'for sale, baby dress never worn' (not for sale!)

Were do I begin with this tiny bundle of a tale? 

I was perusing Ebay, as this seems to be a prime time for adding to collections of differnt kinds due to attic clearouts during the world events happening.

I found this little gown which is pretty much prisitine like new condition which was sewn prior to ww1. It is a cotton lawn broderie anglais hand sewn skirt stitched to a bodice available at most haberdashers that stocked baby layette items. 

The bodice is in total contrast to the skirt construction wise and I can imagine the excited mother to be picking it out of either a catalogue or out of a range kept in store. She then took it home with the cotton lawn for the skirt and hand stitched the skirt to the bodice as she patiently awaited the arrival of her precious bundle.

Sadly she never got to see her baby and she to passed away at the birth of her child. Her widow stored the beautiful hand sewn gown away and went to war, returning home with shrapnel wounds that left him pretty much bed bound the rest of his life.

The gown was passed into his second wifes family and that is how I came into this story.

I previously said, I was on Ebay and, I put in a best offer bid on the dress as it was not a christening gown which appear to be the most common antique/vintage baby item out there. my best offer was excepted and a new friendship was begun.

I asked the seller if they knew the history of the item and she said she did, and she kindly wrote me a letter to accompany the gown and another she item she had put in for free.

The lady, in the course of our emails disclosed she has a number of textiles that her daughter is not interested in taking custodianship of in coming years and I have opened my heart and the archive to receive these items and care for them. 

So there will be a third blog, number 2 being the second gown she sent me, about this collection from one family.

And now to dress, as the old flash fiction story goes 'for sale baby dress never worn'

The dress at full length

The excess fabric at the waist is just folded down and hidden away

Pattern matching is on point

Tiny satin ribbon

The bodice with slightly odd set sleeves

Hand stitching at the back seam the skirt is created from 2 widths of the broderie anglais lawn with the design forming the hem of the dress, one small stain on the trim at the front