White cotton child's lace dress. Unlined. Dropped waistline. Bodice made up of vertical strips of two different laces. U shaped neckline with flat gathered lace collar (7cms) with one cm fine lace trim around neckline. Cap sleeves (7cms). Skirt (16cms) of gathered lace in one piece. Back opening full length of bodice (22cms) with three buttons two X .6cm and one X .9cm.costume, children's, white cotton child's lace dress

The dress was probably worn at a christening in one of the Kiewa Valley churches (denomination unknown). The importance of the event to family and friends is shown by the quality of the garment. These style Christening dresses were often worn buy several children of the one family , both boys and girls. Other items such as hand made bonnet may have been part of this out fit. "KVHS 0123" The quality of the garment and the fashion style it represents is both historical, not only the time of its manufacture but also of the fashion in that era. It has christian religious implications and values of the time frame of regional life in the early1900s. Girl's white dress (christening event), fine cotton with lace border "broderie anglaise" with a row of lace flowers mid skirt "battenberg".This lace is also inserted in centre front panel and sleeves. Scolloped cotton is also on sleeves, neck and front. Pin tucked skirt. Opening back with drawstring fastening at neck and waist. Short sleeves and machine stitched children clothing, lace-battenberg and broderie anglaise, female clothing, dress, cotton, christening, dressmaking

This child's dress is one of several linen and clothing items that were made and belonged to Mrs. Eliza Towns and donated to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village. Eliza was born Eliza Gould in 1857 in South Melbourne (Emerald Hill) and in 1879 married Charles Towns. In the early 1880's they moved to Nhill in western Victoria and remained there for the rest of their married life. Charles was a jeweller and later became an accountant and for many years was involved with the Shire Council, the local show committee (A & P Society), the Hospital Committee and the Board of the local newspaper (the Nhill Free Press). They had three children and lived a life that would be regarded as comfortably "middle class". Eliza probably had a treadle sewing machine and would have made many of her own clothes as well as clothes for her children - adding her own handmade embroidered or crocheted decorative trim. A photograph of their youngest child, Alice, taken in circa 1903 depicts her wearing the dress. The dress would have been only worn on special occasions (such as a formal family photographic portrait) as most young girls in that era would have smocks or pinafores for everyday wear. The age of the dress is in question as it may have been made by Eliza for her eldest daughter, Dorcus, who was born in 1884. This dress has some machine sewing at the neck, waistband and pintucks but much of the dress is handsewn and richly embroidered with Broderie anglaise. Broderie anglaise (also known as eyelet lace) is a form of cutwork embroidery. The foundation fabric is cut to make decorative holes which are sewn with overcast or buttonhole stitches to create a lace like effect. Designs often involve floral motives that are enhanced with simple embroidery stitches such as stem stitch and satin stitch and scalloped edges finished with buttonhole stitches. It was commonly used to trim baby clothes, dresses, nightclothes, underclothes and household linens - particularly in the Victorian and Edwardian eras. This item is an example of the needlework skills of women in the late 19th century - combining machine stitching with hand embroidery to personalise and embellish a child's special dress.Child's white dress made of cotton and lawn, with a skirt of hand embroidered circular cutwork (broderie anglaise), a scalloped hem edged in buttonhole stitch and a gathered waist. The lined bodice has three panels of hand embroidered broderie anglaise (eyelet lace) inserted in a V shape with pintucks and bordered with a broderie anglaise lace frill. The short sleeves also have an inserted broderie anglaise lace strip, three pintucks and a broderie anglaise lace frill. The skirt is semi lined with fine lawn. The dress has a back opening with one button and two ties. The neckline is decorated with two rows of hand embroidered broderie anglaise lace.flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum & village, warrnambool, shipwreck coast, great ocean road, nhill, wimmera, eliza towns, dorcus towns, child's dress, machine sewing, hand sewing, broderie anglaise, cutwork, embroidery, eyelet lace, clothing, handmade, charles towns, alice towns

White child's dress of heavy cotton lace. Sleeveless bodice with arm holes edged with 3cm ungathered broderie type lace. High round neckline with 5cm lace flat collar. Back opening to waist with 5 x 1cm white buttons. LHS is seamed with buttons attached. RHS edge has button holes pushed through edge of lace. 5mm cotton tape is threaded through seam at neck line to form ties at the back. Skirt is made up of two layers of fabric gathered onto the bodice. Underneath layer is 25 cm deep - 12 cm plain fabric from waist with 13 cm edge of broderie type lace with scalloped edges. Top layer of 13cm of broderie type lace with scalloped edges. Unlined. Machine stitched. Skirt pieces are single pieces of lace fabric with seam at centre back.costume, children's, infant boy's dress

Clothing. Child's white linen dress with fold over lace trimmed sailor collar (13cm) and neckline casing. Dress has yoke front and back with a dropped waist trimmed with insert lace (ribbon missing). Above the hem is a horizontal strip of lace (3cm) and two narrow tucks.Item is edged with 5 cm broiderie lace with scalloped edge. Dress has cap sleeves of 5 cm broiderie lace. Full length centre back opening fastened with cotton tape ties at neckline and two pearl like buttons at lower edge of yoke and at dropped waistline.costume, children's, child's white linen dress

Clothing. Child's white linen dress. Wide round hemmed neckline. Dress made up of two pieces of fabric. Dress is straight to below the waist (35cm) and then widens to the hem (51 cm). Sleeveless with arm holes edged with one cm lace. Front of dress is cotton fabric with alternating vertical stripes of embroidered fabric and floral patterned lace. Back opening (16cm) with placket, fastened with two metal press-studs.costume, children's, child's white linen dress

Early childs dressChild's long white dress with lace top, has short cotton sleeves with lace edging. Two ties in front to tie at the back. There are pintucks in the front. Three white buttons on the back, one missing. Neckline has lace edging.costume, children's, handcrafts, dressmaking

White cotton cutwork child's dress, hand stitched. Back opening with drawstring neck and waist.children's clothing, embroidery, cutwork, 19th century, lace