Bloglovin' and Baptismal Garments

Before I get started here, I have a bit of news.  I've recently signed up for Bloglovin', which I've heard a lot about but never looked into before today.  (With social media and modern technology, my motto has always been, "Baby steps...baby steps.")  There is now a little tab up there at the top of the side bar on the right, and if you click on it, it'll take you there.

I'm just lovin' the whole Bloglovin' thing.  Every time I figure out how to do something new, I feel ten years younger.

I'm pretty sure I'll never figure out how to make heads or tales of Pinterest, however.  I am what you would call a "Pinterest fail."  But never say never, I guess.  Because did you hear I'm on Bloglovin'?!

Okay, enough about that!

I thought I'd show you the Baptismal bonnets I made not too long ago for my two newest grandchildren: a boy I'm calling "Junior" here at the blog, and the as-yet-not-born-but-coming-soon granddaughter I've decided to call "Princesa."

I have blogged about Baptismal gowns before here at String of Pearls (here and here, if you're interested).  I have a treasure trove of gorgeous white linen napkins, pillow shams, and tablecloths, adorned with beautiful cutwork and lace, that I rescued from my late mother-in-law's attic.  She was a talented seamstress and a hoarder of high-end fabrics bought at clearance prices, and I'm sure she had some great projects in mind for those lovely pieces I inherited.  (They were carefully stored in plastic wrappers, with the sales tags still attached.)  I thought it would be a great way to honor her by making christening gowns for the great-grandchildren she never had the joy of meeting before she went to her heavenly home.  It would make the gowns like family heirlooms, even though they were technically new, not antiques that had been handed down for generations.  So when our first grandchildren were on their way (identical twin girls Bonny Babe and Cutie Pie), I made a pair of gowns that have since been worn by their two younger sisters.  When G-Man was born, he got a gown, too, which will now be used by any siblings that follow him in my middle son's family.  And when Junior was born, he got one exactly like G-Man's; so my second son's family also has a gown of their own, to use for any subsequent children they might have.

Before I had actual grandchildren to wear them, I used a porcelain doll (here, a reproduction of a German antique) from my collection as a model for the gowns.

 

But they look even better on real babies, like Junior here.

The gowns in which G-Man and Junior received the Sacrament of Baptism had actually been made way back in 2011.  (If you click on those links above, you'll see that I made two pairs of gowns for the twins, not sure which style would fit them better if they happened to be teeny tiny, as twins are apt to be.  So after their mom chose two matching gowns, that left two others for future grandchildren.)  I hadn't made caps or bonnets to go with the second pair of gowns.  I whipped one up for G-Man, a year ago when we were living with him and his mom and dad down in VA.  But I wanted to make another one for Junior, as well as a more feminine-looking one for Princesa.

So I took some of Mom's beloved linens (a tea towel and a pillowcase) and fashioned these beauties.

Boy's version on the left; girl's on the right.

Here is one of my dolls (this one designed by a modern doll artist) modeling Princesa's bonnet.

And here, he's modeling Junior's.

This doll looks very sweet in it...but nothing compares with how adorable Junior himself looked in it on the day he was Baptized.

Can you stand it?  Isn't he precious?

Living dolls beat porcelain dolls, hands down--every day and twice on Sunday!

These little christening bonnets/caps are actually very easy to make, no pattern necessary.  If you can sew a straight seam, you can make one.  Would you like me to do a how-to post?  I still have an impressive collection of linens handed down to me from my mother-in-law, so just let me know and I'll post that as soon as I can.