Simplicity: 2457 (Babies' Special Occasion)  - Type:Baby clothes
Review submitted in Sewing For Children Contest  | | Viewed 220 times
| 4 more reviews | Review rated Helpful by 1 people Very Helpful by 6 people | | Reviewed by: | Kathi R | 
 | About Kathi R | | USA | | Member since: 2/28/05 | | Reviews written: 63 | | Sewing skills:Intermediate | | Favored by: 16 people | | patterns reviewed: 47 | | Bio: more... |
| | Posted on: | 12/22/12 10:59 PM | | Last Updated: | 12/31/12 12:29 PM | | Project Photo: |  | | Pattern Photo: | 
Simplicity Pattern Info | | Pattern Rating: | Highly Recommend | | See other patterns in this category: Baby clothes | Available for sale on PR: $13.95 (See envelope)  | | | | Fabric: | Satin [See other projects in this fabric] | | Related Links | Click on  to add a link |
| UPDATED DECEMBER 31, 2012 to add a photo of the finished dress on the baby's big day
Finished dress on the big day
Pattern Description:
Babies christening sets , pattern has a dress, romper (for a boy), slip, bonnet and shoes
Pattern Sizing:
Infants size XXS through M
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
I made some design changes to fully utilize the fabric I had available so the dress doesn't look exactly like the design on the pattern envelope.
Full length view of dress
Were the instructions easy to follow?
Yes, the instructions were straightforward and clear.
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
The main reason I chose the pattern is the pleated skirt - it seems like everything else available from the Big 4 has gathers. I also liked that the pattern includes a romper that can be used for a christening outfit for a boy if the family expands.
Fabric Used:
This is where the project gets interesting. My niece asked me to cut up her wedding dress to make a christening dress for her daughter. The wedding dress was made of polyester satin, pleated bodice, strapless with an A line skirt and an over skirt with multiple pickups providing a billowy cloud look. The upper part of the bust was covered in lace with pearls and crystal beading.
Wedding dress
Deconstructing the dress was an easier task than I anticipated. The lining, with netting attached, separated fairly easily with some patience, a tweezer and sharp seam ripper. I was able to pass the guts of the inside along to SueV to use as a reference in a wedding gown project she is working on. The over skirt had marks in from the pickups, so I knew cutting would need to take these flaws into account. Once I had the pieces apart (excluding the bodice) I serged all the raw edges and ran the fabric through the washer and dryer to prepare it for cutting.
Pulling the bodice apart was another story. I had to get the lace off the top of the dress so that it could become the highlight of the christening dress -- but what a hassle! I had a stack of fabric - lace, then the satin of the bodice and fusible interfacing. Picking out white threads from white lace, without damaging the lace was an exercise in patience. As I was removing the lace I found that most of the beading was anchored through all layers of the fabric, so I was catching beads regularly. The lace had been shaped to follow the curves of the upper bust, after removing all the stitching I found that I had 2 big pieces of lace shaped roughly like the letter M and a handful of motifs that had been used to cover edges and seams.
Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
I made a number of design changes to accommodate the fabrics I was working with as well as personal taste.
Bodice - I removed the pleats in the bodice since it would be covered in lace
Collar - Based on the muslin, the collar was reduced from a finished size of 2" to 1 1/4"
Length - I reduced the length of the dress to be floor length when the baby stands up (she is 8 months old) - omitted the tucks and insertion lace on the skirt
Sleeve cap - Based on the muslin I thought that the sleeves were too top heavy, so I removed 3/4" from the center of the sleeve to reduce the gathering top and bottom
I used a 2" wide double faced satin for the sash and knew from experience that it would need support in the back. The pattern included a belt loop at center front, inserted in the bodice/skirt seam. This belt loop is made of the same wide satin ribbon. I added belt loops on the back at the side seam and at the back opening, using narrow satin ribbon, just to hold the weight of the sash. The loops at CB are smaller to compress/gather the ribbon since the bow sits right at CB.
Belt loops
Getting the lace to fill the bodice was also an exercise in patience. I played around with the pieces and finally figured out that one of the M shaped pieces of lace would work with the points of the M up toward the shoulders. I added a couple of motifs to cover the center front (the middle of the M) and to cover up the scallops that had been trimmed on either side. I didn't have enough lace to cover the entire bodice, but I think it all worked out in the end since I was able to take advantage of the scallop edge of the lace. Once I had the lace attached, I added some pearls and crystals so the bodice would look more like the original wedding dress. I took the time to knot each bead since there weren't too many and the intended wearer can't be expected to be careful.
After attending the ceremony I realized that the bodice should have been turned to put the opening in the front since in a Catholic baptism the baby is anointed on the chest, I'll be more aware of this the next time and plan accordingly.
Bodice close up
I made the slip of cotton lawn, trimmed with narrow cluny at the top and white eyelet at the bottom. I added bodice lining of the same fabric.
Slip
Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
I would sew this again if called on - the pattern is a nice departure from the standard gathered skirt dress. It is an easy pattern to sew.
Conclusion:
I have been asked by other brides to cut up their wedding dresses but never took on the challenge because it just didn't feel right - the suggested uses were unfocused and vague. In this case I was asked to create a family heirloom and it just felt like the right thing to do with a special dress. Now I'm hoping the family grows to include a boy so I can make the romper -- I still have plenty of poly satin left and enough lace to trim a boys outfit. | Buy this pattern for $13.95 Add to Bag  |
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15 Comments
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A true labour of love. Beautiful!
12/22/12 11:50 PM
A great work and the baby's mother can be proud with this meaningful christening dress
12/23/12 0:46 AM
Oh my. This is such a special piece of work.
12/23/12 2:11 AM
Lovely!
12/23/12 2:35 AM
Beautifully done!
12/23/12 8:27 AM
A truly beautiful heirloom!
12/23/12 9:08 AM
gorgeous!
12/23/12 10:15 AM
It is a family heirloom, how special and beautiful. Love the idea!
12/23/12 10:40 AM
How beautiful is that! From initial thought to final garment....PRECIOUS.
12/23/12 12:11 PM
What a wonderful project, and you did such a beautiful job. I'm sure your niece appreciates your time and patience!
12/23/12 12:16 PM
Beautiful dress, with the meaning behind it to match.
12/25/12 11:00 AM
Gorgeous! We do the same thing with wedding dresses in our family too. I love that you were able to make such a beautiful gown and help SueV out as well!
12/29/12 10:13 PM
Beautiful!
12/31/12 8:58 PM
Gorgeous dress Kathi !!! Wonderful you for carefully unpicking the wedding gown and making it an heirloom christening dress.
12/31/12 11:31 PM
You've really done a nice job here. I'm sure the mother will treasure it. A boy baby could wear it too. Both my boys were christened in robes. It was a simpler thing with pin tucks and heirloom style details, not with beadwork, but it's very traditional to wear a long robe.
1/2/13 10:02 AM