Thursday, December 22, 2011

Irish Christening Gowns - Much More Than Shamrocks and Lace

Irish christening gowns feature spicy designs and generations of craftsmanship. Celtic christening gowns look stunning in embroidered shamrocks and Cluny lace. Although traditional, their charming Irish style allows for flexibility. The christening dresses might have shamrock lace, a shamrock inset, or other shamrock details. The gowns may have Victorian lace, Irish lace, or Venice lace.

Irish symbols can contain Celtic crosses, the Claddagh, Celtic knot, or other Celtic symbolism. Irish christening gowns, just like Celtic wedding dresses, are embellished with 'shingerleens' (embellishments of Irish lace, embroidery, and ribbons). Some Irish parents have the house crest or the names of wearers embroidered on the christening gown, cape, or blanket. The Irish christening gown symbolizes purity, joy, faith, and new life.

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Irish Christening Gowns

Irish Christening Gowns - Much More Than Shamrocks and Lace

. Shamrock

The shamrock is one of the most familiar and popular Irish symbols. Symbolizing the Trinity, the shamrock usually adorns Irish christening outfits. The shamrock can be woven into the fabric or be featured in one or more places on the gown.

Shamrocks, either green or white, can decorate all things from christening dresses and rompers to headbands and christening bibs. Satin gowns with overlay organza can have scattered shamrocks and tiny pearls. Often the bodice of an Irish christening dress will have embroidered shamrocks.

Floral shamrock embellishment can fill the bodice, sleeves, and skirt of a christening dress. You can select christening fashions with many shamrocks or just a few - even gowns with just a singular shamrock. A boy's soft gabardine, sailor-style, christening romper can have embroidered shamrocks and clovers on the chest. The matching christening hat may also sport a shamrock.

. Lace

Irish baptism dresses use all kinds of lace from French lace to Venetian lace. The Irish Cluny lace is a cotton lace. With a light and airy appearance, Cluny lace resembles the crochet stitch.

Irish christening gowns can feature lovely lace in expound style. Vertical lace can generate isolate 'panels' on a skirt that are deeply scalloped - each one with dissimilar embellishments. The center front can be fantastic with a cross decorated with embroidered ribbons and beautiful flowers. The side panels could have shaped lace in a Celtic pattern and more lace can adorn the scalloped hemline.

. Irish Linen

Linen is a extra fabric that has been woven from natural flax fiber for thousands of years. Linen is woven throughout the world and is a strong and resilient fabric. With its expert spinning, weaving, and finishing, Irish linen is recognized as the world's finest linen. Fine linen from Ulster, Ireland, is a popular for Celtic christening fashions including bonnets, under slips, and booties. 100% pure Irish linen can be decorated with tiny, embroidered Celtic knots, a row of shamrocks or rosebuds, and pretty pearls.

A lovely Irish linen gown is a delight with delicate Venice lace beading and shamrock lace featuring an embroidered Celtic cross with trinity knots and shamrock appliques. An Irish linen christening gown can have crosses and hearts on scalloped Victorian lace at the hemline. A gorgeous, minuscule trouser set and Grandad shirt (with 'grandad' collar), can be made from pure Irish linen.

. Crocheting

Often crocheting will show up on Irish christening gowns (sometimes called 'robes' in Ireland). Crocheted in fine, mercerized cotton with a hint of shine, a bodice might feature a shamrock inset with picot chains and a satin ribbon at the front. Crocheting was introduced in Ireland in the mid-nineteenth century.

Women and children were trained in the art. Within a few years, the Irish had become skillful sufficient to furnish markets in Dublin, London, Paris, Rome, and New York. Crocheting work helped to supplement house income. Indeed, some Irish population used the money to immigrate to the United States.

. Smocked

Although Celtic christening dresses can have intricate detail, the smocked gown is also a longtime popular in Ireland. Made from fine Irish linen, with triple pin tuck finishing information over the hem, a lace-edged under slip, and matching bonnet, this straightforward style can reflect an air of elegance. Perfect hand embellishment can adorn the bodice, bonnet, and sleeves of a soft, smocked christening gown.

. Celtic Cross

The Celtic Cross shows up anywhere at Irish christenings. The Celtic Cross (or high cross) is a popular Irish symbol. Maybe a singular Celtic cross might be in the center of a skirt with white (or light green) shamrocks going around the hem.

