The Hoover Trunk, Part 2 --- Baby Stuff

 

The trunk had four baby gowns in it; I suspect two of them were meant to be worn together, probably as a christening gown. You will want to click on the pics to make them bigger, lol.   I was standing on a stepstool to get high enough to get the entire garments in the frames, out in the sunroom where the natural light is the best.

The first one up is probably the simplest.  There is hand embroidery on the bodice.

The stitching has pulled out right in the front.  I couldn't tell if that was the original stiching or if it had been mended and the mending stich was pulling out.

There is a little binding casing on the inside of the sleeve but no opening in it for any kind of inserted anything.  I'm thinking it's just a stay for the slight gathering at the wrist.

The seam allowances were TINY... and three of the four seam allowances on the sideseams were selvedge.  Narrow fabric, to be sure,  as the front was one piece,  but I don't know what happened on that fourth edge.  Maybe it was flipped and the CB seam was on the selvedge on that side?  I didn't think of that when I was looking at it.  All the long seams were machine stitched; only a small amount of hand stitching was used in the construction.  Which appears to be the case on almost all the garments in the bin; only the quilt top appears to be completely hand stitched.  Ida had to have had either a hand crank machine or a treadle.

Next up is what I believe was a two-piece  christening gown...but , you know, I might be wrong.  What looks to be the outer gown has no closures on the back opening...and no needleholes in the fine cotton to indicate that there ever WERE any closures.  That's a mystery to me; I've no idea how it stayed on the kid.

Hem stitching.  It's got to be hand stitching...so tiny and so...uniform...

Another binding stay; the sleeve is gathered slightly to it, then the edge is bound and the lace sewn on.

You can see the mix of hand sewing and machine stitching  in the seams and trim

Embroidery and impossibly small pintucks on the front bodice.

Binding and lace on the neckline.

The under gown has button tabs...these hand worked button holes show up on several different garments...not just the baby gowns.

Full length undergown.  The bodice area is very plain, which is why I'm pretty sure it's an undergown.  Now whether it was meant to go with the first gown or not...that was just my guess because the laces were similar.

Entredeux and hem ruffle on the undergown.

This is gown number four...which might be an undergown as the bodice is very plain and actually has a dart at the center front to the neckline.

Wish I could rotate the picture, lol.  I'll try to remember to do that before uploading in the future.

But there IS lace on the neckline and armsceyes so ...maybe it's NOT an undergown.  

There is no sideseam on the bodice...the back and front were cut as one piece, with shoulder seams and, as I mentioned, a center front dart.

This last gown is a much more substantial cotton than the others; and the skirt is more sateen-like than the bodice.  Heavier and crisper. And such lovely tucks...

I am wondering if they are sturdy enough to survive cleaning and mending for use in photo shoots...