Baby Blessing

This past summer seemed so busy. I made friends with my sewing room, and worked on a costume for a friend, and a baby blessing dress for another friend's baby. These projects were fun, and I really do love sewing. As much as I like making quilts and doing other little projects, I really do adore sewing clothing. It was a lot of fun doing both these projects.

The baby blessing dress was a request from a dear friend from high school. She couldn't find what she wanted, so my sister volunteered my services to her. She emailed me a couple of pictures and asked what kind of fabric I recommended. With that tucked skirt, I immediately thought of dupioni silk! But for a baby blessing? So, I took some pictures of different fabrics, sent them to my friend, and told her what I would love to do if cost and fabric-care weren't issues...and gave some nice, less-expensive, easy-wash options. Well, she went to the fabric store, and agreed on the silk!

So it was decided. I found a pattern that had the same little cap sleeves, but that was the only thing. I had to draft a pattern for the skirt and then figure out what to do for the rhinestones across the bodice. She also wanted rhinestones at each tuck in the skirt, instead of a pearl. I found some neat heat-applied rhinestones, but the lady at the craft store said she wasn't sure if they dry-cleaned. We decided to use them anyway. Here is how the dress turned out.

I missed the blessing, and I've been assured pictures of the baby in the dress are coming, but I don't have them yet. This blessed event was filled with a little sorrow, however. As I was in the middle of making the dress, the baby's grandmother passed away very unexpectedly. When I gave it to my friend, though, she cried and said how much her mother would have loved this. It was a pleasure to work on, and I was so pleased with how beautiful it turned out, and even more pleased that it made my friend so happy.