“Grady Gowns”
by Mary Siegel

The Atlanta Smocking Guild was formed in 1980 and affiliated with the national organization, The Smocking Arts Guild of America, in 1982. We began doing bonnets for the Egleston Children's Hospital that year and in the mid-80’s started doing the baby gowns. One of our members, who had lost premature twins, gave a very moving account of the need for these gowns. Another member had a similar experience. We all cried, and got started. At first, members did one or two gowns each per year, and presented them to Grady Memorial Hospital. Three members, Dianne Doan, Diane Thompson, and myself, got so interested in the Grady neo-natal program when we were there presenting the gowns, that we started to volunteer once a week. Dianne Doan and I are still volunteering after 11 years. One of our members is a neo-natal nurse at Northside Hospital and for the last five years, we have divided the number of gowns we made between Grady and Northside. Once in a while we have someone who is uncomfortable with the baby gown project because many are used for burial gowns. So, two years ago we are introduced an alternate project–an isolette cover. Dianne and Mary have made a number of these covers over the last few years. Since many of the Grady parents and nurses don't like to put smocked gowns on boys (except for burials), we have also been making simple flannel diaper shirts. I have also made a number of quilts. 

In about 1993, Pat Garretson came up with a gown idea that made construction easier. Instead of a bias band, the neck of the gown was folded over before pleating, and then ribbon could be run through the casing created by the fold and drawn up to neck size. I developed a pattern based on this concept. This simplified the project so much that we went into major production!! We now produce about 300 gowns a year! We average thirty participants each year in this service program. 

We have really streamlined our production process (CLICK HERE to see photos of our latest workshop). In the fall, we hand out packets of fabric to members. Each packet contains enough yardage to cut out twelve gowns. They cut these out and mark the armholes. They can keep six if they like and do the whole process themselves. The other six (or all twelve) are turned in by November. In January, the program is devoted to preparing the gowns. The first year we did this, the service chair and several dedicated members prepared the gowns to various stages of completion. Now we have enough gowns in the "pipeline" from the previous year that we don't have too much outside preparation. At the workshop we have various stations for various tasks–serging the seams, pressing the neckline, stitching the neckline and back edges, pleating, and bagging. Chocolate is provided at each station as a reward! (In our guild, chocolate is considered a sewing notion.) We usually completely prepare about 125 gowns that evening, and some wonderful people volunteer to pleat approximately 75 more at home. Gowns are distributed, six at a time. Members only have to finish the sleeve edges (our pattern has an angel wing sleeve), smock the gowns, sew up the side seams, and hem.The Guild will provide fabric and/or pleated gowns for up to twelve gowns per member. Members who choose to do more provide their own fabric and make the gowns from scratch, and lots of people do this. In September, we have an "early bird" contest–members get a ticket for each gown they turn in by that month, and we hold a drawing. The more gowns, the more chances they have to win a prize, which is usually a gift certificate to a favorite smocking store. In October, all gowns are turned in and the member completing the most gowns gets a prize too (one year I did 117--I got really compulsive!). We present a pin for the first six gowns each member turns in, and another pin for the next six. 

We have used a sew-in label for our gowns, but a few years ago switched to a computer generated cardstock tag. It says "Made with loving stitches for you by the Atlanta Smocking Guild" and includes an address. This is less expensive, gives the parents a keepsake, and often gives us feedback in the form of moving thank you notes and interest in the guild. Saves sewing time too! 

Members do get creative with the gowns. We hand out suggested designs (only 21/2 gathering rows of smocking are required), but many members come up with their own ideas and we publish these occasionally in our newsletter. The open sleeve (preferred by the nurses so that IVs can be attached easily) can be finished with lace, a contrasting binding, decorative stitches, etc. We have seen beautiful hems, using heirloom and embroidery techniques. And members with the wonderful embroidery sewing machines have applied darling designs. 

We have funded our project in a number of ways. In the beginning, we asked for fabric donations. The pattern does require batiste weight fabric, because of pleating through the folded neckline, so not all fabrics are appropriate. We eventually used up everybody's stash! For a couple of years, we raffled a donated doll with wardrobe. When I wrote the original “Grady Gown” article for Creative Needle, we used the earned fee to buy fabric. But, in the past few years, we have had some wonderful sources of funding. First, a new member, very moved by our program, donated $200 (about one year's cost) to us. Then, on a guild field trip to a fabric store, the gentleman owner gave us an enormous bag of lace trims–enough for years of gown-making! Another member, whose boss decided to give to a charity instead of giving his employees holiday gifts, approached him about making that charity the Grady Gown Project. He donated $500 on the spot! Both of these men had premature babies–obviously they were touched by our service project. 

One man who helped us out also gave us a few laughs–and tears! The Service Chair approached this man, who had a garment cutting business, about cutting out our gowns. He enthusiastically offered to do it for free. We gave him a layout and all our fabric. He decided to donate more–which turned out to be some sort of gauzy curtain stuff. Then he decided that our layout wasn't the most efficient use of the fabric, so he cut it a different way–all off grain and unpleatable! We appreciated his good intentions, but we lost a lot of time and fabric that year! 

We have had other contributions–donations and discounts from chain fabric stores, wholesale purchasing of fabric and ribbon through our local smocking shop (Pintucks & Pinafores) and a Guild member with a business, and, of course, much time and fabric from our members who pleat and smock more than our requested six each. 

This project has been very meaningful to all of us. To the members who have gone through the stress of having a premature baby–they know how difficult it is to find a tiny garment for their little one, or, in the saddest cases, to find a burial gown. Our neo-natal nurse member has told of dressing a baby who didn't make it, and how appreciative the parents are. The fun the Grady volunteers have in bringing a shopping bag full of completed gowns to the hospital and letting the mothers there choose their favorite gown for the child. The frustration these same volunteers felt when one nurse marked each gown with black magic marker so they wouldn't go astray in the hospital laundry! (that only happened once!) How neat it is to have two, three, or four matching gowns for a set of twins, triplets or even quadruplets! The good-natured competition–who will make the most gowns? The sense of accomplishment we feel when we see the mound of beautiful completed gowns turned in in October. And, of course, the thank you notes from the parents who receive the gowns for their special babies.