The dress...part 1

I've been showing you bits and pieces of this as I created it, but the final product is now on it's way. And since most of you are smart, I know you knew already that it was the Baby Bear's baptism gown!

For once I was glad that I am a pack-rat when I found a stash of material leftover from when I made my wedding gown and veil.

My wedding dress (more photos here)

The scraps (even thread!)

Then there was the process of matching the creamy (winter white) shade that my dress had been with the batiste I bought, which would become the actual baptism gown. Then there was the practicing of my tiny little embroidery stitches so they would be perfect.

Then I had to take the pattern that my friend Beth loaned me and make it...well...girly! She sewed hers for her son and it was so handsome, with generations of trim and tatting to make it perfect. But it was still very boyish. Honestly, I spent more time thinking about this gown than actually sewing it! I had a limited amount of lace, so I couldn't follow the pattern exactly and that meant a lot of planning BEFORE I cut. I've learned that lesson (more than once) the hard way. Then I found a cute little pink dress that had all the right details and was in the size I needed, so I measured the heck out of it, measured again, wrote notes all over the place. I found an amazing site called Vintage Sewing, which told me how to change the sleeves (scroll down until you see 'Various types of short puffed sleeves')from straight to puffed (my little tribute to Anne - everyone needs puffed sleeves sometimes!) Once all of that thinking and preparation was done, I dove right in!