Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Baptism Dress

We're getting Shelby baptized in the United Methodist church at the end of the month.
It's something we've been looking forward to.
Our family and a handful of friends will be there and we plan to host a light brunch at our house afterwards in celebration.
More to come on that in later posts.
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Today, I want to talk about her baptism dress.
When I first mentioned a dress, my blog bestie, I Do Declare, asked if there was a family gown that everyone had worn.
I knew that Brad's mother had some gowns that had been handed down in her family so I went to her and we discovered that they are just too old and fragile.
So, my plan B was to buy a dress brand new.
I've seen a lot of babies wear the very LONG gowns, but honestly, that just isn't us.
So, I looked online and found a few but my Mom urged me to just 'look' at the local department stores to see what they had.
I did and found these sweet little Feltman Brothers dresses at Belk.
My friend, Katie, gasped and fell on the floor.
She said that she and her sisters had all worn Feltman Brothers dresses when they were christened.
Then, I realized that these little dresses below actually looked a lot like the dress that I was dedicated in.
So, I took at picture to compare when I got home.

Well, guess what?
It is the exact same Feltman Brothers dress, just 37-years later!!!
My Mom bought it at a department store in Indiana and has kept it all these years!
It has the slip underneath, it's hand-embroidered and everything.
So, after talking with my Mom and friends I have decided to have Shelby wear my dress to be baptized in. 
It fits her it just needs a hand washing and pressing and it will be ready to go.
 I think it's pretty special that she will wear it and I plan to have it professionally preserved after this and possibly put into a shadow box.
Does your family have christening/baptism/dedication gowns that are handed down?

14 comments:

Annie said...

That is SO cool! Yes my Mom has one that has been handed down for many years too!

Sara said...

Oh yeah. I have 6 Feltman's hanging in JR's closet right now. He wore one of the bubbles to my cousin's wedding. Trey gags every time I try to put one on him, but I love them!! They're all handed down from my brothers and me :)
I'm sad that he's too old for them now.

donatelli98 said...

My Granny made Lacey/Sophia's baptism gown. We didn't have a family one and I wanted to start the tradition. Having their Great-Granny make it made it even more special.

donna said...

Beautful. I wish she could have worn mine...we didn't bring it with us when I moved to the US:( I had my lil girl's custom made, I am hoping that she'll have it when she has her own lil girl.

Steel Magnolia said...

How sweet! And I love knowing that Feltman Bros. is making the exact same dress for generations. It makes it so special that she's wearing yours.

Anonymous said...

I LOVE that she's wearing your dress. How special! My niece wore the same First Communion dress that my sister and I wore. I love this tradition.

Anonymous said...

That is so special that she is wearing the same dress you were baptized in! It is beautiful, too :)

Leigh Powell Hines said...

So sweet. I did not, but Will's family had a baptism gown that was a 100 years old. His grandfather wore it, and then it was misplaced so he didn't wear it, but then it picked up again with some other relatives, my niece and my kids. The neck is small so you kind of have to do it early. Liza was six months, and she was still ok for it, but we didn't button it. If if had not been an heirloom or in the family then I would have done a dress like you.

Allena said...

Mine will be too small for Drew b/c I got baptized at 6 weeks, and we aren't baptizing Drew until August. BUT my mother-in-law and I are making her dress, and I just want to die when I think about it. I think it will be so special as she grows. Never heard of Feltman's, but I love that she will wear your dress!

starnes family said...

Oh I love this!!!!! Lainey's outfit was one of my favorites.....the bonnet was darling. :)

Shelby will be so precious!

Megan said...

How special; it will bring such wonderful memories! Thanks for reaching out- its so fun to connect with other Charlotte area bloggers with little ones!

Unknown said...

Feltman Brothers has been around for so long. When I worked in the Children's clothing business, I loved their precious line. It's the epitome of tradition and finding your dress is perfect. Love the shadow box idea, too!

Monica said...

So sweet! Yes, Lyla wore the dress that me and my sister were both baptized in. It made it so much more special! Can't wait to see pics of Shelby's baptism! What a special day that will be.

Unknown said...

How inspiring this post is! I really find this so cool. I think that little dress is definitely perfect for your baby's baptism. The material seems to be perfect as well.

-KuchiesTreasures.com