dainty, so hard to find these days!

 The choice of fabric was to be an embroidered cotton, and pure white linen. However, the mother of the child expressed some concern about her little one freezing to death in the Polish winter in a cotton frock! So, as I didn't want to make the dress itself too warm, since it may well be used for future siblings in the broiling heat of Summer (if God so wills) I thought it best to make a little quilted jacket to match. I thought the bonnet could be quilted too, and if they need a Summer weight one in the future, I still have bonnet-sized pieces of the fabric left over!

A Priest once bemoaned the fact that it was oft times tricky to reach the infant's chest for anointing, due to the fact that Baptismal gowns usually opened down the back. So I designed openable shoulder seams with some delicate glass buttons, for ease of access to the baby's front. I must ask the Godmother how they worked (or if they were necessary at all?)

Detail of the embroidered motifs which were chosen in consultation with the Godmother. The embroidered panel was of pure linen, and the sleeves were also.

The bonnet and jacket had layers of wadding between the outer cotton and inner linen layers, and were quilted with decorative stitches.

I think Baby must have been nice and cosy in the outfit whilst being welcomed into new life in Christ!

Ordination Gifts delivered!

So the ordinations took place last Friday, in the Traditional Rite, with Bishop Egan doing the honours, and I feel very blessed to have attended such a momentous event. The stole, mentioned in the previous post, was gifted to one of the new Priests, Fr. Philomeno who, I am told, said "Mamma Mia!" on receipt of it, and was delighted to receive it. The other embroidery was of St Philomena, appropriately!

 I also made a similar one for one of the other Ordinands, now Father Rosario, who has a rosary incorporated into the Marian monogramme embroidery on one side of the stole,

and Royal St. Joseph on the other, to whom he, and all the Friars have a great devotion.

Again, it is reversible...I hope to get some better pictures of this one being worn, before too long!

Amazing What One can Do with a Few Scraps!

I have been working on a special ordination gift that some friends of a chap who is about to be ordained wanted made. They are not wealthy folk, and I offered to make something in a "budget" range, but when I looked through my scraps of liturgical leftovers, considering what a special occasion it's for, my artistic soul, which really only wants to use the best, plumped for some special scraps. It is to be a Preaching Stole, and I've used cloth of gold for the front, and a beautiful purple and gold silk for the back, in order to make it reversible.
I then had to decide on some appropriate embroideries, as the cloth of gold is a bit unexciting on its own, so I chose a Saint who is close to the ordinand's heart, and Our Lady of Guadalupe as he is also very actively Pro Life.
As the Ordination is not until next week, I shan't reveal all, until he receives his gift, but here's a sneak preview...

Another Sweet little girl on her First Communion Day

I didn't have too many first Holy Communion dresses this year. I think St. Zelie just sends me what I can cope with - two wedding dresses, and several large liturgical projects are quite enough for a seamstress working alone! However, I did like the way this one turned out -

But it's always a pleasure to see the child wearing them, especially once they've been sent off to foreign climes!

Mary Bernadette's mother made a special effort to get these photos to me in September, so it's about time I updated the blog with them!

Here are the kind words she sent with the photos -

"I would like to thank you again for the beautiful dress you made our daughter. We are so grateful to you.

 I was not sure if I’d ever sent you some pictures so I wanted to take a moment and do that now.

 The veil, the purse and the dress were just beautiful.

I look forward to our second daughter Margaret Mary who is now one years old wearing it on her First Communion Day. "

I love it when I hear that the dress will get used again in the future.

This was another one made earlier this year for Lydia Martha, with a personalised bag and a mantilla veil, her busy Mum hasn't got round to sending me the photos yet!

Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary

How about having a pillow case made to celebrate the victory of Don Juan of Austria over the Moslems at the Battle of Lepanto!

White founts falling in the courts of the sun,

And the Soldan of Byzantium is smiling as they run;

There is laughter like the fountains in that face of all men feared,

It stirs the forest darkness, the darkness of his beard,

It curls the blood-red crescent, the crescent of his lips,

For the inmost sea of all the earth is shaken with his ships.

...

Our Lady of the Rosary, ora pro nobis.

(Actually, this pillow case was made as a gift for someone's God daughter!)

Pussy Cats and Bunny Baby Vest and Bib!

In between making First Holy Communion dresses and mantillas, I've been having fun with the embroidery machine, making another tea cosy for a lady who likes cats, and a bib and vest for a new baby named Benjamin.  His mother is Spanish, so has not quite worked out the connection between his name and bunnies, but I am sure there is a translation of Beatrix Potter's story into Spanish so I shall attempt to find it for her.

What a hoot!

Aren't these chaps sweet?

Stuffed with polystyrene balls, so they are like bean bags, but fully washable.

Anyone for a Cuppa?

I have really enjoyed making gifts this last year, combining the embroidering & applique skills of my machine with practical objects such as tea cosies. Here are some examples made for family members

Christmas cosy

Epiphany birthday cosy for a niece

I like to make them different on either side, just for fun!

Birthday cosy for a mother hen with a large brood!

Wedding cosy for a newly married couple (the bride arrived at the Church in a VW van!)

Another Christmas gift.

Nice and jolly, to brighten up the winter kitchen.

And a Christmas bag for a little niece!