More information to come.

That is what was written on the note that accompanied this piece.  In the mean time I am left to speculate about this child's dress that was donated to the Guild Collection.  It came in three parts.  A long petticoat like those used under a christening gown, which I didn't get a good photo of,  and a dress with a matching cape.

 

 It looked like a well washed piece of machine lace but on closer inspection I could see that the edges were stitched by hand.

Then,  I really looking at the lace, this hasn't been done by a machine.

 
I thought the buttons were plastic, but then discovered that they are pearl shell.

 The pintucking is all hand stitched as is the feather stitch on the lace insertion.

 

There seems to be two weights of fabric in the bodice and the skirt.  Where the bodice is joined to the skirt above, there is some machine stitching, below all hand stitching.  I suspect that this beautiful piece of lace came from an earlier adults garment and has been remodelled for a baby.

 

Now I had to go back and check the  lace at  the bottom of the petticoat that I put down to being machined because the stitching was so regular.  When I enlarge the image this isn't stitching from any machine I know.  For one thing there is no bobbin thread at the back.  It is all hand stitched.

I also had a closer look at that insertion piece from the back, again hand stitched.

I found this piece of antique lace on the net.  It is machine made, the difference betweem the two is marked.

 

I hope that the "more information to come" gets here quickly.  I would really like to know the history of this piece.

 

 

 

Comments

[Rachel]

It is indeed an interesting piece. I hope you'll share the "More Information" when you get it!

[Carolyn Foley]

I will.