Name/Title
Cotton Gauze Afternoon White DressDescription
One cotton gauze afternoon white dress with blouson top; front closure and 6 vertical button holes 5/8" long machine made. Buttons are ball shaped with a crocheted rope wrapped around round button in star design; small snap at neckline.1" wide interfacing on center front on the inner edge of bodice center front is open chain-work 1/8" wide. Peter Pan collar 4" wide with 1" machine lace trim mitered corner lace edging - inner collar cotton gauze 1/2" inside lace edging. 1/8" open chain outlining collar. Shoulder line same open chain (some portion hand done). 4" from collar edge at shoulder line begins 13 minute tucks - 6" in length machine stitched. Sleeve 15" long. Armseye of sleeve done with same open chain work as was the shoulder line. 1" open machine lace trim collar on sleeve edge. 3/8" in from top of lace on sleeve edge is open work chain circling sleeve - repeated again on sleeve 2" above the first open work chain. Hand embroidery of one three-branch leaf and 5 circles on outer sleeve.
Blouse bodice: blouson style with cummerbund waist 2-1/2" in width and 5 tucks circle waistband. It closes on left side with 6 snaps on placket opening and an additional 2 snaps on waistband to center front attaching cummerbund to dress, where front closure continued from button opening with 3 snaps. Outer bodice has decorative front panels of inserted machine open work lace shaped in 5 shield forms inverted "T" shape. 1-1/4" X 2" is dimension of each shield. Total design of inverted "T" is 4-1/4" X 6" wide. Two embroidered leaf branches on either side of center shield. Two round balls embroidered at top of center shield - repeats on other bodice front. Under bodice is open net cotton - has open front with 5 snaps and connects to hooks and eyes of cummerbund 2" wide twill band. Style of netting sleeveless with reinforced edge and collarless - attaching to neckline free at sleeve line. Skirt is attached under cummerbund at waistline and is 37" long - 68" wide. Skirt hangs straight. Felt seam attached to cotton twill tape at waistline. Side seams with open chain-work; separate attached hem is 1-5/8" at the top of hem open chain-work.
Additional under-hem 1" in width with a 3/8" rolled hem - attaches to hem chain as an extension of original hem. Center front 3-1/4" from edge of hem begins decorative 10 shield pattern 6" wide by 10" in height. Forms a 15 shield pattern by open chain. On the periphery of outer edge are 5 embroidered leaf branches and 5 balls on top of leaf and shield 3 balls on higher side of shield pattern. Center back design: 7" from hem edge are two horizontal leaf branches embroidered and 3" in length. 2-1/4" from center back begins leaf branch. 3" above horizontal branches on center back line is the 3rd leaf branch with 5 embroidered balls. U-shaped top leaf branch.Acquisition
Notes
Donor: Shirley Gainey (Mrs. Archie)