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Make a Christening Gown or Baptismal Dress for Baby
 
Design by Susan Kramer

Christening gown bodice and sleeves

 

 

Dolls and Costumes Website
Susan Kramer
susan@susankramer.com

 

Click here to buy the Christening gown pattern

 

 

January 13, 2010:

I thought it would be fun for all of us to follow me through the process of designing and making a Christening gown or dress. It is baby size 9 month to 1 year with a 22 inch (55cm) chest in the finished size.

The entire gown will be sewn by hand with 1 strand of quilting thread, unless otherwise noted.

So far I've completed the bodice. The sleeves are cut out and ready to sew - perhaps tomorrow, then I'll update this page.

This particular Christening gown is going to be auctioned at the Fall 2010 event at the Little Sisters of the Poor home in Baltimore.  This is a charity dear to my heart. One of my cousins is a nun in the order. The founder, Jeanne Jugan, was recently canonized by Pope Benedict XVI.

Here are some more views of the bodice. It is lined in the same fine sheer cotton as the finished bodice. I crocheted a decorative stitch on the neckline ruffle with 6-strand embroidery thread.

close up of bodice

 

open view of bodice



January 14, 2010:

The first sleeve is in

It took almost all day to sew and put in the first sleeve. The bow is a ribbon that is run through a channel formed by making a fold of the sleeve material to the inside and sewing it closed, then running the ribbon through on the inside and bringing it to the outside at the point you see it - even with the shoulder line. That way the ribbon is adjustable. I'm keeping it on the looser side; it's just for looks.

Here are 2 photos of the sleeve:

first sleeve


Closeup of sleeve showing channel sewing line and lace and ribbon trim:

closeup of sleeve



January 15, 2010


Both sleeves set into bodice and bodice lining sewed in place

I really pushed today and was able to sew the 2nd sleeve and set it into the bodice. I also lined the bodice so there would not be anything scratchy against the baby's skin. In the photo below you can tell the bodice is lined, because it appears more opaque with the light shining through the fabric. The sleeves are not lined.

Christening gown bodice and sleeves

 

January 19, 2010

Skirt


Next comes the skirt and the skirt lining. I intend to make the whole gown about 30 inches (75cm) long from top of shoulder to bottom of hem. This morning I traveled to the nearby town of Alkmaar, North Holland, and bought the skirt trimmings at Böttger Stoffen - a fabric and notions store. So check back in a couple of days to see more progress ...

January 22, 2010

Skirt is joined to bodice


Productive morning: I decided to make the lower edge of the skirt 46 inches (115cm) wide, and the lining the same. I gathered the top edge of skirt and lining twice and folded under a quarter inch of bodice and sewed it on top of the skirt and lining between the 2 rows of gathering. This allows you to adjust the gathers nicely so the skirt hangs well. And then, I topstitched scalloped lace to the bodice topstitching. See photos below to illustrate this - front and back of dress.

Lace sewn over lower edge of bodice

view of back of bodice



Detail of lace sewn to lower edge of bodice:

closeup view of lace sewn to lower edge of bodice


Underskirt lower edge with ribbon trim. ...

underskirt

 

 

 

 Email: susan@susankramer.com

 

 

Books for teaching toddlers to teens by Susan Kramer

 

How to Sew Cloth Dolls and Costumes plus Traceable Patterns
Book by Susan Kramer
How to Sew Cloth Dolls and Costumes by Susan Kramer

Medium Doll Clothes
with Full Size Patterns

Ebook by Susan Kramer
Medium Doll Clothes with Full Size Patterns - ebook by Susan Kramer


Baby Christening Gown

E-pattern by Susan Kramer

E-pattern of Christening Gown

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page created January 13, 2010
updated February 2, 2010; October 1, 2022

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