Embroidered Christening Robe & Cap 1936

This delicate Embroidered Christening Robe & Cap was made by Ella Josephine Sterling. Look at the drawing; it's a symphony in graphite, pencil lines sketching out the dream of a garment, a family heirloom in the making. I can imagine Sterling, bent over her desk, pencil in hand, mapping out the geography of lace and fabric. She's thinking about the tiny human who will one day wear this, imagining the soft touch of the fabric, the weight of tradition settling on tiny shoulders. The details sketched out to the side, like musical notations for a dressmaker's song: a vine, a flower, a tiny bird taking flight. It reminds me of when I'm sketching out forms for a painting, trying to capture an emotion in a gesture. It's this interplay between design and intention, where the artist's hand becomes a conduit for something bigger. It's a conversation that has gone on through the ages.