Keeping the Details

Lisa sent her daughter-in-law's dress to have a christening gown made for her first grandchild. She decided she wanted both a girl's outfit and a boy's romper for future use. The wedding dress had some beautiful rouching on the front so I decided to use it in the gown bodice. Since Lisa wanted a girly-girl gown, I created an overlay to the skirt using the lacey overlay from the original dress and trimmed it out with some delicate lace so that it cascades down the front of the skirt.. To see some of the outfit details, hover over the smaller pictures to the left.

Fancy Girl's Gown

The gowns arrived last Thursday and we picked them up on Friday.  They are beautiful!!  With the holidays and being on vacation, things are very hectic.

I can't wait for my grandaughter's baptism.  I will send you pictures as well as comments that are made. 

Thank you so much.

--Lisa

Custom from New

Angelica did not have a wedding dress to send but wanted a unisex gown with overlay. We chose a soft, low sheen satin and used a combination of laces both to add contrast and as the actual overlay fabric.

Ornate Collar and Overlay

Megan wanted a unisex gown with ornate overlay. Her wedding dress had beautiful beadwork on the over-skirt so I tried to capture as much of that as possible in the sleeveless overlay. The basic WD satin was very heavy so the bishop style worked best. I gave it a large collar and took advantage of some of the lace work from the dress to give the collar ornamentation.

I love the baptismal gown that you made from my wedding dress.  I didn't really know what to expect when I first contacted you, but it is beautiful and I can't wait for Vera to wear it.  My husband and I are so pleased with the artistry and the craftsmanship, and we hope our children will use it for their children as well, and we hope they'll treasure it as much as we do.  I especially love how you used the ribbon down the front of the gown, and the way the applique on the collar ties together with the overlay.  I'll send you pictures after the baptism.  Thank you SO much!!

Megan

Two Generations for the Next Generation

Jennifer sent me her mother's dress from the 1960s and her grandmother's dress from the 1940s to have a unisex gown with overlay and bonnets made for her daughter and any future children. I used the base fabric from the 1960s dress for the gown and the satin and lace from the 1940s dress for the overlay. Hover over the smaller pictures to better see the details.

Unisex Gown with Overlay (Hoover over the smaller pictures to see larger versions)

Two in One Outfit with Sparkle

Hailey's wedding gown had plenty of fabric to make a christening outfit with. It was full length with a back bustle and train. The over gown was made of a stiffer satin with a softer satin under layer and an under skirt of tulle.

She wanted a christening gown for her daughter's upcoming christening but also wanted the possibility of the gown to be used for a boy's baptism in the future. So, I created a unisex gown with pleated bodice and collar and a plain skirt and non-puffed sleeves.

The basic gown is made of the softer satin and trimmed at the waist and sleeves with ribbon I made from the heavier satin. In order to preserve the pretty sequine and rhinestone work from the wedding dress, I created a little over-vest and hand sewed some of the sequine work on to the vest--which has a simple satin ribbon closure.

Add a pretty girl's bonnet and a boy's bonnet, along with a slip, and we have two outfits in one. Here are some of the details. If you hoover over the images on the left, you can see the larger image.

Unisex Gown with Vest (Hoover over the smaller pictures to see larger versions)

Antique Lace

Donna's wedding dress had some beautiful lace work on the bodice. She wanted a unisex gown for her new grandson to wear and also two bonnets for possible future use. I kept the unisex gown plain at the top but couldn't resist using the lace work at the bottom of the gown skirt. I inset the lace and then trimmed the hem with it.

.Hi Liane,

I received the christening gown and bonnets and I cried when I opened them.  It is perfect.  Truly I can’t tell you how pleased I am.  I made the right choice when I found you.  You are indeed an artist!  The idea that I can give this gift to my grandchild (and future grandchildren) makes me very feel very blessed.  Thank you so very much.  I will be sure to take a picture and send it to you.

Have a wonderful holiday! Donna

Lace All Around

Georgette wanted a baptism gown made from her dress for her soon-coming granddaughter but wanted the outfit to be applicable to any future grand children as well. We settled on a unisex gown with overlay along with both a boy and girl bonnets..

The original dress was a high neck gown with lace applique work over the bodice. The skirt had a chiffon overlay that was trimmed with a pretty lace around the entire hem. The opaque under skirt was a stiffer polyester fabric so I chose to work with the "Bishop" style for the unisex gown. I did add a little of my own satin to the collar and sleeve bindings just to bring some contrast and texture in. I pulled the lace appliques off the veil to scatter on the overlay.

