Dress
Clothing/Dress/Costume
Entirely hand-stitched girl's dress made of gauzy India muslin and embroidered with white cotton in stem stitch. Tambour and very refined drawn thread work; in each corner of the hem is a large circle with elaborate drawn thread work surrounded by leaves and stems that border the piece; field has widely spaced springs with varied drawn thread work fillings; appears to originally have been an apron dating about 1760-1780; made of two whole 32.5" widths of cloth embroidered after joining; top is stitched into gathers under the arms where the top edge is just turned over to the inside to form the lower arc of the armscye; slightly scooped (apron waist) neckline with gathering tape; the back one goes over the sleeve tops as well; no waist; opens all the way down the back; short sleeves whose ends are worked in a bravura lace like drawn pattern with floral motifs; three casing with fine linen braided tapes draw the sleeve up in front, back and outside; no anchor point or buttons visible for free end of tape.
G2010.076
Bruce and Susan Greene Costume Collection
Child, Female
Dress
Historic Costume
Dress
Female
Muslin
Cotton
White
1795 - 1805
American