COSTUME

Object Name: Dress
Date Made: around 1905
around 1905
1905
Place Made: Ireland
Ireland
Description: A two - piece dress of light blue shantung silk, with Irish crochet lace collar, front and cuffs. The dress bodice (HOYFM.386.1996a) fastens with hook and eye closure to the left of the crochet lace panel at the front. Machine stitched pintucks and handsewn embroidery add decoration to the bodice front panels, with several bands of pintucks worked on the back of the bodice. The upper sleeves of the bodice are very full, gathered just below elbow length into long cuffs of ivory silk, and crochet lace. The bodice collar, front panel and lower cuffs are of Irish crochet lace worked in the Clones style featuring the distinctive knot of this technique. The lace panel of the bodice front is backed with ivory silk.The main bodice construction has french seams, machine stitched, with some hand sewn finishes. Bound armhole seams. The dress skirt (HOYFM.386.1996b) is full length and falls from a yoke which features some hand embroidery, to match the bodice. The embroidery is repeated around the hem of the skirt. A series of pin tucks on the skirt length and small inset panels (godets) create fullness. A part from the embroidery on the skirt it is machine stitched, with no additional finishing on the construction seams. The skirt fastens centre back with hook and eye closure. Worn by Mrs Edith Johnston (nee Palmer Smith, born in U.S.A.), who in 1901 married the Rector of Abbey Church, Dublin.
Materials: silk : cotton
Catalogue Number: HOYFM.386.1996

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