Heirloom sewing

Once upon a time, I did heirloom sewing. Not a lot of it, mind you, as my boys were young teens and weren't partial to lace, flounces, ruffles and such. Darn testosterone! I came across these items last week when I cleaned my sewing room closet.

First we have a Day Gown. Just a simple little frock for your infant to wear any old day of the week. This was considered genderless. Little Brutus Aloysius could wear this just as well as his sister Penelope Rose. Maybe not in Michigan in this century, but somewhere, sometime, it was fitting and proper.

This trim is called Swiss insertion. I don't want to say it is expensive, but I will. It is expensive. Measure twice, cut once.

Here is a bonnet made with the same insertion. I loved making bonnets. They were fun and relatively easy to make.

My poor baby model looks a little jaundiced, doesn't he?

Here he is from the front wearing a puffed bonnet.

A special iron is available for ironing the puff in a bonnet or a sleeve cap. I do not have one, so Mr Giggles (the stuffed smiley model giggles when you press his hand) has a few wrinkles. Tough, Mr Giggles. If I can learn to live with a few wrinkles, so can you.

The back of the bonnet features another technique that I enjoyed doing, shadow work embroidery. I doctored the color in this close up so that the details are more easily seen.

Saving the tramp for last, here is my heirloom angel tart. She wasn't supposed to be a tart, but once she bleached her hair and got her hands on cosmetics, she became a fallen angel.

She hasn't lost her wings because they are tied in place.

Her pantaloons are knotted around her waist and ankles, so hopefully her virtue remains in tact.

Even though I am not her mother, I don't let out of the house looking like this.


I hope you've enjoyed my irreverent look back on a truly lovely niche in the world of stitching.