A most unusual and charming dress. Made from open weave muslin with embroidered panels. Could the muslin be Scottish? There has been no attempt to centralised the embroiidered panels on the bodice or the vertical skirt panels, so clearly home made. Dan Coughlan, curator of costumes and textiles at Paisley Museum says that although he does not have this particular sample in any of the museum's pattern books, the loose weave gauze suggests a Paisley manufacturer, for the town was one of the leading centres for gauze weaving in Britain at the time. Tambouring was also consistent with Scottish manufactureand a large part of the cotton trade in Paisley and Glasgow at the time.
The bodice with a large scoop neck, a central needlerun and drawn threadwork central V panel, the side panels similar, the skirt with vertical alternating panels of embroiderery and muslin, the back with ties to neck and waist.
Back shoulder to hem 50 in; 1.27 m
Lovely and fresh looking. I think the waist tape tie is later. The bodice is in very good conditon. The skirt has some vertical small splits to some of the plain muslin panels, but not very noticeable. The worst is 2 in; 5 cm long to the back left of the skirt. There is an amazing darn just below the pocket slit. Quite a large dog leg darn to the front. The back skirt has a very very feint light brown mark to the hem. There are also a couple of light brown dots to the back. Ask for photos.
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