This blessing dress was made for my niece, Grace. It’s an straightforward intermediate pattern, but dressed up with a few pintucks, ribbon, and an insert, the lace becomes a very fancy heirloom. The lace edging is called “Snowflake Edging”. I extended the length of the lace with a matching header across the top of the lace to make it extra dressy, and to include some of the cluny clusters so the insert would match the edging.  I really like the effect.

The insert adds a row of pretty detail.  This insert pattern is from an old pattern from the early 1900’s called “Cluny Insertion” from the Priscilla Crochet Book, Edgings and Insertions No. 2. It’s not a difficult pattern, but has a unique, old fashioned look I like.

My grandmother made lace with only a handful of patterns, but she created endless variations of those patterns.  I like that about her laces.  This was the first lace I modified from the original pattern.  Modifying a pattern makes it uniquely your own, and transforms a skill into an art.