Christening Gown and Sewing Tips Part 4 - Finishing

Ok here is the Christening gown finally finished and pressed waiting for collection. I made it as requested except that I added the lace and narrow ribbon to draw attention up towards the face of the baby rather than to the 3 layers of 3 1/2 " wide lace on the hem.

I like to make the back of baby clothing in such a way that it looks just as good as the front. When babies are carried, often all you can see is their back. Similar to when a bride is at the alter why many wedding gowns are just as elaborate on the back as they are on the front . The only indication of the back of this Christening gown is the opening and the button. The ribbon is used to fasten the back and tied look identical to the front.

This is the front

and the back

This is the layered lace hem (as requested - no gathers)

The close up of the lace on the yoke and sleeves

Finishing off your garment is the final step in the sewing process. It can sometimes be the most difficult as all too often many people have had enough of sewing by then. I like to set a time limit and reward myself with a cuppa once it is all done.

MY SEWING TIPS PART 4- FINISHING
These tips apply to all sewing projects

* Remove ALL pins and needles!

* Press the gown for the final time. Use a pressing cloth and always test to make sure your iron is not too hot.

* Snip any stray threads both inside and outside the garment.

* Make sure there are no marks anywhere. If there are, wash or spot clean according to the washing instructions for the fabric.

* Double check to make sure all buttons, ribbon and other embellishments are attached securely. This is extremely important with items for babies and toddlers as they can be choking hazards.

* If the item is made for someone else, I like to provide a couple of scraps of fabric that I have hemmed for them to use as test pieces whenever they need to iron the garment. This small thing makes a big difference and saves burning the garment accidentally.

* Hang the garment on an appropriately sized hanger or store appropriately. Acid free paper and boxes are a must for items you wish to keep for some time.


I hope you find these tips useful. If you have any handy sewing finishing tips you would like to share, please feel free to share them here by adding a comment below.

Have a look at my other sewing tips.

SEWING TIPS PART 1 - PREPARATION
SEWING TIPS PART 2- CUTTING OUT
SEWING TIPS PART 3- SEWING