After Christmas I had a talk with Rosie's mother-in-law, my dear friend Ann, about our respective christening gowns and their need for rehabilitation. (At that point we were both expecting a new grandchild; mine has arrived, hers is still in the oven!)
You can see the gowns in this post if you are interested.
They are remarkably similar! And each of us felt that the gown belonging to us needed an overhaul. Ann's has so many little tears that she thinks she has to have it replicated. Mine (which comes from my husband's family — I was baptized as an adult!) is getting thin but otherwise in remarkably good shape.
But I always have thought it's not quite long enough. Somehow it gets bunched up during the baptism and the full effect of a nice long gown doesn't come through in photos or even in real life, where you feel you are constantly not succeeding in pulling it down!
Of course, the baby is the star and that covers a multitude of dressmaking concerns! Here is little Nora about six years ago:
I thought and thought of what to do. I fell asleep thinking about it! The way the gown is made doesn't leave much room for maneuvering.
{Commence interminably long discussion of the process, feel free to skip down to this week's links!}
Finally I decided that the original slip needed to be made into an additional ruffle on the gown, giving it more length, and a new slip needed to be made that is even longer still. This strategy, I hope, gives an abundance to the entire ensemble. It may not be a royal christening gown, but it is ours, we love it, and now it's got more flounce!
I ordered a length of cotton lawn and one of batiste (appropriately named!*) as well as some lace from Farmhouse Fabrics (I have no affiliation with them, just letting you know that they have a lot of classic fabrics and trims). The two fabrics are nearly identical with each other and a bit stiffer than the original of the gown — and that difference may be due to years of wear and washing, or just that there is a difference. I am not even sure which one of the two I ordered I ended up using!
The lace I chose has little crosses on it. They do carry something remarkably similar to what is on the gown, but I liked the idea of the crosses!
You can see that I cut the slip down and added it just below that first row of inserted lace on the gown. Yes, it was a hard decision and even harder to cut into that slip. But I think it was for the best.
I never liked the way the old slip buttoned at both shoulders. It's hard to get on and have stay on with a wriggly little baby, and if it comes apart while the gown is over it, it's hard to rectify.
But I also was not looking forward to making even one little buttonhole on the new slip, in the back, so I used one of the old ones: work avoidance for the win!
Getting back to the new flounce at the bottom of the gown using the slip: the slip is not as wide as the gown, so it doesn't go quite around. But we have decided that it's fine because a) the infant will not be walking anywhere, displaying this side and b) it looks vaguely like a vestment…
It's hard to take a picture of a white garment but I seem to specialize in it, with my quaint little vintage phone:
This is the sweet cap:
And that is it! A nice “waiting for baby” project and one that I hope offers some new life to this family gown!
And a darling Symphorosa Marie to wear it for her baptism!
*Originally I had typed Baptiste due to user error but actually the word really does derive from the idea of baptism: The name Batiste dates back to the days of Medieval France, in the region of Normandy. It is derived from their residence in the seigneury of Batiste, which was named after Saint Jean Baptiste.”
It may be that the fabric has a different etymology, derived from “early 19th century: from French (earlier batiche ); probably related to battre ‘to beat’” but hey!
{bits & pieces}
- Peter Kwasniewski on Pius XI's teaching on Christian education. A while ago I put this encyclical on our St. Gregory Pocket reading list. It's especially important for those seeking to establish a Christian school, as I know so many of you are. The goals and pitfalls have already been thought out for you!
- Efficiency is the Enemy. While I am a big advocate of doing your work efficiently, and a lot of this blog is devoted to helping you do that, I wholeheartedly agree with the author of this post that it's a serious mistake to schedule every minute of your day, on the mistaken assumption that efficiency means maximum use of time. Particularly, women need to understand that we require a lot of unschedule time, precisely so that we can meet the unpredictability of life with children serenely and effectively. Even more, it's good to see that a family functions better when the mother is not scheduled more than she has to be, precisely because the father can't abandon his commitments to the outside world very easily. That means a lot of her day might look rather leisurely, but that is a very good thing.
- This reminds me to remind you to read God's Hotel (affiliate link), which is about how our modern medical care differs from the medieval model (and not always in a good way). Much of what the author, a doctor and medical historian, observes is the importance of not prioritizing efficiency in hospitals.
