Clothing. Women's cream coloured cotton nightgown with elbow length sleeves. High round neckline with 3 cm broderie lace frill. Bib section below neckline (34 cms X 27 cms) has pattern of vertical lace strips, pin tucks and dark pink and cream ribbon. Front skirt section gathered into bib section. Back skirt pleated at centre back into yoke across shoulders. Long straight sleeves finished at hem with pin tucks and broderie lace edging. "A'' shaped garment widening to hem. Front opening left of centre below neckline (21 cm) fastened with two 1 cm plastic buttons - one button hole and one cotton loop.costume, female, women's cream cotton nightgown.

This nightgown belonged to Toula Mavrokefalos Black, nee Raftopoulos (1892-1976). Born in Ithaca, Toula's family migrated to Romania when she was only a baby. She learned to sew as a child while growing up in the Romanian village of Brila. She developed her skills making lace and embroidering items for her trousseau. Some of the linen she embroidered had been woven from flax on Ithaca by her own grandmother, Efstathia. In 1914, Toula emigrated to Australia with her husband Constantine Mavrokefalos. During the Depression, when money was scarce, Toula embroidered at home, doing work for a factory in Flinders Lane. Using a cotton reel, a threepence and a sixpence she created and embroidered designs on hundreds of blouses. Her daughter Olga Black spent her preschool days sitting at the table where her mother worked. Toula would involve Olga by allowing her to help choose the colour combinations. Toula lived with Olga in Brighton until her death in 1976. Olga inherited her mother's sewing skills. She re-invented some of Toula’s trousseau nightdresses and skilfully altered other clothing, making dresses which she wore around Brighton for many years. BHS holds a collection of garments and textiles made by the women of Olga's family, spanning four generations.Women's cream cotton sleeveless nightgown. Cutwork embroidery on bodice. Blue stain under one arm.nightgown, toula black, toula mavrokefalos, 1900s

Clothing. Women's cream coloured long sleeved linen nightgown. High round neckline trimmed with 1cm red and white lace with scalloped edge. Front bib section below neckline (44 cm X 35 cm) of vertical red and white ribbon strips and pin tucks. Lower edge of bib section has zig zag shape dipping to V shape at centre front. Bib section edged with red and white lace.Front opening left of centre (24 cm) fastened with 2 X 0ne cm plastic buttons and cotton loops. Long straight sleeves gathered into cuff of red and white ribbon strips, lace with red and white pleated lace frill. Fabric yoke across shoulders at back below fabric yoke. ''A'' shaped garment widening to hemcostume, female, women's long sleeved linen nightgown

Clothing. Women's cream coloured long sleeved linen nightgown. High round neckline trimmed with 1.5 cm dark pink and white lace. Front has three vertical tab sections (6-7 cm wide0 of dark pink and cream ribbon and lace insert. Underneath the tabs is a diagonal pattern of ribbon and pin tucks. front opening (24 cm) left of centre is fastened with two 1 cm plastic buttons and cotton loops. Long straight sleeves gathered into a cuff of dark pink and white ribbon and lace inserts. Fabric yoke across shoulders at back with body of nightgown pleated at centre back below fabric yoke. ''A'' shaped garment widening to hem.costume, female, women's cream colored linen nightgown