Hoover over the smaller pictures to see the details a bit better.

Unisex Gown with Overlay (Hoover over the smaller pictures to see larger versions)

One Dress, Two Outfits

Scott and Denise wanted both a boy outfit and a girl outfit to be used for their new granddaughter and any future grandchildren. The wedding dress was a full length gown, but it was made with an under slip covered in tule and lace. The only opaque material in the dress was the under slip--which was not enough fabric for two outfits. So, I augmented the dress fabric with some matching soft satin, using the satin as accent fabric to the boy's jumper (which was made from the original dress fabric) and using the satin as an under skirt to the girl's gown so that I could use the lace and overskirt fabrics from the original dress.

Basic Girl's Gown and Boy's Romper (Hoover over the smaller pictures to see larger versions)

Liane,
I picked the gowns up from the post office this morning and we truly LOVE how they turned out!  Unfortunately my wife is in the CCU . . . but seeing the gowns lifted her spirits and next thing you know nurses were coming in left and right to see them. . .  I will definitely write on your website when things return to normal here.  Once again, thanks for the great transformation of my wife's wedding gown into a couple of heirlooms!

Best Regards, Scott

Liane,
I wanted to say thank-you for a great job on the christening gown and jumper that you made for us out of my wedding gown.  You did a magnificent job and I couldn't have asked for anything more.  Attached are a few pictures with our little one wearing the gown at her christening . . . . (She) looks like a little doll and did enjoy showing off her outfit to the congregation before she dropped off to sleep.

You may share these photos with other clientele if any wish to see your work.  Thanks again for your hard work and creativity.  Hope you and your family have a happy and safe holiday season!

Sincerely,
Denise & Scott

Keeping it Simple

Erica wanted a unisex gown with overlay from her wedding dress. Her WD had some lovely lace and bead-work on the bodice but not a lot of additional trim. We decided on the bishop style gown. Since there weren't any sections on her WD wide enough to do the front without a seam, I ended up putting a three-ribbon trim down the front. I also put some of the lace work on the collar. Otherwise the basic gown was plain. The overlay was made from the organza overlay of the original WD. I used the lace and bead-work from the bodice at a decorative element at the top of the overlay and then added a feminine lace trim.

Hi Liane - 

The baptism gown arrived today and I could not be more thrilled with how it turned out!  It looks so amazing and I love how much of my dress you were able to use.  My husband and I are even more excited now for our baby's arrival in a few weeks - we can't wait to see him/her in it!  I'll be sure to send you pictures from the baptism and I will also pass your name on to anyone I know that is having a baby.  I couldn't be happier with howthe whole processwent and now we have a beautiful gown that I hope will be passed on in our family for years.  Thank you again!!  

Erica

Keeping the Skirt

Suzanne's wedding dress had beautiful lace and beadwork that went in scallops at the hem. She wanted that part of her dress used in an overlay to a unisex gown. The beadwork was rather heavy but there was enough of it to put some at the top of the overlay to balance the overal look and feel on the smaller gown.

Unisex Gown with Overlay (Hoover over the smaller pictures to see larger versions)

Princess Styling for a Princess

This gown is not made from a wedding dress. I custom made it for a good friend but I have been looking forward to adding a "Princess" style as an option because it is more traditional--and I have not had time to create an example to put on my web site until now.

Since I could use new fabric from the bolt, this one is longer than I usually make. It has a yolk instead of waist and capped sleeves with button closure at the back.

For someone looking for a girly-girl baptism gown, this style is great for capturing bead work and lace. This particular gown is going to my really good friend's first granddaughter.

Buttons and Lace

Judy sent me her wedding dress to make into a christening robe for her first grandchild. She wanted a robe that will work for many future grandchildren--both boys and girls.

One of the elements she really liked from her dress was the string of buttons down the back. She asked me to use some of the buttons on the front of the robe. After looking at the available materials, I sent her a sketch of my plan. I wanted to use a basic robe pattern but add a larger collar so that we could use some of the lace and beadwork on the collar. I also planned a mid-length sleeve with more lace appliqued on it.

Once I got going, I decided to use the bodice lace applique from the original dress by turning it into an ornate applique on the back of the robe. Then I used the original dress hem lace on the hem of the robe. The robe is lined with the original dress lining.

