Return to story

Wrapped in family heritage

February 17, 2009 12:35 am

BY CATHY DYSON

Little Cameron Roach got wrapped up in his family's heritage Sunday morning.

The 3-month-old baby wore a white, flowing christening gown as he was baptized at St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Stafford County.

Among those gathered were eight of the nine people who have worn the same gown, in ceremonies that have taken place over the course of a century.

"I think it's really neat to be able to have something like this," said Lisa Roach, Cameron's mother, who also was baptized at St. Peter's. "We're so excited that this is the first baptism where all of the [living] family members are present."

The only person missing was Cameron's great-grandfather, for whom the gown was made.

That was Harold Sheehy, and he died in 1972, but his wife, Eloise Thomas, was at the service.

Thomas lives in Manassas and turned 100 on Valentine's Day. She was thrilled to see another "gorgeous grandchild" baptized in the family gown.

"I'm very happy," said Thomas, an energetic woman who lives alone and does everything herself, except clean. "I think it's marvelous that the gown has held up this well, after all these many years."

She believes her late husband would be "tickled pink" to see his descendants cherish the gown, made for him in 1903 by a neighbor.

"Is it not gorgeous?" said Camille Priola, grandmother of the baby baptized yesterday.

Priola lives in Spotsylvania County and has become the official caretaker of the heirloom, even though it's part of her ex-husband's family. She's still close to Thomas, her former mother-in-law, and took vacations with her former sister-in-law for years.

The gown is dear to Priola because she doesn't have any such belongings. Her family lived in a small apartment in Queens, N.Y., and as the oldest girl, she handed down all her items to younger sisters.

"I think it's wonderful for my children and grandchildren to have this," she said. "It's their heritage."

And a remarkable piece of handiwork as well.

Priola showed the item to co-worker Scarlett Clark, who collects hand-sewn antiques.

Clark marveled at the craftsmanship. The gown and separate slip are 3 feet long, made of crisp, white cotton. Each stitch and lacy accent, along with every decorative design, was done by hand.

There's a 6-inch hem at the bottom adorned with thousands of knots, a technique called candlewicking. The knots are the same size and spaced evenly apart; the same attention to detail is seen in the diamond shapes at the top of the slip and the row of edelweiss flowers at the bottom of the gown.

"Each individual stitch is perfectly put into place," said Clark, a Caroline County woman who was struck by the intensity of labor and love involved. "It's an absolutely beautiful piece."

Sadly, the family doesn't know the name of the neighbor who made the gown.

But Priola, like her husband's Aunt Mabel before her, will safeguard the gown for future generations.

As Priola got the gown ready for yesterday's service, she was nervous. She washed it by hand, added liquid starch, delicately rolled it in a towel and let it dry. Then she ironed it carefully.

She followed the same process as Aunt Mabel, the older sister (by 13 years) of Harold, the first child to wear the gown.

"When their mother died, Mabel promised her she would take care of Harold," Priola said. "She was the one who kept the family artifacts and the stories."

And the gown.

Priola thinks of her whenever she prepares it for a christening. Mabel must have pricked her finger when she changed the bow on the front to blue or pink, depending on the baby's gender, because there are tiny bloodstains among the pleats.

"We always say, 'We have Aunt Mabel with us,'" Priola said.

One day, Priola will pass along the care of the gown to the next generation, although she jokes that neither of her two daughters wants to get near it with an iron.

They'll follow the same process that's been done for a century, the same way it was for Cameron yesterday. They'll put the gown on the baby right before the ceremony and remove it after pictures have been taken. They'll keep a white bib over the baby the whole time, knowing that spit-up happens. Faint stains on the collar are from previous wearers.

Priola prays that the gown will continue to pass the test of time.

"I hope to see a great-grandchild wear it one day," she said.

Cathy Dyson: 540/374-5425
Email: cdyson@freelancestar.com