- Do you know the story of Sybil Luddington, 16-year-old Patriot, who rode through the night to warn of the British attack on Danbury? A good one to tell the children!
- Instead Of Canceling ‘Snow White,’ Learn To Read Fairy Tales: “In Disney’s ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' the prince does have permission to kiss Snow White. He just doesn’t get it in writing and signed in triplicate.”
- “… Dostoevsky had been the first to describe, with astonishing accuracy, what we have come to call totalitarianism.” With The Brothers Karamazov “he undertook to vindicate its Christian alternative.”
from the archives
liturgical living
St. Isadore — and the last week of Easter; time to prepare for Pentecost!
Good to remember that May is the month of Our Lady (helpful when the children are heart-breakingly plucking the first, long-for blooms from the garden; we can lovingly place them at her feet!).
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Kimberlee says
Oh what a stunningly gorgeous picture of Deirdre and Symphorosa! Such a beautiful, beautiful portrait not only of them but of Motherhood itself. Congratulations and many blessings to all! God grant Symphorosa Marie many years in health and happiness! Deo gratias!
Leila says
Thank you, Kimberlee! God bless you too!
Amelia says
Thank you for the article on slack and the downsides of efficiency! I’m very much an engineering type who thrives on efficiency so it’s good to hear more thoughts about where it makes sense to work more efficiently vs. where slack really ought to be built in. And that it’s not unproductive or indulgent to be in “slack mode” – quite the opposite, potentially – which I kind of know from experience but it still can feel lazy to take the nose off that grindstone.
Sarah says
What a great article! Would you be able to tell me where your daughter got her gorgeous pink floral dress she is wearing in the last photo? Thank you!
Leila says
Sarah, Deirdre says: “I got it at http://www.pinkblush.com
They frequently run sales and I waited to receive a discount coupon by signing up for their email.”
Ann Marie says
That’s a lovely Baptism photograph. Are you referring to Batiste fabric? or is this something new?
God bless, Ann Marie
Leila says
Sorry, Ann Marie, I’m not sure what you are asking. I made the new slip with the Batiste fabric (or possibly the lawn! they are very similar). I used the old slip to lengthen the old gown…
Ann M.Lynagh says
you referred to it as “Baptiste” not Batiste. Curious which was correct.
lovely anyway.
Leila says
Oh, I see now! I went back and edited it… that was my mistake and yet somehow it fits… see my note!
Elizabeth Turner says
How lovely! My children wore my husband’s father’s christening gown. It looks very similar to your family’s gown. 20+ years ago when we were using it, my mother and I did indeed refresh it. We did not have access to fabrics of like material or anything. So, our approach was to make a slip using an off-white gauze and add gentle nips and tucks and gathers and a deep ruffled hem so as to still fit under the gown yet booster up the aged garment that had become limp and needed some life. The Lord has yet to bring spouses and grandchildren: we’ll see what changes reassessment brings.
This post is so special and will be very helpful. How you have blessed my life, and therefore my family’s, over the years with your thoughtful considerations and sharings of them is impossible to say. You have. We are the same age but you’re way ahead mentally and therefore I don’t have to think hard at all: you’ve forged and are forging the trail and I get to just follow. Thank you so much.
Leila says
Thank you, Elizabeth! You are so kind! I’m interested to hear how you refreshed your gown… I think both Ann and I would have liked to sit down with many grandmothers and hashed it all out!
Leila says
Thank you for your very kind and gratifying words, Elizabeth! God bless you.
Sam says
Thank you for posting all those links! I am always inspired and motivated by you. I call you my online “grandma”(haha!) to my mom friends because so much I’ve learned has come from your site when they ask where I get certain ideas or habits from! Coming from a family that doesn’t have much of a collective memory it’s invaluable learning things here and beginning them with my own little family(8 years into marriage 🙂 ).
I love the picture of Rosie(?) holding her baby! You did a great job on the gown! Do you or your daughter recommend a site to buy chapel veils? The one your daughter is wearing is beautiful. It is such a beautiful devotion to wear one!
Leila says
Thank you! So glad you found us! We will have to do a chapel veil post at some point…
Shelly says
Where did you daughter get her lovely veil from?