Me in my going home outfit. Photo by David Winters, used with permission
My parents kept many handmade treasures that were mine when I was a baby. My mom had made my going home outfit with leftover fabric and lace from her wedding dress. When we were pregnant with Patrick, I asked her if she’d be willing to make a gender-neutral going home outfit with leftover fabric from my wedding dress, which she also made (and you can see the process and gorgeous finished dress in “Handmade Wedding: the Dress” Part I, Part II, and Part III).
When we got pregnant with Stitch I felt like I needed a different plan. That going home outfit was planned for Patrick; it didn’t seem fair to either baby to keep the same plan.
Lloyd and I traveled to my parents’ house in Michigan for Thanksgiving. While we were there, Mom and I went through all of the treasures of mine that she’d kept. Lloyd and I both really thought we were pregnant with a girl (we didn’t find out gender before her birth), but even so, I couldn’t bring home all of the treasures. I chose to bring the gender-neutral sweaters and blankets, as well as my going home outfit. Since Stitch was due to arrive in March, I knew that my very summer going home outfit would need something underneath it, so I chose a romper pattern that I could make in both a boy and a girl version. If we had a girl, she’d wear the purple romper under my lace going home outfit.
I never even started those rompers. At 32 weeks it became fairly clear that I’d be delivering Stitch early. Time for Plan B. I struggled with what I wanted to do for an outfit and finally chose a darling grey and yellow handmade going home outfit by an artist on Etsy. I had made a grey and yellow quilt, so it seemed to be the perfect (second) choice. We’d also saved a pair of Patrick’s Batman socks for our subsequent baby to wear home from the hospital. They would match the grey and yellow as well and not be such a shocking contrast to the lace. Batman and lace? Always an interesting choice!
Stitch in her going home outfit, on the hot air balloon floor quilt Grandma made her.
Even though Stitch didn’t wear my going home outfit home from the hospital, I still kept it tucked away for her to wear when it fit. My mom came to visit for my 40th birthday, and I surprised her by having the outfit cleaned and ready for baby girl to wear while she was here.
Mom dressing me to go home from the hospital. Photo by David Winters, used with permission
My mom dressed baby girl in the same outfit I’d worn 40 years earlier, and we had a little photo shoot. A treasure for sure!
Grandma and Stitch in the full outfit. The hat was a smidge small, but the rest of the outfit fit perfectly.
Poor kiddo was getting tired, but she still looks darling!
Initially, I completely forgot there was a bonnet, and I’d bought this fabulous purple flower to put on her headband. Oops.
Seriously sweet. Treasure indeed.
Now I’ll tuck it away in case Stitch ever has a baby girl.
Natter with us