Heirlooms in the Making

Nearly 16 years ago, my little Marianne wore this dress on her blessing day.

It was a gift from my friend Linda Butler.  Linda and her husband lost 10 babies over the years through miscarriage, stillbirth or death a few days after birth.  They had no living children, but Linda was still hopeful and crocheted this lovely dress, bonnet and booties.  She entered it in the county fair and won first prize.  We moved when I was 7 months pregnant and Linda promised me that if I had a girl, she would send me the dress.  I was thrilled when it arrived and Marianne looked adorable in it!

Since then, my nieces Emma, Alyssa and Cammi have worn the same dress for their blessings. (And somewhere I have pictures of all of them, but I can't find them!)  A year or so after Cammi wore it, I received a call from Linda's husband letting me know that she had passed away. The dress has been carefully tucked away until this year, when it was Lavender's turn to wear it.

The white blanket in this photo also has a special history.  For several years I worked with a woman named Sue. She was single and in her late 30s when she learned she was pregnant.  She struggled to change her diet and cut back on her smoking during her pregnancy and things seemed to be going well.  Then a few days before her due date, her baby's heart suddenly stopped beating.  Her little Jacob was stillborn.  About a year later I gave birth to Ryan and Sue gave me a gift.  She told me that a relative of hers had made a special white blanket for baby Jacob.  The blanket was a keepsake, but Sue explained that she had a talk with Jacob and he wanted Ryan to use it.  Ryan and my other babies did use the blanket.  Hopefully many more babies will use it in the future.

Lavender has received two other gifts that I hope will become family heirlooms.  One is this beautiful blanket crocheted by John's Aunt Ruth, his father's sister.  Since both of John's parents are gone, it is extra special for Lavender to receive a handmade gift from her great aunt Ruth.

Another future heirloom is this gorgeous dress crocheted by my talented cousin Kristen.  Maybe someday Lavender's daughter will wear it.

What family heirlooms do you treasure?