This is the most amazing Gown! The design is beautiful. The materials fine. The workmanship of the embroidery is such as it would be neigh impossible to find a handful of women in the world today who could come close to matching it. And I am not one of them.
This Christening Gown was made for a baby who wore it in 1853.
A friend brought this gown to my house for me to see. It is her Son In Law's family Christening Gown and my friend has been given charge over it to prepare for the new baby to wear it on Christening Day. Lucky for her it is in perfect condition. 1853! Imagine!
Bodice of the Gown.
Every stitch is by hand and the embroidery is exquisite!
Back Bodice of the Gown.
Please notice the fabric covered buttons. And there are ties in specific places so that it can be pulled in to fit a smaller baby.
Detail under the arm.
There is tiny Featherstitching everywhere! Even hidden under the arm. And see the tiny, tiny piping that is used to set in the sleeve.
The photograph of the full view of the gown is , sadly, not very good. I am sorry you can not see it better. There are ruffles of lace from the top of the skirt all the way to the hem in the front.
Breathtaking.
A close up of one of the ruffles.
And the Featherstitching, my very favorite thing, is unbelievable!!
Notice the tie that is running through a casing in the bodice. To pull it up to fit better.
Here is the inside of the gown where the skirt is attached to the bodice. This stitch looks like Gauging. Gauging was used when there was a great deal of fullness that had to be pulled up into a smaller area, such as this bodice. The stitches are something like uneven Running Stitches. A large stitch is taken on one side of the garment and a small stitch on the other. This causes more of the fabric (pleats) to be on the wrong side of the fabric. Then it is stitched to the bodice.
I love the history of the stitches. I love seeing these wonderful stitches on old garments.
I will show you some close ups of this garment in my next post!
This is my White Wednesday post for this week! Join Faded Charm for more!
All Designs Are Copyright Protected copyright 2010 Jeannie Baumeister
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10 comments:
How absolutely exquisite! I found a baby dress in a second hand shop that is all hand done. I am saving up to buy it and crossing all fingers and toes hoping no-one else gets to it before me!
Breathtaking! Unbelievable that 160 years later it is still being used by the family. It takes the word heirloom to a whole new level. Thank you for sharing it with us.
Jeannie, I'm so glad you shared this gown with us. It's an AMAZING gown. You're right about not being able to find people now days to do this kind of craftsmanship. AMAZING! Well, I'm off to my sewing room.
That dress is amazing and in such great condition! Thanks for sharing. Your passion and excitement is contagious :)
Absolutely wonderful! I just love all the embroidery, and I'm with you on the featherstitching. I'm of the opinion that it's hard to put too much featherstitching on a baby gown. I can't wait to see the rest of the photos.
That is obviously a very cherished garment to have been cared for and preserved by one family for so many years. Lucky you to see it in person, and lucky us to have you share it in photos! Thank you!
I love the history and the exquisite details on this gown-what a treasure!
Thank you for posting about this gorgeous gown! The photos are unbelievable. All that handwork!
What a wonderful family treasure.
We all need to attach a note to the special things that we make for the special babies in our lives. Thanks for sharing.
this gown just renders me speechless. I cannot comprehend the amount of hand work and craftsmanship that has gone into it!!
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