Tag Archives: Puerto Rican baby clothes

Sweet Baby Duds

The scallops and embroidery are a very soft pastel yellow, not nearly like the bright color that shows up on my monitor.

The scallops and embroidery are a very soft pastel yellow, not nearly like the bright color that shows up on my monitor.

I’m approaching the panic mode as my new granddaughter concludes her cozy stay in utero. So few items have been sewn for her! A few smocked daygowns (Liberty of London, striped Swiss dot), a smocked white pique diaper shirt, a Swiss flannel slip, the ho-hum bassinette sheets, and the bassinette skirt.

On my cutting table sits a tall, tottering stack of fabric and patterns which I expected by now would have been stitched into an even taller stack of sweet baby garments.

back w pants

So now, with less than a month to go, I have launched Plan B. rather than begin the elaborate beauties I long to stitch. This plan consists of making ruffled diaper covers to match the precious embroidered diaper shirts I bought in Puerto Rico. On one of my teaching trips to San Juan, almost 9 years ago, these shirts were purchased a few months before the arrival of my first granddaughter, Laurel. Continue reading

Puerto Rican Diaper Set

blue-diapershirt

 

This diaper shirt was returned to me in a bundle of infant clothing I had loaned a friend for the use of her first grandchild.  It is another treasure I brought back from one of my teaching trips to San Juan.  As I looked over this sweet garment and tripped through the memories of those special sewing schools, I was reminded of the beautiful baby clothes those Puerto Rican ladies make.

With the sweltering tropical climate, island babies need simple garments to keep comfortable.  The shops in San Juan are well stocked with exquisitely made garments embellished with delicate handwork. Continue reading