Night Gown

I love this night gown! I bought this about 15 years ago and it still looks good, doesn't it? That is probably because I don't wear it that often. In fact it is my vacation night gown which mean it only comes out in the summer and when we travel. As I was ironing it -- yes I iron it, doesn't everyone iron their night gowns? -- it reminded me of my Grandma Dawkins. As I have said many times, I wish everyone could have met her.

Grandma Dawkins made her little white light weight summer night gowns on her treadle sewing machine. They were always 100% white cotton, plain, and always adorned with a little pink embroidered flower which she hand embroidered in about 5 minutes. Simple and simply beautiful to me. She had an old dark bureau and she kept her gowns in the top drawer along with her undies and her handkerchiefs. I remember the top drawer had hinges rather than a drawer you pull open. My brother and his wife have that bureau in their home today. They refinished it and it is really, really beautiful.

When I saw this nightgown in a lingerie store in Gainesville, TX, so many years ago, I had to have it. I never even questioned whether I needed it. It brought back immediate memories of staying the night with grandma. Sometimes you can buy memories....look at all the antique stores out there. Grandma's gown was quite a bit longer than this one, but I was in my mid-40s at the time and I wanted something a little more youthful. I thought this was sexy and still do. Just enough modesty to make me feel covered, but with the little lace and the cut work it brought it up to the sexy level....to me, at least. It really makes me feel pretty and feminine.

I have found a website that has pretty little white cotton sleepwear at www.thewhitecottongown.com. They are very reasonably priced so I will be checking them out. Some have longer sleeves which will be perfect for winter. I also saw a wonderful kimono that I would love to have to take with me on this trip.

I can remember my grandmother standing in the doorway of the bedroom telling me bedtime stories. There were two that were my favorites and I asked for them every time. One was about the hen who sowed corn and asked her baby chicks to help her. The other story was about a wolf who gobbled up baby chicks. The mother hen found him asleep near the creek and cut him open to get out the chicks. She filled him full of rocks and sewed him up. When he got up from his nap he went down to the creek to get a drink of water. He toppled over into the water and drowned. My grandboys might find this story a little disturbing. Thinking about it, it IS a little disturbing. I think we were less sensitive about that type thing back in the day. Either that or I was hardened to this sort of thing by living on the farm.

When pregnant with my second child, I told my mom that if I had a girl I would love to have a little white dress for her to wear home from the hospital. Back in 1977 we had no idea what the sex of the baby would be until delivery. It turned out that I did have a baby girl. After leaving the hospital after she was born she made my little girl a little white dress made from 100% white light-weight cotton. It had pin tuck pleats down the front, baby lace, and tiny, tiny buttons and white embroidered flowers. It had a Peter Pan collar and tiny little puffed sleeves. I still have it. Such a beautiful little thing and a beautiful thing my mom did for me and my daughter. Thanks momma.