This is my daughter, Nuria, wearing her great-grandmother's christening gown. She wasn't christening-gown-size when she wore it, so I (carefully!) altered its flowing skirt and tiny bodice to fit a busy toddler. This dress and I got to be very good friends.
As Nuria's grandmother tells it (and as I witnessed when taking it apart) these gowns were a major undertaking for a mother or grandmother-to-be. Every stitch, every pleat, every embroidered flower, every lining and seam was sewn by hand.
It was made of the most delicate voile I have ever touched. It felt like it would come apart like toilet paper if you got it wet (it didn't!), and you could just feel the love and anticipation in every delicate stitch.
This work of art inspired our Edith Top. Even though we can't hand stitch it for production, We custom-embroidered the ribbon trim from one of my countless floral doodles. The sweet cotton voile, the tiny tucks and Edwardian blouson shape recall a time when special clothes for kids were truly a labor of love.
