Vintage Pattern With A History!

Carol was in my class at It's Sew Heavenly and she brought this vintage pattern to show me.

Her Grandmother  whose name was Ita sewed for Carol.

And this pattern belonged to her.

Click on pictures to enlarge.

Two pattern layouts are shown on this pattern.  One is for 36" or 40" fabric.  

The other is for 32" fabric. 

I didn't know fabric came in 32"!

What little instructions there are seem to be on the back of the envelope.

This is one of the actual pattern pieces.  The words are written in perforations.

The perforations are explained here.

I am so thankful to the people who share their wonderful treasures with me.

Thank you!

All Designs Are Copyright Protected copyright 2011 Jeannie Baumeister

Gallery of Priscilla Daygowns

Priscilla Daygowns

I am displaying Priscilla Daygowns and  I would love to display Yours!  It can be any view.

Email me a picture of your Priscilla Daygown, include your first name. Send to: jbaumeister@cox.net

Daygown by Cheryl M.

Original gown  (View 1) by Maude for Baby Priscilla. 

 

Christmas Daygown for a Christmas Baby by Jeannie B.

 Priscilla View 2 by Belinda in soft pink fabric.

Close up of Embroidery on Belinda's Priscilla.

Lesson 4: Sew Priscilla Daygown/Best Thread and Needle to use.

Today we are ready to sew!  We are making the Priscilla Daygown, View 2.  We will complete Steps 1 and 2.

Jeannie's Project Boxes.

I have all the materials for my daygown  in a project box.  This helps me keep everything together so I don't have to go looking for pattern pieces or other materials I will need for this project.  This is very helpful for a person who is always misplacing things or someone who can only spend short amounts of time sewing.  Just plop everything in your project box and pick up next chance you get.  Everything is just waiting in the box for you.   I have many project boxes because I always have several garments in progress.  The secret to success is to never "borrow" from any box.

DMC #50 Thread is great for construction.

I will use 100% cotton  DMC #50 weight thread for sewing my daygown.  The same thread must be used in the bobbin too.  The lawn that I am using is very nice but not super thin and it is fairly closely woven so I will use a #70 needle.  It is a good idea to use a new needle for each new garment you make.

I am sewing on both my old Bernina and a Pfaff Creative 2144 Sewing Machine. Very nice!

Step 1. Follow the instructions in your pattern guide.   We will sew the back inverted pleat.  Remember, right sides together!  I always backstitch at the beginning and the end of my seam so my threads do not come undone. 

Close up sewing my back inverted pleat.

One feature I love on this machine is the 'Needle Down'.  When 'Needle Down' is activated the needle will always stop down in the fabric.  Then I can lift up the presser foot if I need to re-adjust the fabric and the needle will stay in the right place, ready to sew again.  If you have this feature on your machine, use it.

It's more fun pressing on a pretty iron board cover!!

After stitching the inverted pleat, bring the center back to the stitching line to form the pleat and press in place.  Then stitch the pleat down. The pleat is on the wrong side.

 

Right side of back is shown.

 Be sure to stitch inside the seam allowance (1/4" for the neck) when stitching the pleat in place so it won't show when the daygown is finished. 

Step 2.  We will turn the front facings to the wrong side of the daygown and stitch them in place.

 

Score or finger press the fabric in place using your thumbnail. 

Turn the facing to the wrong side along the outside fold line and finger press.

Turn the raw fabric edge in to meet the outside fold line, turning it under to finish the raw edge.  This is the same as turning the fabric on both fold lines that are marked on your pattern but this way I only need to mark one fold line and it is much quicker.

The next step is to stitch down the facing.  I have to decide if I want to embroider the facing before I stitch it down so I can hide any  knots or wait until the facing is stitched and the buttonholes are in.   This is easy for me!  I always wait!  I want to make sure my embroidery is placed exactly where I want it and the easiest way to insure this is to  embroider after I am done with the buttonholes. Plus, I haven't decided what I am going to embroider!

Edge Stitch Foot on the Bernina Sewing Machine.

Stitch by machine along the outside fold of the facing.  Sometimes I stitch the facing down by hand but on this daygown I will stitch it by machine.  It is easier to stitch perfectly straight  using an Edge Stitch Foot.  Each machine has it's own type of Edge Stitch Foot so ask your Machine Dealer if you don't have one.  This is a foot worth owning! 

 

Marking the buttonhole.

Next I will sew my buttonholes. I always want to make my buttonholes before I finish the neck edge.  The fabric feeds so much better.   I will starch and press my fabric before I mark and stitch them. I use a button to mark the buttonhole so it is the right size.  The opening for the buttonhole should be about 1/8" bigger than the button.  Mark all buttonholes the same size and be sure they are in the center of the Front Facing.  My original marks are often not in the center so it is important to check that.  I will also put tissue paper under my fabric as I stitch.  This will help the fabric to feed smoother.  Make the machine buttonholes following the instructions for your Sewing Machine.  If possible, adjust the stitch width so it is a little more narrow  since we are making baby buttonholes. 

