Each gown is custom made once you decide on design details such as pin tucks, lace shaping, and embroideries. Information on the fabric choices and design ideas pages will help you with this process. You will also have a consultation with the designer to help you determine what details will yield the Christening gown you dream of. The following pictures are examples of gowns and give information about design details and fabric choices. Remember that your gown will be custom made of the fabric and with the design details you choose.
Chloe Christening Gown
This is the gown that started the designer’s heirloom sewing career. The gown was made of imported Swiss made Nelona 100% cotton batiste with French cotton laces. The gown has a high yolk with pin tucks, insertion lace, and rows of machine embroidery. The short full sleeves have a beading lace trim with a ribbon woven through beading to control the fullness at the bottom. The front of the skirt is embellished with 5 white on white embroideries that are surrounded by insertion lace. There are rows of pin tucks on either side of the embroideries. The bottom of the gown is finished with ruffled lace. This gown buttons all the way down the back and has shell pearl buttons. It measures 26 inches from the neck to the bottom of the ruffle. The included slip is a simple A line style trimmed with one row of lace around the hem. Chloe’s birthdate was embroidered on the back of the skirt button facing. The cost to reproduce this gown today would be $600 using French laces and Nelona.
Katrina Christening Gown
Katrina is Chloe’s younger sister. This gown was made of prima 100% cotton fabric with bands of wide Venice lace insertions, pin tucked bands and a machine embroidered band of white on white embroidery featuring hearts. The gown has a high yolk with pin tucks and button trim. It has a Venice lace peter pan style collar. The short full sleeves are gathered into a band which is trimmed with gathered Venice lace. The bands on the skirt are sewed together with winged needle entredeux. The skirt is finished with a wide Venice lace ruffle. The gown closes with buttons and buttonholes on the back of the yolk. The gown measures 30 inches from the shoulder to the bottom of the ruffle. The matching A line slip has personalized with Katrina’s name and birth date. The cost to reproduce this gown today using 100% cotton batiste and similar laces would be $400. This gown would be beautiful in Nelona or batiste fabrics with bands of Swiss embroidered insertions and French laces. This would give it a more delicate appearance.
Sarah Christening Gown
This is a very long gown measuring 46” inches from the back of the neck to the bottom of the gown. This particular eyelet features rose buds and dots and is a beautiful cotton poly blended eyelet of a very nice quality. The skirt is full measuring 80”. The gown features a low lined yolk with buttons and button holes on the back of the yolk. The peter pan collar is a single layer of eyelet fabric that has a machine embroidered scallop treatment. The sleeves feature the bottom of the eyelet with an embroidered ladder stitch holding a satin ribbon in place that is used to control the bottom ruffle. A matching slip is made from 100% cotton batiste and has the same low yolk with buttons and button hole closure. The bottom of the slip features a machine embroidered scallop treatment. Please note that exceptionally nice eyelet fabric is difficult to find so future gowns may have a different motif in the eyelet. Eyelet is nearly always made of a cotton polyester blend. This gown costs $110.
Emma Christening Gown
Alice bonnet is shown above the gown and has the same cotton lace edging
This gown is loosely based on Chloe’s gown. The sample is made of Imperial Batiste (a 35% cotton 65% dacron blend) but all future gowns will be made from 100% cotton batiste or Swiss 100% cotton nelona. This gown measures 32” in length. It features a high yolk with lace trim and lace around the neckline. The yolk is lined. The front of the skirt features 5 white on white embroideries that are each approximately 4 ˝” square. They are outlined with cotton insertion lace. The full skirt (84” fullness) is finished with a self fabric ruffle that is edged with lace trim. The gathered short sleeves are trimmed with lace and have a machine embroidered ladder stitch that contains a narrow satin ribbon to control the fullness at the sleeve bottom. The matching A line slip is trimmed with lace at its bottom. This sample gown costs $120. Gowns made of American made 100% cotton batiste will cost $155 while those made from Swiss Nelona will cost $230.
Jordan Christening Gown
Jordan features: Made of Silk Dupioni Tailored elegance Perfect for boys and girls 9 rows of tucks around the bottom of the gown Pin tuck details on high yolk and sleeves
This is a very elegant gown and would also be perfect for baby boys as it has no lace trims. It is made of silk dupioni in a winter white color. The silk fabric was laundered and dried prior to constructing the gown. This means you will be able to hand launder the gown. It also softens the fabric. This gown features a high yolk with 2 sets of 3 rows of pin tucks. The yolk is lined in a softer silk fabric and closes with shell buttons and button holes in the back of the yolk. There is piping around the neck. The sleeves are approximately elbow length. They are lined and have no trim at the bottom but do feature 3 rows of pin tucks down the length of the sleeve. The skirt is the ultimate in simplicity. It is full (84” diameter) with 9 rows of tucks around the bottom of the skirt. There are no raw edges on this gown. Even the armhole seam is finished in a self fabric bias binding. The gown measures 35” from the shoulder seam to the bottom of the hem. The slip is made of a cream colored 100% cotton lawn and features the same yolk and 9 rows of tucks at the bottom. The slip is approximately 44 inches in diameter at the hemline. This gown costs $285. This gown would be equally elegant made in a fine linen or cotton batiste. A tone on tone embroidery such as the one on the Tyler bib would be very elegant in the center of the front yolk.
Madison Christening Gown
This gown is made of 100% cotton batiste. It features a low yolk with rows of pin tucks, feather stitching, and one row of lazy daisy embroidery down the center of the yolk. The yolk is lined in the same fabric and closes with buttons and buttonholes in the back. There is slightly gathered lace around the neckline. The sleeves are long, very full and are finished with a row of ribbon insertion and a row of lace. There is a ribbon through the ribbon insertion to gather in the fullness. The gathered skirt is plain except for 3 rows of tucks above the hem. The skirt measures 80 inches around the bottom. The overall length of this gown is 36 inches. The is a matching A line slip of the same batiste fabric that features one tuck at the hem and 3 rows of pin tucks above the tuck. The neckline and arm holes are finished in a rolled hem. The back opening is closed with a single button and fabric loop. The sample is made in size 6 months and costs $120. This gown would be equally elegant in linen and could feature a simple embroidery of a cross or flowers on the front center yolk as a variation.
Devon Christening Gown is another tailored gown pictured on the Boy's Gowns page and is suitable for either boys or girls.
Most gowns come with a matching slip which is included in the price of the gown. The slip is a perfect place for personalization.
If you want an unique gown copied such as one in a picture or a Martha Pullen book or have a pattern but not the time or patience to sew it, I can complete the gown of your dreams for you.
Both male and female infants have traditionally worn gowns for their Christening, baptism, or dedication ceremony. Traditionally these gowns were made of cotton, linen or silk fabrics. They were often closed with ribbon ties to allow for greater adjustment of fit. Beauty pins or buttons can also be used to close gowns. There are no hard rules for the length or fullness of a gown. If there is a lot of lace shaping detail, it may be lost in the fullness of a very full skirt. Lengths generally run somewhere between 26 to 46 inches (measured from the back of the neck or shoulder to the bottom of the hem or ruffle.) Currently long gowns are in style and may be a better choice if you are wanting this gown to be worn by future generations. Please order a larger size if you want this gown to be worn by future generations. Not all babies are christened as newborns.