From Grandma's stash

My pile of unfinished objects is growing again as I get ideas and try them out just enough to see if I like them or not. Both my small children need new winter clothes so I need to get a few things finished. Last week I started these baby gowns, finishing them off yesterday. One will be for my friend who just had her third baby girl. The fabric of the yellow one and the blue one is viyella or clydella which my grandma had in her stash. She had 8 children and handmade all their baby clothes. Fabric was precious and she saved all the smallest scraps too. The blue piece must have been a favorite because it appears to have been bought and not made into anything. It's my favorite but the colour might be too boyish for a girl?

All my babies wore gowns, most pre loved and worn by Grandmas children. (nice links to the past). Grandma was too tired to make much by the time I had children but loved seing the things I was knitting and sewing. I didn't really realise what a wonderful craftwoman she was until she died and all her treasures came out. I know she would approve of these gowns I made as she hated seing babies in stretch and grows. Not many friends bother with gowns now but I think they're adorable. For a new born we wrapped a "flannel nap" she called it (soft woollen square) over the nappy rolled the gown down over the top then baby was wrapped in a shawl snug as a bug. Not very practical for outings I know, but so adorable. My only bother with the gown pattern I used is the bais binding tie at the back, it wasn't until I was finishing that I thought domes might have been better. Buttons are out, ever tried buttoning up a cardy on a wriggly baby? Probably why matinee jackets and the like had a tie and only three buttons.
This is a smocked gown that we thik my great grandmother made it's my absolute favorite made of silk. PJ wore it a couple of times when she was a baby but I was terrified it would ge ripped so it's stored now, I'd love to display it but the light would probably make it deteoriate quicker.