Sunday, April 25, 2010

Homemaker Monday: A 63-Year-Old Blessing Gown

Welcome to the 88th weekly edition of...


Thank you for joining us! If you're new to this carnival and would like to enter your post, please check HERE for the rules and regs.

YOURS: This week's "YOURS" goes to Megan over at Brassy Apple!. The moment I clicked on on her blog and saw the first photo, I knew that I had to feature her. THIS is what I saw...

tie shirt

Is not this the most adorable shirt you've ever seen in your life? And the best part? This was made from a regular square, plain ole t-shirt. You are not going to believe how easy this is to make. For the instructions, click HERE. Now, if only I had her figure, then my life would be perfect. Anyway, thank you, Megan, for this great link, and feel free to grab the "I Was Featured" button from my left side bar!

MINE: This week I'm going to do a little show and tell. At church this past Sunday, we had the newborn blessed. A newborn blessing, in the Mormon religion, is something a new baby is given, usually by his (or her) father, soon after he is born. The father and other important men in the baby's life stand in a circle around him at the pulpit, where each of them place one hand under the baby, which hands usually end up lightly bouncing together as a way of soothing him, and the other hand on the shoulder of the man next to him. The father then gives the blessing. This blessing usually consists of blessings of health, knowledge, having the guidance of The Holy Spirit throughout their lives, finding a suitable wife, etc.

For our newborn's blessing we had the privilege of having his father, the 18-year-old boy, his grandfather, two uncles, and our home teacher in the circle. John was given a microphone which was attached to his lapel, the baby was placed on the hands of the six men, John began to speak, and the newborn began to cry.

As his mother, I could feel my pulse quicken as I listened to his cries, but most everyone who talked to me afterward said how cute it was that he was manifesting his little voice. Okay, if they say so.

That being said, it was a lovely experience, but the best part was dressing him.

We have a tradition in our family where each of us, from the time my mother was blessed, wears a blessing gown made by my mother's paternal grandmother....hand made. Not a stitch on this dress was sewn on a machine, which may be as incomprehensible to you and it was to me when I first saw it. Just look...

blessing gown

It is the following details that I imagine my great-grandmother stitching with love and patience as she sat by her fireplace, thinking of her first grand-daughter laying in the hands of the men in her life during her blessing, wearing this gown...

blessing gownblessing gown

And as if the gown wasn't impressive enough, my great-grandmother also thought to hand-sew a slip to go under it...

blessing gown

This gown and slip have been worn by my mother, her brother and sister, all of their children, and now all of mine and my sister's children. Yes, the neck-line is starting to show signs of wear, and one of the delicate and tiny button holes in the back is ripped through, but I can't imagine blessing our babies in anything else... oh, expect for the twins, because we couldn't decide one would wear it, so we simply wrapped them in crocheted white blankets their paternal grandmother had made for them. Anyway, it's such a special material possession in my life and I'm grateful to have had another opportunity to utilize it.

Here's more...

blessing gownblessing gown

(My kids lectured me for having taken the above photo without having first wiped off the spit-up from his chin. They have a point, but honestly, I really didn't notice it as I was frantically trying to get nine kids ready for church and get us there in time for me to start the prelude organ music while, at the same time, trying to blog. Not the best combination. I'll do better next time.)

blessing gown

Thanks for listening. :)

OURS:
I'm so loving reading all of your awesome homemaking tips and thank you very much!

13 comments:

April@The 21st Century Housewife said...

I have tried to use Mr Linky but after three attempts he's not working, so I hope you don't mind if I include my link here?
http://21stcenturyhousewife.com/index/Blog/Entries/2010/4/26_Household_Tips.html

I also wanted to say what a beautiful blessing gown that is! What a wonderful family tradition, and how amazing to have something made by your great grandmother that is still in regular use!

Java said...

I'm having trouble too with linky!!

Panamamama said...

Oh so precious! I can't believe she handmade that beautiful gown. What a treasure!

Panamamama said...

I can't get Mr.Linky to work either... Today my post is on my cooking blog: Recipe for Chocolate Lava Cakes! (http://panamamamacooks.blogspot.com/2010/04/molten-chocolate.html)

Brassy Apple said...

wow! thanks for the feature and your sweet comment about my figure ;)

looks like the blessing day was a special one! congrats!

Brian + Cheryl B. said...

Morning Jen :-}
The gown your great granmother made is adorable and precious as can be!!! What an awesome family tradition to have had it used for the blessing of so-o many family members!!!

I think the tradition should continue on to the next generation. You should look into having the button hole and trim work on the front loving restored by someody whom is very good with a needle and thread!

I know it's too late now, but I'm going to share it anyways, in case you do have twins again - you could have had one twin wear the slip part and the other the dress part.

Tell your kids that the small amount of white stuff on the babies chin was nothing (he could have spit everywhere right as you snapped the picture!)! And the spit on his chin proved you were using a real baby as your model, not a doll o;-p

BarbaraJo said...

We were wondering what the story was behind the gown. That was the topic of last night's discussion. Congratulations!

annies home said...

what a beautiful blessing gown what a tradition and the fact that it has been around for so long makes it cherished treasure as well

Anonymous said...

Thank you for sharing this special moment. What a wonderful heirloom and so beautifully made. Clare

Kate said...

I found your blog a week ago. Thanks for sharing these memories with those whose baby days have passed. I used to get asked all the time if they were all mine. Hillariously, even when some of them weren't, I always claimed them all and said, "and there are more at home." He He!

The blessing gown is beautiful. I'm so envious of your new born. Sigh.....

Tasha Lehman said...

That gown is just SO precious! What a lovely moment that must have been.

Morgan//Nuts and Bows said...

Thanks so much for hosting every week! I just love your party!!

~Morgan

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inadvertent farmer said...

As a seamstress I am always impressed at what our foremothers could make with just their hands...

We have something similar in our church but it is the pastor and elders that bless the baby and the parents both...I always especially loved that I was prayed for, asking for wisdom and courage for the parenting road ahead...under my breath I always asked for an extra helping of patience! Kim