The bonnet is actually very plain. However, I took a rose element from the original dress and turned it into a pin that can be added to the bonnet.

LIANE, I am sorry I didn’t get back sooner.  We we’re out of town for a few days.  Thank you, I received it.  It turned out beautiful.  Thank  you again.     Your time and work has been much appreciated.  We will always have this treasure in the family.

Judy

Two Generations Combined

Barbara's dress was made of a heavy poly satin with an a-symetrical shear polyester overlay that had beautiful bead work running all the way along the edge and around the train.

She wanted a plain unisex gown with an ornate overlay as well as a slip and two bonnets. She also had her mother send me some lace work from her own wedding dress to incorporate into the christening outfit. However, her lace was off-white and Barbara's dress was bright white.

I chose to make a two-toned outfit of white and off white using antique white satin ribbon and some antique white petite trim to tie the two different laces together on the overlay. I also trimmed the basic gown with antique white ribbon.

I created a ruffled trim for the overlay from the bead work that ran along the hem of the original wedding dress.

To better see the details, hoover on the smaller pictures:

Hi Liane,

Just wanted to send a quick note to let you know that (my daughter's) baptism went perfectly.  She looked so lovely in her gown, and the Minister made special note of it to the congregation during the service. Many people came up to me after the service saying how beautiful the gown turned out and how touched they were that my and my mother's wedding gowns were combined to be with (her) on her special day.  Our Director of Congregational Care remarked that in her 10 years at the Church she had never seen a gown as beautiful and sentimental as (my daughter's) gown. Thank you so much for creating a cherished heirloom for our family. Your attention to detail is remarkable, and I am so thankful for your ability to to finish (her) gown, bonnets, and slip on such a short timetable. I am forever grateful to you and look forward to having your work displayed at many baby Boudreaux baptisms in the years and decades to come.

Thank you so much again,

Barbara & Ben

A Princess Gown for a Little Princess

Melissa's dress was covered in lace and bead work. The bodice was particularly ornate and the the skirt was covered with an overlay of tulle and lace and was lined with lace cascading down the front and running around the entire hem.

I chose to use the bodice materials on the bodice of the christening gown. The base material for the original dress was a soft satin that worked well for the gown skirt. With so much beautiful lace trim, I simply had to use it on an overlay.

To see some of the detail, hoover over the smaller images to the left.

I am sorry I have not gotten back to you we loved the dress.  Our little girl was born last week and was 3 weeks early.  When we get to put the dress on her I will make sure to send you some pictures.  Again thank you it means a great deal to us to have this for our little girl .

Melissa

All Covered in Lace

Jennifer's wedding dress was an antique white lace over white satin. The dress had straight lines which meant there wasn't a lot of fullness to it. With all that lace, she wanted a christening outfit for her son that did not look too feminine. We settled on a christening robe with a simple bonnet. I used the lace kind of in the same way the original dress used it and I stayed wtih relatively straight lines on the robe.Getting the lace to match was a challenge. The finished robe is fully lined with the soft satin and should feel nice and soft against baby's skin. The bonnet has a straight brim with no ruffles.

I have just picked up my Christening gown from my moms office.  ITS BEAUTIFUL!!  everyone loved it .  I will send you some pictures when we get back home.  Thank you so much for this beautiful piece that I can hand down. 
Sincerely,

Jennifer

Lace Trim All Around

Dana wanted a christening gown for her daughter's upcoming baptism. Her original dress was a full wedding dress with beautiful lace trim all the way around the train.

Although there was plenty of fabric in the dress, the outer satin fabric was very heavy and would have made a very bulky dress for a baby to wear. I chose to use the lighter weight lining fabrics instead and used the heavier outer satin to make the ribbon trim and trim the colar with.

I originally wanted to make an overlay to the skirt using the lovely netting and lace that the original dress was covered in. Unfortunately, I couldn't find large enough sections of the netting without seams or issues that would have shown up so I chose to instead make a double skirt and detach the lace and bead trim from the original train and applique it on to the outer skirt of the christening gown.

Dear Liane,

I just received the dress you handmade for my daughter's baptism. I am speechless. Not only is the dress beautiful, but it is almost an exact replica of my wedding dress. The details are magnificent and the hand work is flawless. I know that I will now have something to pass down to my daughter, that will be timeless.

Thank you so much for the memories you will create by making thsi dress. I just know my daughter will be beautiful in it.

Sincerely, Dana