Dedication Dresses

Next Sunday, we're going to be having a baby dedication ceremony for Aubrey and Claire at our church. This is similar to a baby baptism in the Catholic church - a ceremony that commits the baby to the Lord and a way for Surfer and I to commit to rearing the girls in the Christian tradition. I wanted to find a way to make this as special and memorable as possible, and so I decided to make each baby her own heirloom gown for the occasion.

Since it will be July, I decided to make a convertable dress: the romper is the base of the outfit, and the formal skirt buttons on to the romper. They can wear the romper all day, and the skirt for the dedication ceremony.

It has taken me about two months to finish them, but I am really exited about how they've turned out! A friend told me that I should make them "as beautiful as your time and talents will allow - for what day is more important in a baby's life?". I took that to heart. I hope that someday, they can see in these dresses just how much I love each one of them, how thankful I am for them, and how I wanted to honor the Lord by presenting them to Him in a beautiful way.

The dedication day will also be special for my family in that July 19 is the 20th anniversarry of my sister Anne Rose's birth. We will celebrate her short, sweet life by remembering her as we celebrate the gift of these two darling girls.

A close-up of the stitching and embroidery detail:

Aubrey's romper:

Claire's romper:

Claire's flower: the coreopsis, which means "always cheerful"

Aubrey's flower: the mallow, which means "delicate beauty, sweetness"

The full formal dress:

Aubrey tries on her dress:



Aubrey shows off her new standing alone skills: