Antique textiles offer so much creative inspiration. Suzanne Sawko and I found this elaborate antique bib at the once-in-a-lifetime estate sale mentioned in earlier posts. It appears to have both machine and hand stitches on a fabric similar to light weight pima broadcloth or a heavy weight Swiss batiste. Continue reading
crying Karoline
My mother, Dollie Manning, was a very gifted doll maker. Years ago, she made the as many as 80 porcelain dolls for each of the Sewing for Dolls events that Mildred Turner, Terri Johnson and I held around the country. Additionally, she provided dolls for several similar schools sponsored by Ellen Nickerson in the San Francisco area. Mom also made tiny 3-8″ dolls that Lezette Thomason marketed and for which Lezette had drafted patterns. Then there were the dolls she made for our daughter Rebecca. That’s a lotta dolls.
When 8 year old granddaughter Laurel discovered that there are 3 storage bins of dolls in the garage, she just had to see them. She was allowed to select one to keep and she chose this very unique baby who had lost a shoe through the years.
You don’t often see a doll crying but Karoline (the name given her by Laurel) had tears that looked real.
The sheen on Karoline’s tears is from clear fingernail polish.
Then I told Karoline’s story to Laurel. Continue reading
I’ve just returned from a visit with 7 week old Vivian Rose and her family. She is smiling and holding her head up now, so it was exciting to see the changes in just a few weeks.
While I was there, my Rebecca rediscovered these baby clothes buried deep in her cedar chest.
The pink daygown above and the white one below with fagoted lace were made shortly after Rebecca discovered that she was pregnant the first time. We expected a girl but got precious little Alastair instead. So these gowns with their matching bonnets were packed away.
After Vivian Rose arrived, the gowns could not be found. Rebecca thought I had them and I thought she did. Finally, she checked her cedar chest and there they were, along with several other sweet things that we both had forgotten about.
Now, Baby Girl has a greatly expanded wardrobe, with no more effort from her old fashioned Nana! Here are some of the finds……
Alastair wearing his little lamb daygown
The lamb daygown was made for and worn by Big Brother Alastair, but I think it will be just fine for a little girl. It will give her mother a break from all the pink she requested and received! Continue reading
This is a beautiful, symmetrical dress–not cockeyed as it appears in this photo.  The wind would NOT stop blowing so it kept swinging on the hanger as I tried to snap it in a moment of calm. Note also that the hanger is an adult size, so the shoulder appears to be wider than the pattern picture.
But, hurrah!! Laurel’s Easter dress is almost done, lacking only buttons and buttonholes. The pattern is one of Nancy Coburn’s at Ginger Snaps Designs.
Laurel’s dress includes absolutely no originality from me. I copied this beauty as is because I didn’t think there was any way I could improve upon it. Continue reading
Posted in girls, heirloom sewing, machine embroidery
Tagged baptism dress, Easter dress, heirloom sewing, lace dress, machine embroidery
The Old Fashioned Baby bubble set for Vivian Rose, my 5 week old granddaughter, is finished and I am pleased. The bubble is made of Liberty of London tanna lawn and trimmed with tatted edging.
Hand embroidered in classic blue on white, the cotton diaper shirt was purchased in Old San Juan. It has been modified slightly to coordinate with the bubble. Continue reading
Posted in heirloom sewing, infant clothing, serger
Courtney wrote a sweet note asking about Easter dresses I have made in the past. For her 2 year old daughter, she is designing an heirloom confection for this same celebration. She was curious about my granddaughter Laurel’s earlier special frocks.
She was just 10 months old, crawling at lightning speed when her first Easter rolled around. A bubble seemed to be the most sensible solution for a baby who spent most of her waking moments on her knees. For details of this little outfit, headband and matching bib for Easter dinner, see the post Baby Bunny Bubble.
Laurel’s first birthday was two months later. She was toddling around, making it easy for me to justify making the heirloom dress of my dreams. I absolutely loved making this. For details and more photos than you will want to look at, check the post First Birthday Dress.
For me, the matching slip was the finishing touch.
Her second Easter fell just a few months before our daughter’s wedding, Continue reading
Vivian Rose, 5 days old, in vintage pink petal daygown. Her gorgeous blanket was knit by her paternal grandmother, Oma.
Vivian Rose is wearing a vintage Swiss batiste daygown from my little collection of antique and vintage baby garments. Unlike everything I have made her, it fits perfectly.
Some time ago, the gown was featured in an earlier blog post. In case you missed or forgot all about it, here are the details of this pretty little dress.
This sweet antique daygown hangs with its age-appropriate companions on one of the two the twig swags in my upstairs grandbaby nursery. Continue reading
Posted in clothing, hand embroidery, heirloom sewing, infant clothing
Vivian Rose at home, sleeping sweetly in spite of her jaundice.
Vivian Rose is home with her family and I am here helping, but mostly enjoying this precious baby. Of course, she is beautiful and strong, and we are pretty sure she can talk and read. She just chooses not to.
This polycotton daygown, which was intended as an everyday, utility frock, was promoted to Coming Home Outfit because the other garments– of  Swiss batiste, Swiss flannel, dotted Swiss stripe, and Liberty were much too large. Even this newborn-3 month size enveloped her like a gunny sack. Frankly, I think the yellow Old Fashioned Baby gown would have been the best fit. But yellow is not a good color for a baby with significant jaundice. Continue reading
Vivian Rose 2 hours old
Hurrah! Baby Girl arrived today, Monday, via C-section weighing in at 8 lbs. 7 oz., measuring 21 “. Mother and Vivian Rose are both happy and well. We are thrilled!
From the moment she was placed in her mother’s arms, she latched on and nursed for almost 2 hours. Of course, it was not non-stop, but she never let her little mouth stray from the source of her contentment. She screamed when she was moved to the opposite side and then went silent when she was in the vicinity of lunch. So she was 2 hours old before we got a good look at her and took this photo.
Rebecca was very pleased with this pink Swiss flannel bishop daygown.
It matches the bonnet made earlier.
Baby’s First Daygowns pattern by Old Fashioned Baby
I absolutely love this pattern.
It is versatile, with three distinctly different views. All the hand embroidery designs are included.  The directions are clear and specific. Scattered between the pattern pieces on the blank tissue are sweet notes and Scripture. Continue reading