 

I use a Buttonhole Cutter to cut my buttonhole. I like the way it gives me a clean, straight cut.  If you use scissors instead, you might want to put a straight pin across the bar  to help prevent cutting right through the end of the buttonhole!

 

 Stitching a gathering row with my Straight Stitch Foot.

Next, stitch three rows of gathering stitches as indicated on the pattern. The gathering stitches will be stitched  between the dots on our fabric that were transferred from the  pattern.  I use a stitch length that is long enough to gather but I don't want it to be very long.  The shorter the stitch length, the smaller and nicer the gathers (I used a stitch length of 2.5). Notice my Straight Stitch Foot.  My very favorite foot when sewing baby clothes! You need this foot!  It only has a tiny hole for the needle so it holds the fabric better and helps it to feed smoother.  This is so important because we will be stitching close to the edge of the fabric both when gathering and stitching tiny seams.

 

I pull my gathering threads up to measure 1 1/2" as indicated in the instructions.

Gathers are pulled up and tied off on both front pieces of my gown. 

I have been looking through my Embroidery Book and thinking about what I am going to do for embellishment.  I have a few ideas but I have not made up my mind for sure.  I might know by our next lesson.

That's it for Lesson 4.  Put all of your materials back in your project box until you are ready to work on it again!

SAGA Class "Circa 1920 French Handsewn Baby Gown"

Gown from SAGA French Handsewing Class.

Click on Photo's to enlarge.

This is for all you ladies in my  two day class French Handsewing Class, who wanted close ups of the Baby Gown we were making.

This gown was stitched entirely by hand.

Didn't we have a real good time?

Embroidery on Yoke. Closeup of where yoke is attached to gathered skirt.

Skirt

 

Hem embroidery and Snail Shirring Ruffle.

The lace on this gown  has been Pinstitched to the Snail Shirred ruffle.

Genuine Certificate you will receive if you complete your gown byApril 1.

Same goes for Antique Bonnet Class!

If you have any questions, leave a comment for me and I will get back to you.

Antique Christening Bonnet Class Sample

I wanted to show my completed sample for  SAGA French Handsewn Bonnet class I am teaching at National Convention.  I am well pleased!  It needs a gown to be complete.  What gown to make?

 

 

The History of the Pricilla Daygown

I thought you might be interested in the history of the Daygown we are making from the pattern, "Priscilla's Layette".  This  pattern was inspired by an antique Daygown.  The original, View 1 - Classic Style was made for baby Priscilla, born in 1909, by her mother Maude.  The  hand worked stitches were fine, the hand made tatting was tiny and the love and care stitched into the little garment is apparent.  It was, of course, styled for a boy or girl baby.  This was a time before ultrasounds.  The only way to find out if baby was a boy or girl was to have  someone tie your  wedding ring on to a string and let it swing over your tummy.  Everyone would watch  to see the direction it spun.  " If a wedding ring or needle suspended over your belly moves in a strong circular motion, you’re having a girl. If it moves to and fro like a pendulum, you’re having a boy"  excerpt from an article on Amazon.com.
The drafted pattern and embroidery are my own but the inspiration came from the creation of Priscilla's Mother.  The daygown was shared with me by Maude's Grandaughter (Priscilla's daughter), my friend, Ann.

Picture of Ann as a little girl.  Sewing, of course!

  When you make this little gown, think about Maude and baby Priscilla.

Miss Eula and the Wonderful Featherstitch!

 Jeannie and Miss Eula, September 2009

My friend Bunny and I had  fun today!  We went to visit Miss Eula.  Miss Eula is the fine lady who taught me the Old Fashioned Double Featherstitch.  This is the Featherstitch often found on antique baby clothes.  I have never seen instructions for it in any of the old needlework books and I have never seen it stitched on anything except antique clothing, that is, until I met Miss Eula.

 Miss Eula does the Featherstitch.  Notice how she holds the fabric over her finger.

The wrong side of the gown.  See the back side of the tiny stitches.

When I asked her what advice she would give stitchers, she said "You have to have patience".  She was very patient with me as I learned how to make this stitch.  It took me several visits with her before I learned it!!     She is showing Bunny.

Miss Eula told me she learned this fine sewing when she married in 1943.  Her Grandmother-In-Law wanted  her daughters (including her Mother-In-Law) to get together with her and sew.  She joined the sewing circle as a new bride and just about every day they went to each others home and made pies, tarts and sewed.   They sewed baby clothes for the New Orleans shops.  They made money to supplement their farm income and had a fine time together.

  Miss Eula holds a copy of her Mother-In-Laws design they sewed for shops.

The Featherstitch is such a unique stitch.  Every person works it just a little bit differently.  As Miss Eula says "It's like a signature, no two people did the same Featherstitch".

The Christening Gown she is sewing.

The handmade baby clothes are part of  the history of South Louisiana.

They are the treasures made by creative and skilled needlewomen.

Miss Eula is one of them.

Miss Eula holding up a Christening Gown.

I love the Featherstitch.  It is on most of the embroidery designs I do for babies.  The Old Fashioned Double Featherstitch has come alive from the past, to me.  I teach it in some of my classes and you can find it in my embroidery book.  All thanks to this woman, who is such an inspiration to me.