Celebrate Christening season with the RSN Embroidery Studio!

From heirloom restorations to bespoke embroidery, our expert team of studio embroiderers ensure each Christening piece can be treasured for years to come. Read on to find out more about some of the recent Christening commissions undertaken by the RSN Embroidery Studio!

Cleaning up Christening Robes

The RSN Embroidery Studio sees many family Christening robes and cloaks,  many dating from the mid-late 18^th century and in beautiful Whitework techniques and the finest lace.

Cleaning Christening robes is always the first step in order to remove as many of the stains as possible. These stains often don’t show straight away, but after time the residue from the substance that causes the stain can become visible.

It is important the piece is cleaned to neutralise the stain. Once clean the robes are repaired, which includes small and large tears in areas that have the most strain. The tears can occur from wriggly babies to jewellery worn by guests. If robes are really tiny, sometimes an insert under the arms can be added,  depending on the construction of the robe. This allows for the modern baby who is larger and older than a Victorian child when christened. After the COVID restricts, some of the babies were walking and talking, giving a whole different challenge. Our Incredible Studio Team were able to come up with some solutions, each individual to the problem.

Conserving a beautiful Christening Cloak

Some families are fortunate to have not only a Christening Robe, but also a Christening Cloak, a Victorian edition to the outfit.

Earlier this year, the studio worked on the most beautiful cloak, which was a fine wool on the outside and a quilted silk lining. The woolen fabric was in good condition with no moth hole, just missing a couple of embroidered buttons. However, the silk quilted lining was deteriorating and splitting showing the wadding which in places was at risk of coming away and being lost.

To keep as much of the cloak as possible, the lining was covered with a very fine conservation net securing it throughout, therefore containing the deteriorating silk. This is not invisible, but it is discrete. Any stitching on this constructed piece was undertaken with a curved needle while the cloak was on a mannequin, as it was not possible to stitch flat on the table due to the shaping on the shoulders. Working this way also ensures that the net fits and does not distort the lining and change the shape. Finally, two new buttons were made matching the fabric and thread as near as possible to the original cloak.

A Christening Robe Inspired by Royalty

The Studio were approached by a client whose mother had, many years ago, commissioned the RSN Embroidery Studio to design and prepare the fabric for the her to embroider a christening cloak which would have been worn by our client for her own christening.

However, life became too busy and it was barely started. The fine wool fabric had gained a few too many moth holes and was not workable anymore.

The design was traced and tweaked, as the client wanted to add their own elements, then reapplied onto new fine wool fabric. The design was embroidered using a mix of stitches in a perle thread. Once embroidered, the cloak was made up with interlining and a silk lining.

As well as the cloak, the client was inspired by a royal christening robe and commissioned the studio to create a christening robe and petticoat in a similar style, that would be worn with the new cloak. The main fabrics for these were silk, and the client had sourced antique lace to create the ruffles at the bottom of the skirts. New ribbon was purchased to produce a contrasting ruffle down the front.

Do you have a Christening object you would like made, restored or conserved?

Contact the RSN Embroidery Studio Team or visit the website today for bespoke embroidery commissions, restoration and conservation services.