3 weeks may sound like a long time to make an infant dress, but for an overthinking, overachieving human like me (with an already full plate of responsibilities), it didn't feel like enough time to imagine, research, design, source, and create Lilly's gown. Still, it was important enough to give it a go. I began with a rough sketch of my vision for the gown, including a list of potential sewing elements and symbolism to incorporate. I wanted this gown to be a treasure of beauty and craftsmanship, as well as a comprehensive storybook of life with Christ.
I've been out of the sewing groove for more than a decade now, but I had previously used Simplicity 7488 to construct a very simple gown and coat for a male infant of a close friend. The gown was simple and the overcoat had very little embellishment. It was lovely but simple, following the original pattern.
After finding the pattern online, my next discovery was that the fine fabric shops that used to grace St. Louis, no longer exist. There are quilting shops all over town but none that carry heirloom quality fabrics any more (at least not that I could find!). If you sew, you'll appreciate my strong hesitation to order fabric online without TOUCHING it. I mean...that just isn't done! I finally found The Children's Corner, an online version of a shop I became familiar with back when I subscribed to Sew Beautiful and Creative Needle magazines. I determined it would be safe to order fabric from such a reputable shop. They were gracious enough to overnight all 8 1/2 yards of handkerchief linen they had on hand so I could get started.
Choosing entredeux and laces from photos on Etsy felt very risky because lace needs to be seen up close and in person to really assess the quality of the product. In the absence of local sources, I scoured reviews, crossed my fingers, and took the plunge with HeirloomSewingDesign...and it paid off.
I then ran around town for a variety of notions and other items I didn't have on hand and discovered that even some "basic" quality sewing notions were impossible to find locally. Of course, this to untold hours of imagining how I might quit my job and open a specialty sewing shop in The Lou.
I wanted Lilly's gown to be long, and to incorporate pintucks, entredeux, French and English laces, lace insertion, smocking...ALL the things I've drooled over for years but have never actually done! I'll spare you all the details of the process, but I took 10 days off of work and devoted hours to tutorials and experimentation that I hoped would equip me to produce the desired result. The gown has several imperfections and flaws (which would be easily spotten by an experienced seamstress, but less obvious to the general population). Though hard for me to accept in my natural drive for perfection, in the end I was able to let go of that need and be content with the gown - flaws and all - as a labor of love.
Ultimately, I was only able to incorporate a single symbol into the design. My inexperience and lack of time meant I was unable to tell a more comprehensive story, so I settled on the Celtic Trinity Knot, as a slight nod to the Irish history on both sides of the family but, more importantly, as a testament to the reality that the One in whose name Lilly is being baptized, is essentially communal. She is brought into the life of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and made a member of Christ's Body - his Bride (thus the "fancy white dress"). This is her defining identity...belonging to Christ and his people. My prayer for her is that she will grow to full understanding of that as she experiences the joys and sorrows that lie ahead, and that she will embrace it with gratitude and humility.
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