Sophia's baptism gown

When my friend Melissa asked me to make the gown for her newborn daughter's baptism this coming March, I was honored. I didn't know much about heirloom sewing back when my own girls were little, so I sadly did not make such precious things for them... therefore I consider it a truly special task to create these things for others close to me.

Melissa had a few special requests - box pleats, clean lines, and white silk. I took her desire for simplicity, and hopefully created a treasure for this special day for both the beautiful baby girl, Sophia, and her family.





Designs for hand-embroidered crosses were practically non-existent on the internet and in my many back issues of Sew Beautiful magazine, so I designed this one myself.




Five rows of pintucks... three delicate hand embroidered arcs and french knot trios to symbolize the Trinity... I also added baby's initials & year of baptism...




I greatly modified the ideas behind an Ayrshire bonnet pattern from Sew Beautiful magazine Issue #79 for this bonnet - just a bit of flat lace, pintucks, and delicate crocheted edging...




I decided on the use of pleats to gather the crown, which kept with the design of the dress... I found this was actually easier than gathering, and the results are, in my opinion, quite lovely.