Crossed shamrocks may rest on a bodice below a Celtic cross with heirloom leaves on either side. Shamrocks and leaves can continue around the hem of a christening gown. A boy's christening romper might have embroidered Celtic crosses or his satin shoes might show off a Celtic cross.

The Celtic cross is believed to signify the four directions of the wind as well as the four seasons. The earliest known Irish high cross can be traced back to Donegal. The seventh century Carandonagh Cross was part of a hermitage in the northwest of the County.

. Celtic Knot

The Celtic Knot is a popular garnish for Irish christening attire and accessories. The Celtic Knot organize has been found in the jewelry of the Celts - even going back before the time of Christ. The Celtic Knot is related with the garnish of early Christian monuments and manuscripts (such as the 8th Century Book of Kells). This Irish symbol is idea to safe against evil - the more complicated the knotting, the greater the protection.

The Celtic Knot might show up on the bodice of a three-piece, puff sleeve, christening outfit with a Celtic floral lace trim. Even a blue Celtic knot cross may be featured on the bodice of a gown. Sometimes red roses surround a blue and gold knot cross while a shamrock, claddagh, and thistles go around the hem. Often below a center cross, the baby's name and the date of the christening will be embroidered on the gown. Trinity Knots can be embroidered over the chest directly under the collar on christening rompers.

. Claddagh

The Claddagh (a 'holding hands' symbol - sign of friendship and love) is always seen on christening fashions. A beautiful christening gown might have a satin ribbon band on the front yoke with a Claddagh applique. As well, christening accessories use the claddagh such as in a crystal rosary bracelet with pearls, cross, and a claddagh charm.

. Celtic Tree of Life

The Celtic Tree of Life is other Irish symbol that can be applied to a christening gown. The Celtic tree of life is supposed to deliver wisdom. The symbol is believed to deliver messages from the gods.

. St. Bridget's Cross

St. Bridget's Cross is a familiar Celtic symbol that shows up on Irish baptism gowns. Brigid's crosses are related with Brigid of Kildare who is venerated as one of the patron saints of Ireland. Made from pure Irish linen, a christening gown can have a pin tuck skirt, satin ties at the back, and a St. Bridget's Cross embroidered on the bodice.

. Tara Brooch Embroidery

Christening capes may use embellishment modeled after the Tara Brooch - one of Ireland's best-known antiquities. Believed to be made about thirteen hundred years ago, the real Tara is an ornate Celtic ring brooch made of gold, silver, copper, amber and glass. The brooch was found on the shore at Bettystown, south of Drogheda, and is now preserved in the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin.

. Christening Capes

Christening capes - especially the Kinsale cloak - are popular for Irish babies. For hundreds of years in rural Ireland, wearing a hooded, full-length cloak was a tradition. Indeed, cloaks can still be seen in the area west of County Cork.

. Spirals

Pretty spirals float softly over Irish christening gowns. Prominently displayed on aged Irish artifacts, Celtic spirals are second only to knotwork designs as the symbols most related with Celtic art. Without any written history about spirals, there is still some difficulty around their meaning. Within the Druid faith, it was forbidden to put sacred material into writing. No doubt, spirals represented something sacred to the Druid people.

Most scholars believe that because of their simplicity, spirals are symbols of the spiritual balance between inner and outer consciousness, the sun, and the cosmos. Some Celtic art scholars believe that the significance of the spirals may lie in their direction. Clockwise spirals may be related with the sun and harmony with the earth. Counter-clockwise spirals might be related with the manipulation of nature. Other population think that the Celtic spiral symbolizes the seasons of life and the cycles of time.

Often Celtic spirals are seen in aged burial mounds and sacred places. Many believe that spirals have mystical powers that forestall evil from entering into a sacred tomb. In 1991, archaeologist Kate Johnson, at Arizona State University, conducted computer pathology on the buildings of some Celtic spirals found in aged rock carvings. He compared these spiral patterns with mammoth events that had occurred over the course of the last millennium. According to his research, the Celtic spirals were definite representations of graphic planetary configurations and the brightest fixed stars during total eclipses ages ago.

The Triskele (or triskelion) is a three-pronged spiral which is often used as a basis for more complicated spirals. Some advise aged Celtic triskeles represented the Triple Goddess of the three ages of womanhood. Later, the symbol came to relate the Holy Trinity in Christianity - God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The motif is based around the amount '3' regarded as a sacred amount in many aged cultures.

Irish Christening Gowns - Much More Than Shamrocks and Lace

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