Dress

Robe of white corded watered silk striped pale blue satin figured cornucopia and flower sprays. Sack back; elbow length sleeves with double scalloped frills; trimmed ruched band of self fabric edged with blue and white tasselled braid. Stomacher added later. Original muslin ruffles detached for washing Dec 1966. Condition: very soiled and split.
Materials:silk woven with alternate stripes of blue satin woven with a white floral pattern, and white watered silk. No complete widths are visible in the robe or the skirt panel, so it is possible some part of the pattern was deliberately cut out. What remains could be part of a French or English striped fabric. plainweave, off-white linen lines bodice and sleeves; off-white silk taffeta in lining; thin cream coloured silk lines falling cuffs; other thin silks in cream and blue as well as cream coloured silk gros grain ribbon on ‘stomacher’; blue and white silk fly fringe trimming.
Thread:Most of the sewing was done using white or off-white silk thread; some off-white linen thread appears to have been used on parts of bodice and sleeve linings.
Stitches: Skirt panel seams sewn with running stitch; dress hem turned under twice and slip stitched; waist seam is slip stitched; side back bodice seams (silk and linen lining) are lapped and running/stab stitched; ends of sleeve layers are turned in towards each other and overcast with widely spaced whit stitching; haphazard combinations of running and slip stitches used throughout the rest of the dress
Construction Notes: Dress has open front bodice and skirt meant to be worn with matching petticoat and stomacher; sack back formed with double box pleats falling from back neckline; sleeves are elbow length and end with double flounced falling cuffs with scalloped edges; bodice lining is fitted all the way round; front bodice edges and back neckline are trimmed with ruched self fabric bands (same trimming decorates pocket slits); front skirt edges are trimmed with wider lengths of gros grain ribbon box pleated and edged with passementarie; a ‘stomacher’ is sewn onto left hand front bodice edge and closes with metal hooks and eyes on the right hand side with ruched trimming at front edges; skirt made for small side-hoops; pocket-slits, usually inconspicuous, are emphasised with ruched braid-edged trimming.
Condition: fair; soiled.
Alterations: Dress has been significantly altered; at least parts of bodice lining are replacements – appears that back lining was originally open and either laced or tied for fitting; is pocket slit trimming original? Very unusual for the time; sleeve and underarm seams have been altered and pieces of fabric inserted; only a portion of the petticoat remains in the shape of a forepart or apron; stomacher is not original; has overall appearance of a dress altered in 19th C for fancy dress or theatre and not treated very well