Being asked to break out of your comfort zone, in terms of needlework, is usually an unwelcome challenge. But often accepting that  challenge can make your zone a bit larger while stretching your creative ability.
When my first grandchild was on her way, my daughter-in-law respectfully requested that I make nothing in pink. She preferred browns and greens and the colors of nature, but not necessarily flower colors.
And she wasn’t crazy about lace, either—too scratchy, she thought. When I assured her that the imported laces were cotton and would not irritate the skin of a newborn, she reluctantly acquiesced. But I knew full well that lace would not be her trim of choice.
OUCH! I had a cupboard full of imported laces and drawers of pastel Imperial and Swiss batiste that for years had lain in wait for this grandchild. And now I needed browns and greens for a baby girl.
I managed to make Laurel’s coming home smocked daygown and bonnet from yellow Imperial batiste and trimmed it with tatting (see post Coming Home Daygown and Bonnet in smocking category), but after that I had to find a way to reconcile my creative needs with my daughter-in-law’s personal taste.
This daygown was a break though for both of us. The smocking pleased me and the squirrels and tan trim pleased Shelly. Then we both accepted and embraced the other’s personal taste.
Made of ivory Imperial batiste, the neck is bound with tan microcheck. The sleeves are smocked, the ruffled edge bound with a 1/4″ bias binding in the same check. This picture smocking plate, Oh Nuts! By Little Memories, required a back opening gown.
The blanket is a soft yellow with ivory silk lace edging. The corners are embroidered with trees and pine cones from the Sue Box collection, Woodland Treasures. That same collection was used to embroider the bumper pads in the nursery, so the blanket always looked good in the crib.
Wearing this daygown, Laurel went with her mother on a special mission to a hospital in Michigan where Shelly’s grandmother was very ill.  But she desperately wanted to see her first great-grandchild before she left this life. It was doubtful whether mother and child would arrive in time, but the new great-grandmother held on.
At 12 weeks, Laurel was oblivious to the oxygen, IV lines, tubes and the frail condition of the patient. The baby smiled and cooed and brought a long lost sparkle to her great-grandmother’s eyes. That night, satisfied, she died quietly in her sleep.
This little gown and the pictures of Laurel wearing it, resting on the hospital bed next to the strong willed woman who waited, are very precious to Shelly.
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