Shirley's Wedding Dress

This vintage wedding dress belonged to my mother-in-law, Shirley. Unfortunately, she passed away in 2002 when Rosie was a baby. She never met Davy or Andy, but boy she would have loved them! One of the things I remember the most about her was that she really loved her boys. She had 2 sons, 5 years apart. When we visited, she would talk about when they were little. She remembered how much they weighed when they were born and the big pram she would put them in for walks around the city where they lived. We didn't have a lot in common, but our love for our children was a bond between us. I wish she could visit us at our new house and meet all the children, but when I have a hard time, I think of her up in heaven looking out for us.
Shirley married on her birthday in May, 1958. The wedding was semi-formal as is reflected by this dress. It is tea-length satin and was stored for years in a black trash bag in the attic. My father in law was going to throw it away after his wife died, but I told him I'd like to save it. It is as yellowed as it looks in the first picture.

A Little Vintage Summer Sewing

Happy Easter to all my Blogger Friends! I thought I'd be back before Easter to share Andy's bubble, but as it turned out, I was so busy getting ready for Easter that I didn't finish it. He wore a smocked Peter Cottontail bubble that my older boys wore and it looked adorable. I will finish the other one for his first birthday at the end of May. This little sun suit is from a vintage Advance pattern. I love the wrap-around buttons and the bias binding. The yoke would be perfect for a little hand or machine embroidery. I hope to make this soon. Here's the whole pattern cover: 

Great Minds Think Alike...

I had been planning to share this little Easter dress for a few weeks now. It's been hanging on my coat rack, waiting to be photographed. Imagine my surprise when I saw this post at Michie's blog a few days ago! Her sweet little dress is like a bishop version of mine. I always loved this smocking plate done with brown bunnies on yellow fabric. I guess Michie likes that combination, too!

I made this dress for Katie's first Easter and Rosie wore it for her first Easter 2 years later. They were both 12 months old and this dress is a size one from the Chery William's Basic Yoke Dress pattern. The fabric is Imperial batiste.

Here is a close-up of the smocking. I am still working on the little Drew Bubble for Andy and it is turning out well. I hope to finish it before my Thursday night Guild meeting and I'll post pictures when I do. I hope your Easter sewing is going well, too!