31 May 2015

Baby Crazy

I have been *so* excited about the arrival of Baby B...and I'm not the only one. Sharon Burston kindly organized a group gift to sew a baby layette many months ago for our wonderful friends who recently welcomed their first child.

Image courtesy Sharon Burnston.
Ms. M made a baby shirt, I made two baby caps...

....an 18th century cap and a 19th century-style cap...

Image courtesy Kitty Calash
...Kitty Calash made a petticoat...
Image courtesy Sharon Burnston
...and Sharon made a gown.

Naturally we followed Sharon's directions about making a basic baby layette. For the 18th century baby cap...

...it's pretty much the same as the one I outlined on the Crazy Concord Chicks blog. I sized up the pattern so it would be more of a 6 month size rather than a newborn.
 I used insertion lace at the center back...

...and antique lace, which I had found in Vermont over the winter, along the front.

For the 19th century-style cap, I actually reworked an antique cap.

It's probably early 20th century, but has period correct features that made it easy to adapt...

 ...such as the delicate muslin fabric...
...and the century back. Its shape is similar to...

Infant's Cap made from sheer white linen embroidered with linen.  
MFA Accession Number 53.287
...this early 19th century infant's cap.

 I removed the decorative embroidery, which had frayed...

...along with the satin ribbon ties, which were obviously replacements. (Above you can see where it was sewn.) And I added some pretty antique white lace...
 ...that matched perfectly.

 The completed cap.


Sadly the postal service misplaced the package and it's no where to be found. Perhaps I should place an ad with Samuel Hall in The Newport Mercury to see if it can be recovered?

Lost, fupposed to be ftollen, about nine or ten weeks fince, a baby's gown, cap, petticoat and fhirt all fewn in the neatest manner. Whoever fhall return them to the printer fhall be handsomely rewarded and no Questions asked.

Page Four of "The Newport Mercury" from January 7, 1765



6 comments:

  1. Oh no, after all that work too. I hope the parcel went to someone who has a baby though, that would be cool in a weird way. Beautiful work as ever.

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    1. Thank you...yes I do hope the package ended up in the hand's of someone with a newborn as well!

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  2. Exquisite work. Too bad the package is MIA. Did the recipient call the local mail distribution center? I managed to get a book that had fallen out of the envelope.

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    1. Thank you! They've tried locating the package but it's gone. I'm glad to hear that you found the book!

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  3. Tragic lost package! Perhaps it's still making its way, slowly...

    Beautiful pieces, though. I confess that I totally ran out of time to make an infant layette and baby E spent her first event mostly just wrapped up, lol.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you! I know how you feel...when my little one was first born I was lucky that a very dear friend made an 18th century ensemble so I could take her to events. I found it very hard to find the energy to sew as a new mother. : )

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